Search

Space solar cells, have been providing a consistent supply of energy for various spacecraft for decades. Currently, the third‐generation solar cells, such as perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and organic solar cells, have demonstrated significant potential for space applications. However, their real performance in space environments is not yet clear. To assess crucial performance parameters, solar cells need to be calibrated under the standard space spectral irradiance before deployment in space. This is known as AM0 calibration. This review article focuses on the calibration techniques and methods for space solar cells. The topics covered include space environment and standard testing condition for solar cells, the measurements of key parameters for traditional solar cells, advancements in PSCs and organic solar cells for space applications, and a comprehensive review of diverse calibration methods. The discussion spans from near‐ground calibration to near‐space calibration and space calibration, encompassing approaches, key technologies, developmental milestones, and the respective merits of each calibration methods, especially focus on high altitude balloon calibration. Finally, the article addresses the challenges and future trends of space solar cell calibration based on the aforementioned discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is a prevalent malignancy worldwide. Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is a crucial enzyme that participates in various biological processes, including cancer progression. This study aims to uncover the biological function of SYK in PTC. SYK expression patterns in PTC were evaluated using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blot. Cell function assays were performed to assess the effects of SYK on PTC. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify intriguing microRNA (miRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA). Dual‐Luciferase Reporter or RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to investigate the correlation among SYK, miR‐377‐3p, and hsa_circ_0006417. SYK was upregulated in PTC. Overexpression of SYK exhibited a positive correlation with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and unfavorable disease‐free survival. Functional assays revealed that SYK exerted tumorigenic effect on PTC cells through mTOR/4E‐BP1 pathway. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0006417 and miR‐377‐3p regulated SYK expression, offering modulating its tumor‐promoting effects. Collectively, SYK acts as an oncogene in PTC through mTOR/4E‐BP1 pathway, which is regulated by the hsa_circ_0006417/miR‐377‐3p axis, thereby providing a potential alternative for PTC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) of lipids in biological tissues is useful for correlating molecular distribution with pathological results, which could provide useful information for both biological research and disease diagnosis. It is well understood that the lipidome could not be clearly deciphered without tandem mass spectrometry analysis, but this is challenging to achieve in MSI due to the limitation in sample amount at each image spot. Here we develop a multiplexed MS2 imaging (MS2I) method that can provide MS2 images for 10 lipid species or more for each sampling spot, providing spatial structural lipidomic information. Coupling with on‐tissue photochemical derivatization, imaging of 20 phospholipid C=C location isomers is also realized, showing enhanced molecular images with high definition in structure for mouse brain and human liver cancer tissue sections. Spatially mapped t‐distributed stochastic neighbor embedding has also been adopted to visualize the tumor margin with enhancement by structural lipidomic information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pulmonary infections are frequent in immunocompromised hosts (ICH), and microbial detection is difficult. As a new method, next‐generation sequencing (NGS) may offer a solution. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of NGS‐assisted pathogenic detection on the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of ICH complicated by pulmonary infection and radiographic evidence of bilateral diffuse lesions. Methods: This study enrolled 356 patients with ICH complicated by pulmonary infection that were admitted to Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from November 17, 2017, to November 23, 2018, including 102 and 254 in the NGS and non‐NGS groups, respectively. Clinical characteristics, detection time, rough positive rate, effective positive rate, impact on anti‐infective treatment plan, 30‐day/60‐day mortality, and in‐hospital mortality were compared. Results: NGS‐assisted pathogenic detection reduced detection time (28.2 h [interquartile range (IQR) 25.9–29.83 h] vs. 50.50 h [IQR 47.90–90.91 h], P < 0.001), increased positive rate, rate of mixed infection detected, effective positive rate, and proportion of antibiotic treatment modification (45.28% vs. 89.22%, 4.72% vs. 51.96%, 21.65% vs. 64.71%, 16.54% vs. 46.08%, P < 0.001). The NGS group had a significantly lower 60‐day mortality rate (18.63% vs. 33.07%, P = 0.007). The difference in the Kaplan–Meier survival curve was significant (P = 0.029). After multivariate logistic regression, NGS‐assisted pathogenic detection remained a significant predictor of survival (OR 0.189, confidence interval [CI], 0.068–0.526). Conclusion: NGS‐assisted pathogenic detection may improve detection efficiency and is associated with better clinical outcomes in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 continues to spread worldwide. Given the urgent need for effective treatments, many clinical trials are ongoing through repurposing approved drugs. However, clinical data regarding the cardiotoxicity of these drugs are limited. Human pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hCMs) represent a powerful tool for assessing drug‐induced cardiotoxicity. Here, by using hCMs, it is demonstrated that four antiviral drugs, namely, apilimod, remdesivir, ritonavir, and lopinavir, exhibit cardiotoxicity in terms of inducing cell death, sarcomere disarray, and dysregulation of calcium handling and contraction, at clinically relevant concentrations. Human engineered heart tissue (hEHT) model is used to further evaluate the cardiotoxic effects of these drugs and it is found that they weaken hEHT contractile function. RNA‐seq analysis reveals that the expression of genes that regulate cardiomyocyte function, such as sarcomere organization (TNNT2, MYH6) and ion homeostasis (ATP2A2, HCN4), is significantly altered after drug treatments. Using high‐throughput screening of approved drugs, it is found that ceftiofur hydrochloride, astaxanthin, and quetiapine fumarate can ameliorate the cardiotoxicity of remdesivir, with astaxanthin being the most prominent one. These results warrant caution and careful monitoring when prescribing these therapies in patients and provide drug candidates to limit remdesivir‐induced cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Mosquito control is still the main prevention and control measure for numerous mosquito‐borne diseases causing millions of deaths each year. New strategies for mosquito control are in demand. Proteases play an important role in mosquito physiology, therefore this study explored the inhibition of a serpin (serine protease inhibitor) in mosquitoes and its effect on reproductive capacity. RESULTS: A factor Xa inhibitor homolog (named Pipiserpin) was amplified and identified in Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes. We expressed a recombinant Pipiserpin protein in vitro against which a mouse antiserum was generated. We found that female mosquitoes expressed more Pipiserpin protein than male mosquitoes. After mating, female mosquitoes were fed with blood mixed with different amounts of antisera and results showed that consumption of Pipiserpin impeded ovary development and decreased eggs hatching rates compared to that of the pre‐immune serum group. CONCLUSION: We identified a Culex mosquito factor Xa inhibitor, Pipiserpin, which affects female reproductive potential. Our results suggest that Pipiserpin may be a novel target for mosquito population control. The conclusions from our study on Cx. pipiens pallens might serve as a reference for the development of control measures for other mosquitoes as well. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnitine metabolism is thought to be negatively correlated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the specific molecular mechanism is yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we report that little characterized cysteine‐rich protein 1 (CRIP1) is upregulated in HCC and associated with poor prognosis. Moreover, CRIP1 promoted HCC cancer stem‐like properties by downregulating carnitine energy metabolism. Mechanistically, CRIP1 interacted with BBOX1 and the E3 ligase STUB1, promoting BBOX1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, and leading to the downregulation of carnitine. BBOX1 ubiquitination at lysine 240 is required for CRIP1‐mediated control of carnitine metabolism and cancer stem‐like properties. Further, our data showed that acetylcarnitine downregulation in CRIP1‐overexpressing cells decreased beta‐catenin acetylation and promoted nuclear accumulation of beta‐catenin, thus facilitating cancer stem‐like properties. Clinically, patients with higher CRIP1 protein levels had lower BBOX1 levels but higher nuclear beta‐catenin levels in HCC tissues. Together, our findings identify CRIP1 as novel upstream control factor for carnitine metabolism and cancer stem‐like properties, suggesting targeting of the CRIP1/BBOX1/β‐catenin axis as a promising strategy for HCC treatment. Synopsis: The molecular details of how carnitine energy metabolism regulates liver cancer remain poorly understood. This work identifies zinc finger protein CRIP1 as upstream control factor for carnitine synthesis and oncogenic WNT/beta‐catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), suggesting new potential therapeutic avenues. CRIP1 correlates with poor survival in HCC patient samples.CRIP1 downregulates carnitine metabolism and promotes cancer stem‐like properties in HCC cell lines.CRIP1 facilitates interaction of ubiquitin ligase STUB1 and carnitine synthesis enzyme BBOX1, enhancing BBOX1 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.CRIP1 overexpression decreased acetylcarnitine levels and beta‐catenin acetylation, promoting nuclear beta‐catenin accumulation.Targeting the CRIP1/BBOX1/beta‐catenin axis impairs HCC in xenograft assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the challenge of optimization of pressure swing adsorption systems, an optimization framework based on pseudo transient continuation method was used and a corresponding library with several models was established for simulation of more complex processes. Then, two vacuum pressure swing adsorption processes for oxygen and nitrogen production were considered as case studies and the results based on the single discretization and pseudo transient method were compared and analyzed in detail. Besides, a new strategy was proposed for the stability and efficiency of simulation. Finally, reduced successive quadratic programming and time relaxation algorithm were used for the optimization of the two systems, respectively, and the results showed that the time relaxation algorithm based on the pseudo transient framework has a strong advantage in saving optimization time cost compared with the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potent and selective antifungal agents are urgently needed due to the quick increase of serious invasive fungal infections and the limited antifungal drugs available. Microbial metabolites have been a rich source of antimicrobial agents and have inspired the authors to design and obtain potent and selective antifungal agents, poly(DL-diaminopropionic acid) (PDAP) from the ring-opening polymerization of β-amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides, by mimicking β-poly-lysine. PDAP kills fungal cells by penetrating the fungal cytoplasm, generating reactive oxygen, and inducing fungal apoptosis. The optimal PDAP displays potent antifungal activity with minimum inhibitory concentration as low as 0.4 µg mL-1 against Candida albicans, negligible hemolysis and cytotoxicity, and no susceptibility to antifungal resistance. In addition, PDAP effectively inhibits the formation of fungal biofilms and eradicates the mature biofilms. In vivo studies show that PDAP is safe and effective in treating fungal keratitis, which suggests PDAPs as promising new antifungal agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase from the unicellular diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PtLPCAT1) is involved in triacylglycerol and galactoglycerolipid synthesis and enhances eicosapentaenoic acid accumulation in recombinant oleaginous yeast Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; eicosapentaenoic acid; LPCAT; Phaeodactylum tricornutum; Yarrowia lipolytica EN CRISPR/Cas9 eicosapentaenoic acid LPCAT Phaeodactylum tricornutum Yarrowia lipolytica 238 240 3 01/31/23 20230201 NES 230201 Dietary supplementation of omega-3 very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20: 5 SP 5,8,11,14,17 sp ) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6 SP 4,7,10,13,16,19 sp ), is well known to have diverse health benefits. Recently, the biochemical properties of one I P. tricornutum i LPCAT (PtLPCAT1) were reported and it can esterify a 18: 3-, 18: 4- or 20: 4-CoA (n-3) moiety to lysoPC I in vitro i , the later acyl being available for further desaturation to synthesize EPA, contrasting with plant LPCATs (Polo'nska I et al i ., [2]). [Extracted from the article]

Foreign‐body response caused by implanted biomaterials seriously impedes the function of implants and is a major obstacle to the development of implantable biomaterials and medical devices. Recent advances in implantable biomaterials and medical devices have provided strategies to resist the foreign‐body response. In this review, the mechanism of the foreign‐body response and conventional strategies to mitigate foreign‐body response is briefly introduced. Then, three types of promising foreign‐body response resisting materials are focused and the advantages, characteristics, and applications of each material are discussed. Finally, prospects are put forward for future development of foreign‐body response resisting materials and current challenges that require in‐depth study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy is a typical pathological phenotype of cardiomyopathy and a result from pathological remodelling of cardiomyocytes in humans. At present, emerging evidence demonstrated the roles of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating the pathophysiological process of cardiac hypertrophy. Herein, we would like to review the recent researches on this issue and try to analysis the potential therapeutic targets on lncRNA sites. Studies have revealed both genetic mutations related hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the compensative cardiac hypertrophy due to pressure overload, inflammation, endocrine issues and other external stimulations, share a common molecular mechanism of ventricular hypertrophy. The emerging evidence identified the abnormal expression of lncRNAs would leading to the impairment the function of sarcomere, intracellular calcium handling and mitochondrial metabolisms. Several researches proved the therapeutic role of lncRNAs in preventing or reversing cardiac hypertrophy. With the development of delivery system for small pieces of oligonucleotide, clinicians could design gene therapy approaches to terminate the process of cardiac hypertrophy to provide better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of implants like medical devices are often compromised by the host's foreign‐body response (FBR). Herein, we report the development of low‐FBR materials inspired by serine‐rich sericin from silk. Poly‐β‐homoserine (β‐HS) materials consist of the hydrophilic unnatural amino acid β‐homoserine. Self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of β‐HS resist adsorption by diverse proteins, as well as adhesion by cells, platelets, and diverse microbes. Experiments lasting up to 3 months revealed that, while implantation with control PEG hydrogels induced obvious inflammatory responses, collagen encapsulation, and macrophage accumulation, these responses were minimal with β‐HS hydrogels. Strikingly, the β‐HS hydrogels induce angiogenesis in implant‐adjacent tissues. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the low FBR performance of β‐HS results from what we term "dual hydrogen bonding hydration", wherein both the backbone amide groups and the sidechain hydroxyl groups of β‐HS undergo hydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocompatible and proteolysis‐resistant poly‐β‐peptides have broad applications and are dominantly synthesized via the harsh and water‐sensitive ring‐opening polymerization of β‐lactams in a glovebox or using a Schlenk line, catalyzed by the strong base LiN(SiMe3)2. We have developed a controllable and water‐insensitive ring‐opening polymerization of β‐amino acid N‐thiocarboxyanhydrides (β‐NTAs) that can be operated in open vessels to prepare poly‐β‐peptides in high yields, with diverse functional groups, variable chain length, narrow dispersity and defined architecture. These merits imply wide applications of β‐NTA polymerization and resulting poly‐β‐peptides, which is validated by the finding of a HDP‐mimicking poly‐β‐peptide with potent antimicrobial activities. The living β‐NTA polymerization enables the controllable synthesis of random, block copolymers and easy tuning of both terminal groups of polypeptides, which facilitated the unravelling of the antibacterial mechanism using the fluorophore‐labelled poly‐β‐peptide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) is a type 2‐mediated inflammatory disease associated with significant clinical, social, and economic burdens and high unmet therapeutic need. Dupilumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin‐4 receptor α (IL‐4Rα) subunit, demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety in CRSwNP and other type 2 diseases (eg, atopic dermatitis and asthma). We now report the local effects of dupilumab on type 2 inflammatory biomarkers in nasal secretions and nasal polyp tissues of patients with CRSwNP in a randomized, placebo‐controlled, phase 2 trial (NCT01920893). Methods: Cytokines, chemokines, and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were measured using immunoassay techniques in nasal secretions and nasal polyp tissue homogenates of CRSwNP patients receiving dupilumab 300 mg or placebo weekly for 16 weeks. Results: With dupilumab, type 2 biomarker concentrations decreased in nasal secretions (least squares mean area under the curve from 0 to 16 weeks for the change from baseline) vs placebo for eotaxin‐3 (−30.06 vs −0.86 pg/mL; P = 0.0008) and total IgE (−7.90 vs −1.86 IU/mL; P = 0.022). Dupilumab treatment also decreased type 2 biomarker levels in nasal polyp tissues at Week 16 vs baseline for eosinophilic cationic protein (P = 0.008), eotaxin‐2 (P = 0.008), eotaxin‐3 (P = 0.031), pulmonary and activation‐regulated chemokine (P = 0.016), IgE (P = 0.023), and IL‐13 (P = 0.031). Conclusions: Dupilumab treatment reduced multiple biomarkers of type 2 inflammation in nasal secretions and polyp tissues of patients with CRSwNP, demonstrating that antagonism of IL‐4Rα signaling suppresses IL‐4‐/IL‐13‐dependent processes, such as mucosal IgE formation, as well as the expression of chemokines attracting inflammatory cells to the nasal mucosa. Dupilumab reduced multiple type 2 inflammation biomarkers in nasal secretions and polyp tissues of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, including total IgE and chemoattractants for inflammatory cells Local reductions in type 2 biomarkers were consistent with overall, parallel improvements in nasosinal symptoms and reductions in polypoid tissue These findings suggest that inhibition of IL‐4/IL‐13 signaling via dupilumab‐mediated blockade of IL‐4Rα can suppress underlying inflammation of nasal polyposis, leading to clinical benefits [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated different products with different GOA (Gate driver On Array) designs and did long‐term reliability experiments. Subsequently, we proposed some design suggestions to enhance the reliability of GOA, such as, noise reduction before and after one frame with total reset signal, reset the end unit with total reset signal, and the discharge of active area separated from GOA unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polypeptoids, a class of peptidomimetic polymers, have emerged at the forefront of macromolecular and supramolecular science and engineering as the technological relevance of these polymers continues to be demonstrated. The chemical and structural diversity of polypeptoids have enabled access to and adjustment of a variety of physicochemical and biological properties (eg, solubility, charge characteristics, chain conformation, HLB, thermal processability, degradability, cytotoxicity and immunogenicity). These attributes have made this synthetic polymer platform a potential candidate for various biomedical and biotechnological applications. This review will provide an overview of recent development in synthetic methods to access polypeptoid polymers with well‐defined structures and highlight some of the fundamental physicochemical and biological properties of polypeptoids that are pertinent to the future development of functional materials based on polypeptoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design of active photoanodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is crucial for future applications in sustainable energy conversion. A combination of catalysts with photoelectrodes is generally required to improve surface kinetics and suppress surface recombination. In this study, we present WO3 photoanode modified with the iridium complex [(H4dphbpy)IrIII(Cp*)Cl]Cl (Ir-PO3H2; H4dphbpy=2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-bisphosphonic acid, Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadiene (WO3+Ir-PO3H2)- for PEC water oxidation. When Ir-PO3H2 is anchored to a WO3 electrode, the photoanode shows a significant improvement in both photocurrent and faradaic efficiency compared to the bare WO3 photoanode. Under simulated sunlight illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm−2) with an applied bias of 1.23 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode), the photoanode exhibits a photocurrent of 1.16 mA cm−2 in acidic conditions, which is double that of the bare WO3 photoanode. The faradaic efficiency is promoted from 56 % to 95 %. Kinetic studies reveal that Ir-PO3H2 exhibits a different interfacial charge-transfer mechanism on the WO3 photoanode for PEC water oxidation compared to iridium oxide. Ir-PO3H2, as a water-oxidation catalyst, can accelerate the surface charge transfer through rapid surface kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymptotically, the Wald-type test for generalised estimating equations (GEE) models can control the type I error rate at the nominal level. However in small sample studies, it may lead to inflated type I error rates. Even with currently available small sample corrections for the GEE Wald-type test, the type I error rate inflation is still serious when the tested contrast is multidimensional. This paper extends the ANOVA-type test for heteroscedastic factorial designs to GEE and shows that the proposed ANOVA-type test can also control the type I error rate at the nominal level in small sample studies while still maintaining robustness with respect to mis-specification of the working correlation matrix. Differences of inference between the Wald-type test and the proposed test are observed in a two-way repeated measures ANOVA model for a diet-induced obesity study and a two-way repeated measures logistic regression for a collagen-induced arthritis study. Simulation studies confirm that the proposed test has better control of the type I error rate than the Wald-type test in small sample repeated measures models. Additional simulation studies further show that the proposed test can even achieve larger power than the Wald-type test in some cases of the large sample repeated measures ANOVA models that were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of coil ‐ rod poly(ethylene glycol) ‐ b ‐ poly(γ ‐ benzyl ‐ l ‐ glutamate)s (PEG ‐ b ‐ PBLGs) with α ‐ helical conformations have been prepared from methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) amine (mPEG ‐ NH2) ‐ mediated ring ‐ opening polymerization of γ ‐ benzyl ‐ l ‐ glutamic acid based N ‐ carboxylanhydride. PEG ‐ b ‐ PBLGs form a lamellar structure where PBLG segments pack into hexagonal arrays when frod is less than 0.28. Incorporation of single ‐ walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) causes an increase of the d ‐ spacing of both lamellar and hexagonal packing, suggesting that in the intercalation of SWCNTs into the PEG ‐ b ‐ PBLGs matrices, the SWCNTs are oriented normal to the lamellar interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene nanosheet-supported ultrafine metal nanoparticles encapsulated by thin mesoporous SiO2 layers were prepared and used as robust catalysts with high catalytic activity and excellent high-temperature stability. The catalysts can be recycled and reused in many gas- and solution-phase reactions, and their high catalytic activity can be fully recovered by high-temperature regeneration, should they be deactivated by feedstock poisoning. In addition to the large surface area provided by the graphene support, the enhanced catalytic performance is also attributed to the mesoporous SiO2 layers, which not only stabilize the ultrafine metal nanoparticles, but also prevent the aggregation of the graphene nanosheets. The synthetic strategy can be extended to other metals, such as Pd and Ru, for preparing robust catalysts for various reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A series of pyrenyl-terminated poly(γ-benzyl- l-glutamate)s (py-PBLGs) with controlled polymer molecular weight ( MW = 2.3-14.8 kg mol−1) and molecular weight distribution (PDI = 1.17-1.55) have been prepared from 1-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride-mediated ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of γ-benzyl- l-glutamic acid based N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA). FTIR analysis revealed that the py-PBLG9 was conformationally heterogeneous with 35.0% α-helix, 55.6% β-sheet, and 9.4% random coil conformations in the solid state, whereas the py-PBLG66 adopts 100% α-helix conformation. Py-PBLGs promote the dispersion of SWCNTs in organic solvents and in the PBLG solid through π-π interaction, as evidenced by the Raman spectroscopic studies. WAXD analysis revealed that the SWCNTs significantly affect the ordering of the py-PBLG self-assembly: the long range hexagonal packing of py-PBLG66 rods is notably enhanced by the addition of SWCNTs, whereas the lamellar packing of py-PGLG9 β-sheets is weakened. In the hexagonal lattice, the SWCNTs are intercalated parallel to the py-PBLG66 rods, in contrast to the normal orientation of the SWCNTs with respect to the extended py-PBLG9 chains in the β-sheets. The relative packing structure also affects the intermolecular interaction among the PBLGs: SWCNTs promote the interaction among the py-PBLG9 chains packed in a lamellar structure and weaken the intermolecular interaction among the py-PBLG66 columnar hexagonal array. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 4489-4497 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been functionalized with poly(γ-benzyl- L-glutamate)s (PBLGs) having well-defined polymer molecular weight ( Mn = 7.5-21.1 kg·mol−1) and molecular weight distribution (PDI = 1.05-1.20) by a graft-to method. Toluene solutions containing 5 wt % free PBLG and variable amounts of PBLG-functionalized SWCNTs (PBLG-SWCNTs) form gels at room temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis reveals that the gelation occurs thermoreversibly, in accord with previous studies on the pristine PBLG/toluene gels. The heat of gel melting (Δ Hm) is slightly elevated for the composite gels compared with the pristine gel, which suggests enhanced interactions between PBLGs in the former. But the gelation temperatures of the composites are unaffected by the presence of PBLG-SWCNTs. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of the composite and pristine gels at different temperatures by the Guinier method suggests that PBLG-SWCNTs promote interactions between PBLG rods, as indicated by the larger PBLG bundle size with increasing PBLG-SWCNT content in the gel and the melt state. W/SAXS analysis of the dry gels reveals that PBLG-SWCNTs induce significant changes in the PBLG packing order, resulting in a nematic phase, in contrast to a weakly ordered smectic C phase containing tilted PBLG rods that is observed in the pristine gel. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic poly(α-peptoid)s [a.k.a. poly( N- R-glycine)] with chiral aromatic side-chains [R = ( R)- or ( S)-CHMePh] have been synthesized by N-heterocyclic carbene-mediated ring-opening polymerization of N-substituted N-carboxyanhydrides ( NR-NCA). Their linear analogs have been prepared by primary amine-initiated polymerization of the corresponding NR-NCA. Poly[( R)/( S)- N-CHMePh-glycine] with polymer molecular weights (MWs) in the range of 4-15 kg mol−1 and low MW distribution (Polydispersity index (PDI) < 1.15) can be readily accessed by these methods. Their high MW analogs were not obtained due to the competitive formation of cyclic oligomeric species that result from intramolecular transamidation. Intrinsic viscosity measurements confirm the architectural difference between the polymers prepared by the two methods and reveals that both cyclic and linear poly[( S)- N-CHMePh-glycine]s behave as random-coil polymers in 0.1 M LiBr/Dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Circular dichroism analysis suggests that the cyclic and linear poly(α-peptoid)s retain polyproline I helix conformations, analogously to previously reported linear oligomers. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis reveals that cyclic and linear poly[( S)- N-CHMePh-glycine] are both amorphous with the glass transition temperature of the cyclic polymers ( Tg = 122°C) being notably higher than that of the linear analogs ( Tg = 112°C) with identical MW. These results are consistent with the absence of chain ends, causing the polymers to have reduced segmental mobilities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 96: 596-603, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical data are often subject to left-censoring when the actual values to be quantified fall below the limit of detection. The primary interest of this paper is statistical inference for the two-sample problem. Most of the current publications are centered around naive approaches or the parametric Tobit model approach. These methods may not be suitable for data with high censoring rates and relatively small sample sizes. In this paper, we establish the theoretical equivalence of three nonparametric methods: the Wilcoxon rank sum, the Gehan, and the Peto-Peto tests, under fixed left-censoring and other mild conditions. We then develop a nonparametric point and interval estimation procedure for the location shift model. A large set of simulations compares 14 methods including naive, parametric, and nonparametric methods. The results clearly favor the nonparametric methods for a range of sample sizes and censoring rates. Simulations also demonstrate satisfactory point and interval estimation results. Finally, a real data example is given followed by discussion. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory factor X4 variant transcript 3 ( Rfx4_v3) gene disruption in mice demonstrated that interruption of a single allele (heterozygous, +/–) prevented formation of the subcommissural organ, resulting in congenital hydrocephalus, while interruption of two alleles (homozygous, –/–) caused fatal failure of dorsal midline brain structure formation. To identify potential target genes for RFX4_v3, we used microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in Rfx4_v3-deficient mouse brains at embryonic day 10.5, before gross structural changes were apparent. Of 109 differentially expressed transcripts, 24 were chosen for validation and 22 were confirmed by real-time PCR. Many validated genes encoded critical proteins involved in brain morphogenesis, such as the signaling components in the Wnt, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and retinoic acid (RA) pathways. Cx3cl1, a CX3C-type chemokine gene that is highly expressed in brain, was down-regulated in the Rfx4_v3-null mice. Both human and mouse Cx3cl1 proximal promoters contained highly conserved X-boxes, known cis-acting elements for RFX protein binding. Using the Cx3cl1 promoter as an example of a target gene, we demonstrated direct binding of RFX4_v3 to the Cx3cl1 promoter, and trans-acting activity of RFX4_v3 protein to stimulate gene expression. These data suggest that RFX4_v3 may act upstream of critical signaling pathways in the process of brain development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign-Body Responses: Dealing with the Foreign-Body Response to Implanted Biomaterials: Strategies and Applications of New Materials (Adv. Funct. Keywords: anti-foreign-body response; foreign-body response; implants; medical devices EN anti-foreign-body response foreign-body response implants medical devices 1 1 1 02/05/21 20210203 NES 210203 Material strategy is an important approach to resist the foreign body response (FBR) that is commonly associated with implants. Anti-foreign-body response, foreign-body response, implants, medical devices. [Extracted from the article]

Ultrafine metal nanoparticles can be supported on graphene nanosheets and encapsulated by a thin mesoporous silica layer to produce a robust catalyst, as demonstrated by Y. Yin, T. R. Zhang et al. in their Communication on page 250 ff. The catalyst exhibits high activity, good stability against sintering under high temperature conditions, and excellent recycling and reusability in both gas‐ and solution‐phase reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafeine Metallnanopartikel die auf einer Graphen ‐ Nanoschicht abgeschieden und in einer dünnen mesoporösen Silikatschicht verpackt wurden, wirken als robuste Katalysatoren, wie Y. Yin, T. R. Zhang et al. in ihrer Zuschrift auf S. 254 ff. beschreiben. Der Katalysator ist hoch aktiv, temperaturstabil gegen Sinterung und hervorragend wiederverwendbar in Gas ‐ und Lösungsphasenreaktionen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: 206 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]