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Arginine 132 (R132) mutations to histidine or cysteine frequently occur to cytosolic NADP+-isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1) in secondary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients, in which GBM develops from a lower grade astroctyoma. Mutant enzymes lose the normal IDH activity, but acquire a neomorphic ability of producing 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) from α-ketoglutarate (α-KG). In the present study, the analogous mutations, Arg to His or Cys, were employed to homologous Arg153 of the NADP+-IDH from Escherichia coli (EcIDH), generating two mutants: EcIDH R153 H and EcIDH R153C. The mutations dramatically reduced the catalytic efficiencies ( kcat/ Km) of EcIDH R153H and EcIDH R153C for isocitrate oxidation, which dropped to only 0.6 and 1.5% of the wild-type enzyme, respectively. Neoenzymatic activities of catalyzing α-KG to 2-HG by EcIDH R153H and EcIDH R153C were confirmed by GC/TOF-MS analysis. The Km values of EcIDH R153H and EcIDH R153C displayed for α-KG were 3.3 ± 0.12 and 2.2 ± 0.13 mM, respectively, and the catalytic efficiencies ( kcat/ Km) of the two mutants for α-KG were 300 and 450 M−1 s−1, respectively. As human IDH1 Arg132 mutation is cancer-associated, the present study provides new information for the in-depth investigation of the metabolic influence of EcIDH Arg mutation in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximate effective coefficients of random heterogeneous materials could be obtained by solving auxiliary problems with certain boundary condition. When the coefficients of the auxiliary problems have great jump caused by the random heterogeneous materials with high-contrast properties, Dirichlet boundary condition (DBC) and Neumann boundary condition (NBC) provide broad upper and lower bounds of effective coefficients, respectively. Two possible factors that result in inaccurate approximations of effective coefficients are discussed in this paper. Effect of large condition number of stiffness matrix caused by the high contrast on the numerical accuracy of approximate effective coefficients is analysed. Since DBC and NBC are not effective for the high-contrast materials, an alternative Robin boundary condition (RBC) is presented to provide much better approximations of effective coefficients. Convergence of the approximate effective coefficients under RBC is proved. Numerical examples indicate that proper adjusting factor introduced in RBC makes it more flexible than other boundary conditions. RBC is more suitable for the high-contrast materials and has potential to be an optimal boundary condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of electrochemically stable positive materials is still a key challenge to accomplish high rate performance and long cycling life of asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). Herein, a novel cobalt⁻zinc mixed oxide/hydroxide (CoZn-MOH) hierarchical porous film electrode was facilely fabricated based on a cobalt⁻zinc-based metal⁻organic framework for excellent utilization in ASC. The as-constructed hierarchical porous film supported on conductive Ni foam possesses a rough surface and abundant macropores and mesopores, which allow fast electron transport, better exposure of electrochemically active sites, and facile electrolyte access and ion diffusion. Owing to these structural merits in collaboration, the CoZn-MOH electrode prepared with a zinc feeding ratio up to 45% at 110 min of heating time (CoZn-MOH-45-110) exhibited a high specific capacitance of 380.4 F·g -1 , remarkable rate capability (83.6% retention after 20-fold current increase), and outstanding cycling performances (96.5% retention after 10,000 cycles), which exceed the performances of similar active electrodes. Moreover, an ASC based on this CoZn-MOH-45-110 electrode exhibited a high specific capacitance of 158.8 F·g -1 , an impressive energy density of 45.8 Wh·kg -1 , superior rate capability (83.1% retention after 50-fold current increase), and satisfactory cycling stability (87.9% capacitance retention after 12,000 cycles).

A one-step and energy-saving method was proposed to synthesize hierarchical and hollow Co(VO 3 ) 2 -Co(OH) 2 composite leaf arrays on carbon cloth, which expressed high capacitance (522 mF cm -2 or 803 F g -1 at the current density of 0.5 mA cm -2 ), good rate capability (79.5% capacitance retention after a 30-fold increase of the current density) and excellent cycling stability (90% capacitance retention after 15 000 charge-discharge cycles) when tested as a supercapacitor electrode.

One of the key challenges for pseudocapacitive electrode materials with highly effective capacitance output and future practical applications is how to rationally construct hierarchical and ordered hybrid nanoarchitecture through the simple process. Herein, we design and synthesize a novel NiMn-layered double hydroxide nanosheet@Ni 3 S 2 nanorod hybrid array supported on porous nickel foam via a one-pot hydrothermal method. Benefited from the ultrathin and rough nature, the well-defined porous structure of the hybrid array, as well as the synergetic effect between NiMn-layered double hydroxide nanosheets and Ni 3 S 2 nanorods, the as-fabricated hybrid array-based electrode exhibits an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2703 F g -1 at 3 A g -1 . Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor with this hybrid array as a positive electrode and wood-derived activated carbon as a negative electrode demonstrates high energy density (57 Wh Kg -1 at 738 W Kg -1 ) and very good electrochemical cycling stability.