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Crystallization of alloys from a molten state is a fundamental process underpinning metallurgy. Here the direct imaging of an intermetallic precipitation reaction at equilibrium in a liquid-metal environment is demonstrated. It is shown that the outer layers of a solidified intermetallic are surprisingly unstable to the depths of several nanometers, fluctuating between a crystalline and a liquid state. This effect, referred to herein as crystal interface liquefaction, is observed at remarkably low temperatures and results in highly unstable crystal interfaces at temperatures exceeding 200 K below the bulk melting point of the solid. In general, any liquefaction process would occur at or close to the formal melting point of a solid, thus differentiating the observed liquefaction phenomenon from other processes such as surface pre-melting or conventional bulk melting. Crystal interface liquefaction is observed in a variety of binary alloy systems and as such, the findings may impact the understanding of crystallization and solidification processes in metallic systems and alloys more generally., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The emergence of attractive properties in materials at atomically thin regimes has seen an ongoing interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials. An aspect that has lacked focused attention is the effect of 2D material thickness on its crystal structure. As several layered materials naturally exist in mixed metastable phases, it raises an important question of whether a specific polymorph of these mixed-phase materials will be favored at atomically thin limits. This work attempts to address this issue by employing lead monoxide as a model 2D polymorphic system. We propose a reactive oxygen species (ROS) sequestration-mediated liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) strategy for the facile synthesis of ultrathin PbO. This is followed by a suite of microscopic and spectroscopic analyses of the PbO nanosheets that reveals the polymorphic transformation of orthorhombic (β) PbO to its tetragonal (α) analogue with reduction in nanosheet thickness. The transformation process reveals an interesting crystal structure of ultrathin 2D PbO where [001]-oriented domains of α-PbO coexist alongside [100]-oriented regions of β-PbO. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations support our experimental data by revealing a higher thermodynamic stability of the tetragonal phase in PbO monolayers. These findings are likely to instigate interest in carefully evaluating the crystal structures of ultrathin 2D materials while promoting research in understanding the phase transformation across a range of 2D crystals.

Single-atom and single-particle catalysis is an area of considerable topical interest due to their potential in explaining important fundamental processes and applications across several areas. An interesting avenue in single-particle catalysis is spatial control of chemical reactivity within the particle by employing light as an external stimulus. To demonstrate this concept, we report galvanic replacement reactions (GRRs) as a spatial marker of subparticle chemical reactivity of a silver nanoprism with AuCl 4 - ions under optical excitation. The location of a GRR within a single Ag nanoprism can be spatially controlled depending on the plasmon mode excited. This leads to chemomorphological transformation of Ag nanoprisms into interesting Ag-Au structures. This spatial biasing effect is attributed to localized hot electron injection from the tips and edges of the silver nanoprisms to the adjacent reactants that correlate with excitation of different surface plasmon modes. The study also employs low-energy-loss EELS mapping to additionally probe the spatially confined redox reaction within a silver nanoprism. The findings presented here allow the visualization of a plasmon-driven subparticle chemical transformation with high resolution. The selective optical excitation of surface plasmon eigenmodes of anisotropic nanoparticles offers opportunities to spatially modulate chemical transformations mediated by hot electron transfer.

The graphene family and graphite oxide catalysts, particularly graphene oxide structures, have emerged over the past decade as a robust approach for developing common organic reactions and synthesizing heterocyclic compounds under different conditions. This review highlights the potential of using these catalysts for selective organic compounds, particularly N-heterocyclic compounds, which have numerous applications in life and material science. This article also provides an overview of different graphene oxide catalytic structures based on Fe, Cu, Mn, Pd, Ni, Co, Si, and Al for synthesizing N-heterocyclic compounds. Catalyst attributes include recyclability, effectiveness, catalyst lifespan, lack of catalyst nanoparticle mass, and the required time for catalyst effects on the reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO–Mn3O4 nanocomposite and its pristine material were synthesized via precipitation method and method and characterized by XRD, SEM with EDX, TEM, UV–DRS, PL, and XPS. XRD, TEM, and SEM analysis prove that the merging of CuO in Mn3O4 changes its matrix from orthorhombic to tetragonal structure. The presence of Cu, Mn, and O elements in each sample is confirmed by EDX analysis, while XPS reveals their oxidation states. 30 mg CuO–Mn3O4 dosage exhibit the highest efficiency (90.37%) in photocatalytic reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) under halogen lamps (250W) irradiation. Finally, Cr(VI) photocatalysis showed that CuO–Mn3O4 reduction should be carried out in acidic medium (pH 5). The CuO–Mn3O4 composite exhibits higher photocurrent (1.09 μA cm−2) compared with pristine CuO (0.21 μA cm−2) and Mn3O4 (0.49 μA cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, Leishmaniasis affects underprivileged communities of the nations and chemotherapy remains one of the preferred treatment options. However, the cytotoxicity, side effects, and cost of the present chemotherapies limit their utilization. Auranofin [an organogold compound having significant structural similarity with triethyl-phosphine (TEP)] has been reported as an effective therapy for Leishmaniasis treatment. Considering the high cost of gold and the strong affinity of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) to phosphine ligands, we designed TEP-decorated CeNPs (CeNPs-TEP) and used them as a novel antileishmanial agent. The hydrodynamic size of synthesized CeNPs and CeNPs-TEP was observed to be 22.2 ± 3.7 nm and 92.11 ± 6.2 nm, respectively. CeNPs-TEP provided aqueous stability to TEP as TEP alone is extremely unstable in water. Exposure of CeNPs-TEP showed ~ 60 and ~ 82% cell death in Leishmania donovani Ag83 promastigotes after 24 and 48 h, respectively. The same concentration of CeNPs-TEP did not affect the cellular viability of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells significantly. The oxidative stress and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane were also observed after the treatment of CeNPs-TEP. Exposure of CeNPs-TEP induced a ~ 2.2-fold increase in ROS generation inside Leishmania donovani Ag83 cells. Dual staining with ethidium bromide and acridine orange reveals that these processes ultimately result in cell death. The results conclude that a combination of CeNPs and TEP could open the door for developing novel antileishmanial therapeutics in the future. Highlights: TEP-decorated CeNPs (CeNPs-TEP) have been synthesized and used as an antileishmanial agent. CeNPs-TEP resulted in a good antileishmanial effect without affecting the cellular viability of RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. ROS generation leads to cell death in Leishmania donovani Ag83 promastigotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique high specificity of antibodies, both polyclonal and monoclonal, makes them extremely valuable tools for rapid, selective purification of antigens. In principle, the antibody immobilized on a column support is used to selectively adsorb antigen from a mixture containing many other proteins (1,2). The other proteins, for which the antibody has no affinity, may be washed away, and the purified antigen then eluted from the immunoadsorbent. In order to dissociate the antigen from its high affinity antibody, the conditions for elution are necessarily extreme (1-3) and thus must be carefully chosen to permit isolation of active protein.

An essential part of the characterization of any protein is the determination of its molecular weight. The method of choice for these determinations, because of its simplicity and rapidity, has most frequently been sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis (See Chapter 6 ). The alternative method of gel filtration under denaturing conditions (1,2) has not been so widely used, in part as a result of the longer times required for a single run. However, recent developments in gel filtration supports for high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) have made more rapid separations possible, and thus gel permeation HPLC is becoming a widely used technique for molecular weight determinations (3,4). Gel permeation HPLC, in addition to taking less time than SDS gel electrophoresis, allows easier quantitation and recovery of separated proteins, and the resolution is better than that achieved by gel filtration with conventional materials.

Reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) has proved to be an extremely versatile technique for rapid separation of peptides (reviewed in ref. 1). One of its uses is for peptide mapping, or "fingerprinting" (2-5) as an alternative procedure to the conventional two-dimensional separations on paper or thin-layer supports (See Chapter 21 ). Although the map obtained is one dimensional, the excellent resolving power of reverse-phase HPLC enables separation of the majority of peptides within a mixture. HPLC offers the advantages of high reproducibility, easy quantitation, and rapid analysis time, and is also suitable for automation.

A431 cells have been used as an immunogen for generating monoclonal antibodies against the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Two immunoglobulin M and eight immunoglobulin G3 anti-EGF receptor antibodies were cloned. All ten antibodies immunoprecipitated biosynthetically labeled mature A431 cell EGF receptor and were able to recognize the receptor in Western blotting. However, none of the antibodies immunoprecipitated precursor polypeptides of the A431 cell EGF receptor, neither did they recognize EGF receptors from human foreskin fibroblasts, human placenta, nor a human-mouse hybrid cell expressing EGF receptor. The antibodies were found to bind to glycolipids from A431 cells and it was shown that the determinant involved was the blood group A antigen. It appears that this determinant is present on both the EGF receptor and glycolipids of A431 cells but is not expressed on EGF receptors from other human cells tested. One of the monoclonal antibodies raised was used for immunoaffinity purification of the EGF receptor. The procedure took advantage of the carbohydrate nature of the antigenic determinant by employing sugar-specific elution. The mild conditions permitted the purification of A431 cell EGF receptor (70-80% pure) that possessed an intrinsic EGF-stimulated tyrosine kinase activity with a specific activity of about 20 nmol/min/mg.

A survey of H1o and H5-like proteins has been conducted through a range of higher and lower eukaryotic species. All mammals examined possessed H1o proteins, although in variable amounts, and the protein's structure was well conserved, though not invariant. The testis-specific histone Hlt (from rat) did not have an H1o-like structure and it appears that H1o does not occur in spermatocytes in any form. The results also show that Xenopus laevis contains H1o-like proteins, but lower, non-vertebrate eukaryotes (a crustacean, two fungi and a plant tissue) do not possess H1o or H5 proteins. The evidence suggests that H1o and H5 proteins may be considered as belonging to one family, distinct from H1 types. This H1o/H5 family may well be 'replacement histone' variants of H1. The results do not support suggestions of roles such as repression of DNA synthesis or of transcription for H1o/H5 proteins.

Hoggett & Kellett [Eur. J. Biochem. 66, 65-77 (1976)] have reported that the binding of glucose to the monomer of hexokinase PII isoenzyme is independent of ionic strength, in contrast to the subsequent claim of Feldman & Kramp [Biochemistry 17, 1541-1547 (1978)] that the binding is strongly dependent on ionic strength. Since measurements with native hexokinase P forms are complicated by the fact that the enzyme exists in a monomer-dimer association-dissociation equilibrium, we have now studied the binding of glucose to the proteolytically-modified S forms which are monomeric. At pH 8.5, the affinity of glucose for both SI and SII monomers is independent of salt concentration over the range of KCl concentrations 0-1.0 mol . dm-3 and is in good agreement with that of the corresponding P forms in both low and high salt. These observations confirm that the binding of glucose to hexokinase P monomers is independent of ionic strength and that the affinity of glucose for the hexokinase PII monomer is about an order of magnitude greater than that for the dimer.

Four proteins have been isolated from wheat germ by methods analogous to those used to isolate HMG proteins from animal tissue. All four proteins have been shown to be chromosomal in origin. Although amino acid analyses show that three of these proteins have compositions similar to those of the mammalian HMG proteins, N-terminal sequence analyses of these proteins show an absence of sequence homology with any of the mammalian HMG proteins.

Two proteins, HMG-T1 and HMG-T2, with electrophoretic mobilities and compositions similar to those of protein HMG-T, were isolated from trout testes nuclei. The isoelectric points of proteins HMG-T1, HMG-T2 and HMG-T differ. The first 20 residues of protein HMG-T2 have been sequenced and differ from protein HMG-T by only one residue.

A monoclonal antibody of the IgG class, EGFR1, has been isolated using cells of the epidermoid carcinoma line A431 as immunogen. The A431 antigen recognized by EGFR1 has an apparent molecular weight of approximately 175,000, is a cell-surface molecule which can be specifically cross-linked to EGF, exhibits an EGF-stimulated protein kinase activity, binds to EGFR1 in a number of human cell lines to a degree which parallels EGF binding, and shows EGF-dependent internalization in A431 cells and human fibroblasts. We therefore conclude that EGFR1 is directed against an antigenic site on the human EGF receptor. EGFR1 is not mitogenic for human fibroblasts and does not inhibit EGF binding under a variety of assay conditions. The characterization of EGFR1 has allowed the unambiguous assignment of the structural gene for the human EGF receptor to chromosome 7. Preliminary results suggest that a convenient method for isolating a range of anti-EGF receptor monoclonal antibodies can be developed, based on a hybridoma supernatant screening assay in which positive supernatants bind selectively to a human-mouse cell hybrid containing human chromosome 7.

Electrophoresis and chromatography on paper have proved extremely useful techniques for the separation of small peptides prior to amino acid sequencing. Polarity determines the rate of migration of a peptide during chromatography, whereas both charge and size are the main determinants during electrophoresis. The two techniques therefore are complimentary, and when used in conjunction can resolve most peptide mixtures into their pure components.

A monoclonal antibody R1 against the human epidermal growth factor receptor has been used to study biosynthesis in the carcinoma cell line A431. Two glycoproteins of apparent mol. wts. 95 000 and 160 000 were immunoprecipitated from cells labelled for short times with [35S]methionine or [3H]mannose. Pulse-chase studies show the 160 000 mol. wt. glycoprotein to be a precursor of the 175 000 mol. wt. receptor, but do not establish a precursor role for the 95 000 mol. wt. glycoprotein. Limited proteolysis, peptide mapping, endoglycosidase digestion and the use of monensin and tunicamycin show that the 95 000 mol. wt. glycoprotein is structurally related to the 160 000 mol. wt. glycoprotein and that both glycoproteins have approximately 22 000 - 28 000 mol. wt. of oligosaccharide side chains. Monensin blocks conversion of the 160 000 to the 175 000 mol. wt. mature receptor, a process which involves complexing several of its N-linked oligosaccharide chains. Pulse-chase studies showed that an immunoprecipitable polypeptide of 115 000 mol. wt., or 95 000 mol. wt., in the presence of monensin, was secreted into the medium at late chase times. The possible mechanisms for the origins of all the receptor-related polypeptides are discussed.

In this study, nickel sulfide (NiS), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and their composites have been synthesized by using surfactant driven hydrothermal method. Synthesized materials are investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–Vis and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. XRD results have shown the presence of corresponding structural planes. Crystallite size was much smaller (15 nm) in the case of ZnS nanomaterials, whereas, composite materials have shown size comparable to NiS nanomaterials. SEM images presented morphology of star-like, spherical, and mixture of two for NiS, ZnS, and NiS/ZnS nanocomposites respectively. EDX spectrum of composite materials showed Nickel, Zinc, and Sulfur, indicating the purity of the synthesized composite. Electrochemical measurements i.e. cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge were determined for all three materials. Maximum specific capacitance is obtained as 1594.68 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV S−1 for NiS/ZnS composite materials whereas a charging/discharging time of 461.97 s is observed. The composite materials have shown 95.4% retention for applied for 3000 charging–discharging cycles. The favorable behavior of NiS/ZnS composites indicated their potential as an electrode material for pseudo-capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optoelectronic synapses have been attracting significant attention due to their important role in visual information processing. In this work, we fabricate an all-organic optoelectronic synaptic device with a double heterojunction structure of PEDOT:PSS/poly(vinylidene fluoridetrifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE))/copper (II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) by a simple preparation process. The introduction of a dielectric P(VDF-TrFE) layer between PEDOT:PSS and CuPc layers benefits the trapping of charge carriers and slows down the electron-hole recombination rate. This two-terminal optoelectronic device is successfully applied to simulate synaptic functions of biological synapses by using optical pulses of 660 nm, including paired-pulse facilitation, spike-duration dependent plasticity, spike-rate dependent plasticity, spike-number dependent plasticity, and learning-experience behavior. Furthermore, the key characteristics of a nociceptor and the optical logic function of the "AND" and "OR" operations are also emulated. This work illustrates the potential of such device for constructing neuromorphic computing systems at the physical level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium oxide nanoparticles have significantly improved catalytic properties and are of increasing interest in the nanoparticle research field hence the current trends in cerium oxide nanoparticles are reviewed here. Unlike previous reviews which have focused primarily on the biosynthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles, their properties, and applications, this review will focus on the unique physical, chemical, and biological properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles, the role of oxygen vacancies or defects in the lattice structure, the ratio of oxidation states in determining their catalytic properties and applications in biosensing, drug or gene delivery, etc. have been discussed. Furthermore, the limitations of the bare form of cerium oxide nanoparticles and the advances in the field of surface coating by different ligands to overcome the issues of bare nanoparticles have been discussed. The review concludes with a discussion on the environmental aspects and toxicity of cerium oxide nanoparticles and their potential future in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosilica (NS) behavior on hydration and synergistic characteristics of highly alkaline (HA) white cement pastes composites containing 5–25 mass % of NS (as substitution) was studied. The hydration kinetics behavior from 1 to 100 days was examined for all the blends e.g.: whiteness reflection (Ry), setting, compressive mechanical strength (CS), bulk density (BD), combined water content (Wn), total porosity (TP), and free lime (FL) have all been checked. The substitution of 5 wt.% NS has improved the compression mechanical strength and physico-chemical features of HA-white cement pastes composite, especially the compressive mechanical strength, free lime content and bulk density. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques have been implemented to investigate the microstructure and features of NS pastes composites. NS (5%) improved the synergistic and hydration properties of the evaluated composite materials. NS has a substantial impact on the performance of HA-white cement composite pastes, reducing whiteness reflection (Ry), total porosity and setting times while enhancing mechanical strength, bulk density and gel-to-space ratio. SEM showed a thicker fiber microstructure and more calcium silicate hydrate products lead to a sharp decrease in porosity of all NS composites so it enhances the mechanical and physical properties, as well as the original morphology of calcium mono-carboaluminate hydrate. Highly recommended NS cement composite containing 95 percent + 5 percent NS has better performance and synergy than ordinary white cement. It showed a compact, high-density microstructure consisting of a large proportion of the microcrystalline fibrous group leading to reduced porosity of the blend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at controlling excess nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, and harmful algae that pollute the marine environment using biosynthesized iron oxide nanoparticles. Aqueous extracts of brown seaweeds named Petalonia fascia, Colpomenia sinuosa, and Padina pavonica were selected for iron oxide nanoparticles' biosynthesis. The extracts were used as reductants of ferric chloride, and dark brown colors due to Fe3O4-NPs biosynthesis were observed. Iron signals were recorded in EDX spectra. FTIR analyses showed that the three algae extracts contained proteins and lipids that have the ability to proceed dual functions of bioreduction and stabilization of Fe3O4-NPs, suggesting that proteins in P. fascia, C. sinuosa, and P. pavonica extracts reduced FeCl3, and the aromatic compounds stabilized the biogenic Fe3O4-NPs. The biosynthesized Fe3O4-NPs via P. pavonica had the best nitrogen reduction percentage, followed by C. sinuosa and P. fascia for both concentrations 2 and 4 µg mL−1. The best results of phosphorus removal and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) reduction percentages using the Fe3O4-NPs concentrations were 2 and 4 µg mL−1 with nanoparticles synthesized via P. fascia and P. pavonica, respectively. The highest reduction in optical density for both 2 and 4 µg mL−1 was achieved by the nanoparticles synthesized by P. fascia. Novelty Statement Application of nanoparticles using seaweeds extracts could be alternative safe bioremediation of wastewaters. Currently, iron oxide nanoparticles are used to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus and reduce the blooming of harmful algae; little information about this issue has been reported. Such study also presented the anti-algal impacts of Fe3O4-NPs by tracing optical density and Chl a concentrations in the examined real seawater samples. Modern biotechnology to develop phytoremediation and seaweeds to enhance these remediation methods can be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present era, with the advancement of various non-conventional devices, hardware components dimensions are shrinking to great extent. Among those, significant part of researchers focus is drawn by Tunnel Field Effect Transistors (TFETs), because of their fundamental attribute of carriers conduction through built-in tunnelling mechanism. In this work, an asymmetric gate Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (TFET) is reported and discussed. This device structure relies on Asymmetric Dual Material Double Gate Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (ADMDG TFET) with reduced oxide thickness of 0.5 nm and optimised metal work function used at the gate terminal of the proposed TFET. For the performance analysis of such a short channel device, the relevant parameters, like threshold voltage, electric field, drain current, surface potential, Ion, Ioff and Subthreshold Swing (SS), have been considered. The proposed structure is simulated by means of the 2-D Sentaurus TCAD tool. The results report significantly low OFF-state current (Ioff), considerably improved ON-state current (Ion), and enhanced SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal complications are long-term effect of diabetes mellitus where glucose is excreted in urine. Therefore, reliable glucose detection in urine is critical. While commercial urine strips offer a simple way to detect urine sugar, poor sensitivity and low reliability limit their use. A hybrid glucose oxidase (GOx)/horseradish peroxidase (HRP) assay remains the gold standard for pathological detection of glucose. A key restriction is poor stability of HRP and its suicidal inactivation by hydrogen peroxide, a key intermediate of the GOx-driven reaction. An alternative is to replace HRP with a robust inorganic enzyme-mimic or NanoZyme. While colloidal NanoZymes show promise in glucose sensing, they detect low concentrations of glucose, while urine has high (mM) glucose concentration. In this study, a free-standing copper NanoZyme is used for the colorimetric detection of glucose in human urine. The sensor could operate in a biologically relevant dynamic linear range of 0.5–15 mM, while showing minimal sample matrix effect such that glucose could be detected in urine without significant sample processing or dilution. This ability could be attributed to the Cu NanoZyme that for the first time showed an ability to promote the oxidation of a TMB substrate to its double oxidation diimine product rather than the charge-transfer complex product commonly observed. Additionally, the sensor could operate at a single pH without the need to use different pH conditions as used during the gold standard assay. These outcomes outline the high robustness of the NanoZyme sensing system for direct detection of glucose in human urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synapse is one of the fundamental elements in human brain performing functions such as learning, memorizing, and visual processing. The implementation of synaptic devices to realize neuromorphic computing and sensing tasks is a key step to artificial intelligence, which, however, has been bottlenecked by the complex circuitry and device integration. We report a high-performance charge-trapping memory synaptic device based on two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 and high-k Ta2O5–TiO2 (TTO) composite to build efficient and reliable neuromorphic system, which can be modulated by both electrical and optical stimuli. Significant and essential synaptic behaviors including short-term plasticity, long-term potentiation, and long-term depression have been emulated. Such excellent synaptic behaviors originated from the good nonvolatile memory performance due to the high density of defect states in the engineered TTO composite. The 2D synaptic device also exhibits effective switching by incident light tuning, which further enables pattern recognition with accuracy rate reaching 100%. Such experimental demonstration paves a robust way toward a multitask neuromorphic system and opens up potential applications in future artificial intelligence and sensing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most extracellular proteins are secreted via the classical endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi-dependent secretion pathway; however, some proteins, including a few danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), are secreted via non-classical ER/Golgi-independent secretion pathways. The evolutionarily conserved high mobility group box1 (HMGB1) is a ubiquitous nuclear protein that can be released by almost all cell types. HMGB1 lacks signal peptide and utilizes diverse non-canonical secretion mechanisms for its extracellular export. Although the post-translational modifications of HMGB1 were demonstrated, the oxidation of HMGB1 and secretion mechanisms are not highlighted yet. We currently investigated that peroxiredoxins I and II (PrxI/II) induce the intramolecular disulfide bond formation of HMGB1 in the nucleus. Disulfide HMGB1 is preferentially transported out of the nucleus by binding to the nuclear exportin chromosome-region maintenance 1 (CRM1). We determined the kinetics of HMGB1 oxidation in bone marrow-derived macrophage as early as a few minutes after lipopolysaccharide treatment, peaking at 4 h while disulfide HMGB1 accumulation was observed within the cells, starting to secrete in the late time point. We have shown that HMGB1 oxidation status, which is known to determine the biological activity in extracellular HMGB1, is crucial for the secretion of HMGB1 from the nucleus. This review summarizes selected aspects of HMGB1 redox biology relevant to the induction and propagation of inflammatory diseases. We implicate the immunological significance and the need for novel HMGB1 inhibitors through mechanism-based studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, Au–TiO2 thin films were prepared on glass substrates through the combined approach of spin-coating thermal evaporation method. The decoration of Au nanoparticles on to TiO2 surface has been achieved by the thermal annealing process under Ar atmosphere. Au–TiO2 thin films with improved optical absorption and effective bandgap narrowing exhibits outstanding photodegradation activity and ultra-sensitivity towards surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based detection of the organic molecules. The existence of Au nanoparticles on TiO2 nanostructures efficiently controls the rate of recombination consequently Au–TiO2 thin films show significantly improved sun-light induced photodegradation efficiency for methylene blue (MB) dye. Au–TiO2 thin films decomposed 5 µM MB dye solution in 40 min under sun light exposure (850 W/cm2). Au–TiO2 thin films also exhibit efficient detection capabilities for the two organic molecules rhodamine 6G (R6G) and methylene blue (MB) with the Raman intensity enhancement factors of the order of ~ 107. The observed excellent SERS sensitivity of Au–TiO2 thin films towards the pollutant molecules are ascribed to the contribution of charge transfer mechanism among TiO2 and dye molecules. Furthermore, the fabricated Au–TiO2 thin films were also evaluated for the multiplexed detection by simultaneously detecting the two analytes (MB and R6G) from their mixture with superior sensitivity. Au–TiO2 nanohybrids thin films with these tremendous applications can be further employed for different applications like solar cell, gas sensing, energy production, and water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that biomaterial topography can exert a profound influence on various cellular functions such as migration, polarization, and adhesion. With the development and refinement of manufacturing technology, much research has recently been focused on substrate topography-induced cell differentiation, particularly in the field of tissue engineering. Even without biological and chemical stimuli, the differentiation of stem cells can also be initiated by various biomaterials with different topographic features. However, the underlying mechanisms of this biological phenomenon remain elusive. During the past few decades, many researchers have demonstrated that cells can sense the topography of materials through the assembly and polymerization of membrane proteins. Following the activation of RHO, TGF-b or FAK signaling pathways, cells can be induced into various differentiation states. But these signaling pathways often coincide with canonical mechanical transduction pathways, and no firm conclusion has been reached among researchers in this field on topography-specific signaling pathways. On the other hand, some substrate topographies are reported to have the ability to inhibit differentiation and maintain the 'stemness' of stem cells. In this review, we will summarize the role of topography in musculoskeletal system regeneration and explore possible topography-related signaling pathways involved in cell differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 15 years, the exploitation of biological systems (i.e. plants, bacteria, mycelial fungi, yeasts, and algae) to produce metal(loid) (Me)-based nanomaterials has been evaluated as eco-friendly and a cost-effective alternative to the chemical synthesis processes. Although the biological mechanisms of biogenic Me-nanomaterial (Bio-Me-nanomaterials) production are not yet completely elucidated, a key advantage of such bio-nanostructures over those chemically synthesized is related to their natural thermodynamic stability, with several studies ascribed to the presence of an organic layer surrounding these Bio-Me-nanostructures. Different macromolecules (e.g. proteins, peptides, lipids, DNA, and polysaccharides) or secondary metabolites (e.g. flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, organic acids, and alkaloids) naturally produced by organisms have been indicated as main contributors to the stabilization of Bio-Me-nanostructures. Nevertheless, the chemical-physical mechanisms behind the ability of these molecules in providing stability to Bio-Me-nanomaterials are unknown. In this context, transposing the stabilization theory of chemically synthesized Me-nanomaterials (Ch-Me-nanomaterials) to biogenic materials can be used towards a better comprehension of macromolecules and secondary metabolites role as stabilizing agents of Bio-Me-nanomaterials. According to this theory, nanomaterials are generally featured by high thermodynamic instability in suspension, due to their high surface area and surface energy. This feature leads to the necessity to stabilize chemical nanostructures, even during or directly after their synthesis, through the development of (i) electrostatic, (ii) steric, or (iii) electrosteric interactions occurring between molecules and nanomaterials in suspension. Based on these three mechanisms, this review is focused on parallels between the stabilization of biogenic or chemical nanomaterials, suggesting which chemical-physical mechanisms may be involved in the natural stability of Bio-Me-nanomaterials. As a result, macromolecules such as DNA, polyphosphates and proteins may electrostatically interact with Bio-Me-nanomaterials in suspension through their charged moieties, showing the same properties of counterions in Ch-Me-nanostructure suspensions. Since several biomolecules (e.g. neutral lipids, nonionic biosurfactants, polysaccharides, and secondary metabolites) produced by metal(loid)-grown organisms can develop similar steric hindrance as compared to nonionic amphiphilic surfactants and block co-polymers generally used to sterically stabilize Ch-Me-nanomaterials. These biomolecules, most likely, are involved in the development of steric stabilization, because of their bulky structures. Finally, charged lipids and polysaccharides, ionic biosurfactants or proteins with amphiphilic properties can exert a dual effect (i.e. electrostatic and steric repulsion interactions) in the contest of Bio-Me-nanomaterials, leading to the high degree of stability observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise nanomedicine has been extensively explored for efficient cancer imaging and targeted cancer therapy, as evidenced by a few breakthroughs in their preclinical and clinical explorations. Here, we demonstrate the recent advances of intelligent cancer nanomedicine, and discuss the comprehensive understanding of their structure-function relationship for smart and efficient cancer nanomedicine including various imaging and therapeutic applications, as well as nanotoxicity. In particular, a few emerging strategies that have advanced cancer nanomedicine are also highlighted as the emerging focus such as tumor imprisonment, supramolecular chemotherapy, and DNA nanorobot. The challenge and outlook of some scientific and engineering issues are also discussed in future development. We wish to highlight these new progress of precise nanomedicine with the ultimate goal to inspire more successful explorations of intelligent nanoparticles for future clinical translations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spider dragline silk was coated with pure as well as Eu-doped ceria nanopowders at the room temperature. The treatment was done by immersion of the spider silk mesh into aqueous solutions of cerium nitrate (Ce(NO)) and ammonium hydroxide (NHOH). Depending on the relationship between Ce ion and ammonium hydroxide concentration, coated fibers exhibited a different thickness. Obtained materials were studied by means of FESEM. It was found that ceria nanoparticles of average size of 3 nm were coated along spider thread. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed crystal nature of nanoparticle coating of spider silk. By using Williamson-Hall plots, crystallite size and strain were estimated. EDS measurement confirmed the presence of Eu in spider-Eu-doped ceria composite, and according to FTIR analysis, the interaction between CeO2 and spider silk was proposed. The morphology of obtained composite was observed by TEM. The photoluminescence emission spectra of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria were measured with two different excitations of 385 and 466 nm. The two-photon excited auto-fluorescence of spider silk coated with Eu-doped ceria was detected using a nonlinear laser scanning microscope. Obtained composite has a potential as a fluorescent labeling material in diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about specificity and affinity is critical for use of carbohydrate-binding antibodies. Herein, we evaluated eight monoclonal antibodies to the blood group A (BG-A) antigen. Antibodies 87-G, 9A, HE-10, HE-24, HE-193, HE-195, T36 and Z2A were profiled on a glycan microarray to assess specificity, relative affinity and the influence of glycan density on recognition. Our studies highlight several noteworthy recognition properties. First, most antibodies bound GalNAcα1-3Gal and the BG-A trisaccharide nearly as well as larger BG-A oligosaccharides. Second, several antibodies only bound the BG-A trisaccharide when displayed on certain glycan chains. These first two points indicate that the carrier glycan chains primarily influence selectivity, rather than binding strength. Third, binding of some antibodies was highly dependent on glycan density, illustrating the importance of glycan presentation for recognition. Fourth, some antibodies recognized the tumorassociated Tn antigen, and one antibody only bound the variant composed of a GalNAc-alpha-linked to a serine residue. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the recognition properties of anti-BG-A antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotechnology continues to offer routes for many exciting and unique products. Researchers genetically altered goats with a spider gene. These goats produce milk that contains a protein that can be extracted to produce biosteel fibers for use in bulletproof vests. It is referred to as 'biosteel' to highlight its strength comparable to steel. This review paper describes the important aspects of produced dragline spider silk proteins via cell culture techniques using silk genes derived from two species of weaving spiders. These fibers were tested for a number of mechanical properties and compared to natural spider silk. In effect, fibers of biosteel were able to absorb similar amounts of energy as natural spider silk by stretching further. As opposed to most other synthetic fibers, biosteel is ecofriendly both in terms of its composition and production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic sodium type A zeolite bearing FeO and FeO nanoparticles composites have been prepared by means of a coprecipitation method with two different activation methodologies, one using Sn and the other using Sn/Pd nanoparticles as activators. Sn activation generates hematite nanoparticles while Sn/Pd produces magnetite nanoparticles. Amount of HCl used during the activation of the zeolite with SnCl showed a correlation between the stannous activating species and the particle size. Both Sn and Sn-Pd activated nanocomposites show nearly narrow size distributions but only those iron oxides obtained with Sn-Pd showed supermagnetism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromatin remodeling-related proteins, such as linker histone H1, involving in fruit ripening and stress responses are poorly understood. In the present study, a novel cDNA encoding linker histone H1 gene, designated as MaHIS1 was isolated and characterized from banana fruit. The full-length cDNA sequence was 1,253 bp with an open-reading frame (ORF) of 948 bp, encoding 315 amino acids with a molecular weight of 31.98 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 10.67. Subcellular localization analysis showed that MaHIS1 was a nucleus-localized protein. Real-time PCR analysis indicated that expression of MaHIS1 gene is induced by external and internal ethylene during fruit postharvest ripening. Accumulation of MaHIS1 transcript was also obviously enhanced by exogenous hormones, including methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid, and hydrogen peroxide (HO), as well as stresses, such as chilling and pathogen Colletotrichum musae infection. Moreover, yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that MaHIS1 could interact with a transcription factor (TF) MaWRKY1. Taken together, our results suggest that MaHIS1 may be related to ripening and stress responses of banana fruit, and be likely functionally coordinating with MaWRKY1 in these physiological processes. Key message MaHIS1 may be related to ripening and stress responses of banana fruit, and it also could interact with WRKY TF, which expands the very limited information regarding the functions of linker histone H1 in fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferritin is not only important for iron storage and detoxification in living organisms, but a multifunctional size-constrained nanoplatform for biomimetic nanoparticles. In order to tailor the biomimetic nanoparticles for future applications, it is essential to investigate the effects of external factors such as temperature on the particle size and structure of reconstituted cores in ferritin. In this study, we systematically investigated the mineral composition, crystallinity, and particle size of human H-ferritin (HuHF) reconstituted at four different temperatures (25, 30, 37, and 42°C) by integrated magnetic and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Our results showed that the particle size of reconstituted ferrihydrite cores (~5 nm) in HuHF was temperature-independent. However, the significant changes of the induced magnetization at 5 T field (M) and remanent magnetization (M) at 5 K clearly showed that the crystallinity of reconstituted cores increased with increasing temperature, indicating that the reaction temperature deeply affects the structural order of reconstituted ferrihydrite cores rather than the particle size, and the reconstituted cores become more ordered at higher reaction temperatures. Our findings provide useful insights into biomineralization of ferritin under in vivo fever condition as well as in biomimetic synthesis of nanomaterials using ferritin. Furthermore, the rock magnetic methods should be very useful approaches for characterizing finite ferritin nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopolymers are promising alternatives to synthetic macromolecules for the design of composite materials complying with Green Chemistry principles. In this context, the conditions to associate hydroxypropyl-cellulose and polymethylhydrosiloxane within homogeneous membranes were studied. The stability of these membranes in water and in the presence of a cellulase enzyme were investigated by Thermogravimetric Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier-Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy. These investigations reveal that the biopolymer is still accessible to a solubilisation/degradation process without inducing the breaking down of the composite materials, opening the route to the design of novel membranes for environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The kinome comprises functionally diverse enzymes, with the current classification indicating very little about the extent of conserved regulatory mechanisms associated with phosphoryl transfer. The apparent Km of the kinases ranges from less than 0.4 μM to in excess of 1000 μM for ATP. It is not known how this diverse range of enzymes mechanistically achieves the regulation of catalysis via an affinity range for ATP varying by three-orders of magnitude. Results: We have demonstrated a previously undiscovered mechanism in kinase and synthetase enzymes where the overall rate of reaction is regulated via the C8-H of ATP. Using ATP deuterated at the C8 position (C8D-ATP) as a molecular probe it was shown that the C8-H plays a direct role in the regulation of the overall rate of reaction in a range of kinase and synthetase enzymes. Using comparative studies on the effect of the concentration of ATP and C8D-ATP on the activity of the enzymes we demonstrated that not only did C8D-ATP give a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) but the KIE's obtained are clearly not secondary KIE effects as the magnitude of the KIE in all cases was at least 2 fold and in most cases in excess of 7 fold. Conclusions: Kinase and synthetase enzymes utilise C8D-ATP in preference to non-deuterated ATP. The KIE obtained at low ATP concentrations is clearly a primary KIE demonstrating strong evidence that the bond to the isotopically substituted hydrogen is being broken. The effect of the ATP concentration profile on the KIE was used to develop a model whereby the C8H of ATP plays a role in the overall regulation of phosphoryl transfer. This role of the C8H of ATP in the regulation of substrate binding appears to have been conserved in all kinase and synthetase enzymes as one of the mechanisms associated with binding of ATP. The induction of the C8H to be labile by active site residues coordinated to the ATP purine ring may play a significant role in explaining the broad range of Km associated with kinase enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been found in human cancers of various origins, and has been implicated in cancer pathogenesis. The therapeutic anti-EGFR antibodies cetuximab and matuzumab inhibit both ligand-induced receptor activation and growth of EGFR-expressing tumor cells. The efficacy of such EGFR-targeted therapies may be further enhanced by induction of functionally equivalent endogenous antibody responses. Here we describe novel peptide sequences selected from random peptide libraries for binding to single-chain antibody fragments of cetuximab or matuzumab. Two of these peptides characterized by KTL and YPLG motifs are recognized equally well by cetuximab and matuzumab, although nonoverlapping epitopes were previously reported for these antibodies. Immunization of experimental animals with synthetic KTL- and YPLG-containing peptides led to induction of antibodies that cross-react with human EGFR, and prevent binding of natural EGFR ligands, ligand-induced receptor activation and tumor cell growth in a manner similar to cetuximab and matuzumab. Our findings show that these peptide mimotopes can induce anti-EGFR antibodies with antitumoral activity, which may have implications for EGFR-specific cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a major regulator of airway epithelial cell (AEC) functions such as migration, proliferation and differentiation, which play an essential role in epithelial repair. EGFR is a glycoprotein with 12 potential N-glycosylation sites in its extracellular domain. Glycosylation of EGFR has been shown to modulate its function. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated an important role of the carbohydrate structure sialyl Lewis x (sLex) in airway epithelial repair. Objective To examine whether an sLex decoration of EGFR can modulate receptor function during AEC repair. Methods Primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells were cultured in vitro. Co-localization of sLex and EGFR was examined using confocal microscopy. Expressions of RNA and protein were analysed using RT-PCR and Western blotting. The final step in the synthesis of sLex was catalysed by a specific α-1,3-fucosyltransferase (FucT-IV). To evaluate the role of sLex in EGFR activation, a knockdown of the FucT-IV gene with small interfering RNA (siRNA) and an inhibitory anti-sLex antibody (KM-93) was used. Results We demonstrated a co-localization of sLex with EGFR on NHBE cells using confocal microscopy. Using a blocking antibody for sLex after a mechanical injury, we observed a reduction in EGFR phosphorylation and epithelial repair following injury. FucT-IV demonstrates a temporal expression coordinate with epithelial repair. Down-regulation of FucT-IV expression in NHBE by specific siRNA suppressed sLex expression. The use of FucT-IV siRNA significantly reduced phosphorylation of EGFR and prevented epithelial repair. An immunohistochemical analysis of human normal and asthmatic airways showed a significant reduction in sLex and tyrosine-phosphorylated EGFR (pY845-EGFR) in the epithelium of asthmatic subjects compared with that of normal subjects. Conclusion The present data demonstrate that sLex, in association with EGFR, in NHBE is coordinate with repair. This glycosylation is important in modulating EGFR activity to affect the repair of normal primary AEC. Cite this as: S. Allahverdian, A. Wang, G. K. Singhera, B. W. Wong and D. R. Dorscheid, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 607–618. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]