Enhancing the photoelectrochemical performance of BiOI-derived BiVO films by controlled-intensity current electrodeposition.

This study investigates the fabrication of BiVO photoanodes using a controlled-intensity current electrodeposition method to improve their photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. The impact of varying the deposition current density and VO(acac) concentration was systematically analyzed to optimize the crystallinity, surface morphology, and electronic properties of the films. Subsequently, an electrochemical deposition method was developed to facilitate the uniform distribution of VO among Bi-O-I flakes to homogeneously enhance the conversion reaction.

Scalable Syntheses of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide using Cascade Design Oxidation and Highly Basic Reduction Reactions.

This present work describes the scalable synthetic methods of oxidation and reduction reactions for producing graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials. Cascade design of Mn(VII)-based oxidation reaction is applied to convert graphite into multilayer graphite oxide powder, the precursor of single-layer graphene oxide nanosheets. Since exothermic heats, relevant chemical ratios, and combinative strategy are utilized, the cascade design process saves considerable amounts of heating energy, chemical reagents, and synthetic time.

Structural, electrical, and optical properties of NiO films for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy applications.

This study investigates the structural, electrical, and optical properties of NiO thin films deposited by DC sputtering in an Ar/O atmosphere with varying oxygen concentrations. As the O content increases, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis reveals a higher concentration of Ni vacancies and Ni ions, resulting in lower resistivity and a slight reduction in crystal quality. Among the samples, the film grown at 50% oxygen (NiO-50) exhibits the best combination of properties for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), including balanced crystallinity, surface roughness, and high hole concentration.

Synergistic enhancement of charge transfer and catalytic activity in CNT@rGO@CuS composite counter electrodes for high-performance quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

Developing cost-effective high-performance counter electrodes (CEs) is critical for improving the efficiency of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). In this study, a CNT@rGO@CuS composite CE was synthesized using a hydrothermal method, incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and CuS nanoparticles to enhance the charge transfer and catalytic activity. Structural characterization (XRD, Raman, FESEM, and HRTEM) confirmed the successful integration of the CuS nanoflowers within the rGO matrix.

Exploring anti-hyperglycemic potential of Pseuderanthemum crenulatum: isolation, structural elucidation and α-glucosidase inhibition evaluation.

Pseuderanthemum crenulatum (Acanthaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used to manage diabetes. However, its chemical constituents remain unexplored as no studies have been conducted on this species to date. This study aimed to chemically characterize and evaluate the anti-hyperglycemic activity of compounds isolated from the stems and roots of P.

Antidiabetic protolimonoids from the bark of Entandrophragma angolense.

Three new protolimonoids, entandrophins A-C (1-3), together with two known compounds, methyl angolensate (4) and stigmas-4-en-3-one (5), were isolated from the bark of Entandrophragma angolense. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic analyses, mainly 1D and 2D NMR spectral data. The compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

A new nemoralisin-type diterpenoid from .

A new nemoralisin-type diterpenoid, nemoralisin O (), along with ten previously identified compounds, was obtained from bark. Structural characterisation was performed using various spectroscopic techniques, with a focus on 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The absolute stereochemistry of compound was established by comparing its experimental ECD spectrum with theoretical ECD spectra of all eight possible stereoisomers using TD-DFT calculations, and by evaluating compatibility of calculated H chemical shifts with experimental values using DP4 probability method.

Optimizing the properties of In-N dual-doped SnO films: incorporation of nitrogen into the SnO lattice at the optimal content direct current sputtering.

Direct current magnetron sputtering was employed to fabricate In-N dual-doped SnO films, with varying concentrations of N in a mixed sputtering gas of N and argon (Ar). The quantity of -substituted O elements in the SnO lattice was confirmed through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A comprehensive investigation of properties of the In-N dual-doped SnO films was conducted using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, Hall effect measurements, and current-voltage (-) characteristic assessments.

Petroleum ether extract of induces senescence and inhibits invasion in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Unlabelled: Kunth H.B et Kunth is an herbal plant employed customarily for the treatment of numerous maladies, notably cancers. Here in this research, we studied the effects of () petroleum ether extract (EM-PE) on the highly aggressive breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.

Efficient counter electrode for quantum dot sensitized solar cells using p-type PbS@reduced graphene oxide composite.

This study developed a novel PbS-rGO composite counter electrode to enhance the performance of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The composite was synthesized a hydrothermal method by anchoring PbS nanocubes onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. The effect of the mass ratio of rGO to PbS (0.

Fabricating ZnO@C composites based on shell-derived cellulose for high performance lithium-ion battery anodes.

In this study, shell-derived cellulose was successfully produced, and the hydrothermal method was employed to generate ZnO@C (ZOC) composites, which were then subjected to calcination in N gas at a temperature of 600 °C for varying durations. X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analyses demonstrated that the annealing duration had a substantial impact on the quantities of C and ZnO in the ZOC composites. The scanning electron microscope images indicated the presence of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of the C phase and revealed a similar morphology among the ZOC composites.

The anillin knockdown in the Drosophila nervous system shows locomotor and learning defects.

Anillin (Ani) is an evolutionarily conserved protein with a multi-domain structure that cross-links cytoskeletal proteins and plays an essential role in the formation of the contractile ring during cytokinesis. However, Ani is highly expressed in the human central nervous system (CNS), and it scaffolds myelin in the CNS of mice and modulates neuronal migration and growth in Caenorhabditis elegans. Although Ani is also highly expressed in the Drosophila CNS, its role remains unclear.

Ethyl Acetate Extract from Romdoul () Fruit Induced Apoptosis in Human Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells.

Background: Romdoul () is a flowering plant of the Annonaceae family and has been used customarily in folk medicine. The bioactivities of this plant, especially the anti-cancer effect, however, remain surprisingly few.

Objective: this study aimed to elucidate the anti-leukemic effect of romdoul fruit extracts and their underlining mechanisms.

Pulling Forces Differentially Affect Refolding Pathways Due to Entangled Misfolded States in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain.

Single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) experiments can monitor protein refolding by applying a small force of a few piconewtons (pN) and slowing down the folding process. Bell theory predicts that in the narrow force regime where refolding can occur, the folding time should increase exponentially with increased external force. In this work, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we compared the refolding pathways of SARS-CoV-1 RBD and SARS-CoV-2 RBD (RBD refers to the receptor binding domain) starting from unfolded conformations with and without a force applied to the protein termini.

Production of Tobacco Etch Virus Protease (TEV) Expressed in the Endotoxin-Free Bacillus subtilis and Its Application.

Tobacco Etch virus (TEV) protease is one of the most common tools for removing fusion tags, but no study has shown that TEV can be expressed at high levels in the GRAS host strain Bacillus subtilis and purified for further application. In this study, the fusion protein BsLysSN-TEV C/S-His-TEV consisting of a fusion tag, N-terminal domain of a lysyl-tRNA synthetase (BsLysSN) coded by B. subtilis lysS gene, placed at the N-terminus followed by an endoprotease TEV cleavage site and then the expression of this fusion protein in the cytoplasm of B.

Phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and enzyme inhibitory activities of organic extracts from flower buds of (Roxb.) Merr. et Perry.

flower buds have been widely used in traditional medicine because of their rich content of bioactive constituents. In this study, we obtained seven solvent extracts from the flower buds and evaluated their total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), tannin (TTC), triterpenoid saponin (TSC), and alkaloid (TAC) contents. We assessed antioxidant activities using the DPPH assay and also looked at antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory effects.

The underestimated fraction: diversity, challenges and novel insights into unicellular cyanobionts of lichens.

Lichens are remarkable and classic examples of symbiotic organisms that have fascinated scientists for centuries. Yet, it has only been for a couple of decades that significant advances have focused on the diversity of their green algal and/or cyanobacterial photobionts. Cyanolichens, which contain cyanobacteria as their photosynthetic partner, include up to 10% of all known lichens and, as such, studies on their cyanobionts are much rarer compared to their green algal counterparts.

Sonochemical synthesis of bioinspired graphene oxide-zinc oxide hydrogel for antibacterial painting on biodegradable polylactide film.

Graphene oxide nanosheet (GO) is a multifunctional platform for binding with nanoparticles and stacking with two dimensional substrates. In this study, GO nanosheets were sonochemically decorated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) and self-assembled into a hydrogel of GO-ZnO nanocomposite. The GO-ZnO hydrogel structure is a bioinspired approach for preserving graphene-based nanosheets from van der Waals stacking.

Synonymous Mutations Can Alter Protein Dimerization Through Localized Interface Misfolding Involving Self-entanglements.

Synonymous mutations in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) can reduce protein-protein binding substantially without changing the protein's amino acid sequence. Here, we use coarse-grain simulations of protein synthesis, post-translational dynamics, and dimerization to understand how synonymous mutations can influence the dimerization of two E. coli homodimers, oligoribonuclease and ribonuclease T.

Deciphering the free energy landscapes of SARS-CoV-2 wild type and Omicron variant interacting with human ACE2.

The binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the first step in human viral infection. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of interaction between RBD and ACE2 at the molecular level is critical for the prevention of COVID-19, as more variants of concern, such as Omicron, appear. Recently, atomic force microscopy has been applied to characterize the free energy landscape of the RBD-ACE2 complex, including estimation of the distance between the transition state and the bound state, xu.

Tailored synthesis of NdMnFeO perovskite nanoparticles with oxygen-vacancy defects for lithium-ion battery anodes.

In this study, we synthesize nanostructured NdMnFeO perovskites using a facile method to produce materials for the high-working-efficiency anodes of Li-ion batteries. A series of characterization assessments (e.g.

A benchmark for Monte Carlo simulations in gamma-ray spectrometry Part II: True coincidence summing correction factors.

The goal of this study is to provide a benchmark for the use of Monte Carlo simulation when applied to coincidence summing corrections. The examples are based on simple geometries: two types of germanium detectors and four kinds of sources, to mimic eight typical measurement conditions. The coincidence corrective factors are computed for four radionuclides.

Influence of the Charge Ratio of Guanine-Quadruplex Structure-Based CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides and Cationic DOTAP Liposomes on Cytokine Induction Profiles.

Cationic liposomes, specifically 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) liposomes, serve as successful carriers for guanine-quadruplex (G4) structure-based cytosine-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs). The combined benefits of CpG ODNs forming a G4 structure and a non-viral vector carrier endow the ensuing complex with promising adjuvant properties. Although G4-CpG ODN-DOTAP complexes show a higher immunostimulatory effect than naked G4-CpG ODNs, the effects of the complex composition, especially charge ratios, on the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon (IFN)-α remain unclear.