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2D MXenes have been used as electrochemical sensor materials, but their output current signal remains weak in point of care (PoC) settings. To address this issue, here we report a novel MXene-supported cobalt-MOF-based nanocomposite, which is used with a carbon black (CB) ink and 3-D printed as the CoMOF–MXene@CB layered electrode structure for the development of a sensor electrode and a PoC chip for electrochemical detection of blood creatinine with an enhanced current range, specificity, and sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) and sensitivity of the fabricated sensor were found to be 0.005 μM and 1.1 μA μM−1cm−2, which are 44 times lower and 32 times enhanced, respectively, as compared to the existing literature report (LOD 0.22 μM and sensitivity 0.034 μA μM−1) for creatinine sensing in PoC settings. The sensor exhibited an excellent linear sensor response ranging from 10 to 800 μM and good reproducibility, stability, and selectivity with significant accuracy. These characteristics helped the sensor to accurately determine the creatinine levels in real human serum samples.

Uraria pictais used as a folk medicine to cure various ailments. Regardless of ethnobotanical application, a therapeutic study of the plant parts has yet to be reported. Aqueous leaf extract was enriched with secondary metabolites like phenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids. Total phenol (60.97 mgG−1GAE), total flavonoid (52.36 mgG−1RE), and antioxidant activity (IC502666.95 µgmL−1) of the extract were measured. Bio-based silver nanoparticles (LEUP-AgNPs) were fabricated using a secondary metabolite-enriched leaf extract of U. picta(LEUP), and characterization of LEUP-AgNPs was done. The LEUP-AgNPs were crystalline, circular (13.04 ± 5.97 nm), monodisperse (pdi 0.205), and stable (-17.8 mV). The LEUP-AgNPs surface was composed of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and silver. A comparative study was performed to evaluate the potential of LEUP and LEUP-AgNPs against promastigotes and intra-RAW264.7 macrophage amastigotes of Leishmania donovani. A high dose of LEUP and LEUP-AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of promastigotes up to 53% and 68%, with an IC50value of 47.90 µgmL−1and 6.79 µgmL−1, respectively. LEUP and LEUP-AgNPs higher doses also inhibited intracellular amastigotes up to 53% and 80% with an IC50value of 6.72 µgmL−1and 1.16 µgmL−1, respectively. The microscopic examination revealed that LEUP-AgNPs lead to size reduction and aggregations of promastigotes. The LEUP-AgNPs efficiently declined the number of amastigotes per RAW 264.7 macrophages compared to LEUP. LEUP-AgNPs had no cytotoxic effects on RAW 264.7 macrophages based on the CC50value. Findings showed LEUP-AgNPs were more efficient than LEUP in controlling L. donovani, which induces visceral leishmaniasis.

Purpose: Green nanotechnology as a field has emerged and gained popularity amongst biologists due to its cost-effective and environment-friendly advancements. The most preferred is the biological method which involves plants and their extracts. Methods: The silver nanoparticles were synthesized by a sunlight-driven aqueous extract (AE) of whole plant powder of Ascophyllum nodosum. Advanced techniques like high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and particle size analysis were used to determine the nature of nanoparticles. Antioxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-leishmanial activities were evaluated. Result: The techniques confirmed the formation of spherical particles of the desired range of size. Silver nanoparticles exhibited a much greater DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazine-hydrate) radical scavenging activity which was almost six to seven folds more than that exhibited by the AE alone. The anti-leishmanial and cytotoxic activities were evaluated on Leishmania donovanipromastigote and amastigote. Conclusion: The synthesized AgNPs showed remarkable DPPH radical scavenging ability owing to their antioxidant properties. The anti-leishmanial activity was exceptionally viable in both AE and AgNPs. The findings all together support the tendency of Ascophyllum nodosumto efficiently synthesized AgNPs which could be utilized for its anti-leishmanial properties. Graphical Abstract:

Low-dimensional materials especially graphene-based are of high interest to a broad community. One of the most fundamental aspects in the biomedical field is material characterization, which helps understand their property and tune for application. Though the existing teaching curricula are well standardized to include basic principles and instrumentation, the laboratory components are yet to be streamlined. Using an example of standard graphene oxide (GO) and one of its functionalized forms, Amine-GO (AGO), a set of laboratory experiments are presented in this article. The first part of the description includes the synthesis and preparation of GO and AGO with details of individual steps and reaction conditions. The laboratory exercises then provide sample preparation and characterization using spectroscopic techniques like UV–vis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical analysis using cyclic voltammetry. The materials for sample preparation can be arranged with minimal cost, while the high-end instruments are primarily available in institutional shared facilities. Such laboratory design is highly essential to develop skills for sample preparation, measurement, writing skills, comparing the results with literature sources, and making an inference. The experiments are relevant for interdisciplinary students in biomedical, chemical, energy, and materials fields. It reflects requisite techniques ideal for developing hands-on skills and motivating students to tune advanced materials and find innovative solutions.

Diabetes has substantive co‐occurrence with disorders of gut‐brain interactions (DGBIs). The pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms linking diabetes and DGBIs are unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of diabetes and gut dysmotility. We investigated whether impaired gut barrier function is regulated by a key miRNA, miR‐10b‐5p, linking diabetes and gut dysmotility. We created a new mouse line using the Mb3Cas12a/Mb3Cpf1 endonuclease to delete mir‐10bglobally. Loss of function studies in the mir‐10bknockout (KO) mice were conducted to characterize diabetes, gut dysmotility, and gut barrier dysfunction phenotypes in these mice. Gain of function studies were conducted by injecting these mir‐10bKO mice with a miR‐10b‐5p mimic. Further, we performed miRNA‐sequencing analysis from colonic mucosa from mir‐10bKO, wild type, and miR‐10b‐5p mimic injected mice to confirm (1) deficiency of miR‐10b‐5p in KO mice, and (2) restoration of miR‐10b‐5p after the mimic injection. Congenital loss of mir‐10bin mice led to the development of hyperglycemia, gut dysmotility, and gut barrier dysfunction. Gut permeability was increased, but expression of the tight junction protein Zonula occludens‐1 was reduced in the colon of mir‐10bKO mice. Patients with diabetes or constipation‐ predominant irritable bowel syndrome, a known DGBI that is linked to leaky gut, had significantly reduced miR‐10b‐5p expression. Injection of a miR‐10b‐5p mimic in mir‐10bKO mice rescued these molecular alterations and phenotypes. Our study uncovered a potential pathophysiologic mechanism of gut barrier dysfunction that links both the diabetes and gut dysmotility phenotypes in mice lacking miR‐10b‐5p. Treatment with a miR‐10b‐5p mimic reversed the leaky gut, diabetic, and gut dysmotility phenotypes, highlighting the translational potential of the miR‐10b‐5p mimic.

In this research work, the luminescence characteristics of SmVO4and Dy3+-doped SmVO4have been compared. The hydrothermal approach was used to synthesize these new phosphors. Characterization of the synthesized products has been done by employing powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM/EDX), photoluminescence techniques, Raman spectroscopy as well as UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). The formation of the tetragonal crystalline phase is demonstrated by the powder X-ray diffraction graph. Morphological findings reveal that the samples contain regular bipyramidal structures. According to functional group analysis, Sm–O absorption is associated with the band at 529 cm−1. The symmetrical stretching caused by the V–O vibration of the VO43−group corresponds to a strong band near 775 cm−1. Detailed information about the phase composition is studied by Raman spectroscopy. It can be observed from Raman spectra that the V–O bond’s symmetric stretching mode can be seen at 873 cm−1, whereas asymmetric stretching modes can be seen at 795 cm−1and 811 cm−1. Furthermore, from the photoluminescence emission spectra, it can be suggested that the emission intensity of samples varied significantly as the amount of Dy3+ion dopants was varied, although the locations of emission bands remained nearly identical. This was due to the well-known phenomenon, i.e. energy transfer (ET) between dysprosium ion and samarium ion. The most intense emission peaks were noticed at 550 nm (caused by 4F9/2→ 6H13/2transition of Dy3+and 4G5/2→ 6H5/2transition of Sm3+) and at 663 nm (due to 4F9/2→ 6H11/2) on excitation at 405 nm. The optimal concentration of Dy3+ion doping for improving the photoluminescence properties of samarium vanadate phosphor was determined to be 5 at%. The energy band gaps of SmVO4and SmVO4:x at% Dy3+(x= 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15) were calculated using the Tauc relation and found to be between 3.73 and 3.81 eV. Their estimated CIE chromaticity colour coordinates (x, y) for SmVO4:5 at% Dy3+are (0.43, 0.54). It could be used in a variety of optical devices.

This letter explores a reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) assisted multi-user ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) system in presence of electromagnetic interference (EMI). The spatial correlation among the channels corresponding to the RIS meta-atoms is considered. For downlink communication, source selects a user out of arbitrary ${K}$ users through random or absolute channel power based (CPB) scheduling schemes. We derive the closed form expressions for outage probability, block error rate (BLER), capacity and system goodput for both the scheduling schemes under the assumption of imperfect channel state information (CSI). Moreover, asymptotic expression for outage probability is also derived. The correctness of the derived expressions is verified through Monte-Carlo simulations.

To get high quality white light from the combination of blue light emitting diode (LED) and yellow emitting YAG phosphor is still an issue. Herein, we report a self-emitting Zn3(VO4)2yellow phosphor synthesized by combustion method (CM) and co-precipitation method (CPM). Urea was used as a fuel for combustion and sodium hydroxide was used as precipitating agent for co-precipitation route. Under near UV excitation, the phosphors emit in the yellow region with an asymmetric emission band towards the higher wavelength in the range from 400 nm to over 800 nm due to the charge transfer transition of an electron from the oxygen to the tetrahedra VO4with Tdsymmetry. The luminescence intensity for the CPM synthesized phosphor was much higher than the CM synthesized phosphor. Temperature dependent PL results suggested that the phosphor is thermally stable and retain its 80 % of the initial brightness at 353 K. The quantum efficiency of the CPM synthesized phosphor (∼ 33 %) is also most double the CM synthesized phosphor. The overall results suggest that a UV converted yellow emitting phosphor could be a potential alternative for the combination of blue and green phosphor used in WLED. As a result, the efficiency of the white LED can be enhanced by reducing the probability of the reabsorption.

In this work, a recessed gate AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) on β-Ga2O3substrate is proposed using a field-plate mechanism and compared with a recessed gate structure (recessed depth of 25 nm, 30 nm, and 35 nm) without field-plate. The device is optimized and analysed to obtain diminished leakage current (10−16A/mm), RON(1.27Ω-mm), PFOM (power figure of merit) (4373 MW/cm3), breakdown voltage (108 V), and excellent DC characteristics using Atlas TCAD. It is observed that the obtained results are better than those reported in recent studies. These RONand PFOM demonstrate that the suggested device structure on the preferred β-Ga2O3substrate is an excellent contender for future high-power nanoelectronics applications.

The conversion of mechanical deformation into electrical signals is a widely used principle for various relevant applications. Facile & scalable fabrication, ultrahigh-sensitivity, low-response time and uninterrupted performance under severe conditions are hallmarks of an efficient strain-sensor that would be suitable for realistic application. In the past, various approaches were introduced to achieve high gauge factor—mainly associated with a large tensile deformation. But, in reality, a flexible strain sensor that displays a high gauge factor at low applied strain and remains efficient under practically relevant diverse and challenging conditions would be more appropriate for unambiguous and effective monitoring of human motions and other relevant applications. But, a low-strain sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity and durability is yet to be introduced in the literature. Here, a metal-free, chemically reactive and conductive ink is unprecedentedly introduced following a 1,4-conjugate addition reaction. Furthermore, a strategic integration of a chemically reactive porous paper with the prepared conductive ink allowed the development of a chemically reactive and conductive interface that allowed desired post covalent modification with selected alkylamines under ambient conditions. Taking advantage of the spatially selective deposition of the prepared ink on chemically recative paper and the ability of post covalent modification of the prepared ink, an abrasion tolerant superhydrophobic & conductive patterned interface was developed for achieving a low-strain (below 0.2%) based flexible strain sensor with an ultrahigh sensitivity (gauge factor ∼18 300) and low response time (8 ms). The external low-strain induced cracks on the flexible & durable superhydrophobic and conductive patterned interface provided a facile basis for real-time & wireless monitoring of slow, fast, weak and strong human motions & expressions—under diverse conditions, including continuous aqueous exposures, physical abrasions etc.

High quality factor mechanical resonators have shown great promise in the development of classical and quantum technologies. Simultaneously, progress has been made in developing controlled mechanical nonlinearity. Here, we combine these two directions of progress in a single platform consisting of coupled silicon nitride (SiNx) and graphene mechanical resonators. We show that nonlinear response can be induced on a large area SiNx resonator mode and can be efficiently controlled by coupling it to a gate-tunable, freely suspended graphene mode. The induced nonlinear response of the hybrid modes, as measured on the SiNx resonator surface is giant, with one of the highest measured Duffing constants. We observe a novel phononic frequency comb which we use as an alternate validation of the measured values, along with numerical simulations which are in overall agreement with the measurements.

Background: Oxadiazole emerged as an important class of heterocyclic compound with diverse biological activities like anticancer, antitubercular, anticonvulsant, anti-tubulin, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant etc. Objective: The objective of this study is to synthesis series of twelve substituted N-[(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2- yl)methyl]benzamines (6a-l) and their evaluation as antiproliferative and antioxidant agents. Methods: The substituted N-[(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)methyl]benzamines (6a-l) analogues were synthesized as per the reported procedure. The antiproliferative activity was tested against nine different panels cancer cell lines (leukemia, colon, renal, non-small cell lung, breast, CNS, melanoma, prostate, and ovarian cancer) at 10 µM drug concentrations as per the NCI US Protocol. Results: 2-(5-((3-Chloro-4-fluorophenylamino)methyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenol (6e) revealed the significant antiproliferative activity among the series of title compounds (6a-l). The compound, 6e showed maximum sensitivity towards CCRF-CEM, MCF-7, MOLT-4, T-47D, and SR cell lines with percent growth inhibitions (%GIs) of 79.92, 56.67, 39.62, 34.71 and 33.35, respectively. Furthermore, the compounds, 6e and 6c showed promising antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 15.09 and 19.02 µM, respectively in DPPH free radicals (FR) scavenging activity. Conclusion: The present study may support a significant value in cancer drug discovery programme.

The microenvironment of tumor cells is critically involved in tumor development and progression. Tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) represent a major constituent of the tumor stroma. Tumor cells are operative in the activation of TAFs, whereas TAFs in turn contribute to tumor cell malignancy. This report describes mechanisms of communication between fibroblasts and urinary bladder cancer (UBC) cells.

ZnO nanoparticles are still a hot area for research even after ample work has been done by researchers across the world. It is a versatile material for doping of different transition metals among other metal oxides. Having a large family of morphological structures, high electron mobility, and n-type carrier defects, it is suitable for a number of applications such as memory devices, spintronics, optoelectronic devices, solar cells, and sensors. Here, we have emphasized a review of the effects of transition metal (TM) doping on the different physical properties of ZnO nanoparticles and their applications. We have gone through some theoretical models which were used by most of the researchers for explaining the variations in physical properties. Explanation of the sensing, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic processes in different classes of devices is briefly described. Lastly, the comparative studies of different devices are also made available for clear understanding.

There is a recent surge of interest in amplification and detection of tiny motion in the growing field of opto- and electromechanics. Here, we demonstrate widely tunable, broad bandwidth, and high gain all-mechanical motion amplifiers based on graphene/silicon nitride (SiNx) hybrids. In these devices, a tiny motion of a large-area SiNx membrane is transduced to a much larger motion in a graphene drum resonator coupled to SiNx. Furthermore, the thermal noise of graphene is reduced (squeezed) through parametric tension modulation. The parameters of the amplifier are measured by photothermally actuating SiNx and interferometrically detecting graphene displacement. We obtain a displacement power gain of 38 dB and demonstrate 4.7 dB of squeezing, resulting in a detection sensitivity of 3.8 fm/Hz, close to the thermal noise limit of SiNx.

In this study, we employed the density functional theory (DFT) to study the interactions between gaseous air pollutants, including di-atomic (CO and NO), tri-atomic (CO2and HCN), and poly-atomic (HCHO and COCl2) species, and Ti-doped zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) structures. During this, two types of doped structures are considered, i.e., SV-ZGNR in which Ti replaces one carbon atom and DV-ZGNR, in which Ti atom replaces two adjacent carbon atoms. All gases under consideration are observed to exhibit significant adsorption energy over doped ZGNR except COCl2for which a catalytic dissociation is observed. Our results indicate that doped ZGNR is better for CO, NO, and HCHO adsorption as compared to that for reported doped graphene sheet. Also, DV-ZGNR is preferred over SV-ZGNR in terms of adsorption. Moreover, due to the adsorption, changes in the density of states are observed which confirms that the Ti-doped ZGNR has potential to be used as the sensing platform for these gases.

We previously demonstrated that Fst expression is highest in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and skeletal muscle, but is also present at substantial levels in epididymal and subcutaneous white adipose tissues (WATs). Fst promotes mouse brown preadipocyte differentiation and promotes browning during differentiation of mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Fst-transgenic (Fst-Tg) mice show substantial increases in circulating Fst levels and increased brown adipose mass. BAT of Fst-Tg mice had increased expression of brown adipose-associated markers including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), PRDM16, PGC-1α, and Glut4. WATs from Fst-Tg mice show upregulation of brown/beige adipose markers and significantly increased levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK/ERK1/2 proteins compared with the wild-type (WT) mice. Pharmacological inhibition of pp38 MAPK/pERK1/2 pathway of recombinant mouse Fst (rFst) treated differentiating 3T3-L1 cells led to significant blockade of Fst-induced UCP1 protein expression. On the other hand, BAT from Fst-Tg mice or differentiating mouse BAT cells treated with rFst show dramatic increase in Myf5 protein levels as well as upregulation of Zic1 and Lhx8 gene expression. Myf5 levels were significantly downregulated in Fst knock-out embryos and small inhibitory RNA-mediated inhibition of Myf5 led to significant inhibition of UCP1, Lhx8, and Zic1 gene expression and significant blockade of Fst-induced induction of UCP1 protein expression in mouse BAT cells. Both interscapular BAT and WAT tissues from Fst-Tg mice display enhanced response to CL316,243 treatment and decreased expression of pSmad3 compared with the WT mice. Therefore, our results indicate that Fst promotes brown adipocyte characteristics in both WAT and BAT depots in vivo through distinct mechanisms.

The surface functionalization of graphene oxide (GO) with l-cysteine is a potent candidate for applications like enzymatic and non-enzymatic bio-sensing and biomedical purposes. Though numerous studies are available detailing efficient synthesis to applications, their interaction with the solvent and the factors affecting the stability should have been considered. Characterizing Cys-GO through Raman, Fourier-transform infrared, and dynamic light scattering spectroscopy quantified the chemical nature and revealed varying particle size distribution compared to GO. This indicates that Cys-GO sheets possibly exist in different ensemble states in the aqueous solution. To probe into its dynamic behavior, classical all-atom simulations have been employed. The computational results align with the experimental differences observed for precursor graphene, GO, and functionalized Cys-GO. The results demonstrate that the presence of a disulfide bond between Cys-GO sheets stabilizes the structural dynamicity compared to the individual or dimer sheet. The interaction with water molecules introduces variable deformation through the interplay between diffusive and Brownian motion of solvent over the sheets. The disulfide bond holds the sheets together, enabling more inter-sheet interactions and reducing random movement. The study provides deep physical insights into graphene-based materials, paving the way for the design of nanosheets with tunable characteristics for future nanocomposite development and sensing applications.

This article describes the first syringe pump spray pyrolysis synthesis of orthorhombic lanthanum sesquisulfide (α-La2S3) thin films. Two precursors lanthanum nitrate La(NO3)3.6H2O and thiourea (SC(NH2)2) were used to develop these rare earth chalcogenides in two different “[S]:[La]” ratios of 5 and 11. The films were developed on glass and silicon substrates. The microstructure, chemical composition, and optical properties of the (α-La2S3) films were thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectrometry. Microstructural analyses showed that both synthesized films had α-La2S3structure and were polycrystalline. The morphology, vibration intensities, and grain sizes of the films are affected by the amount of sulfide present. The XPS results give a qualitative description of La and S as well as an indication of their potential chemical state. Measurements of particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) provide information on the stoichiometric ratios of the constituent components in α-La2S3. The optical bandgap was calculated to be 3.39 eV and 3.45 eV, respectively, for ratios 5 and 11 of the disulfide content.

Follistatin (Fst) functions to bind and neutralize the activity of members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. Fst has a well-established role in skeletal muscle, but we detected significant Fst expression levels in interscapular brown and subcutaneous white adipose tissue, and further investigated its role in adipocyte biology. Fst expression was induced during adipogenic differentiation of mouse brown preadipocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as well as in cold-induced brown adipose tissue from mice. In differentiated MEFs from Fst KO mice, the induction of brown adipocyte proteins including uncoupling protein 1, PR domain containing 16, and PPAR gamma coactivator-1α was attenuated, but could be rescued by treatment with recombinant FST. Furthermore, Fst enhanced thermogenic gene expression in differentiated mouse brown adipocytes and MEF cultures from both WT and Fst KO groups, suggesting that Fst produced by adipocytes may act in a paracrine manner. Our microarray gene expression profiling of WT and Fst KO MEFs during adipogenic differentiation identified several genes implicated in lipid and energy metabolism that were significantly downregulated in Fst KO MEFs. Furthermore, Fst treatment significantly increases cellular respiration in Fst-deficient cells. Our results implicate a novel role of Fst in the induction of brown adipocyte character and regulation of energy metabolism.

Nitric oxide is a pleiotropic ancestral molecule, which elicits beneficial effect in many physiological settings but is also tenaciously expressed in numerous pathological conditions, particularly breast tumors. Nitric oxide is particularly harmful in adipogenic milieu of the breast, where it initiates and promotes tumorigenesis. Epidemiological studies have associated populations at a greater risk for developing breast cancer, predominantly estrogen receptor positive tumors, to express specific polymorphic forms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, that produce sustained low levels of nitric oxide. Low sustained nitric oxide generates oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions at susceptible sites in the heterogeneous microenvironment of the breast, where it promotes cancer related events in specific cell types. Inflammatory conditions also stimulate inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, which dependent on the microenvironment, could promote or inhibit mammary tumors. In this review we re-examine the mechanisms by which nitric oxide promotes initiation and progression of breast cancer and address some of the controversies in the field.

Micro-light-emitting diodes (μ-LEDs) are the significant to next-generation displays, making it possible to offer innovative applications in virtual/augmented reality, mobile phones, ultrahigh-definition televisions, and wearable devices that meet the individualized needs of advanced applications. Due to the limited absorption cross-section, traditional color conversion phosphor cannot provide adequate brightness and yield to sustain high-resolution screens when LED chip sizes decrease below 20 ​μm. Due to their exceptional luminescence efficiency, color tunability, narrow bandwidth, quantum dot (QD) materials are projected to fill this gap, providing a strong full-color solution for μ-LED displays. The eye-catching optical property of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) and their cost-effective manufacturing have attracted a wide range of industries and academic institutions. In spite of their unprecedented success, the lack of stability is a prevalent concern in all perovskite-related domains, and it restricts their wide applicability. The structural and irradiant influences on perovskites' optoelectronic characteristics and stability is the main issue for the present time. Hence, the present graphical review summarizes all the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects for the degradation of PQDs. An analysis of the sources of the instability of PQDs, including structural instability, interfacial instability, and atmospheric instability is carried out in details. We will conclude with some suggestions to improve the stability of the PQDs and device performance. By exploring the research pursuit of instability and related present and future mitigation strategies, the present graphical review will certainly open new perspectives on PQDs.

Commercialisation of biological technologies for forest tree species is driven by the promise of dramatically lower raw material costs, maximal processing efficiencies, minimal environmental impacts and improved product performances. The economic value of such biotechnological changes to wood property traits in forest trees have not been well quantified due to the complexity of producing wood and paper products. As a case study, we used multidimensional cash flow modelling of a loblolly pine plantation and an integrated kraft pulp and linerboard mill to quantify the potential value of trees with improved growth and wood properties. The greatest increases in profit were estimated for higher fibre tensile strength followed by increased specific gravity while higher cellulose to lignin ratio and growth showed similar potentials. These results strongly support the forest industry goal of using biotechnology methods to improve the growth and wood properties of trees grown for paper products.

We have previously reported thatNω-hydroxy-l-arginine (NOHA), a stable intermediate product formed during the conversion ofl-arginine to nitric oxide, induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cells, and this action was antagonized in the presence ofl-ornithine. We also reported that apoptosis induced by NOHA in this cell line could not be explained on the basis of a reduction of intracellular polyamines. In the current study, we investigated other potential mechanism(s) by which NOHA may have induced apoptosis in this cell line. We observed that NOHA initially activated caspase-8 and induced cleavage of BH3interacting domain. This was followed by release of cytochrome cand subsequently, activation of downstream caspases-9 and -3 to cleave poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. We also observed that NOHA induced a rapid and persistent hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential rather than depolarization indicating that the release of cytochrome cby NOHA was by a mechanism independent of the mitochondrial transition pore. Exogenous l-ornithine did not inhibit NOHA-induced caspase-8 activation and cleavage of BH3interacting domain but acted at the mitochondrial level and inhibited the NOHA-induced cytochrome crelease and apoptosis.

We have shown previously that (NOHA) an intermediate in the nitric oxide (NO) synthetic pathway and an inhibitor of arginase significantly reduced intracellular polyamines, activated caspase-3 and induced apoptosis in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468. These actions of NOHA were abolished in the presence of exogenous L-ornithine suggesting that a reduction in the intracellular polyamine content might be responsible for the activation of caspase-3 and apoptotic actions of NOHA. In order to further explore this possibility, we used SAM-486A and α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which are inhibitors of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), respectively, either alone or in combination to reduce the intracellular polyamine levels. We then assessed whether a reduction in polyamine levels by these two compounds to a similar degree to that produced by NOHA activated caspase-3 which occurs prior to the onset of apoptosis. We observed that both SAM-486A and DFMO, either alone or in combination, inhibited cell proliferation, induced p21 and arrested cells in the G0–G1 phase of the cell cycle but failed to activate caspase-3 as assessed by enzymatic assay of caspase-3, western blot analysis of the proteolytic cleavage of caspase-3 protein as well as TUNEL assay. Furthermore, pre-incubation of the cells with SAM-486A and DFMO for 4 days, either alone or in combination significantly inhibited the activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis by NOHA when compared with that observed with cells treated with NOHA alone. Our results, therefore, indicate that the activation of caspase-3 and apoptosis observed with NOHA cannot be solely explained by a reduction in intracellular polyamine levels and that other mechanisms need to be also considered.

The Core Binding Factor is a heterodimeric transcription factor complex in vertebrates that is composed of a DNA binding α-subunit and a non-DNA binding β-subunit. The α-subunit is encoded by members of the Runt Domain family of proteins and the β-subunit is encoded by the CBFβ gene. In Drosophila, two genes encoding α-subunits, runt and lozenge, and two genes encoding β-subunits, Big brother and Brother, have been previously identified. Here, a sensitized genetic screen was used to isolate mutant alleles of the Big brother gene. Expression studies show that Big brother is a nuclear protein that co-localizes with both Lozenge and Runt in the eye imaginal disc. The nuclear localization and stability of Big brother protein is mediated through the formation of heterodimeric complexes between Big brother and either Lozenge or Runt. Big brother functions with Lozenge during cell fate specification in the eye, and is also required for the development of the embryonic PNS. ds-RNA-mediated genetic interference experiments show that Brother and Big brother are redundant and function together with Runt during segmentation of the embryo. These studies highlight a mechanism for transcriptional control by a Runt Domain protein and a redundant pair of partners in the specification of cell fate during development.

We have found an enzymatic activity obtained from rat kidney capable of producing citrulline and NOx (nitrate and nitrite) which was resistant to inhibition by conventional arginine analogues. This enzyme activity does not require any calcium or calmodulin and was found to be induced during pregnancy. This unique enzyme was found to be tissue and species specific. Another unique feature of this enzyme is that it did not bind to 2′5′-ADP-sepharose under standard conditions. Western blot analysis of the 100,000 g kidney supernatant using monoclonal antibody for macrophage inducible nitric oxide synthase failed to produce a band for inducible nitric oxide synthase. HPLC and capillary ion analysis for nitrate and nitrite (NOx) showed clear peaks for [3H] L-citrulline and NOx, respectively, which were not changed either in the absence of calcium and calmodulin or in the presence of 300 μM S-ethylisothiourea, which has been shown to be a very potent and selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase with a Ki of about 14.7 nM. These results suggest the possible existence of another isoform of nitric oxide synthase with very distinct properties from the known isoforms.

Experimental and theoretical investigations on the mobility behavior of a set of permuted fragments with a K-DNA insert is reported. The fragments with the permuted flanking sequences have the K-DNA insert located differentially with respect to the fragment ends. The fragment wherein the insert is located in the center showed maximum retardation as compared to fragments where the insert was at the end. The experimental analysis is also in accord with the theoretical investigation.

Experimental and theoretical investigations on the mobility behavior of a set of permuted fragments with a K‐DNA insert is reported. The fragments with the permuted flanking sequences have the K‐DNA insert located differentially with respect to the fragment ends. The fragment wherein the insert is located in the center showed maximum retardation as compared to fragments where the insert was at the end. The experimental analysis is also in accord with the theoretical investigation.

NIR and visible emission have been reported from Tb3+, Nd3+and Yb3+doped La2O3. XRD, TEM and HRTEM corroborate good crystallinity of the nano-phosphor. The average particle size is around 15 nm examined via TEM and HRTEM. The photoluminescence up-conversion spectra of Tb3+and Yb3+co-doped La2O3exhibited characteristic emission peaks of Tb3+ion at 480, 544 and 610 nm. It is possible due to the absorption of two 980 nm pump photons by Tb3+ion via Yb3+sensitizer. The energy migration from Tb3+to Nd3+takes place so that the intensity of 820 nm (4F5/2, 2H9/2→ 4I9/2) is increased significantly. The energy transfer between these two ions reduces the intensity of 544 nm Tb3+ion whereas the intensity of 820 nm improved. Energy transfer mechanism between Tb3+, Nd3+and Yb3+ions has been discussed in detail. It would be a promising candidate for solar cells and biomedical applications.

Electrochemical metallization memories (ECM)‐based memristors are widely regarded as potential electronic devices for neuromorphic computing. However, in ECM‐based memristors, the formation of metallic conducting filament in insulating layer will cause an abrupt current increase, making it hard for analog neuromorphic emulation. Here, a memristor fabricated by using two‐dimensional (2D) semiconductor MoS2that can provide atomically smooth and semi‐insulating surface as the medium for electric‐field‐driven migration of conducting filaments is proposed. This memristor based on the Ag ions migration on 2D MoS2surface exhibits gradual conductance change behavior. Microstructure characterization shows that such gradual conductance change behavior can be attributed to the formation of conducting filament composed of a chain of metallic Ag nanoparticles of ≈5 nm at ON‐state device. By comparing with biological experimental data, it is found that our device can well mimic the learning behavior of Drosophila. Finding shows the potential to realize stable analog ECM‐based memristors and paves the way for fabricating large‐scale memristor network. Two‐dimensional MoS2can provide a smooth and semi‐insulating surface as the migration medium for Ag ions under the electric field. Based on this, the authors fabricate a memristor which exhibits a continuous conductance change and can well mimic the learning behavior of Drosophila.