Small molecule inhibitor DDQ-treated hippocampal neuronal cells show improved neurite outgrowth and synaptic branching

The process of neurite outgrowth and branching is a crucial aspect of neuronal development and regeneration.Axons and dendrites,sometimes referred to as neurites,are extensions of a neuron's cellular body that are used to start networks.Here we explored the effects of diethyl(3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamino)(quinolin-4-yl)methylphosphonate(DDQ)on neurite developmental features in HT22 neuronal cells.In this work,we examined the protective effects of DDQ on neuronal processes and synaptic outgrowth in differentiated HT22cells expressing mutant Tau(mTau)cDNA.To investigate DDQ chara cteristics,cell viability,biochemical,molecular,western blotting,and immunocytochemistry were used.Neurite outgrowth is evaluated through the segmentation and measurement of neural processes.These neural processes can be seen and measured with a fluorescence microscope by manually tracing and measuring the length of the neurite growth.These neuronal processes can be observed and quantified with a fluorescent microscope by manually tracing and measuring the length of the neuronal HT22.DDQ-treated mTau-HT22 cells(HT22 cells transfected with cDNA mutant Tau)were seen to display increased levels of synaptophysin,MAP-2,andβ-tubulin.Additionally,we confirmed and noted reduced levels of both total and p-Tau,as well as elevated levels of microtubule-associated protein 2,β-tubulin,synaptophysin,vesicular acetylcholine transporter,and the mitochondrial biogenesis protein-pe roxisome prolife rator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α.In mTa u-expressed HT22 neurons,we observed DDQ enhanced the neurite characteristics and improved neurite development through increased synaptic outgrowth.Our findings conclude that mTa u-HT22(Alzheimer's disease)cells treated with DDQ have functional neurite developmental chara cteristics.The key finding is that,in mTa u-HT22 cells,DDQ preserves neuronal structure and may even enhance nerve development function with mTa u inhibition.

Critical Solvation Structures Arrested Active Molecules for Reversible Zn Electrochemistry

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries(AZIBs)have attracted increasing attention in next-generation energy storage systems due to their high safety and economic.Unfortunately,the side reactions,dendrites and hydrogen evolution effects at the zinc anode interface in aqueous electrolytes seriously hinder the application of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.Here,we report a critical solvation strategy to achieve reversible zinc electrochemistry by introducing a small polar molecule acetonitrile to form a“catcher”to arrest active molecules(bound water molecules).The stable solvation structure of[Zn(H_(2)O)_(6)]^(2+)is capable of maintaining and completely inhibiting free water molecules.When[Zn(H_(2)O)_(6)]^(2+)is partially desolvated in the Helmholtz outer layer,the separated active molecules will be arrested by the“catcher”formed by the strong hydrogen bond N-H bond,ensuring the stable desolvation of Zn^(2+).The Zn||Zn symmetric battery can stably cycle for 2250 h at 1 mAh cm^(-2),Zn||V_(6)O_(13) full battery achieved a capacity retention rate of 99.2%after 10,000 cycles at 10 A g^(-1).This paper proposes a novel critical solvation strategy that paves the route for the construction of high-performance AZIBs.

Development of small molecule drugs targeting immune checkpoints

Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction,transcription,and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune checkpoints.Thousands of small molecule drugs or biological materials,especially antibody-based ICIs,are actively being studied and antibodies are currently widely used.Limitations,such as anti-tumor efficacy,poor membrane permeability,and unneglected tolerance issues of antibody-based ICIs,remain evident but are thought to be overcome by small molecule drugs.Recent structural studies have broadened the scope of candidate immune checkpoint molecules,as well as innovative chemical inhibitors.By way of comparison,small molecule drug-based ICIs represent superior oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic features.Several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the synergetic effect of ICIs and other therapeutic strategies based on multiple ICI functions,including immune regulation,anti-angiogenesis,and cell cycle regulation.In this review we summarized the current progression of small molecule ICIs and the mechanism underlying immune checkpoint proteins,which will lay the foundation for further exploration.

H-and J-aggregation of conjugated small molecules in organic solar cells

As H-and J-aggregation receive more and more attention in the research of organic solar cells(OSCs),especially in small molecular systems,deep understanding of aggregation behavior is needed to guide the design of conjugated small molecular structure and the fabrication process of OSC device.For this end,this review is written.Here,the review firstly introduced the basic information about H-and J-aggregation of conjugated small molecules in OSCs.Then,the characteristics of H-and J-aggregation and the methods to identify them were summarized.Next,it reviewed the research progress of H-and J-aggregation of conjugated small molecules in OSCs,including the factors influencing H-and J-aggregation in thin film and the effects of H-and J-aggregation on OPV performance.

Optimal and robust control of population transfer in asymmetric quantum-dot molecules

We present an optimal and robust quantum control method for efficient population transfer in asymmetric double quantum-dot molecules.We derive a long-duration control scheme that allows for highly efficient population transfer by accurately controlling the amplitude of a narrow-bandwidth pulse.To overcome fluctuations in control field parameters,we employ a frequency-domain quantum optimal control theory method to optimize the spectral phase of a single pulse with broad bandwidth while preserving the spectral amplitude.It is shown that this spectral-phase-only optimization approach can successfully identify robust and optimal control fields,leading to efficient population transfer to the target state while concurrently suppressing population transfer to undesired states.The method demonstrates resilience to fluctuations in control field parameters,making it a promising approach for reliable and efficient population transfer in practical applications.

Graphene effectively activating "dead" water molecules between manganese dioxide layers in potassium-ion battery

Aqueous potassium-ion batteries(APIBs),recognized as safe and reliable new energy devices,are considered as one of the alternatives to traditional batteries.Layered MnO_(2),serving as the main cathode,exhibits a lower specific capacity in aqueous electrolytes compared to organic systems and operates through a different reaction mechanism.The application of highly conductive graphene may effectively enhance the capacity of APIBs but could complicate the potassium storage environment.In this study,a MnO_(2) cathode pre-intercalated with K~+ions and grown on graphene(KMO@rGO) was developed using the microwave hydrothermal method for APIBs.KMO@rGO achieved a specific capacity of 90 mA h g^(-1) at a current density of 0.1 A g^(-1),maintaining a capacity retention rate of>90% after 5000 cycles at 5 A g^(-1).In-situ and exsitu characterization techniques revealed the energy-storage mechanism of KMO@rGO:layered MnO_(2)traps a large amount of "dead" water molecules during K~+ions removal.However,the introduction of graphene enables these water molecules to escape during K~+ ions insertion at the cathode.The galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and density functional theory confirmed that KMO@rGO has a higher K~+ions migration rate than MnO_(2).Therefore,the capacity of this cathode depends on the interaction between dead water and K~+ions during the energy-storage reaction.The optimal structural alignment between layered MnO_(2) and graphene allows electrons to easily flow into the external circuit.Rapid charge compensation forces numerous low-solvent K~+ions to displace interlayer dead water,enhancing the capacity.This unique reaction mechanism is unprecedented in other aqueous battery studies.

Role of self-assembled molecules’anchoring groups for surface defect passivation and dipole modulation in inverted perovskite solar cells

Inverted perovskite solar cells have gained prominence in industrial advancement due to their easy fabrication,low hysteresis effects,and high stability.Despite these advantages,their efficiency is currently limited by excessive defects and poor carrier transport at the perovskite-electrode interface,particularly at the buried interface between the perovskite and transparent conductive oxide(TCO).Recent efforts in the perovskite community have focused on designing novel self-assembled molecules(SAMs)to improve the quality of the buried interface.However,a notable gap remains in understanding the regulation of atomic-scale interfacial properties of SAMs between the perovskite and TCO interfaces.This understanding is crucial,particularly in terms of identifying chemically active anchoring groups.In this study,we used the star SAM([2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl]phosphonic acid)as the base structure to investigate the defect passivation effects of eight common anchoring groups at the perovskite-TCO interface.Our findings indicate that the phosphonic and boric acid groups exhibit notable advantages.These groups fulfill three key criteria:they provide the greatest potential for defect passivation,exhibit stable adsorption with defects,and exert significant regulatory effects on interface dipoles.Ionized anchoring groups exhibit enhanced passivation capabilities for defect energy levels due to their superior Lewis base properties,which effectively neutralize local charges near defects.Among various defect types,iodine vacancies are the easiest to passivate,whereas iodine-substituted lead defects are the most challenging to passivate.Our study provides comprehensive theoretical insights and inspiration for the design of anchoring groups in SAMs,contributing to the ongoing development of more efficient inverted perovskite solar cells.

Large-scale interplant exchange of macromolecules between soybean and dodder under nutrient stresses

Parasitic plants and their hosts communicate through haustorial connections.Nutrient deficiency is a common stress for plants,yet little is known about whether and how host plants and parasites communicate during adaptation to such nutrient stresses.In this study,we used transcriptomics and proteomics to analyze how soybean(Glycine max)and its parasitizing dodder(Cuscuta australis)respond to nitrate and phosphate deficiency(-N and-P).After-N and-P treatment,the soybean and dodder plants exhibited substantial changes of transcriptome and proteome,although soybean plants showed very few transcriptional responses to-P and dodder did not show any transcriptional changes to either-N or-P.Importantly,large-scale interplant transport of mRNAs and proteins was detected.Although the mobile mRNAs only comprised at most 0.2%of the transcriptomes,the foreign mobile proteins could reach 6.8%of the total proteins,suggesting that proteins may be the major forms of interplant communications.Furthermore,the interplant mobility of macromolecules was specifically affected by the nutrient regimes and the transport of these macromolecules was very likely independently regulated.This study provides new insight into the communication between host plants and parasites under stress conditions.

Molecule aging induced by electron attacking

Here we propose a new concept of"molecule aging":with some special treatment,a molecule could be"aged"by losing some unknown tiny particles or pieces from atoms in the molecule,Such"aging"or loss of unknown tiny particles does not change apparently its molecular structure or chemical composition,but some physicochemical properties could be changed irreversibly.We further confirm such"molecule aging"via a long-term electron attacking to age water(H_(2)O)molecules.The IR spectra show no structural difference between the fresh water and the aged one,while the NMR spectra show that the electron attacking can decrease the size of water clusters.Such facts indicate that the electron attacking indeed can"affect"the structure of water molecule slightly but without damaging to its basic molecule frame.Further exploration reveals that the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)activity of the aged water molecule is lower than the fresh water on the same Pt/C electrocatalyst.The density functional theory calculations indicate that the shortened O-H bond in H_(2)O indeed can present lower HER activity,so the observed size decrease of water clusters from NMR probably could be attributed to the shortening of O-H bond in water molecules.Such results indicate significantly that the molecule aging can produce materials with new functions for new possible applications.

Variation of microbiological and small molecule metabolite profiles of Nuodeng ham during ripening by high-throughput sequencing and GC-TOF-MS

The internal microbial diversity and small molecular metabolites of Nuodeng ham in different processing years(the first,second and third year sample)were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing technology and gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrography(GC-TOF-MS)to study the effects of microorganisms and small molecular metabolites on the quality of ham in different processing years.The results showed that the dominant bacteria phyla of Nuodeng ham in different processing years were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes,the dominant fungi phyla were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota,while Staphylococcus and Aspergillus were the dominant bacteria and fungi of Nuodeng ham,respectively.Totally,252 kinds of small molecular metabolites were identified from Nuodeng ham in different processing years,and 12 different metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis.Further metabolic pathway analysis showed that 23 metabolic pathways were related to ham fermentation,of which 8 metabolic pathways had significant effects on ham fermentation(Impact>0.01,P<0.05).The content of L-proline,phenyllactic acid,L-lysine,carnosine,taurine,D-proline,betaine and creatine were significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Staphylococcus and Serratia,but negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Halomonas,Aspergillus and Yamadazyma.

Modulating perovskite crystallization and band alignment using coplanar molecules for high-performance indoor photovoltaics

The proper bandgap and exceptional photostability enable CsPbI_(3) as a potential candidate for indoor photovoltaics(IPVs),but indoor power conversion efficiency(PCE) is impeded by serious nonradiative recombination stemming from challenges in incomplete DMAPbI_(3) conversion and lattice structure distortion.Here,the coplanar symmetric structu re of hexyl sulfide(HS) is employed to functionalize the CsPbI_(3) layer for fabricating highly efficient IPVs.The hydrogen bond between HS and DMAI promotes the conversion of DMAPbI_(3) to CsPbI_(3),while the copianar symmetric structure enhances crystalline order.Simultaneously,surface sulfidation during HS-induced growth results in the in situ formation of PbS,spontaneously creating a CsPbI_(3) N-P homojunction to enhance band alignment and carrier mobility.As a result,the CsPbI_(3)&HS devices achieve an impressive indoor PCE of 39.90%(P_(in):334.6 μW cm^(-2),P_(out):133.5 μW cm^(-2)) under LED@2968 K,1062 lux,and maintain over 90% initial PCE for 800 h at ^(3)0% air ambient humidity.

Emerging molecules,tools,technology,and future of surgical knife in gastroenterology

The 21^(st) century has started with several innovations in the medical sciences,with wide applications in health care management.This development has taken in the field of medicines(newer drugs/molecules),various tools and technology which has completely changed the patient management including abdominal surgery.Surgery for abdominal diseases has moved from maximally invasive to minimally invasive(laparoscopic and robotic)surgery.Some of the newer medicines have its impact on need for surgical intervention.This article focuses on the development of these emerging molecules,tools,and technology and their impact on present surgical form and its future effects on the surgical intervention in gastroenterological diseases.

Chlorine-Substituent Regulation in Dopant-Free Small-Molecule Hole-Transport Materials Improves the Effi ciency and Stability of Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Although doped hole-transport materials(HTMs)off er an effi ciency benefi t for perovskite solar cells(PSCs),they inevi-tably diminish the stability.Here,we describe the use of various chlorinated small molecules,specifi cally fl uorenone-triphenylamine(FO-TPA)-x-Cl[x=para,meta,and ortho(p,m,and o)],with diff erent chlorine-substituent positions,as dopant-free HTMs for PSCs.These chlorinated molecules feature a symmetrical donor-acceptor-donor structure and ideal intramolecular charge transfer properties,allowing for self-doping and the establishment of built-in potentials for improving charge extraction.Highly effi cient hole-transfer interfaces are constructed between perovskites and these HTMs by strategi-cally modifying the chlorine substitution.Thus,the chlorinated HTM-derived inverted PSCs exhibited superior effi ciencies and air stabilities.Importantly,the dopant-free HTM FO-TPA-o-Cl not only attains a power conversion effi ciency of 20.82% but also demonstrates exceptional stability,retaining 93.8%of its initial effi ciency even after a 30-day aging test conducted under ambient air conditions in PSCs without encapsulation.These fi ndings underscore the critical role of chlorine-substituent regulation in HTMs in ensuring the formation and maintenance of effi cient and stable PSCs.

DecodeSTORM:A user-friendly ImageJ plug-in for quantitative data analysis in single-molecule localization microscopy

Quantitative data analysis in single-molecule localization microscopy(SMLM)is crucial for studying cellular functions at the biomolecular level.In the past decade,several quantitative methods were developed for analyzing SMLM data;however,imaging artifacts in SMLM experiments reduce the accuracy of these methods,and these methods were seldom designed as user-friendly tools.Researchers are now trying to overcome these di±culties by developing easyto-use SMLM data analysis software for certain image analysis tasks.But,this kind of software did not pay su±cient attention to the impact of imaging artifacts on the analysis accuracy,and usually contained only one type of analysis task.Therefore,users are still facing di±culties when they want to have the combined use of different types of analysis methods according to the characteristics of their data and their own needs.In this paper,we report an ImageJ plug-in called DecodeSTORM,which not only has a simple GUI for human–computer interaction,but also combines artifact correction with several quantitative analysis methods.DecodeSTORM includes format conversion,channel registration,artifact correction(drift correction and localization¯ltering),quantitative analysis(segmentation and clustering,spatial distribution statistics and colocalization)and visualization.Importantly,these data analysis methods can be combined freely,thus improving the accuracy of quantitative analysis and allowing users to have an optimal combination of methods.We believe DecodeSTORM is a user-friendly and powerful ImageJ plug-in,which provides an easy and accurate data analysis tool for adventurous biologists who are looking for new imaging tools for studying important questions in cell biology.

Construction of the Plasmid Reference Molecule for Detection of Transgenic Soybean MON89788

[Objective] The aim was to construct a plasmid reference molecule (PRM) for detection of transgenic soybean MON89788. [Method] the lectin gene sequence,3'-junction and 5'-junction sequence between host plant DNA integrated DNA of MON89788 soybean were amplified independently,and the three fragments were cloned into the cloning vector pMD18-T in order through molecular manipulation method to construct pMD-LM3M5,the applicability of the constructed novel PRM was tested. [Result] Sequencing confirmation result showed that the PRM was 3 700 bp in length,containing 1 029 bp of recombined DNA fragment. The limits of qualitative detection of the PRM were 10 copies. [Conclusion] The PRM constructed in this study was suitable for the identification of MON89788 event.

Real-Time PCR Technique and Its Application in Quantification of Plant Nucleic Acid Molecules

Real-time PCR is a closed DNA amplification system that skillfully integrates biochemical, photoelectric and computer techniques. Fluorescence data acquired once per cycle provides rapid absolute quantification of initial template copy numbers as PCR products are generated. This technique significantly simplifies and accelerates the process of producing reproducible quantification of nucleic acid molecules. It not only is a sensitive, accurate and rapid quantitative method, but it also provides an easier way to calculate the absolute starting copy number of nucleic acid molecules to be tested. Together with molecular bio-techniques, like microarray, real-time PCR will play a very important role in many aspects of molecular life science such as functional gene analysis and disease molecular diagnostics. This review introduces the detailed principles and application of the real-time PCR technique, describes a recently developed system for exact quantification of AUX/IAA genes In Arabidopsis, and discusses the problems with the real-time PCR process.

Interaction Study between DNA and Histone Proteins on Single-molecule Level using Atomic Force Microscopy

DNA and histone protein are important in the formation of nucleosomal arrays, which are the first packaging level of DNA into a more compact chromatin structure. To characterize the interactions of DNA and histone proteins, we reconstitute nucleosomes using lambda DNA and whole histone proteins by dialysis and perform direct atomic force microscopy （AFM） imaging. Compared with non-specific DNA and histone binding, nucleosomes are formed within the assembled “beads-on-a-string” nucleosomal array by dialysis. These observations facilitate the establishment of the molecular mechanisms of nucleosome and demonstrate the capability of AFM for protein-DNA interaction analysis.

Influence of Femtosecond Laser Parameters on Autler-Townes Splitting of Three-Level Ladder Molecules

We theoretically investigate the Autler-Townes （AT） splitting in the photoelectron spectra of three-level ladder K2 molecule driven by a pump-probe pulse via employing the time- dependent wave packet approach. The dependence of AT splitting on two laser intensities and wavelengths are studied in detail. We firstly quantify these effects on peak shift and AT separation. The photoelectron spectra show double splitting with symmetric profiles, but with asymmetric profiles when the wavelength is changed. The magnitude of AT splitting increases with the pump laser intensity, but does not vary with probe intensity. The shifts of the absorption peaks and the splitting between AT doublet are predicted by using an analyt- ical fitting function when the intensity/wavelength of one of the two fields is changed. These novel results are of importance for the molecular spectroscopy and may further stimulate the first principles theoretical studies analytically.

Ultrafast Energy Transfer in Artificial Antenna Molecule Measured by Transient Fluorescence Spectroscopy

We have reported previously the ultrafast energy transfer process with a time constant of 0.8 ps from a monomeric to a dimeric subunit within a perylenetetracarboxylic diimide trimer, which was derived indirectly from a model fitting into the transient absorption experimental data. Here we present a direct ultrafast fluorescence quenching measurement by employing fs time-resolved transient fluorescence spectroscopy based on noncollinear optical parametric amplification technique. The rapid decay of the monomer＇s emission due to energy transfer was observed directly with a time constant of about 0.82 ps, in good agreement with the previous result.

Synthesis and characterization of lower generation broom molecules

Dendritic molecules with dodecyl groups as the hyperbranchs were synthesized in methanol by Michael addition with dodecylamine and methyl acrylate as raw materials. This new-type dendritic molecules were called vividly ＂broom molecules＂ in this report. The surface tension of the aqueous solution of broom molecule terminated amino group was measured by using the dropvolume method. The demulsification performance of the broom molecules for the oil/water （O/W） simulated crude oil emulsion was examined. The experimental results revealed that, as a new-type of surfactants, the broom molecules terminated amino groups showed demulsification for the O/W simulated crude oil emulsion. 2007 Jun Wang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All fights reserved.