Comparative Genomics Reveals 13 Different Isoforms of Mytimycins (A-M) in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Mytimycins are cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides that show antifungal properties. These peptides are part of the immune network that constitutes the defense system of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The immune system of mussels has been increasingly studied in the last decade due to its great efficiency, since these molluscs, particularly resistant to adverse conditions and pathogens, are present all over the world, being considered as an invasive species. The recent sequencing of the mussel genome has greatly simplified the genetic study of some of its immune genes. In the present work, we describe a total of 106 different mytimycin variants in 16 individual mussel genomes. The 13 highly supported mytimycin clusters (A–M) identified with phylogenetic inference were found to be subject to the presence/absence variation, a widespread phenomenon in mussels. We also identified a block of conserved residues evolving under purifying selection, which may indicate the “functional core” of the mature peptide, and a conserved set of 10 invariable plus 6 accessory cysteines which constitute a plastic disulfide array. Finally, we extended the taxonomic range of distribution of mytimycins among Mytilida, identifying novel sequences in M. coruscus, M. californianus, P. viridis, L. fortunei, M. philippinarum, M. modiolus, and P. purpuratus.     

Electrodeposition of B,Ni co-doped diamond-like carbon films on AZ91D magnesium alloy: Corrosion and wear resistance

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) possesses brilliant and excellent properties, including excellent corrosion resistance as well as outstanding wear resistance. Ni and B co-doped DLC films were deposited on AZ91D magnesium alloy by electrodeposition under mild conditions (300 V and 25°C). Uniform and dense morphology of co-doped DLC films were observed, and Ni and B were uniformly incorporated into the carbon-based films. Among all the electrodeposits, the appearance of D and G peaks near 1330 and 1570 cm⁻¹ revealed that the as-deposited films were typical DLC films. As the addition of Ni was increased to 0.05 g, the highest microindentation hardness, the lowest friction coefficient, and wear loss were achieved to be 164.5 HV, 0.3, and 0.6 × 10⁻⁵ kg/m, respectively. The amorphous carbon films fabricated at 0.05 g Ni had the lowest corrosion current density and the most positive corrosion potential, which was mainly due to the small and dense granular structure effectively hindering the penetration of corrosion media.     

Centrifugally spun carbon fibers prepared from aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) solutions as binder-free anodes in lithium-ion batteries

Aqueous solutions of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) of various concentrations (20, 25, and 28 wt%) were successfully spun into fibers by centrifugal spinning. The pristine PVP fibers were annealed and carbonized to produce flexible carbon fibers for use as binder-free anodes in lithium-ion batteries. These flexible carbon fibers were prepared by developing a novel three-step heat treatment to reduce the residual stresses in the pristine PVP precursor fibers, and to prevent fiber degradation during carbonization. The thermogravimetric analysis data showed that the annealed fibers yielded a residual mass percentage of 36.0% while the pristine PVP fibers suffered a higher mass loss and only retained 26.5% of original mass above 450 °C (under nitrogen). The electrochemical performance of the carbon-fiber anodes was evaluated by conducting galvanostatic charge/discharge, rate performance, and cycle voltammetry experiments. The 20, 25, and 28 wt% derived binder-free anodes delivered specific charge capacities of 205, 189, and 275 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, after the first cycle at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. The results obtained in this work indicate that a feasible pathway towards a large-scale production of carbon-fiber anodes from a 100% aqueous solution can be achieved via centrifugal spinning and subsequent heat treatment.     

Turbulent boundary layer control with a spanwise array of DBD plasma actuators

The turbulent boundary layer control on NACA 0012 airfoil with Mach number ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 by a spanwise array of dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)plasma actuators by hot-film sensor technology is investigated.Due to temperature change mainly caused through heat produced along with plasma will lead to measurement error of shear stress measured by hot-film sensor,the correction method that takes account of the change measured by another sensor is used and works well.In order to achieve the value of shear stress change,we combine computational fluid dynamics computation with experiment to calibrate the hot-film sensor.To test the stability of the hot-film sensor,seven repeated measurements of shear stress at Ma = 0.3 are conducted and show that confidence interval of hot-film sensor measurement is from-0.18 to 0.18 Pa and the root mean square is 0.11 Pa giving a relative error 0.5％over all Mach numbers in this experiment.The research on the turbulent boundary layer control with DBD plasma actuators demonstrates that the control makes shear stress increase by about 6％over the three Mach numbers,which is thought to be reliable through comparing it with the relative error 0.5％,and the value is hardly affected by burst frequency and excitation voltage.     

一起发电机定子接地故障的分析与处理

文章介绍了海外某大型火力发电厂发生的一起发电机定子接地故障的分析和处理过程,对发电厂类似故障的处理和海外发电厂的运行和维护提供了参考。     

Ir(III) and Ru(II) Complexes in Photoredox Catalysis and Photodynamic Therapy: A New Paradigm towards Anticancer Applications

Individually, photoredox catalysis (PC) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are well-established concepts that have experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years, leading to significant progress in organic synthesis for PC and clinical approval of anticancer drugs for PDT. But, very recently, new photoredox catalyst systems based on Ir(III) and Ru(II) complexes have garnered significant interest because they can simultaneously be used as PDT agents apart from their demonstrated PC activity. This highlight discusses the unique PC behavior of emerging Ir(III)- and Ru(II)-based systems while also examining their potential PDT activity in cancer treatment.     

The Tumor Proteolytic Landscape: A Challenging Frontier in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

In recent decades, dysregulation of proteases and atypical proteolysis have become increasingly recognized as important hallmarks of cancer, driving community-wide efforts to explore the proteolytic landscape of oncologic disease. With more than 100 proteases currently associated with different aspects of cancer development and progression, there is a clear impetus to harness their potential in the context of oncology. Advances in the protease field have yielded technologies enabling sensitive protease detection in various settings, paving the way towards diagnostic profiling of disease-related protease activity patterns. Methods including activity-based probes and substrates, antibodies, and various nanosystems that generate reporter signals, i.e., for PET or MRI, after interaction with the target protease have shown potential for clinical translation. Nevertheless, these technologies are costly, not easily multiplexed, and require advanced imaging technologies. While the current clinical applications of protease-responsive technologies in oncologic settings are still limited, emerging technologies and protease sensors are poised to enable comprehensive exploration of the tumor proteolytic landscape as a diagnostic and therapeutic frontier. This review aims to give an overview of the most relevant classes of proteases as indicators for tumor diagnosis, current approaches to detect and monitor their activity in vivo, and associated therapeutic applications.     

机井自动化供水方案改进

针对民乐县农村人饮机井水位自动供水系统控制中存在的可靠性低、成本高等问题,文章结合深井泵提取地下水进行供水的实际情况,提出了软启动控制柜+浮球开关+微电脑时间控制器改进的思路和方法,运用效果良好。     

Thiol-Functionalized Covalent Organic Frameworks as Thermal History Indictor for Temperature and Time History Monitoring

Various products, including foods and pharmaceuticals, are sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Thus, temperature monitoring during production, transportation, and storage is critical. Facile indicators are required to monitor temperature conditions via color changes in real time. This study aimed to prepare and apply thiol-functionalized covalent organic frameworks (COFs) as a novel indicator for monitoring thermal history and temperature abuse. The COFs underwent obvious color changes from bright yellow to purple after exposure to different temperatures for varying durations. The reaction kinetics are analyzed under isothermal conditions, which reveal that the order of reaction rates is k_−20°C < k_4°C < k_20°C < k_35°C < k_55°C. The activation energy (E_a) of the COFs is calculated using the Arrhenius equation as 50.71 kJ moL⁻¹. The COFs are capable of sensitive color changes and offer a broad temperature tracking range, thereby demonstrating their application potential for the monitoring of temperature and time exposure history during production, transportation, and storage. This excellent performance thermal history indicator also shows promise for expanding the application field of COFs.     

Water-repellent films from corn protein and tomato cutin

Flexible and hydrophobic biobased films were obtained using zein esterified with methanol and para-toluene (p-toluene) sulfonic acid, cutin from tomato peels and ethanol. Esterification was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Non-modified zein films were brittle and hydrophilic. ATR-FTIR demonstrated that zein esterification increased zein hydrophobicity. Without cutin, esterified zein films were hydrophobic but brittle. Addition of cutin yielded films that were flexible and hydrophobic, as demonstrated by contact angle measurements. Principal component analysis (PCA) of ATR-FTIR data showed that intensities at 3195 cm⁻¹ and 3490 cm⁻¹ were correlated to the relative hydrophobicity of zein films. PCA also showed that films of esterified zein and cutin were more hydrophobic than their counterparts (non-modified zein without cutin). Optical and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that esterified zein was compatible with cutin and yielded cohesive films, which did not fracture upon bending.