Directed Evolution of a Cp*RhIII-Linked Biohybrid Catalyst Based on a Screening Platform with Affinity Purification

Directed evolution of Cp*Rh^III-linked nitrobindin (NB), a biohybrid catalyst, was performed based on an in vitro screening approach. A key aspect of this effort was the establishment of a high-throughput screening (HTS) platform that involves an affinity purification step employing a starch-agarose resin for a maltose binding protein (MBP) tag. The HTS platform enables efficient preparation of the purified MBP-tagged biohybrid catalysts in a 96-well format and eliminates background influence of the host E. coli cells. Three rounds of directed evolution and screening of more than 4000 clones yielded a Cp*Rh^III-linked NB(T98H/L100K/K127E) variant with a 4.9-fold enhanced activity for the cycloaddition of acetophenone oximes with alkynes. It is confirmed that this HTS platform for directed evolution provides an efficient strategy for generating highly active biohybrid catalysts incorporating a synthetic metal cofactor.     

Selective nonanal molecular recognition with SnO2 nanosheets for lung cancer sensor

SnO₂ nanosheets were developed to detect nonanal gas in the order of ppb which was a marker of lung cancer. The nanosheets showed higher resistance change in nonanal gas than that in carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), acetone (CH₃COCH₃), hydrogen (H₂), ethanol (C₂H₆O), ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), formaldehyde (HCHO), acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO), or butanal (C₄H₈O). Crystal surfaces of the nanosheets would be effective for adsorption of nonanal molecules. Furthermore, it was shown that resistance changed with an increase in carbon number in aldehyde. The nanosheets had molecular selectivity for a series of aldehyde molecules. Molecular recognition of the nanosheets gave us a great advantage to detect nonanal gas which was produced by lung cancer.     

Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Biomarkers for Neurodegenerative Diseases

There has been an increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases with the rapid increase in aging societies worldwide. Biomarkers that can be used to detect pathological changes before the development of severe neuronal loss and consequently facilitate early intervention with disease-modifying therapeutic modalities are therefore urgently needed. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising tool that can be used to infer microstructural characteristics of the brain, such as microstructural integrity and complexity, as well as axonal density, order, and myelination, through the utilization of water molecules that are diffused within the tissue, with displacement at the micron scale. Diffusion tensor imaging is the most commonly used diffusion MRI technique to assess the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. However, diffusion tensor imaging has several limitations, and new technologies, including neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging, and free-water imaging, have been recently developed as approaches to overcome these constraints. This review provides an overview of these technologies and their potential as biomarkers for the early diagnosis and disease progression of major neurodegenerative diseases.     

A Terahertz Video Camera Patch Sheet with an Adjustable Design based on Self-Aligned, 2D,Suspended Sensor Array Patterning

Terahertz (THz) imaging is expected to become powerful tools for non-destructive inspections. To ensure the practical use of THz non-destructive monitoring, versatile THz imagers with adjustable designs that can eliminate the complexities and the bulkiness of the device are urgently required. Herein, a self-aligned filtration process for a 2D, free-standing carbon nanotube film array and its application to a THz video camera patch are reported. The presented techniques enable a) to freely design the camera size, sensor array pattern, and suspended shape according to its applications, b) to cut the camera patch into desired shapes, and c) to attach them to the objects that are intended to be measured. Real-time, non-destructive monitoring of various infrastructures is demonstrated. These results indicate that it can function regardless of restrictions, such as the shapes and locations of the measurement samples, thus providing a strong possibility for use in future non-destructive sensor networks.     

Mass transfer in polycrystalline ytterbium monosilicate under oxygen potential gradients at high temperatures

Mass transfer in polycrystalline Yb₂SiO₅ wafers with precise composition control was evaluated and analyzed by oxygen permeation experiments at high temperatures using an oxygen tracer. Oxygen permeation proceeded due to mutual grain boundary diffusion of oxide ions and Yb ions without synergistic effects such as acceleration or suppression. The oxygen shielding properties of Yb₂SiO₅ were compared with those of the other line compounds such as Yb₂Si₂O₇ and Al₂O₃ based on the determined mass transfer parameters. It was found that the more preferentially an oxide ion diffuses in the grain boundary compared to the interior of the grain, the greater the effect of suppressing the movement of the oxide ion by applying an oxygen potential gradient becomes.     

Effects of Smart Charging of Multiple Electric Vehicles in Reducing Power Generation Fuel Cost

The high penetration of variable sources of renewable power generation will lead to operational difficulties in supply/demand balancing in the entire power system. The mass deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and plug‐in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) will also cause significant changes in electricity demand. Therefore, controlling and managing the charging time of EVs/PHEVs are effective approaches that are imperative for improving balancing in power system operation. We assumed travel patterns for EVs in a model of the future Tokyo power system and analyzed the power system loads, including the charging load of the EVs, under several charging control scenarios. We verified that charging time controls are substantially effective for reducing the fuel costs in the power system. Further, we found that load leveling under a multicar charging management scenario gave the best results in terms of the fuel costs in all cases.