Cocaprins, β-Trefoil Fold Inhibitors of Cysteine and Aspartic Proteases from Coprinopsis cinerea

We introduce a new family of fungal protease inhibitors with β-trefoil fold from the mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea, named cocaprins, which inhibit both cysteine and aspartic proteases. Two cocaprin-encoding genes are differentially expressed in fungal tissues. One is highly transcribed in vegetative mycelium and the other in the stipes of mature fruiting bodies. Cocaprins are small proteins (15 kDa) with acidic isoelectric points that form dimers. The three-dimensional structure of cocaprin 1 showed similarity to fungal β-trefoil lectins. Cocaprins inhibit plant C1 family cysteine proteases with K_i in the micromolar range, but do not inhibit the C13 family protease legumain, which distinguishes them from mycocypins. Cocaprins also inhibit the aspartic protease pepsin with K_i in the low micromolar range. Mutagenesis revealed that the β2-β3 loop is involved in the inhibition of cysteine proteases and that the inhibitory reactive sites for aspartic and cysteine proteases are located at different positions on the protein. Their biological function is thought to be the regulation of endogenous proteolytic activities or in defense against fungal antagonists. Cocaprins are the first characterized aspartic protease inhibitors with β-trefoil fold from fungi, and demonstrate the incredible plasticity of loop functionalization in fungal proteins with β-trefoil fold.     

Switchable Supercapacitors with Transistor‐Like Gating Characteristics (G‐Cap)

A novel three‐electrode electrolyte supercapacitor (electric double‐layer capacitor [EDLC]) architecture in which a symmetrical interdigital “working” two‐electrode micro‐supercapacitor array (W‐Cap) is paired with a third “gate” electrode that reversibly depletes/injects electrolyte ions into the system controlling the “working” capacity effectively is described. All three electrodes are based on precursor‐derived nanoporous carbons with well‐defined specific surface area (735 m² g^?1). The interdigitated architecture of the W‐Cap is precisely manufactured using 3D printing. The W‐Cap operating with a proton conducting PVA/H₂SO₄‐hydrogel electrolyte and high capacitance (6.9 mF cm^?2) can be repeatedly switched “on” and “off”. By applying a low DC bias potential (?0.5 V) at the gate electrode, the AC electroadsorption in the coupled interdigital nanoporous carbon electrodes of the W‐Cap is effectively suppressed leading to a stark capacity drop by two orders of magnitude from an “on” to an “off” state. The switchable micro‐supercapacitor is the first of its kind. This general concept is suitable for implementing a broad range of nanoporous materials and advanced electrolytes expanding its functions and applications in future. The integration of intelligent functions into EDLC devices has extensive implications for diverse areas such as capacitive energy management, microelectronics, iontronics, and neuromodulation.     

SNR enhancement in radial SSFP imaging using partial k-space averaging

The steady-state free precessing (SSFP) sequences, widely used in MRI today, acquire data only during a short fraction of the repetition time (TR). Thus, they exhibit a poor scan efficiency. In this paper, a novel approach to extending the acquisition window for a given TR without considerably modifying the basic sequence is explored for radial SSFP sequences. The additional data are primarily employed to increase the signal-to-noise ratio, rather than to improve the temporal resolution of the imaging. The approach is analyzed regarding its effect on the image SNR (signal to noise ratio) and the reconstruction algorithm. Results are presented for phantom experiments and cardiac functions studies. The gain in SNR is most notable in rapid imaging, since SNR enhancement for a constant repetition time may be used to compensate for the increase in noise resulting from angular undersampling.     

Fluoroscopy-based 3-D reconstruction of femoral bone cement: a new approach for revision total hip replacement

In revision total hip replacement the removal of the distal femoral bone cement can be a time consuming and risky operation due to the difficulty in determining the three-dimensional (3-D) boundary of the cement. We present a new approach to reconstruct the bone cement volume by using just a small number of calibrated multiplanar X-ray images. The modular system design allows the surgeon to react intraoperatively to problems arising during the individual situation. When encountering problems during conventional cement removal, the system can be used on demand to acquire a few calibrated X-ray images. After a semi-automatic segmentation and 3-D reconstruction of the cement with a deformable model, the system guides the surgeon through a free-hand navigated or robot-assisted cement removal. The experimental evaluation using plastic test implants cemented into anatomic specimen of human femoral bone has shown the potential of this method with a maximal error of 1.2 mm (0.5 mm RMS) for the distal cement based on just 4-5 multiplanar X-ray images. A first test of the complete system, comparing the 3-D-reconstruction with a computed tompgraphy data set, confirmed these results with a mean error about 1 mm.     

Strength properties and density of SO2 polluted spruce wood

2 pollution during approximately 1935 and 1992 respectively, was studied as to its mechanical properties (fracture toughness, acoustic emission (AE)) as well as its density and annual ring width changes. Earlywood and latewood width and density were measured with X-ray densitometry equipment. The mechanical tests were performed with specimens taken from the same trees using the wedge splitting technique. Using notched, rectangularly shaped specimens, the experiments allowed to determine the notch-tensile strength σ_NTS of each yearring in RL orientation separately by differentiating earlywood and latewood. The results show clear correlations between earlywood density and notch-tensile strength, good, inverse correlation to some extent between ring width and σ_NTS and also between AE emission activity and earlywood width for the less polluted trees. Data scattering with resulting less pronounced trends was found for all parameters measured for the more severely polluted trees. The results and correlations allow assuming that σ_NTS is influenced by the SO₂ pollution to some extent via treering growth (ring width) and density. The results point to a more pronounced influence of SO₂ pollution between approximately 1970 and 1985 than before that time, and a subsequent recovery of the tested wood properties in the trees that had survived this period.

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2 -belastet war, wurde auf seine mechanischen Eigenschaften und auf seine Dichte und Jahrringbreite hin untersucht. Früh- und Sp?tholzbreite und Dichte wurden mittels R?ntgendensitometrie, die mechanischen Eigenschaften mittels Keilspaltverfahren bestimmt. Durch die Verwendung von rechteckigen, gekerbten Proben lie? sich die Kerbzugfestigkeit σ_NTS jedes Jahrrings in RL-Orientierung bestimmen. Die Resultate zeigen einen klaren Zusammenhang zwischen Frühholzdichte und Kerbzugfestigkeit sowie einen gewissen inversen Zusammenhang zwischen Jahrringbreite und Kerbzugfestigkeit bzw. Schallemissionsaktivit?t und Frühholzbreite für die wenig gesch?digten B?ume. Bei den st?rker gesch?digten B?umen war die Streuung der Me?werte deutlich h?her und die Abh?ngigkeiten schw?cher ausgepr?gt. Die Resultate und Zusammenh?nge deuten darauf hin, da? die Kerbzugfestigkeit durch die SO₂ Belastung über den Jahrringwuchs (Jahrringbreite) und die Dichte beeinflu?t wird. Die Resultate zeigen einen st?rkeren Einflu? der SO₂ Belastung zwischen 1970 und 1985 und deuten auf eine Erholung in den Holzeigenschaften bei jenen B?umen, die diese Periode überlebt haben, hin.

     

Single Cell Bioprinting with Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Tissue engineering requires the precise positioning of mammalian cells and biomaterials on substrate surfaces or in preprocessed scaffolds. Although the development of 2D and 3D bioprinting technologies has made substantial progress in recent years, precise, cell-friendly, easy to use, and fast technologies for selecting and positioning mammalian cells with single cell precision are still in need. A new laser-based bioprinting approach is therefore presented, which allows the selection of individual cells from complex cell mixtures based on morphology or fluorescence and their transfer onto a 2D target substrate or a preprocessed 3D scaffold with single cell precision and high cell viability (93–99% cell survival, depending on cell type and substrate). In addition to precise cell positioning, this approach can also be used for the generation of 3D structures by transferring and depositing multiple hydrogel droplets. By further automating and combining this approach with other 3D printing technologies, such as two-photon stereolithography, it has a high potential of becoming a fast and versatile technology for the 2D and 3D bioprinting of mammalian cells with single cell resolution.     

The Role of Higher Lying Electronic States in Charge Photogeneration in Organic Solar Cells

The role of excess photon energy on charge generation efficiency in bulk heterojunction solar cells is still an open issue for the organic photovoltaic community. Here, the spectral dependence of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) for a poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[2,1‐b;3,4‐b]­dithiophene)‐alt‐4,7‐(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)]:6,6‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCPDTBT:PC60BM)‐based solar cell is derived combining accurate optoelectronic characterization and comprehensive optical modeling. This joint approach is shown to be essential to get reliable values of the IQE. Photons with energy higher than the bandgap of the donor material can effectively contribute to enhance the IQE of the solar cell. This holds true independently of the device architecture, reflecting an intrinsic property of the active material. Moreover, the nanomorphology of the bulk heterojunction plays a crucial role in determining the IQE spectral dependence: the coarser and more crystalline, the lesser the gain in IQE upon high energy excitation.     

Nanocomposite Microcontainers with High Ultrasound Sensitivity

A water suspension of nanocomposite microcapsules with embedded ZnO nanoparticles in the capsule shell is reported. The microcapsule morphology is characterized by confocal microscopy, TEM, SEM, and AFM before and after ultrasound treatment. A remarkably high capsule sensitivity to ultrasound is evidenced, and it is observed to grow with increasing number of ZnO nanoparticle layers in the nanocomposite shell. This effect is correlated with the mechanical properties of microcapsules measured with AFM.