The Interfacial Interactions of Glycine and Short Glycine Peptides in Model Membrane Systems

The interactions of amino acids and peptides at model membrane interfaces have considerable implications for biological functions, with the ability to act as chemical messengers, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even as antibiotics and anticancer agents. In this study, glycine and the short glycine peptides diglycine, triglycine, and tetraglycine are studied with regards to their interactions at the model membrane interface of Aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles via ¹H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Langmuir trough measurements. It was found that with the exception of monomeric glycine, the peptides prefer to associate between the interface and bulk water pool of the reverse micelle. Monomeric glycine, however, resides with the N-terminus in the ordered interstitial water (stern layer) and the C-terminus located in the bulk water pool of the reverse micelle.     

Facial-sketch Synthesis: A New Challenge

Machine Intelligence Research - This paper aims to conduct a comprehensive study on facial-sketch synthesis (FSS). However, due to the high cost of obtaining hand-drawn sketch datasets, there is a...     

Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases as Valuable Targets for Antimicrobial Drug Discovery

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) catalyze the esterification of tRNA with a cognate amino acid and are essential enzymes in all three kingdoms of life. Due to their important role in the translation of the genetic code, aaRSs have been recognized as suitable targets for the development of small molecule anti-infectives. In this review, following a concise discussion of aaRS catalytic and proof-reading activities, the various inhibitory mechanisms of reported natural and synthetic aaRS inhibitors are discussed. Using the expanding repository of ligand-bound X-ray crystal structures, we classified these compounds based on their binding sites, focusing on their ability to compete with the association of one, or more of the canonical aaRS substrates. In parallel, we examined the determinants of species-selectivity and discuss potential resistance mechanisms of some of the inhibitor classes. Combined, this structural perspective highlights the opportunities for further exploration of the aaRS enzyme family as antimicrobial targets.     

Fabrication of tungsten oxide photoanode by doctor blade technique and investigation on its photocatalytic operation mechanism

WO₃ is a potential material candidate for construction of photoanode for solar driven water splitting. In this work, μm-thick porous WO₃ photoanode is prepared by depositing a stable ink made of WO₃ nanoparticles and Aristoflex velvet polymer in water using the doctor blade technique, followed by a sintering in air. The nature of WO₃ nanoparticles, its loading mass on F-doped tin oxide electrode as well as sintering temperature are examined in order to optimize the photocatalytic activity of the resultant WO₃ photoanode. The operation of WO₃ photoanode is investigated by varying the light illumination direction and light incident intensity as well as changing the nature of the electrolyte. Dissolved tungsten in electrolyte is quantified by ICP-MS providing insights into the influences of electrolyte nature and operating conditions to the corrosion of WO₃. It is proposed that the H₂O₂ and OH^. radical generated as by-products of the photo-driven water oxidation on the photoanode surface are harmful species that accelerate the dissolution of WO₃.     

Morphology-dependent spin Seebeck effect in yttrium iron garnet thin films prepared by metal-organic decomposition

In this study, we examined the dependence of surface morphology and spin Seebeck effect (SSE) voltages on the poly[vinylpyrrolidone] (PVP) concentration in polycrystalline Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG) ultrathin films on a silicon substrate synthesized by metal-organic decomposition followed by a crystallization process. During fabrication, PVP concentrations of 0.5–2 g were used while all other conditions remained fixed. Atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed a strong dependence of crystallinity and sample morphology on PVP concentration. The 1-g PVP sample had the smoothest surface, with a root mean square roughness of 0.2 nm, as well as superior bulk uniformity with respect to the shape and intensity of XRD reflection peaks. This was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy measurements of a cross-section of the sample that revealed a uniform film without pores. SSE measurements were performed to obtain the output SSE voltages (V_SSE) of all samples, to which a platinum layer was added as a spin-detection layer. Repeatedly, the 1-g PVP sample had the best performance, demonstrating the importance of film crystallinity and morphology in the spin-to-charge conversion efficiency of YIG films.     

Controlling thickness to tune performance of high-mobility transparent conducting films deposited from Ga-doped ZnO ceramic target

Structure modification has been found to tune significantly the transparent-conducting performance, especially mobility and conductivity of hydrogenated Ga-doped ZnO (HGZO) films. The strong correlation between film thickness and mobility of the films is revealed. The mobility increases quickly with increasing the thickness from 350 to 900 nm, and then tends to be saturated at further thicknesses. A higher mobility than 50 cm²/Vs can be achieved, which is an extra-high value for polycrystalline ZnO films deposited by using the sputtering technique. The thickness-dependent mobility originates from scatterings on grain boundaries and dislocation-induced defects controlled by thin-film growth. Based on the Volmer-Weber model, an expansion model is built up to describe the thickness-dependent crystal growth of the HGZO films, especially at the thick films. As a result, the 800 nm-thick HGZO film obtains the highest performance with high mobility of 51.5 cm²/Vs, low resistivity of 5.3 × 10^?4 Ωcm, and good transmittance of 83.3 %.     

The three Rs of river ecosystem resilience: Resources,recruitment, and refugia

Resilience in river ecosystems requires that organisms must persist in the face of highly dynamic hydrological and geomorphological variations. Disturbance events such as floods and droughts are postulated to shape life history traits that support resilience, but river management and conservation would benefit from greater understanding of the emergent effects in communities of river organisms. We unify current knowledge of taxonomic‐, phylogenetic‐, and trait‐based aspects of river communities that might aid the identification and quantification of resilience mechanisms. Temporal variations in river productivity, physical connectivity, and environmental heterogeneity resulting from floods and droughts are highlighted as key characteristics that promote resilience in these dynamic ecosystems. Three community‐wide mechanisms that underlie resilience are (a) partitioning (competition/facilitation) of dynamically varying resources, (b) dispersal, recolonization, and recruitment promoted by connectivity, and (c) functional redundancy in communities promoted by resource heterogeneity and refugia. Along with taxonomic and phylogenetic identity, biological traits related to feeding specialization, dispersal ability, and habitat specialization mediate organism responses to disturbance. Measures of these factors might also enable assessment of the relative contributions of different mechanisms to community resilience. Interactions between abiotic drivers and biotic aspects of resource use, dispersal, and persistence have clear implications for river conservation and management. To support these management needs, we propose a set of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and life‐history trait metrics that might be used to measure resilience mechanisms. By identifying such indicators, our proposed framework can enable targeted management strategies to adapt river ecosystems to global change.     

Anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and FOG with sewage sludge – realising its potential in Ireland

The severe environmental pollution in many countries is caused by indiscriminate discharge of large quantities of food waste (FW), fat oil and grease (FOG) and sewage sludge (SS) to the environment. There are many possible treatment routes, but anaerobic digestion (AD) is now well accepted for treating several kinds of organic wastes. But AD of FW alone presents some operational challenges because of substrates and variability. Anaerobic co-digestion of two or more substrates is better than single substrate digestion. This can use a plant’s unused capacity, in line with the trend to renewable energy. Co-digestion technology, although well established in many European countries, is still in its infancy in Ireland. There are problems with different regulatory arrangements. They should be resolved. The paper reviews anaerobic co-digestion technology is reviewed, with special focus on possible application in Ireland.     

浅谈越南三岛国家公园森林资源的影响研究

越南太原省大慈县文安乡位于三岛国家公园管理处,社区居民生活困难,收入低,所以目前森林资源侵害状况依然存在。其中,25-50岁的群人对森林资源的影响最大,50岁以上和16岁以下的群人对森林资源的影响较小。人们对森林资源的影响是:伐木,狩猎动物,收集柴火,收集蔬菜,收集竹笋、药用植物。统计结果表明,天然林中具有18种树木经常被开发利用,常用木柴12种,药用29种,食用17种。7种动物经常被猎食。这些影响使得森林结构相当大改变,生物多样性减少,森林结构破坏。造成这种情况的主要原因是人们意识不高,缺乏工作机会,缺乏耕种土地,农业生产没有满足用户的需求。因此,必要有有关部门的协调在违法森林法的处理,为人民改善物质和精神生活,教育宣传和提高执法的认识