Successful Assembly Research Articles

Enhancing interface stability and ionic conductivity in the designed Na3SbP0.4xS4−xOx sulfide solid electrolyte through bridging oxygen

The all-solid-state sodium battery has emerged as a promising candidate for energy storage. However, the limited electrochemical stability of the solid electrolyte, particularly in the presence of Na metal at the anode, along with low ionic conductivity, hinders its widespread application. In this work, the design of P and O elements in Na3SbS4 solid electrolyte was investigated through a series of structural tests and characterizations. The electrochemical stability was remarkably improved in the Na/Na3SbP0.16S3.6O0.4/Na battery, exhibiting a stability of 260 h under a current of 0.1 mA cm−2. Additionally, the room temperature conductivity of Na3SbP0.16S3.6O0.4 was enhanced to 3.82 mS cm−1, maintaining a value comparable to commercial standards. The proposed design strategy provides an approach for developing sodium ion solid-state batteries with high energy density and long lifespan. The stability of the solid electrolyte interface at the Na | solid electrolyte interface proves critical for the successful assembly of all-solid-state sodium ion batteries.

Virus-Like Particles Assembled Using Respiratory Syncytial Virus Matrix Protein Elicit Protective Immunity in Mice.

Heterologous virus-like particle (VLP) assembly involving influenza or the Newcastle disease virus matrix protein (M) has been extensively used to explore the efficacies of VLP vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Here, we attempted to generate homologous RSV VLPs by expressing the pre-fusion (pre-F) or the glycoprotein (G) on the RSV M protein and evaluated their protective efficacy in mice. We generated VLPs using the baculovirus expression system in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells. Recombinant baculoviruses expressing the RSV pre-F, G, and M antigens were inoculated into Sf9 cells, and particles were self-assembled. Mice were immunized with either pre-F or G-expressing VLPs, and immune parameters were assessed to determine protection. Our findings show that successful VLP assembly can be achieved by utilizing recombinant baculoviruses expressing the RSV pre-F or G proteins with the native matrix protein. Mice immunized with either pre-F or the G antigen-expressing VLPs elicited robust serum-mediated virus neutralization. VLP immunization evoked Th1-biased RSV-specific antibody responses in the sera of mice. Following challenge infection with the RSV A2 strain, immunized mice experienced lesser eosinophil and IL-4 accumulation in the lungs, though a substantial increase in TNF-α secretion was observed from CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, splenic antibody-secreting cell responses were substantially enhanced against RSV F antigen, but not against the RSV G antigen following immunization and challenge infection. Immunizing mice with the VLPs significantly inhibited pulmonary histopathology development, as indicated by the diminished inflammatory immune cell influx and mucin secretion. Combined, these vaccine-induced immune responses contributed to successfully inhibiting the RSV replication in the lungs of mice and demonstrated that RSV VLP assembly using insect cell-derived homologous RSV matrix protein is a feasible approach.

Peptide nucleic acid-zirconium coordination nanoparticles

Ideal drug carriers feature a high loading capacity to minimize the exposure of patients with excessive, inactive carrier materials. The highest imaginable loading capacity could be achieved by nanocarriers, which are assembled from the therapeutic cargo molecules themselves. Here, we describe peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based zirconium (Zr) coordination nanoparticles which exhibit very high PNA loading of >,94% w/w. This metal-organic hybrid nanomaterial class extends the enormous compound space of coordination polymers towards bioactive oligonucleotide linkers. The architecture of single- or double-stranded PNAs was systematically varied to identify design criteria for the coordination driven self-assembly with Zr(IV) nodes at room temperature. Aromatic carboxylic acid functions, serving as Lewis bases, and a two-step synthesis process with preformation of Zr_{6} O_{4} (OH)_{4} turned out to be decisive for successful nanoparticle assembly. Confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed that the PNA-Zr nanoparticles are readily internalized by cells. PNA-Zr nanoparticles, coated with a cationic lipopeptide, successfully delivered an antisense PNA sequence for splicing correction of the beta-globin intron mutation IVS2-705 into a functional reporter cell line and mediated splice-switching via interaction with the endogenous mRNA splicing machinery. The presented PNA-Zr nanoparticles represent a bioactive platform with high design flexibility and extraordinary PNA loading capacity, where the nucleic acid constitutes an integral part of the material, instead of being loaded into passive delivery systems.

VP4/VP56/VP35 Virus-like Particles Effectively Protect Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) against GCRV-II Infection.

Grass carp reovirus (GCRV) seriously threatens the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) industry. Prophylactic GCRV vaccines prepared by virus-like particle (VLP) assembly biotechnology can improve effectiveness and safety. The highly immunogenic candidate antigens of GCRV vaccines that have been generally considered are the outer capsid proteins VP4, VP56, and VP35. In this study, VP4, VP56, and VP35 were expressed in an Escherichia coli expression system and a Pichia pastoris expression system. The successful assembly of uniform, stable, and non-toxic VP4/VP56/VP35 VLPs was confirmed through various assays. After vaccination and GCRV infection, the survival rate in the VLPs + adjuvant Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) group was the highest (62%), 40% higher than that in control group (22%). Through the antibody levels, tissue viral load, and antioxidant immunity assays, the P. pastoris VLP vaccine effectively improved IgM levels, alleviated tissue virus load, and regulated antioxidant immune-related indicators. The treatment with P. pastoris VLPs enhanced the mRNA expression of important immune-related genes in the head kidney, as measured by qRT-PCR assay. Upon hematoxylin-eosin staining examination, relatively reduced tissue pathological damage was observed in the VLPs + APS group. The novel vaccine using P. pastoris VLPs as an effective green biological agent provides a prospective strategy for the control of fish viral diseases.

Electrostatic-spinning construction of HCNTs@Ti3C2T x MXenes hybrid aerogel microspheres for tunable microwave absorption

Abstract Helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) are chiral materials that can form an induced magnetic field when current passes through them, making them a desirable material for absorbing microwaves. However, poor electrical properties and inert surfaces limit the application of HCNTs as sole materials. In this study, we develop HCNTs@Ti3C2T x MXenes hybrid aerogel microspheres synthesized using an electrospinning-assisted ice template method. The modified surfaces of the HCNTs form hydrogen bonds with Ti3C2T x MXenes to produce hybrid aerogel microspheres. Because of the different functionalized surfaces of HCNTs (F-HCNTs), F-HCNTs@Ti3C2T x MXenes could be adjusted to obtain effective reflection loss (RL) of microwaves ranging from 2 to 18 GHz. The observed advantageous RL is attributed to the modified surface of the HCNTs, their porous structure, and the optimized impedance matching derived from the synergistic effect between HCNTs and Ti3C2T x MXenes. Successful assembly method for the 3D architectures of HCNTs@Ti3C2T x MXenes hybrid aerogel microspheres significantly widens the practical applications of HCNTs in microwave absorption.

Wearable strain sensors for human motion detection and health monitoring based on hybrid graphite-textile flexible electrodes

Facile and inexpensive assembly of graphite coatings through pencil drawing method has become a fascination for variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here, we report the successful assembly of graphite coatings on flexible and stretchable textiles for the fabrication of electronic devices. Graphite pencils are used for directly coating the graphite on commercial textiles through drawing method. The graphite-coated textiles are used as electrodes for the fabrication of stretchable multifunctional sensors. A fruitful pre-strain strategy is used for assembly of graphite coatings which not only can tune the sensitivity of sensors, but also increases the resistance stability of devices. The fabricated sensor is used for human motion detection and health monitoring; it efficiently detects the strains provided by human organs during their movements, and being multifunctional, adeptly senses the changes in humidity and human sweating, notices the changes in temperature and responds to changes in light concentration. The sensor can work soundly for uniaxially applied strain up to 50% and multiaxially up to 50 × 50%, it is washable, low-cost, possessed a stable response, worked proficiently for 5000 stretching cycles, delivered a markable sensitivity of 3247 for applied strain 50%, and offered a response time of 0.11 s.

Impact of metal-phenolic networks on the structural and functional properties of soy protein

The modification of soy protein refers to the process of altering the physical, chemical, or functional properties of soy protein through various methods to improve its applicability in various food and non-food industries. Metal-phenolic networks have been proven effective in modifying proteins. In this study, the metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) consisting of (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and Fe3+ were used to modify SPI for the first time. The successful assembly of the MPNs and structural properties of SPI were investigated with UV, FTIR, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Results indicated that the modified SPI by MPNs showed reduced surface hydrophobicity and improved foaming properties. Additionally, the emulsions stabilized by MPNs showed smaller droplet size and higher modulus with increasing complex concentration. This study demonstrates the feasibility of MPNs as a novel modification method to improve the functional properties of soy protein.

A photoelectrochemical sensor of g-C3N4 QDs with synergistical sensitization by rGO and hemicucurbit[12]uril for detection of chloramphenicol

A novel photoelectrochemical sensor was constructed by ternary layer-by-layer composites of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots (g-C3N4 QDs), and hemicucurbit[12]uril (HemiQ[12]), on the Indium-Tin Oxide (ITO) piece in sequence. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was employed to confirm the successful assembly of the sandwich electrode, and the functionalization of each layer was explored by comparing of the currents with stepwise coating of the materials to achieve the synergistic enhancement of photoelectrochemical intensity. The application of proposed electrode was achieved by ultrasensitive sensing for chloramphenicol (CAP), which provided a limit of detection low to 0.089 nM, with high selectivity, good reproducibility and stability. The acceptable recoveries for the determination of CAP in real samples of honey and milk illustrated the feasibility of the established analytical method.

Underwater plenoptic cameras optimized for water refraction.

By inserting a microlens array (MLA) between the main lens and imaging sensor, plenoptic cameras can capture 3D information of objects via single-shot imaging. However, for an underwater plenoptic camera, a waterproof spherical shell is needed to isolate the inner camera from the water, thus the performance of the overall imaging system will change due to the refractive effects of the waterproof and water medium. Accordingly, imaging properties like image clarity and field of view (FOV) will change. To address this issue, this paper proposes an optimized underwater plenoptic camera that compensates for the changes in image clarity and FOV. Based on the geometry simplification and the ray propagation analysis, the equivalent imaging process of each portion of an underwater plenoptic camera is modeled. To mitigate the impact of the FOV of the spherical shell and the water medium on image clarity, as well as to ensure successful assembly, an optimization model for physical parameters is derived after calibrating the minimum distance between the spherical shell and the main lens. The simulation results before and after underwater optimization are compared, which confirm the correctness of the proposed method. Additionally, a practical underwater focused plenoptic camera is designed, further demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed model in real underwater scenarios.

Co-Construction of Sulfur Vacancies and Heterogeneous Interface into Ni3S2/MoS2 Catalysts to Achieve Highly Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Integrating the advantages of anion vacancies and heterostructures into the catalytic materials may increase the binding affinities to intermediates, provide more active sites, and significantly promote the activity of overall water splitting. However, the successful assembly of anion vacancies and heterostructures for high-efficiency water splitting performance is still challenging. In this work, we ingeniously present the co-construction of sulfur vacancies and heterogeneous interface into Ni3S2/MoS2 catalysts on nickel foam (NF). The introduction of sulfur vacancies and Ni3S2/MoS2 heterostructures can significantly improve electron and ion transport, effectively improve structural stability, and enhance overall water splitting activity. The obtained VS-Ni3S2/MoS2 catalysts (VS stands for sulfur vacancies) exhibit superior OER and HER activities, and the overpotentials for OER and HER are 180 and 71 mV at 10 mA·cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, a low water splitting voltage of 1.46 V is required at 10 mA·cm−2 for the VS-Ni3S2/MoS2 catalysts, which is considerably lower than most that of water splitting electrocatalysts currently reported. This work offers an effective mean for the preparation of catalysts with both anion vacancies and heterostructures for achieving high-performance alkaline overall water splitting.

Lessons learned of project Milestone: The first 3D printed concrete house in the Netherlands

Project Milestone consists of a series of five 3D printed residential houses in the Netherlands, of which the first was opened in 2021 and is currently inhabited. The structural principle is based on 3D printed load-bearing concrete wall elements, which are curved in- and out-of-plane. This demonstrates the freedom in design enabled by printing, and simultaneously provides structural stability both during manufacturing and in the final use phase.In this contribution, the results of 3D printing experiments and structural tests are presented, which provided the basis for the structural analysis and building permit of the printed house. Two wall types are considered: one consisting of relatively straight elements with a printed inner- and outer-leaf, with insulation in between, and one strongly inclined wall with a double layer and infill pattern. Both wall types have been printed successfully and were subsequently structurally tested in two configurations: centric and eccentric in-plane loading. The results of the printing experiments and structural tests were satisfactory and resulted in the successful production and assembly of the first house of Milestone.The lessons learned during the testing phase, as well as the final production and assembly phase are discussed. These are the starting point for improvements of the next houses of project Milestone, which are currently in their design and testing phase.

Automatic Gripper-Finger Design, Production, and Application: Toward Fast and Cost-Effective Small-Batch Production

Tactile robot-based assembly line adaptation of new products is still limited by the manual redesign, manufacturing, and exchange of the end-effector setup since the gripper fingers must often be adapted to the geometry of the product components to ensure a successful assembly process. In this article we present an automatic finger design, production, and evaluation pipeline, developed to improve this adaptation process. Two different form-closure–based design principles have been implemented to automatically generate the fingertip geometry: a projected surface representation-based approach as well as a Bézier surface fitting strategy. The resulting fingertips are printed via an automatic production unit and experimentally evaluated based on pick and insertion tasks for three different manipulation objects. To illustrate the potential usage of the introduced design methods for machine learning-based fingertip design approaches, we set up the training and testing process for a neural network-based design method. The proposed automatic fingertip design, production, and application framework represent a step further toward small-batch–size production, since the assembly adaptation effort, flexibility, and scalability are significantly improved.

Assembly of an elastic & sticky interfacial layer for sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLBs) have recently attracted significant attention, however, two major degradation processes at the composite cathode interface in ASSLBs, including side electro-chemical reactions and morphological/structural degradation, still hinder their development seriously. To overcome the above two challenges simultaneously, we propose and demonstrate a successful assembly of an elastic & sticky interfacial layer for ASSLBs by using advanced molecular layer deposition (MLD) technique. Our spectroscopic and mechanical characterization results show that the elastic and sticky Al-GL coating layer (Young’s modulus = 0.17 GPa, k = 3.300 N m−1) not only suppresses interfacial side reactions, but also enables single-crystal NCM811 particles to be in close contact with the sulfide electrolyte tightly during repeated cycles. Compared to the irreversible interfacial resistance (51.74 Ω cm−2) formed between bare NCM811 and solid electrolyte during the initial charge progress, the irreversible resistance becomes much less (11.77 Ω cm−2) after Al-GL modification. Therefore, it not only shows a capacity retention of 88.0% of the composite electrode, which is nearly 30 % higher than bare NCM811 (59.9 %) for 100 cycles at 0.2 C (1 C = 180 mA g−1) with a mass loading of 10.2 mg cm−2 at 30 °C. Furthermore, even with a mass loading of 20.4 mg cm−2 at 60 °C, the capacity retention of 80.0% is obtained after 1000 cycles at 1 C. This work highlights the critical role of elastic and sticky coatings in maintaining the electrochemical-mechanical integrity of composite cathode materials and provides a promising avenue for developing mechanically reliable cathode materials for ASSLBs.

Self-Assembly of DNA Nanostructures in Different Cations.

The programmable nature of DNA allows the construction of custom-designed static and dynamic nanostructures, and assembly conditions typically require high concentrations of magnesium ions that restricts their applications. In other solution conditions tested for DNA nanostructure assembly, only a limited set of divalent and monovalent ions are used so far (typically Mg2+ and Na+ ). Here, weinvestigate the assembly of DNA nanostructures in a wide variety of ions using nanostructures of different sizes: a double-crossover motif (76 bp), a three-point-star motif (~134 bp), a DNA tetrahedron (534 bp) and a DNA origami triangle (7221 bp). Weshow successful assembly of a majority of these structures in Ca2+ , Ba2+ , Na+ , K+ and Li+ and provide quantified assembly yields using gel electrophoresis and visual confirmation of a DNA origami triangle using atomic force microscopy. Wefurther show that structures assembled in monovalent ions (Na+ , K+ and Li+ ) exhibit up to a 10-fold higher nuclease resistance compared to those assembled in divalent ions (Mg2+ , Ca2+ and Ba2+ ). Ourwork presents new assembly conditions for a wide range of DNA nanostructures with enhanced biostability.

Perencanaan Pengelolaan Dana Zakat Dan Potensi Zakat Provinsi Bangka Belitung

The purpose of this research is to find out the planning of the Zakat Fund Management of Bangka Belitung Province. for the successful assembly of the Basnas of Bangka Belitung Province. This article uses descriptive methods supported by secondary data obtained from various sources. Zakat comes from the word zaka, which means good, blessing, growing, clean, and increasing. Allah requires that those who are eligible to receive the Zakat, as it is known, receive it. (muzakki). This article is a descriptive article because it describes how to plan fund management and potential fund management in Basnas Province, Bangka Belitung. The accumulation of Zakat in 2015 amounted to Rs. 1,207,413,434, in 2016 it increased to Rs. 1,726,183,874, and in the following year, in 2017, the re-accumulation experienced a very significant increase of Rs. 6,156,081,724. The increase came after Baznas Bangka Belitung made various attempts, including by taking a bureaucratic approach to the provincial government through the governor's policy to instruct the Muslim ASN surrounding the government of the Bangka Islands on the obligation of zakat.

Mechanism of 5S RNP recruitment and helicase-surveilled rRNA maturation during pre-60S biogenesis.

Ribosome biogenesis proceeds along a multifaceted pathway from the nucleolus to the cytoplasm that is extensively coupled to several quality control mechanisms. However, the mode by which 5S ribosomal RNA is incorporated into the developing pre-60S ribosome, which in humans links ribosome biogenesis to cell proliferation by surveillance by factors such as p53-MDM2, is poorly understood. Here, we report nine nucleolar pre-60S cryo-EM structures from Chaetomium thermophilum, one of which clarifies the mechanism of 5S RNP incorporation into the early pre-60S. Successive assembly states then represent how helicases Dbp10 and Spb4, and the Pumilio domain factor Puf6 act in series to surveil the gradual folding of the nearby 25S rRNA domain IV. Finally, the methyltransferase Spb1 methylates a universally conserved guanine nucleotide in the A-loop of the peptidyl transferase center, thereby licensing further maturation. Our findings provide insight into the hierarchical action of helicases in safeguarding rRNA tertiary structure folding and coupling to surveillance mechanisms that culminate in local RNA modification.

Excellent photo actuation in crystal-polymer composite by transfer of mechanical energy

Transfer of strong photomechanical effect from dynamic crystals to hybrid polymer composite is an evolving field of research and holds high potential for actuation and photo-switch development. An organic counter anion (dinitrobenzoate) stabilized nitropentaamminecobalt(III) complex (Co-dnb-1) showing fast photomechanical motions under UV light (365 nm) was synthesized. Detailed experimental and theoretical studies attribute the photomechanical motion to the formation of metastable nitrito-coordinated species (Co-dnb-2) after irradiation. The energy difference between nitro-nitrito complexes was estimated to be 3.54 eV which is close to irradiation energy (3.4 eV). However, in a slow process, by absorbing energy of ∼0.4 eV/cation through external perturbations such as temperature, Co-dnb-2 recovers to the initial configuration. Three different crystal-polymer composite films (PCF-1–3) were fabricated using photoactive crystals with polyvinylalcohol (PVA), polyvinyldifluride(PVDF) and agarose polymers, respectively by solution casting method. The composite films show quick and excellent photo-actuation though, the extent varies with the polymers used. The actuation of the composite films starts immediately (<2–3 s) and can be deflected up to 90° within a few seconds of the onset of UV light. PCF-3 shows reversible photo-actuation measured up to multiple cycles. Dynamical transfer of photomechanical energy from crystal to composite films leads to successful assembly of a prototype photo-switch. The presented work provides a new dimension towards the development of smart functional composite materials as photo-actuators.

Evaluation of the Ion Channel Assembly in a Eukaryotic Cell-Free System Focusing on Two-Pore Domain Potassium Channels K2P.

Oligomeric ion channels are abundant in nature. However, the recombinant expression in cell culture-based systems remains tedious and challenging due to negative side effects, limiting the understanding of their role in health and disease. Accordingly, in this work, we demonstrate the cell-free synthesis (CFS) as an alternative platform to study the assembly of two-pore domain potassium channels (K2P) within endogenous endoplasmic reticulum-derived microsomes. Exploiting the open nature of CFS, we investigate the cotranslational translocation of TREK-2 into the microsomes and suggest a cotranslational assembly with typical single-channel behavior in planar lipid-bilayer electrophysiology. The heteromeric assembly of K2P channels is a contentious matter, accordingly we prove the successful assembly of TREK-2 with TWIK-1 using a biomolecular fluorescence complementation assay, Western blot analysis and autoradiography. The results demonstrate that TREK-2 homodimer assembly is the initial step, followed by heterodimer formation with the nascent TWIK-1, providing evidence of the intergroup heterodimerization of TREK-2 and TWIK-1 in eukaryotic CFS. Since K2P channels are involved in various pathophysiological conditions, including pain and nociception, CFS paves the way for in-depth functional studies and related pharmacological interventions. This study highlights the versatility of the eukaryotic CFS platform for investigating ion channel assembly in a native-like environment.

Assembling highly repetitive Xanthomonas TALomes using Oxford Nanopore sequencing

BackgroundMost plant-pathogenic Xanthomonas bacteria harbor transcription activator-like effector (TALE) genes, which function as transcriptional activators of host plant genes and support infection. The entire repertoire of up to 29 TALE genes of a Xanthomonas strain is also referred to as TALome. The DNA-binding domain of TALEs is comprised of highly conserved repeats and TALE genes often occur in gene clusters, which precludes the assembly of TALE-carrying Xanthomonas genomes based on standard sequencing approaches.ResultsHere, we report the successful assembly of the 5 Mbp genomes of five Xanthomonas strains from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing data. For one of these strains, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) PXO35, we illustrate why Illumina short reads and longer PacBio reads are insufficient to fully resolve the genome. While ONT reads are perfectly suited to yield highly contiguous genomes, they suffer from a specific error profile within homopolymers. To still yield complete and correct TALomes from ONT assemblies, we present a computational correction pipeline specifically tailored to TALE genes, which yields at least comparable accuracy as Illumina-based polishing. We further systematically assess the ONT-based pipeline for its multiplexing capacity and find that, combined with computational correction, the complete TALome of Xoo PXO35 could have been reconstructed from less than 20,000 ONT reads.ConclusionsOur results indicate that multiplexed ONT sequencing combined with a computational correction of TALE genes constitutes a highly capable tool for characterizing the TALomes of huge collections of Xanthomonas strains in the future.

Preparation of a Flexible Reduced Graphene Oxide-Si Composite Film and Its Application in High-Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

This paper describes a strategy for preparing free-standing reduced graphene oxide@Si nanoparticles (rGO@Si NPs) composite membranes. Graphene oxide (GO) was reduced and self-assembled synchronously with nanoparticles of silicon (Si NPs) on a metal surface and the composite film was subsequently used in a lithium-ion battery (LIB). This work describes several important novel aspects of the reported technology. Firstly, the composite membrane has a flexible self-supporting structure, allowing it to function as an anode material without requiring binders and current collectors. Secondly, the successful assembly of Si NPs and reduced Graphene oxide (rGO) sheets has enabled the production of the rGO@Si NPs composite film with high controllability and orderliness. Thirdly, the conductive nature of graphene has significantly decreased the resistivity while enhancing the electron transport capacity of the battery anode. Lastly, the robust and flexible structure of the graphene sheet has greatly mitigated the large volume variation in Si NPs during charging or discharging, resulting in the rGO@Si NPs composite film exhibiting excellent energy density and high-power density.