Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Juan David Montoya Paez, Alexandra Usuga Suarez, Giovanni Restrepo Betancur
Summary: Cryopreservation of semen in donkeys is important, but the pregnancy rates after artificial insemination with frozen-thawed semen are low. This is attributed to the impact of cryoprotectants and the removal of seminal plasma. This study evaluated different combinations of cryoprotectants and observed their effects on sperm quality.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Fernanda Gabriela Fumuso, Mariana Lucia Bertuzzi, Nicolas Velasquez Gonzalez, Marcelo H. Miragaya, Maria Ignacia Carretero
Summary: The study found that there was no clear superiority between using a single or a combination of permeable cryoprotectants to freeze llama semen. After equilibration, total sperm motility and live sperm with intact acrosomes remained unchanged. However, a significant decrease in sperm quality was observed after thawing, including in functional membrane percentage, motile sperm, and live sperm with intact acrosomes.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Susmita Sarkar, Anku Guha, Rayantan Sadhukhan, Tharangattu N. Narayanan, Jagannath Mondal
Summary: This study investigates the potential of naturally occurring osmolytes as cryoprotectants. Through simulations and experiments, the researchers found that a pair of osmolytes, glycine and betaine, can restore the electrostatic interaction in cells and act as cryoprotectants. These findings provide new insights and methods for cryopreservation of cells.
ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kyoungwon Choi, Dae Hwan Lee, Wooteak Jung, Sungryong Kim, Seong Hun Kim, Donghwa Lee, Seulki Song, Taiho Park
Summary: This study reports a method to form highly stable CsPbI3 films by introducing ions with different sizes, which can inhibit the formation of the yellow δ-phase and promote the development of the black α-phase. The resulting perovskite solar cells exhibit high efficiency and stability.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhongsheng Ma, Qiangzi Li, Bijia Wang, Xueling Feng, Hong Xu, Zhiping Mao, Chun You, Xiaofeng Sui
Summary: Semicrystalline cellulose oligomers (SCCO) synthesized from maltodextrin are explored as stabilizers for oil-in-water Pickering emulsions, showing excellent stabilities against external stress and great potential for applications in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Both SCCO suspensions and their emulsions exhibited gel-like structures and shear-thinning behaviors, demonstrating their promising prospects as nanocellulosic emulsifiers.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hao Li, Luyan Li, Jun Wen, Gang Ye, Jing Chen, Xiaolin Wang
Summary: The phosphorylcholine (PC) functionalized polymeric adsorbent PAN-PC exhibits an unprecedented self-assembly effect in the adsorption of uranyl, resulting in an ultrahigh stoichiometric ratio (>5:1) and remarkable adsorption capacity (2658 mg g(-1)). Furthermore, PAN-PC demonstrates practicality in seawater and simulated nuclear wastewater. This work introduces a novel strategy of utilizing self-assembly effect to significantly enhance adsorption performance and provides a new approach for the development of efficient adsorbents for metal ions.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yi Shen, Fan Fei, Yulong Zhong, Chunhai Fan, Jielin Sun, Jun Hu, Bing Gong, Daniel M. Czajkowsky, Zhifeng Shao
Summary: Researchers have developed a self-assembling nanopore with a hybrid hydrophilic/hydrophobic lumen that allows for regulated water transport by alkali metal ions. The study demonstrates a non-monotonic dependence of water transport on cation size, with a broad range of water flow observed, from minimal in the presence of sodium ions to levels comparable to a biological water channel in their absence. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the sensitivity of water flow is due to the binding of cations within the pore, providing a proof-of-concept for the rational design of controllable synthetic water channels.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Caixia Fu, Miao Yan, Hongrui Ma, Shuwen Zhang, Ge Yang, Hailin Tian, Jingxin Yang, Zhongming Wang, Shunni Zhu, Kalpana Bhatt, Wei Song
Summary: In this study, copper-based heterogeneous catalysts were used to degrade synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in a PMS system, and significant effects were achieved. Various reactive species, including SO4•, •OH, and 1O2, were confirmed to be generated in the CuO/PMS system, and both radical and non-radical reactions were involved. The different valence states of copper had different contributions to the degradation of different SOCs. Furthermore, the influence of different reaction parameters on SOCs degradation was explored. The results of this study demonstrate that CuO can serve as an efficient heterogeneous activator, providing a sustainable and promising technology for water environment protection.
JOURNAL OF THE TAIWAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rui Zhang, Arkady Ellern, Arthur H. Winter
Summary: By conjugating formally antiaromatic substituents to the free radical, a new strategy to stabilize free radicals electronically has been described. This strategy successfully stabilizes radicals by providing antiaromaticity relief to the substituent, but only if the antiaromatic substituent is constrained to be planar by synthetically imposed conformational restraints. This work leads to the counterintuitive finding that increasing the antiaromaticity of the radical substituent leads to greater radical stability, providing proof of concept for a new stereoelectronic approach for stabilizing free radicals.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dmitry Meleshko, Rui Yang, Patrick Marks, Stephen Williams, Iman Hajirasouliha
Summary: Recent pan-genome studies have shown that there are many DNA sequences in human genomes that are not present in the reference genome. These non-reference sequences cannot be reliably assembled or placed on the reference genome. In this study, a novel algorithm called Novel-X was proposed to improve the detection of non-reference sequences using barcode information encoded in synthetic long reads. Evaluations showed that Novel-X was able to find many non-reference sequences that could not be detected by state-of-the-art short-read methods.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Natalia Ruiz-Molina, Juliana Parsons, Madeleine Mueller, Sebastian N. W. Hoernstein, Lennard L. Bohlender, Steffen Pumple, Peter F. Zipfel, Karsten Haeffner, Ralf Reski, Eva L. Decker
Summary: Ruiz-Molina et al. have designed a synthetic protein, MFHR13, which acts as a multi-target complement regulator and effectively protects sheep erythrocytes from complement attack. This protein displays high regulatory activity and holds promise as a potential therapeutic for complement-associated diseases.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefania Cuzzubbo, Benoit Roch, Guillaume Darrasse-Jeze, Benoit Hosten, Manon Leclercq, Nicolas Vignal, Claire Banissi, Eric Tartour, Antoine F. Carpentier
Summary: This study found that a novel peptide vaccine platform based on synthetic melanin nanoaggregates can trigger strong immune responses and suppress tumor growth. Dendritic cells, especially migratory conventional type 1 dendritic cells, play a crucial role in the immune response after melanin-based vaccination. The research also demonstrated that L-DOPA melanin acts as an efficient carrier for peptides, protecting them from enzymatic degradation, and melanin-peptide nanoaggregates can persist in lymphoid tissues, explaining the sustained immune response observed with this vaccine technology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sachin Jadhav, Vivek Ganvir, Yogesh Shinde, Santosh Revankar, Shirish Thakre, Madan Kumar Singh
Summary: A series of zwitterions were synthesized and investigated for their cellulose dissolution characteristics, with hexanoate derivatives showing 13% cellulose dissolution at specific conditions and exhibiting greater stability compared to traditional solvents. The study also revealed that zwitterions have no adverse effects on the physicochemical and morphological properties of regenerated cellulose.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Paula Araujo Gomes, Jean-Baptiste d'espinose de Lacaillerie, Bruno Lartiges, Martin Maliet, Valerie Molinier, Nicolas Passade-Boupat, Nicolas Sanson
Summary: This study investigated the surface charge characteristics of three microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis oculata, and Tetraselmis suecica) and found that their electrokinetic behavior aligned with the predictions of Ohshima's soft particle theory. The findings suggest that electrostatics play a minor role in microalgae aggregation and adhesion, which have significant implications for environmental and industrial processes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhongbin Wu, Yuan Liu, Erjuan Guo, Ghader Darbandy, Shu-Jen Wang, Rene Huebner, Alexander Kloes, Hans Kleemann, Karl Leo
Summary: This study demonstrated organic permeable base light-emitting transistors, which are three-terminal vertical optoelectronic devices operating at driving voltages below 5.0 V, emitting in the red, green, and blue ranges, and achieving peak external quantum efficiencies of 19.6%, 24.6%, and 11.8%, respectively. The key to the good performance obtained is the nano-pore permeable base electrode located at the center of the device, which forms a distinctive optical microcavity and regulates charge carrier injection and transport. This work paves the way towards efficient and low-voltage organic light-emitting transistors, beneficial for power-efficient active matrix displays and solid-state lighting.
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Gyanendra Sharma, Yui Kato, Ayumi Hachisu, Kojiro Ishibashi, Kazuaki Ninomiya, Kenji Takahashi, Eishu Hirata, Kosuke Kuroda
Summary: OE(2)imC(3)C is a unique solvent with distinctive properties and functions, but the expensive and sometimes out-of-production reagent used for synthesis hinders industrialization. This study successfully synthesized OE(2)imC(3)C using general and low-cost reagents while maintaining its properties and functions.
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Stephanie C. Hernandez, Romain Milotskyi, Shohei Takagi, Elisabeth R. D. Ito, Shiori Suzuki, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Cellulose mixed esters (CMEs) with tunable properties are difficult to produce due to the insolubility of cellulose. A rapid and scalable production method of CMEs was demonstrated using a twin-screw extruder as a flow reactor. By using a co-solvent system and continuous extrusion, cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) was obtained within minutes with high conversion rates.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shiori Suzuki, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Ionic liquids (ILs) are the only media capable of homogeneous organocatalytic reactions of lignocellulosic biomass. This review summarizes recent achievements in organocatalytic approaches for converting lignocellulose into polymer materials based on our established principles of IL design. The methods involve mild chemical modification of cellulose and lignin, with high conversions, selectivity, and atom economy. Similar reactions and fractionation processes are used for lignocellulose, and a highly productive reaction system is developed using a twin-screw extruder specific to IL media.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Takeru Ishizaki, Yasuto Takeuchi, Kojiro Ishibashi, Noriko Gotoh, Eishu Hirata, Kosuke Kuroda
Summary: Cryopreservation of tissues is a difficult challenge. Vitrification has recently emerged as a suitable method for tissue cryopreservation, while slow-freezing also shows potential. In this study, an aqueous solution containing a novel cryoprotectant, combined with DMSO, improved the cryopreservation of cell spheroids compared to a commercial cryoprotectant. The optimized solution composition was 10 wt% zwitterion, 15 wt% DMSO, and 75 wt% water.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Akina Yoshizawa, Chie Maruyama, Samuel Budi Wardhana Kusuma, Naoki Wada, Kosuke Kuroda, Daisuke Hirose, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: In this study, aryloxy ILs were prepared as non-carboxylate-type and basic ILs to prevent the introduction of an acyl group from the IL onto the hydroxy group of cellulose during esterification. The optimized Emim2OPy IL and mixed solvent system achieved rapid cellulose esterification within 30 minutes with an excellent degree of substitution, without any undesired substituent introduction.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shiori Suzuki, Yosuke Hamano, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: Lignocellulosic agricultural waste is converted into valuable thermoplastics using an ionic liquid. The mechanical properties of the resulting plastic are enhanced, making it a sustainable source of biomass-based plastics.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Romain Milotskyi, Ryo Serizawa, Kaoru Yanagisawa, Gyanendra Sharma, Elisabeth Rada Desideria Ito, Tetsuo Fujie, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: In this study, the poor chemical compatibility between cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and bio-based polymeric matrices was improved by cross-linking the residual hydroxyl groups of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of CNF using a bio-derived polyisocyanurate. When a certain amount of cross-linking agent was added, the resulting composite material exhibited significantly improved tensile and flexural strength compared to neat CAB.
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Satoshi Katsuhara, Naoki Sunagawa, Kiyohiko Igarashi, Yutaka Takeuchi, Kenji Takahashi, Takuya Yamamoto, Feng Li, Kenji Tajima, Takuya Isono, Toshifumi Satoh
Summary: This study synthesized cellulose acetate-based TPEs with different degrees of substitution (DS) and investigated the impact of DS on their structure and properties. The results showed that decreasing DS led to the formation of a more ordered microphase-separated structure, improved toughness, suppressed stress relaxation, and enhanced biodegradability potential. This work demonstrates the potential of cellulose acetate-based TPEs as next-generation sustainable materials.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Toshifumi Yui, Takuya Uto, Kotaro Noda
Summary: In this study, extended ensemblemolecular dynamics simulations were used to evaluate the diffusion behavior of ammonia molecules and the potential of mean force (PMF) for migration in cellulose I complex crystal models. The results showed that ammonia molecules predominantly diffused through the hydrophilic channel and the PMF peaks were effectively lowered using hybrid quantum mechanical and molecular mechanics theory. Furthermore, water structuring played a role in the migration process.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Laszlo Szabo, Romain Milotskyi, Gyanendra Sharma, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: The introduction of ionic liquids about 20 years ago revolutionized the shaping of cellulose into functional materials. Compared to existing technologies, ionic liquids provide a more environmentally friendly and adjustable platform for cellulose processing, due to their non-volatile nature and high thermal and chemical stability. Over the past few decades, there have been significant developments in materials based on ionic liquid/cellulose processing systems, with various emerging applications in coatings, filtration membranes, enzyme immobilization, energy storage, etc.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kojiro Uetani, Takuya Uto
Summary: An analysis of the attractive interaction between intrinsically twisted cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) is crucial for controlling the physical properties of higher-order CNF structures. A finite element model was utilized to examine the attractive interaction forces between multiple approaching CNF models. The results demonstrate the unique distribution of attractive forces between twisted CNF models and highlight the significance of chiral management in CNF aggregates.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Romain Milotskyi, Gyanendra Sharma, Tetsuo Fujie, Daisuke Hirose, Naoki Wada, Kenji Takahashi
Summary: More energy efficient and greener processes are needed in chemical engineering. Reactive extrusion is a new innovation targeting cleaner and more sustainable processes. This study examined the solubility of microcrystalline cellulose, developed a new method of measuring residence time distribution inside the extruder, performed transesterification of cellulose, and evaluated the effect of cellulose concentration on the properties of cellulose laurate films.
REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kosuke Kuroda
Summary: Evaluation of the toxicity of ionic liquids has been less prioritized compared to their development and application. However, with the extensive industrialization of ionic liquids, it is important to enhance the focus on their toxicity. This review summarizes the general trend between the chemical structure and toxicity of ionic liquids across different biological species and provides a perspective on the current strategies for the development of low-toxicity ionic liquids and their applications.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tetsuya Hirata, Takahiro Takekiyo, Yukihiro Yoshimura, Yuko Tokoro, Takeru Ishizaki, Yasuhiko Kizuka, Kosuke Kuroda
Summary: In this report, biocompatible materials for cryostorage of unstable proteins, such as cancer-related enzyme GnT-V, were studied. It was found that synthetic zwitterion solutions better retained the activity of GnT-V and the amount of protein after freezing compared to glycerol solution. This study highlights the potential utility of synthetic zwitterions as novel cryoprotectants.