Easy Approach to Graphene Growth on Ir(111) and Ru(0001) from Liquid Ethanol

The growth of a high-quality complete graphene layer is successfully achieved for Ir(111) and Ru(0001) substrates using liquid ethanol as a precursor. Metallic substrates, which are cleaned in ultra-high vacuum conditions, were ex-situ immersed in liquid ethanol followed by the controlled in situ thermal annealing. The process of graphene formation and its quality are carefully monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy methods. It is found that graphene formation starts at 400 °C via ethanol decomposition and desorption of oxygen from the surface leading to the formation of the high-quality complete graphene layer at 1000 °C. The results of the systematic angular-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiments confirm the high quality of the obtained graphene layer, and it concludes that such an approach offers an easy, quick, and reproducible method to synthesize large-scale graphene on different metallic substrates

Structure and Electronic Properties of SrTiO3–TiO2 Eutectic for Water Splitting Applications

Semiconductors with bandgaps and edges corresponding to the solar energy spectrum are found to be suitable for the water splitting applications using photoelectrochemical reactions. However, many present-day materials used in these applications do not have high stability and/or high effectiveness over the complete sunlight spectral range. The recently proposed eutectic compounds, which combine two or more semiconducting materials, can overcome many present difficulties and extend the light absorbance spectrum improving the effectiveness of the water splitting cells. Herein, structural and electronic properties studies of the SrTiO3–TiO2 eutectic material, which is a representative example of this family, are presented. It is found that structural properties of this material, particularly the phase separation and formation of the sharp interface between two phases, can be significantly improved up on the thermal annealing, which is very important for their application in the water splitting reactors. The findings present the deep understanding of the interface structure and electronic properties of the SrTiO3–TiO2 eutectic, which can help to improve the functionality of these class of materials in different applications

Electronic Correlations in Multiferroic van der Waals CuCrP2_2S6: Insights From X-Ray Spectroscopy and DFT

The electronic structure of high-quality van der Waals multiferroic CuCrP$_2$S6 crystals was investigated applying photoelectron spectroscopy methods in combination with DFT analysis. Using X-ray photoelectron and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the Cu L2,3 and Cr L2,3 absorption edges we determine the charge states of ions in the studied compound. Analyzing the systematic NEXAFS and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy data at the Cu/Cr L2,3 absorption edges allowed us to assign the CuCrP$_2$S6 material to a Mott-Hubbard type insulator and identify different Auger-decay channels (participator vs. spectator) during absorption and autoionization processes. Spectroscopic and theoretical data obtained for CuCrP$_2$S6 are very important for the detailed understanding of the electronic structure and electron-correlations phenomena in different layered materials, that will drive their further applications in different areas, like electronics, spintronics, sensing, and catalysis

Endogenous Type I-C CRISPR-Cas system of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus promotes biofilm formation and pathogenicity

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) is a significant zoonotic pathogen that causes septicemia, meningitis, and mastitis in domestic animals. Recent reports have highlighted high-mortality outbreaks among swine in the United States. Traditionally recognized for its adaptive immune functions, the CRISPR-Cas system has also been implicated in gene regulation, bacterial pathophysiology, virulence, and evolution. The Type I-C CRISPR-Cas system, which is prevalent in SEZ isolates, appears to play a pivotal role in regulating the pathogenicity of SEZ. By constructing a Cas3 mutant strain (ΔCas3) and a CRISPR-deficient strain (ΔCRISPR), we demonstrated that this system significantly promotes biofilm formation and cell adhesion. However, the deficiency in the CRISPR-Cas system did not affect bacterial morphology or capsule production. In vitro studies showed that the CRISPR-Cas system enhances pro-inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells. The ΔCas3 and ΔCRISPR mutant strains exhibited reduced mortality rates in mice, accompanied by a decreased bacterial load in specific organs. RNA-seq analysis revealed distinct expression patterns in both mutant strains, with ΔCas3 displaying a broader range of differentially expressed genes, which accounted for over 70% of the differential genes observed in ΔCRISPR. These genes were predominantly linked to lipid metabolism, the ABC transport system, signal transduction, and quorum sensing. These findings enhance our understanding of the complex role of the CRISPR-Cas system in SEZ pathogenesis and provide valuable insights for developing innovative therapeutic strategies to combat infections

A novel Pseudorabies virus vaccine developed using HDR-CRISPR/Cas9 induces strong humoral and cellular immune response in mice

Outbreaks of Pseudorabies (PR) by numerous highly virulent and antigenic variant Pseudorabies virus (PRV) strains have been causing severe economic losses to the pig industry in China since 2011. However, current commercial vaccines are often unable to induce thorough protective immunity. In this study, a TK/gI/gE deleted recombinant PRV expressing GM-CSF was developed by using the HDR-CRISPR/Cas9 system. Here, a four-sgRNA along with the Cas9D10A targeting system was utilized for TK/gI/gE gene deletion and GM-CSF insertion. Our study showed that the four-sgRNA targeting system appeared to have higher knock-in efficiency for PRVs editing. The replication of the recombinant PRVs were slightly lower than that of the parental strain, but they appeared to have similar properties in terms of growth curves and plaque morphology. The mice vaccinated with the recombinant PRV expressing GM-CSF via intramuscular injection showed no obvious clinical symptoms, milder pathological lesions, and were completely protected against wild-type PRV challenge. When compared to the triple gene-deleted PRV, the gB antibodies and neutralizing antibody titers were improved and the immunized mice appeared to have lower viral load and higher mRNA levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, and IFN-γ in spleens. Our study offers a novel approach for recombinant PRV construction, and the triple gene-deleted PRV expressing GM-CSF could serve as a promising vaccine candidate for PR control

Easy Approach to Graphene Growth on Ir(111) and Ru(0001) from Liquid Ethanol

Abstract The growth of a high‐quality complete graphene layer is successfully achieved for Ir(111) and Ru(0001) substrates using liquid ethanol as a precursor. Metallic substrates, which are cleaned in ultra‐high vacuum conditions, were ex‐situ immersed in liquid ethanol followed by the controlled in situ thermal annealing. The process of graphene formation and its quality are carefully monitored using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low‐energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy methods. It is found that graphene formation starts at 400 °C via ethanol decomposition and desorption of oxygen from the surface leading to the formation of the high‐quality complete graphene layer at 1000 °C. The results of the systematic angular‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiments confirm the high quality of the obtained graphene layer, and it concludes that such an approach offers an easy, quick, and reproducible method to synthesize large‐scale graphene on different metallic substrates