Diversification of importin-α isoforms in cellular trafficking and disease states.

The human genome encodes seven isoforms of importin α which are grouped into three subfamilies known as α1, α2 and α3. All isoforms share a fundamentally conserved architecture that consists of an N-terminal, autoinhibitory, importin-β-binding (IBB) domain and a C-terminal Arm (Armadillo)-core that associates with nuclear localization signal (NLS) cargoes. Despite striking similarity in amino acid sequence and 3D structure, importin-α isoforms display remarkable substrate specificity in vivo. In the present review, we look at key differences among importin-α isoforms and provide a comprehensive inventory of known viral and cellular cargoes that have been shown to associate preferentially with specific isoforms. We illustrate how the diversification of the adaptor importin α into seven isoforms expands the dynamic range and regulatory control of nucleocytoplasmic transport, offering unexpected opportunities for pharmacological intervention. The emerging view of importin α is that of a key signalling molecule, with isoforms that confer preferential nuclear entry and spatiotemporal specificity on viral and cellular cargoes directly linked to human diseases

Enhancing strength and electrical conductivity of pure aluminum by microalloying with telluride

The effects of Te addition on the microstructure, strength and electrical conductivity of pure aluminum were investigated, for improving the strength and electrical conductivity of resulting alloys. It was found that the tensile strength and electrical conductivity of the studied alloys increased by 25.8% and 2.8%, respectively, compared with those for pure aluminum (58 MPa and 62.06% IACS), respectively, by adding 0.1 wt% Te. Several mechanisms may account for the observed improvement of the alloys’ strength and electrical conductivity. First, Te addition can refine the grain size of pure aluminum by introducing more nucleation sites and suppressing grain growth through boundary precipitation. Second, the precipitation morphology changes from fine-needle or sheet-like to ellipsoidal shapes, likely improving the alloys’ tensile properties. Finally, Te can purify the melts by forming Al-Te-Fe-Si intermetallics at the grain boundaries, likely reducing the lattice distortion and increasing the electrical conductivity

A Experimental Study on Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) Incorporated with <i>Sporosarcina pasteurii</i>

Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been successfully applied to self-healing concrete with improved mechanical properties, while the performance of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) incorporated with bacteria is still lacking. In this study, Sporosarcina pasteurii, which has a strong ability to produce calcium carbonate, was introduced into engineered cementitious composites (ECC) with mechanical properties analyzed in detail. A multiscale study including compression, tension and fiber pullout tests was carried out to explore the Sporosarcina pasteurii incorporation effect on ECC mechanical properties. Compared with the control group, the compressive strength of S.p.-ECC specimens cured for 7 days was increased by almost 10% and the regained strength after self-healing was increased by 7.31%. Meanwhile, the initial crack strength and tensile strength of S.p.-ECC increased by 10.25% and 12.68%, respectively. Interestingly, the crack pattern of ECC was also improved to some extent, e.g., bacteria seemed to minimize crack width. The addition of bacteria failed to increase the ECC tensile strain, which remained at about 4%, in accordance with engineering practice. Finally, matrix/fiber interface properties were altered in S.p.-ECC with lower chemical bond and higher frictional bond strength. The results at the microscopic scale explain well the property improvements of ECC composites based on the fine-scale mechanical theory

Four Novel Zn (II) Coordination Polymers Based on 4′-Ferrocenyl-3,2′:6′,3′′-Terpyridine: Engineering a Switch from 1D Helical Polymer Chain to 2D Network by Coordination Anion Modulation

Four novel ZnII coordination polymers, [(ZnCl2)2(L)2]n (1), [(ZnBr2)2(L)2]n (2), and [(ZnI2)2(L)2]n (3) and {[Zn(SCN)2]1.5(L)3}n (4), have been synthesized based on 4′-ferrocenyl-3,2′:6′,3′′-terpyridine with ZnII ions and different coordination anions under similar ambient conditions. Their structures have been confirmed using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, showing that complexes 1–3 are one-dimensional (1D) double-stranded metal ion helical polymer chains and complex 4 is of a two-dimensional (2D) network. The structural transformations of them from a 1D polymer chain to a 2D network under the influence of the coordination anions has been systematic investigated. Furthermore, the optical band gaps have been measured by optical diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, revealing that the ligand and the complexes should have semiconductor properties

The Rapid Screening of Triazophos Residues in Agricultural Products by Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay

<div><p>A highly sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) method was developed in this study for efficient screening of triazophos residues in a large number of samples. Based on the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by China and CAC for triazophos in different agro-products, the representative apple, orange, cabbage, zucchini, and rice samples were selected as spiked samples, and the triazophos at the concentrations of the MRL values were spiked to blank samples. Subsequently, the five samples with the spiked triazophos standard were measured by CLEIA 100 times, and the detection results indicated that the correction factors of the apple, orange, cabbage, zucchini, and rice were determined as 0.79, 0.66, 0.85, 0.76, and 0.91, respectively. In this experiment, 1500 real samples were detected by both the CLEIA and the GC-MS methods. With the GC-MS method, 1462 samples were identified as negative samples and 38 samples as positive samples. Based on the correction factors, the false positive rate of the CLEIA method was 0.13%, and false negative rate was 0. The results showed that the established CLEIA method could be used to screen a large number of real samples.</p></div

Correction factors for the CLEIA method.

<p>f is the abbreviation of correction factor</p><p>Correction factors for the CLEIA method.</p

The application range of HRP concentration within the three enhancers and their respective required stability time for chemiluminescence.

<p>The application range of HRP concentration within the three enhancers and their respective required stability time for chemiluminescence.</p

Typical standard curves for triazophos by CLEIA under optimized conditions.

<p>Typical standard curves for triazophos by CLEIA under optimized conditions.</p

The effects of enhancers on the CL intensity on the luminol—H₂O₂–HRP system.

<p>The effects of enhancers on the CL intensity on the luminol—H₂O₂–HRP system.</p

The effect of organic solvent concentration on the CL intensity.

<p>a) Luminol-H₂O₂-HRP-HIOP, b) Luminol-H₂O₂-HRP-4-IOP, c) Luminol-H₂O₂-HRP-4-BOP, d) Luminol-H₂O₂-HRP-4-IMP.</p