PPIRank - an advanced method for ranking protein-protein interations in TAP/MS data

Background: Tandem affinity purification coupled with mass-spectrometry (TAP/MS) analysis is a popular method for the identification of novel endogenous protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in large-scale. Computational analysis of TAP/MS data is a critical step, particularly for high-throughput datasets, yet it remains challenging due to the noisy nature of TAP/MS data. Results: We investigated several major TAP/MS data analysis methods for identifying PPIs, and developed an advanced method, which incorporates an improved statistical method to filter out false positives from the negative controls. Our method is named PPIRank that stands for PPI ranking in TAP/MS data. We compared PPIRank with several other existing methods in analyzing two pathway-specific TAP/MS PPI datasets from Drosophila. Conclusion: Experimental results show that PPIRank is more capable than other approaches in terms of identifying known interactions collected in the BioGRID PPI database. Specifically, PPIRank is able to capture more true interactions and simultaneously less false positives in both Insulin and Hippo pathways of Drosophila Melanogaster

2D perovskite stabilized phase-pure formamidinium perovskite solar cells.

Compositional engineering has been used to overcome difficulties in fabricating high-quality phase-pure formamidinium perovskite films together with its ambient instability. However, this comes alongside an undesirable increase in bandgap that sacrifices the device photocurrent. Here we report the fabrication of phase-pure formamidinium-lead tri-iodide perovskite films with excellent optoelectronic quality and stability. Incorporation of 1.67 mol% of 2D phenylethylammonium lead iodide into the precursor solution enables the formation of phase-pure formamidinium perovskite with an order of magnitude enhanced photoluminescence lifetime. The 2D perovskite spontaneously forms at grain boundaries to protect the formamidinium perovskite from moisture and suppress ion migration. A stabilized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.64% (certified stabilized PCE of 19.77%) is achieved with a short-circuit current density exceeding 24 mA cm-2 and an open-circuit voltage of 1.130 V, corresponding to a loss-in-potential of 0.35 V, and significantly enhanced operational stability

Effects of different bicarbonate on spirulina in CO2 absorption and microalgae conversion hybrid system

According to the characteristics of power plant flue gas emission and the requirements of reducing CO2 capture cost. CO2 absorption hybrid with microalgae conversion (CAMC) can avoid the challenges of heat consumption during absorbent desorption and nutrient consumption during microalgae culture. In this study, the bicarbonate solution (represents the products of CO2 absorption by Na2CO3 and K2CO3) is used as carbon source for mutagenic Spirulina platensis cultivation, and different concentrations of bicarbonate were set to explore the best carbon source. The results showed that NaHCO3 was a better medium for the CO2 absorption hybrid with microalgae conversion system, which was beneficial for the growth of mutagenic Spirulina, compared with K2CO3. When .3 mol/L NaHCO3 was added to the CO2 absorption hybrid with microalgae conversion system, the highest biomass dry weight, carbon fixation rate and carbon utilization efficiency were obtained, which were 2.24 g/L, 230.36 mg/L/d and 26.71%, respectively. In addition, .3 mol/L NaHCO3 was conducive to protein synthesis, reaching 1,625.68 mg/L. This study provided a feasible idea for power system to achieve carbon neutrality in the future

Path Loss Modeling for V2V Communication on a Slope

Path loss modeling for both regular and irregular terrains is still gaining significant attention from researchers. A sloped terrain is one specific kind of an irregular terrain that-as far as we are aware-has not been completely studied. Although some results have been published for slope path loss modeling in cellular communication, an adequate model for the case when the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) both have low-height antennas and are located on or near a slope does not exist. In this paper, for complete analysis of such conditions, we consider four scenarios: 1) two vehicles are located at opposite ends of the slope; 2) one vehicle is on the slope, and the other vehicle is beyond the slope crest; 3) one vehicle is on the slope, and the other is away from the slope at the bottom; 4) both vehicles are on the slope. For scenarios 1 and 2, we have developed analytical path loss models. We have also made some corroborating measurements for scenario 1. Scenarios 3 and 4 are addressed by models already in the literature. Simulation results for two vehicles traveling toward, on, and then beyond a slope (a sequence of our scenarios) are also shown to illustrate how sloped-terrain path loss varies in contrast to the typical flat-earth condition. Our models for scenarios 1 and 2 add to the literature and can be used to numerically estimate path losses for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication over a slope

Metal–Organic‐Framework‐Derived Carbons: Applications as Solid‐Base Catalyst and Support for Pd Nanoparticles in Tandem Catalysis

The facile pyrolysis of a bipyridyl metal‐organic framework, MOF‐253, produces N‐doped porous carbons (Cz‐MOF‐253), which exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the Knoevenagel condensation reaction and outperform other nitrogen‐containing MOF‐derived carbons. More importantly, by virtue of their high Lewis basicity and porous nature, Cz‐MOF‐253‐supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/Cz‐MOF‐253‐800) show excellent performance in a one‐pot sequential Knoevenagel condensation‐hydrogenation reaction

Deconfined quantum critical point lost in pressurized SrCu2(BO3)2

In the field of correlated electron materials, the relation between the resonating spin singlet and antiferromagnetic states has long been an attractive topic for understanding of the interesting macroscopic quantum phenomena, such as the ones emerging from magnetic frustrated materials, antiferromagnets and high-temperature superconductors. SrCu2(BO3)2 is a well-known quantum magnet, and it is theoretically expected to be the candidate of correlated electron material for clarifying the existence of a pressure-induced deconfined quantum critical point (DQCP), featured by a continuous quantum phase transition, between the plaquette-singlet (PS) valence bond solid phase and the antiferromagnetic (AF) phase. However, the real nature of the transition is yet to be identified experimentally due to the technical challenge. Here we show the experimental results for the first time, through the state-of-the-art high-pressure heat capacity measurement, that the PS-AF phase transition of the pressurized SrCu2(BO3)2 at zero field is clearly a first-order one. Our result clarifies the more than two-decade long debates about this key issue, and resonates nicely with the recent quantum entanglement understanding that the theoretically predicted DQCPs in representative lattice models are actually a first-order transition. Intriguingly, we also find that the transition temperatures of the PS and AF phase meet at the same pressure-temperature point, which signifies a bi-critical point as those observed in Fe-based superconductor and heavy-fermion compound, and constitutes the first experimental discovery of the pressure-induced bi-critical point in frustrated magnets. Our results provide fresh information for understanding the evolution among different spin states of correlated electron materials under pressure.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Pressure-induced coevolution of transport properties and lattice stability in CaK(Fe1-xNix)4As4 (x= 0.04 and 0) superconductors with and without spin-vortex crystal state

Here we report the first investigation on correlation between the transport properties and the corresponding stability of the lattice structure for CaK(Fe1-xNix)4As4 (x=0.04 and 0), a new type of putative topological superconductors, with and without a spin-vortex crystal (SVC) state in a wide pressure range involving superconducting to non-superconducting transition and the half- to full-collapse of tetragonal (h-cT and f-cT) phases, by the complementary measurements of high-pressure resistance, Hall coefficient and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. We identify the three critical pressures, P1 that is the turn-on critical pressure of the h-cT phase transition and it coincides with the critical pressure for the sign change of Hall coefficient from positive to negative, a manifestation of the Fermi surface reconstruction, P2 that is the turn-off pressures of the h-cT phase transition, and P3 that is the critical pressure of the f-cT phase transition. By comparing the high-pressure results measured from the two kinds of samples, we find a distinct left-shift of the P1 for the doped sample, at the pressure of which its SVC state is fully suppressed, however the P2 and the P3 remain the same as that of the undoped one. Our results not only provide a consistent understanding on the results reported before, but also demonstrate the importance of the Fe-As bonding in stabilizing the superconductivity of the iron pnictide superconductors through the pressure window

Robust magnetism against pressure in non-superconducting samples prepared from lutetium foil and H2/N2 gas mixture

Recently, the claim of "near-ambient superconductivity" in a N-doped lutetium hydride attracted enormous following-up investigations in the community of condensed matter physics and material sciences. But quite soon, the experimental results from different groups indicate consistently that no evidence of near-ambient superconductivity is found in the samples synthesized by the same method as the reported one, or by the other alternative methods. From our extended high-pressure heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility measurements on the samples prepared with the lutetium foil and H2/N2 gas mixture, we report the finding of a magnetic transition at the temperature about 56 K. Our results show that this magnetic phase is robust against pressure up to 4.3 GPa, which covers the critical pressure of boosting the claimed near room temperature superconductivity.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure