Electrochemical Control of Bioluminescence by Blocking the Adsorption of the Bacterial Luciferase Using a Mercaptobipyridine Self-assembled Monolayer

An N-butyl-N′-(4-mercaptobutyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium (4BMBP) was modified on a gold electrode to improve the electrochemical control of the bacterial luciferase (BL) luminescence system. The 4BMBP-modified gold electrode (4BMBP/Au) was able to prevent the adsorption of BL on the electrode surface, and enhanced the electrochemical regeneration rate of the reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMNH2), which is one of the substrates of the BL luminescence reaction. By using the 4BMBP/Au, the luminescence intensity increased by about 27% compared to that of a bare gold electrode (bare Au). Moreover, the modified electrode improved the time required for analysis because the modified layer prevented BL adsorption. Even without a refreshing procedure for each measurement, a constant luminescence intensity could be observed, and the analysis time was reduced to half (about 10 min) for one sample. The 4BMBP/Au is not only useful to control of the BL luminescence system, but also for electrochemical measurements in the presence of proteins

Promotion of Secondary School Science Education Driven by Inquiry-Based Activity

This article reports fundamental researches organized for developing a novel teaching/learning system in secondary school science. A curriculum constructed by an effective integration of content-based and context-based curriculum arrangements is proposed for generating teaching/learning opportunities through various inquiry-based activities on the basis of previously acquired science knowledge and concepts. The science subjects, including physics, chemistry, biology and earth science, have different logics and methodologies of science, but those are completed by mutual interdependences. Therefore, various storylines that cover different leraning contents in science subjects can be developed. The inquiry-based activities along different storylines provide students with opportunities to correlate previous learnings in different science subjects and to experience various cognitive and scientific skills. Based on such findings of our basic researches, the merits of the science education system proposed in this study is discussed briefly.本研究は，科学研究費補助金基盤研究(A)(一般)(25242015)による

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This work was supported by grants from the NIH (DP2DK105570-01 and 2P30DK046200 to MLA, DK21397 to HJG, K01DK098319 to KMH, K01MH091222 to LH, DK093848 to RJS, R01DK082590 to LS, R01DK097550 to JT, RO1 DK 076037 to MOT, R01DA024680 and R01MH085298 to JMZ, R01AG019230 and R01AG029740 to RGS) The Wellcome Trust (MK), Science Foundation Ireland (12/YI/B2480 to CWL), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (MHT), the Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung (MHT), the Helmholtz Alliance ICEMED e Imaging and Curing Environmental Metabolic Diseases, through the Initiative and Networking Fund of the Helmholtz Association (MHT), and the Helmholtz cross-program topic “Metabolic Dysfunction” (MHT). Allan Geliebter was sponsored by NIH grants R01DK80153; R01DK074046; R03DK068603; P30DK26687

Development of Teaching Materials of Green Chemistry at Secondary Schools : With a Focus on the Synthesis of Acetylsalicylic Acid Using Microwave Irradiation

For developing the teaching materials of green chemistry at the students' laboratories in secondary schools, the possibility of green chemical improvement of the synthesis methods of acetylsalicylic acid was investigated by applying the microwave irradiation as the energy source of the synthetic reaction. Through examining the heating characteristics of the reactants by microwave, it was revealed that the application of the microwave irradiation is useful to reduce the amount of a reactant component and the experimental duration. On the basis of such fundamental research on the synthetic condition, a detailed experimental procedure was proposed for applying the improved synthetic method to students' laboratory. In addition, the proposed method was applied to the practice for the green chemistry education at a high school. By comparing the present synthetic method of acetylsalicylic acid with the conventional one, students could become aware of the green chemical effects of the present synthetic method. It is highly expected that the students' understanding on the significance of chemistry for realizing the society which makes sustainable development possible is enhanced through such educational practice on green chemistry

Deep Reinforcement Learning for the Optimal Angle Control of Tracking Bifacial Photovoltaic Systems

An optimal tilt-angle control based on artificial intelligence (AI control) for tracking bifacial photovoltaic (BPV) systems is developed in this study, and its effectiveness and characteristics are examined by simulating a virtual system over five years. Using deep reinforcement learning (deep RL), the algorithm autonomously learns the control strategy in real time from when the system starts to operate. Even with limited deep RL input variables, such as global horizontal irradiance, time, tilt angle, and power, the proposed AI control successfully learns and achieves a 4.0–9.2% higher electrical-energy yield in high-albedo cases (0.5 and 0.8) as compared to traditional sun-tracking control; however, the energy yield of AI control is slightly lower in low-albedo cases (0.2). AI control also demonstrates a superior performance when there are seasonal changes in albedo. Moreover, AI control is robust against long-term system degradation by manipulating the database used for reward setting