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| 2. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 3. |
- Birney, Ewan, et al.
(author)
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Identification and analysis of functional elements in 1% of the human genome by the ENCODE pilot project
- 2007
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 447:7146, s. 799-816
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the generation and analysis of functional data from multiple, diverse experiments performed on a targeted 1% of the human genome as part of the pilot phase of the ENCODE Project. These data have been further integrated and augmented by a number of evolutionary and computational analyses. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge about human genome function in several major areas. First, our studies provide convincing evidence that the genome is pervasively transcribed, such that the majority of its bases can be found in primary transcripts, including non-protein-coding transcripts, and those that extensively overlap one another. Second, systematic examination of transcriptional regulation has yielded new understanding about transcription start sites, including their relationship to specific regulatory sequences and features of chromatin accessibility and histone modification. Third, a more sophisticated view of chromatin structure has emerged, including its inter-relationship with DNA replication and transcriptional regulation. Finally, integration of these new sources of information, in particular with respect to mammalian evolution based on inter- and intra-species sequence comparisons, has yielded new mechanistic and evolutionary insights concerning the functional landscape of the human genome. Together, these studies are defining a path for pursuit of a more comprehensive characterization of human genome function.
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| 4. |
- Jiang, Zhiping, et al.
(author)
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Fine tuning the hydrophobicity of counter-anions to tailor pore size in porous all-poly(ionic liquid) membranes
- 2019
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In: Polymer international. - : Wiley. - 0959-8103 .- 1097-0126. ; 68:9, s. 1566-1569
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Charged porous polymer membranes (CPMs) emerging as a multifunctional platform for diverse applications in chemistry, materials science and biomedicine have been attracting widespread attention. Fabrication of CPMs in a controllable manner is of particular significance for optimizing their function and maximizing practical values. Herein, we report the fabrication of CPMs exclusively from poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs), and their pore size and wettability were precisely tailored by rational choice of counter-anions. Specifically, a stepwise subtle increase in hydrophobicity of the counter-anions by extending the length of fluorinated alkyl substituents, i.e. from bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide to bis(pentafluoroethane sulfonyl)imide and bis(heptafluoropropane sulfonyl)imide, decreased the average pore size gradually from 1546 to 157 and 77 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, the corresponding water contact angles increased from 90 degrees to 102 degrees and 120 degrees. The sensitive control over the porous architectures and surface wettability of CPMs by systematic variation of anion hydrophobicity provides solid proof of the impact of PIL anions on CPM structure.
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| 5. |
- Shao, Yue, et al.
(author)
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All-Poly(ionic liquid) Membrane-Derived Porous Carbon Membranes : Scalable Synthesis and Application for Photothermal Conversion in Seawater Desalination
- 2018
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In: ACS Nano. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 12:11, s. 11704-11710
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Herein, we introduce a straightforward, scalable, and technologically relevant strategy to manufacture charged porous polymer membranes (CPMs) in a controllable manner. The pore sizes and porous architectures of CPMs are well-controlled by rational choice of anions in poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs). Continuously, heteroatom-doped hierarchically porous carbon membrane (HCMs) can be readily fabricated via morphology-maintaining carbonization of as-prepared CPMs. These HCMs, as photothermal membranes, exhibited excellent performance for solar seawater desalination, representing a promising strategy to construct advanced functional nanomaterials for portable water production technologies.
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| 6. |
- Wang, Hong, et al.
(author)
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Ambient Electrosynthesis of Ammonia : Electrode Porosity and Composition Engineering
- 2018
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In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : Wiley. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 57:38, s. 12360-12364
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ammonia, a key precursor for fertilizer production, convenient hydrogen carrier, and emerging clean fuel, plays a pivotal role in sustaining life on Earth. Currently, the main route for NH3 synthesis is by the heterogeneous catalytic Haber-Bosch process (N-2+ 3H(2) -> 2NH(3)), which proceeds under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure with a very large carbon footprint. Herein we report that a pristine nitrogen-doped nanoporous graphitic carbon membrane (NCM) can electrochemically convert N-2 into NH3 in an acidic aqueous solution under ambient conditions. The Faradaic efficiency and rate of production of NH3 on the NCM electrode reach 5.2% and 0.08 gm(-2) h(-1), respectively. Functionalization of the NCM with Au nanoparticles dramatically enhances these performance metrics to 22% and 0.36 gm(-2) h(-1), respectively. As this system offers the potential to be scaled to industrial levels it is highly likely that it might displace the century-old Haber-Bosch process.
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