ORPA: a fast and efficient phylogenetic analysis method for constructing genome-wide alignments of organelle genomes.

Creating a multi-gene alignment matrix for phylogenetic analysis using organelle genomes involves aligning single-gene datasets manually, a process that can be time-consuming and prone to errors. The HomBlocks pipeline has been created to eliminate the inaccuracies arising from manual operations. The processing of a large number of sequences, however, remains a time-consuming task. To conquer this challenge, we develop a speedy and efficient method called Organelle Genomes for Phylogenetic Analysis (ORPA). ORPA can quickly generate multiple sequence alignments for whole-genome comparisons by parsing the result files of NCBI BLAST, completing the task just in 1 min. With increasing data volume, the efficiency of ORPA is even more pronounced, over 300 times faster than HomBlocks in aligning 60 high-plant chloroplast genomes. The phylogenetic tree outputs from ORPA are equivalent to HomBlocks, indicating its outstanding efficiency. Due to its speed and accuracy, ORPA can identify species-level evolutionary conflicts, providing valuable insights into evolutionary cognition.

Adhesive injectable cellulose-based hydrogels with rapid self-healing and sustained drug release capability for promoting wound healing.

Injectable biocompatible hydrogels with multiple functions, including self-healing, adhesion, antibacterial activity, and suitable mechanical properties, are highly desirable for enhancing wound healing. In this study, a new class of multi-functional injectable self-healing cellulose-based hydrogels was synthesised using dynamic covalent acylhydrazone linkages for wound dressing. The carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-adipic dihydrazide (CMC-ADH)/4-Formylbenzoic acid-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-FBA) (CMC-ADH/PEG-FBA) hydrogels have adjustable gelation time and excellent self-healing ability. In addition, drug release and in vitro antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria confirmed the sustained drug-release capacity of the hydrogels. Moreover, haemostasis and wound-healing effects were investigated using an in vivo haemorrhaging liver mouse model and a full-thickness skin defect model, and the results indicated that they not only promoted the wound-healing process but also presented excellent haemostatic effects. The CMC-ADH/PEG-FBA gels also exhibited good adhesion to irregular wounds and significantly enhanced angiogenic ability in vivo. This excellent wound-healing performance occurs because hydrogels can quickly stop bleeding, provide a moist and closed environment for the wound to prevent bacterial invasion, release ciprofloxacin (CIP), reduce inflammatory reactions, and promote wound tissue regeneration. In summary, the synthesised multi-functional gels are ideal candidates for treating haemorrhages and irregular wounds.

Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of MoS2 on g-C3N4 Nanosheets for Efficient Removal of Tetracycline Hydrochloride.

MoS2 was vertically grown on g-C3N4 nanosheets by chemical vapor deposition to prepare nanocomposites named MS-CN samples. Because of a large-surface area of 545.2 m2·g-1 and a total pore volume of 1.7 cm3·g-1, the sample MS-CN revealed fast and large adsorption capacity for tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). The adsorption kinetics model proved that TCH could be rapidly adsorbed within 5 min, and chemical adsorption was dominant. For single-component adsorption of TCH, the maximum adsorption capacity was ∼154 mg/g. The monolayer adsorption was carried out on the surface of MS-CN. Both of the film and intra-particle diffusion were considered as significant processes to facilitate adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that the adsorption of TCH is a spontaneous endothermic process. The adsorption of TCH was highly pH-dependent. The maximum adsorption capacity of TCH was obtained in the case of pH ∼ 7. After four adsorption and desorption cycles, MS-CN still maintained well-adsorption performance. Multiple adsorption mechanism, pore filling, electrostatic force, π-π conjugation, and hydrogen bonding interactions were studied. Because of fast adsorption, large adsorption capacity, and high stability, it is a promising adsorbent for antibiotics.

MoS2-2xSe2x Nanosheets Grown on Hollow Carbon Spheres for Enhanced Electrochemical Activity.

Electrochemical catalysts with high conductivity and low reaction potential are respected. In this paper, hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) were homogeneously coated with Se-doped MoS2 (MoS2-2xSe2x) nanosheets by hydrothermal synthesis. The HCSs reduced the agglomeration of MoS2-2xSe2x nanosheets and improved their conductivity. Compared with the MoS2-modified samples, Se doping increased the interlayer spacing which provided more active catalytic sites and improved the charge transfer. Thus, MoS2-2xSe2x-decorated samples revealed enhanced electrocatalytic activity. The composition of MoS2-2xSe2x nanosheets was adjusted by changing the ratios of sulfur and selenium precursors. In the case of a Se/S molar ratio of 0.1, the composite of HCS decorated with MoS2-2xSe2x nanosheets (C@MoS2-2xSe2x) revealed the lowest overpotential and the smallest Tafel slope.