Tailorable Multi-Modular Pore-Space-Partitioned Vanadium Metal-Organic Frameworks for Gas Separation.

Currently, few porous vanadium metal-organic frameworks (V-MOFs) are known and even fewer are obtainable as single crystals, resulting in limited information on their structures and properties. Here this work demonstrates remarkable promise of V-MOFs by presenting an extensible family of V-MOFs with tailorable pore geometry and properties. The synthesis leverages inter-modular synergy on a tri-modular pore-partitioned platform. New V-MOFs show a broad range of structural features and sorption properties suitable for gas storage and separation applications for C2H2/CO2, C2H6/C2H4, and C3H8/C3H6. The c/a ratio of the hexagonal cell, a measure of pore shape, is tunable from 0.612 to 1.258. Other tunable properties include pore size from 5.0 to 10.9 Å and surface area from 820 to 2964 m2 g-1. With C2H2/CO2 selectivity from 3.3 to 11 and high uptake capacity for C2H2 from 65.2 to 182 cm3 g-1 (298K, 1 bar), an efficient separation is confirmed by breakthrough experiments. The near-record high uptake for C2H6 (166.8 cm3 g-1) contributes to the promise for C2H6-selective separation of C2H6/C2H4. The multi-module pore expansion enables transition from C3H6-selective to more desirable C3H8-selective separation with extraordinarily high C3H8 uptake (254.9 cm3 g-1) and high separation potential (1.25 mmol g-1) for C3H8/C3H6 (50:50 v/v) mixture.

A multi-module structure labelled molecular network orients the chemical profiles of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions: Xiaoyao San, as an example.

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) technology has emerged as a crucial tool for identifying components in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, the characterization of the chemical profiles of TCM prescriptions (TCMPs) which often consist of multiple herbal medicines and contain diverse structural types, presents several challenges, such as component overlapping and time-consuming. In this study, a novel strategy known as the multi-module structure labelled molecular network (MSLMN), which integrates molecular networking, database annotation, and cluster analysis techniques, has been successfully proposed, which facilitates the identification of chemical constituents by leveraging a high-structural similarity ion list derived from the MSLMN. It has been effectively applied to analyze the chemical profile of Xiaoyao San (XYS), a classical TCMP. Through the MSLMN method, a total of 302 chemical constituents were identified, covering nine structural types in XYS. Furthermore, a validated and quantitative analytical method using UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS technology was developed for 31 identified chemicals, encompassing all eight herbal medicines present in XYS, and the developed analytical approach was applied to investigate the content distribution across 40 different batches of commercially available XYS. In total, the proposed strategy has practical significance for improving the insight into the chemical profile of XYS and serves as a valuable approach for handling complex system data based on UHPLC-MS, particularly for TCMPs.

De novo biosynthesis of sakuranetin from glucose by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Sakuranetin is a plant-natural product, which has increasingly been utilized in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for its extensive anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Sakuranetin was mostly produced by extraction technology from plants, which is limited to natural conditions and biomass supply. In this study, a de novo biosynthesis pathway of sakuranetin by engineered S. cerevisiae was constructed. After a series of heterogenous gene integration, a biosynthetic pathway of sakuranetin from glucose was successfully constructed in S. cerevisiae whose sakuranetin yield reached only 4.28 mg/L. Then, a multi-module metabolic engineering strategy was applied for improving sakuranetin yield in S. cerevisiae: (1) adjusting the copy number of sakuranetin synthesis genes, (2) removing the rate-limiting factor of aromatic amino acid pathway and optimizing the synthetic pathway of aromatic amino acids to enhance the supply of carbon flux for sakuranetin, and (3) introducing acetyl-CoA carboxylase mutants ACC1S659A,S1157A and knocking out YPL062W to strengthen the supply of malonyl-CoA which is another synthetic precursor of sakuranetin. The resultant mutant S. cerevisiae exhibited a more than tenfold increase of sakuranetin titer (50.62 mg/L) in shaking flasks. Furthermore, the sakuranetin titer increased to 158.65 mg/L in a 1-L bioreactor. To our knowledge, it is the first report on the sakuranetin de novo synthesis from glucose in S. cerevisiae. KEY POINTS: • De novo biosynthesis of sakuranetin was constructed by engineered S. cerevisiae. • Sakuranetin production was enhanced by multi-module metabolic engineering strategy. • It is the first report on the sakuranetin de novo synthesis in S. cerevisiae.

Solvent-free Synthesis of Multi-Module Pore-Space-Partitioned Metal-Organic Frameworks for Gas Separation.

Multi-module design of framework materials with multiple distinct building blocks has attracted much attention because such materials are more amenable to compositional and geometrical tuning and thus offer more opportunities for property optimization. Few examples are known that use environmentally friendly and cost-effective solvent-free method to synthesize such materials. Here, we report the use of solvent-free method (also modulator-free) to synthesize a series of multi-module MOFs with high stability and separation property for C2 H2 /CO2 . The synthesis only requires simple mixing of reactants and short reaction time (2 h). Highly porous and stable materials can be made without any post-synthetic activation. The success of solvent-free synthesis of multi-module MOFs reflects the synergy between different modules, resulting in stable pore-partitioned materials, despite the fact that other competitive crystallization pathways with simpler framework compositions also exist.

Carbohydrate-binding modules of ChiB and ChiC promote the chitinolytic system of Serratia marcescens BWL1001.

Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are commonly found within chitinases, but their contributions to chitinolytic systems are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, full-length chitin-acting enzymes (ChiA, ChiB, ChiC, and CBP21) of Serratia marcescens BWL1001 and CBM-truncated versions (ChiB-dCBM and ChiC-dCBM) were heterologously expressed for enzymological analysis. The CBM5 of ChiB and the CBM12 of ChiC both exhibited an affinity for α-chitin, while only CBM12 could bind colloidal chitin based on adsorption assays and affinity electrophoresis. Consistent with their ligand specificity, both CBMs were essential to α-chitin hydrolysis, while only CBM12 enhanced the hydrolytic efficiency of colloidal chitin by individual chitinases. Analysis of synergistic hydrolysis with separate full-length and CBM-truncated chitinases revealed that the two CBMs promoted the synergistic activity of chitinases on crystalline and amorphous chitin. The two CBMs also promoted the hydrolysis when chitin was mixed with non-substrate polysaccharides. This study reveals not only the effects of CBMs on enzymatic characteristics of individual chitinases, but also their contributions to the overall efficiency of chitinolytic systems during synergistic hydrolysis.

Construction and application of the multi-module training program of core competence for junior midwives / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective@#Constructing and applying the multi-module training program for junior midwives to improve the training quality.@*Methods@#The training program was constructed according to different modules of core competence. 11 junior midwives were selected from a hospital in Zhengzhou as trainees. The training effect was evaluated.@*Results@#Their core competence has been enhanced in theory knowledge, operating skills and training satisfaction (P < 0.05). After training, the rate of episiotomy and the rate of postpartum hemorrhage were lower than before (P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The multi-module training program can improve the core competence of junior midwives, which provides effective training method and promotes the quality of training.

Construction and application of the multi-module training program of core competence for junior midwives / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective Constructing and applying the multi-module training program for junior midwives to improve the training quality. Methods The training program was constructed according to different modules of core competence. 11 junior midwives were selected from a hospital in Zhengzhou as trainees. The training effect was evaluated. Results Their core competence has been enhanced in theory knowledge, operating skills and training satisfaction (P<0.05). After training, the rate of episiotomy and the rate of postpartum hemorrhage were lower than before (P<0.05). Conclusion The multi-module training program can improve the core competence of junior midwives, which provides effective training method and promotes the quality of training.

Promoter library-based module combination (PLMC) technology for optimization of threonine biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Due to the lack of efficient control elements and tools, the fine-tuning of gene expression in the multi-gene metabolic pathways is still a great challenge for engineering microbial cell factories, especially for the important industrial microorganism Corynebacterium glutamicum. In this study, the promoter library-based module combination (PLMC) technology was developed to efficiently optimize the expression of genes in C. glutamicum. A random promoter library was designed to contain the putative - 10 (NNTANANT) and - 35 (NNGNCN) consensus motifs, and refined through a three-step screening procedure to achieve numerous genetic control elements with different strength levels, including fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) screening, agar plate screening, and 96-well plate screening. Multiple conventional strategies were employed for further precise characterizations of the promoter library, such as real-time quantitative PCR, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, FACS analysis, and the lacZ reporter system. These results suggested that the established promoter elements effectively regulated gene expression and showed varying strengths over a wide range. Subsequently, a multi-module combination technology was created based on the efficient promoter elements for combination and optimization of modules in the multi-gene pathways. Using this technology, the threonine biosynthesis pathway was reconstructed and optimized by predictable tuning expression of five modules in C. glutamicum. The threonine titer of the optimized strain was significantly improved to 12.8 g/L, an approximate 6.1-fold higher than that of the control strain. Overall, the PLMC technology presented in this study provides a rapid and effective method for combination and optimization of multi-gene pathways in C. glutamicum.

The effect of flow modes and electrode combinations on the performance of a multiple module microbial fuel cell installed at wastewater treatment plant.

A larger (6.1 L) MFC stack made in a scalable configuration was constructed with four anode modules and three (two-sided) cathode modules, and tested at a wastewater treatment plant for performance in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and power generation. Domestic wastewater was fed either in parallel (raw wastewater to each individual anode module) or series (sequentially through the chambers), with the flow direction either alternated every one or two days or kept fixed in a single direction over time. The largest impact on performance was the wastewater COD concentration, which greatly impacted power production, but did not affect the percentage of COD removal. With higher COD concentrations (∼500 mg L-1) and alternating flow conditions, power generation was primarily limited by the cathode specific area. In alternating flow operation, anode modules connected to two cathodes produced an average maximum power density of 6.0 ± 0.4 W m-3, which was 1.9 ± 0.2 times that obtained for anodes connected to a single cathode. In fixed flow operation, a large subsequent decrease in COD influent concentration greatly reduced power production independent of reactor operation in parallel or serial flow modes. Anode modules connected to two cathodes did not consistently produce more power than the anodes connected to a single cathode, indicating power production became limited by restricted anode performance at low CODs. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data supported restricted anode performance with low COD. These results demonstrate that maintaining power production of MFC stack requires higher influent and effluent COD concentrations. However, overall performance of the MFC in terms of COD removal was not affected by operational modes.