Browse Articles

Enantioselective Total Syntheses of Vallesamidine and Schizozygane Alkaloids

Multi-scale sparse convolution and point convolution adaptive fusion point cloud semantic segmentation method

Probing London Dispersion in Proton-Bound Onium Ions: Are Alkyl–Alkyl Steric Interactions Reliably Modeled?

Bio-inspired 3D printing approach for bonding soft and rigid materials through underextrusion

Abstract Vertebrate animals benefit from a combination of rigidity for structural support and softness for adaptation. Similarly, integrating rigidity and softness can enhance the versatility of soft robotics. However, the challenges associated with creating durable bonding interfaces between soft and rigid materials have limited the development of hybrid robots. Existing solutions require specialized machinery, such as polyjet 3D printers, which are not commonly available. In response to these challenges, we have developed a 3D printing technique that can be used with almost all commercially available FDM printers. This technique leverages the common issue of underextrusion to create a strong bond between soft and rigid materials. Underextrusion generates a porous structure, similar to fibrous connective tissues, that provides a robust interface with the rigid part through layer fusion, while the porosity enables interlocking with the soft material. Our experiments demonstrated that this method outperforms conventional adhesives commonly used in soft robotics, achieving nearly 200% of the bonding strength in both lap shear and peeling tests. Additionally, we investigated how different porosity levels affect bonding strength. We tested the technique under pressure scenarios critical to soft and hybrid robots and achieved three times more pressure than the current adhesion solution. Finally, we fabricated various hybrid robots using this technique to demonstrate the wide range of capabilities this approach and hybridity can bring to soft robotics.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of transcription factors involved in defense responses against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica juncea

Step Edge Defects Have Nanoscale Impact on the Electronic Structure in Semiconducting Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Electrocatalysts

Detecting gene copy number alterations by Oncomine Comprehensive genomic profiling in a comparative study on FFPE tumor samples

Combined effects of gibberellin and vermiwash on the life history and antioxidant system of Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) in tomato plants

Routing and scheduling optimization for urban air mobility fleet management using quantum annealing

Vitamin B2 Operates by Dual Thermodynamic and Kinetic Mechanisms to Selectively Tailor Urate Crystallization

Intake of sodium and potassium, sodium-potassium intake ratio, and their relation to the risk of diabetes mellitus

Effect of supplementation of phytoadditive mixtures on live weight, blood indices, hormonal profile and reproductive performance in Black Bengal goats

Physicochemical parameters, microbiological quality, and antibacterial activity of honey from the Bucovina region of Romania

Functionalized Terthiophene as an Ambipolar Redox System: Structure, Spectroscopy, and Switchable Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

Ionized and total magnesium levels and health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Hydride Formation and Decomposition on Cu(111) in HClO₄

Impact of BRACTS exercises on muscular strength in eumenorrheic women

Author Correction: Sex differences of fall-risk-increasing drugs in the middle-aged and elderly: a descriptive, cross-sectional study of FDA adverse event reporting system

Structural Basis of Ultralow Capacitances at Metal–Nonaqueous Solution Interfaces

Induced protein expression in Leptospira spp. and its application to CRISPR/Cas9 mutant generation

Abstract Expanding the genetic toolkit for Leptospira spp. is a crucial step toward advancing our understanding of the biology and virulence of these atypical bacteria. Pathogenic Leptospira are responsible for over 1 million human leptospirosis cases annually and significantly impact domestic animals. Bovine leptospirosis causes substantial financial losses due to abortion, stillbirths, and suboptimal reproductive performance. The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has marked a turning point in genetic manipulation, with applications across multiple Leptospira species. However, incorporating controlled protein expression into existing genetic tools could further expand their utility. We developed and demonstrated the functionality of IPTG-inducible heterologous protein expression in Leptospira spp. This system was applied for regulated expression of dead Cas9 (dCas9) to generate knockdown mutants, and Cas9 to produce knockout mutants by inducing double-strand breaks (DSB) into desired targets. IPTG-induced dCas9 expression enabled validation of essential genes and non-coding RNAs. Additionally, IPTG-controlled Cas9 expression combined with a constitutive non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) system allowed for successful recovery of knockout mutants, even in the absence of IPTG. These newly controlled protein expression systems will advance studies on the basic biology and virulence of Leptospira, as well as facilitate knockout mutant generation for improved veterinary vaccines.