The site-specific C to U editing of apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) mRNA requires a 27 kDa protein (p27) with homology to cytidine deaminase. Here, we show that p27 is a zinc-containing deaminase, which operates catalytically like the E. coli enzyme that acts on monomeric substrate. In contrast with the bacterial enzyme that does not bind RNA, p27 interacts with its polymeric apoB mRNA substrate ...

This Research Article describes a novel method for removal of particulate contamination, loosely referred to as dust, from solid surfaces using polymeric micropillars. In this Research Article, we illustrate for the first time that polymeric microfibrils of controlled interfacial and geometrical properties can effectively remove micrometric and submicrometric contaminant particles from a solid ...

Insect chitinase (CHT) family proteins are encoded by as many as 16 genes depending upon the species of interest. We have classified these proteins in three species into five different groups based on amino acid sequence similarities (Zhu et al., companion paper). The functions of most of the individual proteins of this family during growth and development are largely unknown. To help determine...

Biofouling is a common but significant issue in the membrane process as it reduces permeate flux, increases energy costs, and shortens life span of membranes. As an effective antibacterial agent, small amount silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) immobilized on surfaces will alleviate from biofouling. However, loading AgNPs surface remains challenge due to low efficiency or lack bonding stability betwee...

A flexible electronic system may consist of a polymeric substrate and an array of stiff islands, on which devices are fabricated. When the substrate is stretched, the devices on the islands experience small strains but the islands may debond if they exceed a critical size. The authors show that a thin layer of polymer coating, covering the islands and the substrate, can markedly increase the cr...

   Micro-electroactive polymers have wide applications from industry to healthcare. Artificial muscles, microvalves, microswitches, haptic sensing, blood pressure and pulse monitoring are some potential applications for micro-electroactive polymers. The most advantage of micro-electroactive polymers as sensors and actuators is bio-compatibility and low power threshold for large deformations...

Starch is a major carbon and energy source throughout all kingdoms of life. It consists of two carbohydrate polymers, branched amylopectin and linear amylose, which are sparingly soluble in water. Hence, the enzymatic breakdown by glycoside hydrolases (GHs) is of great biological and societal importance. Amylomaltases (AMs) are GHs specialized in the hydrolysis of α-1,4-linked sugar chains such...

Without any catalysts or feeding source gases, highly crystalline Cr nanowires were directly synthesized on a flexible polymeric substrate using microwaves and the surface of the as-grown Cr nanowires showed superhydrophobicity.

Coalescence of sessile polymeric fluid drops on a partially wettable substrate exhibits transition from inertial to viscoelastic regime at concentration ratio $c/c^* \sim 1$. Our findings unveil that the temporal evolution growing bridge height follows power-law behaviour $t^b$, such coefficient $b$ continuously decreases 2/3 in ($c/c^*<1$) an asymptotic value 1/2 visco-elastic ($c/c^*>1$). To ...