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1. Multi-label activity recognition using activity-specific features and activity correlations

   https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPR46437.2021.01439  

   Zhang Y, Li X (June 2021, 2021 IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition)
2. Structure–Activity-Relationship Studies to Elucidate Sources of Antibacterial Activity of Modular Polyacrylate Microgels

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.1c00831  

   Clem, Carlie M.; Sharma, Babloo; Striegler, Susanne (October 2021, ACS Applied Bio Materials)
3. Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Ficuseptine and Its Derivatives: Determination of Structure–Activity Relationships

   https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2490-2986  

   Hoang, Nghia_L T; Nsereko, Nina_N P; Sheetz, Sydney A; Tasker, Sarah Z (April 2025, Synlett)

   Abstract The indolizinium natural product ficuseptine, produced by the tropical fig tree Ficus septica, has been reported to have antibacterial properties. Herein, the synthesis of ficuseptine, ten analogues with differing aryl substituents, and two aryl regioisomers is reported. Despite several previous total syntheses, synthetically prepared ficuseptine has not been subjected to biological testing to confirm its activity. In our hands, ficuseptine was moderately active in Gram-positive B. spizizenii, with an MIC of 32 μg/mL, which was maintained for most aryl substituents. The position of the aryl rings was crucial, however, since regioisomeric ficuseptine analogues, mimicking related natural products, were found to be inactive. Finally, all ficuseptine derivatives were inactive (MIC >128 μg/mL) against Gram-negative E. coli. Understanding these structure–activity relationships (SAR) is helpful for future studies to understand the molecule’s mechanism of action or further develop its antibacterial properties. 

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4. Protecting activity of desiccated enzymes

   https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.3604  

   Piszkiewicz, Samantha; Gunn, Kathryn H.; Warmuth, Owen; Propst, Ashlee; Mehta, Aakash; Nguyen, Kenny H.; Kuhlman, Elizabeth; Guseman, Alex J.; Stadmiller, Samantha S.; Boothby, Thomas C.; et al (March 2019, Protein Science)

   Abstract Protein‐based biological drugs and many industrial enzymes are unstable, making them prohibitively expensive. Some can be stabilized by formulation with excipients, but most still require low temperature storage. In search of new, more robust excipients, we turned to the tardigrade, a microscopic animal that synthesizes cytosolic abundant heat soluble (CAHS) proteins to protect its cellular components during desiccation. We find that CAHS proteins protect the test enzymes lactate dehydrogenase and lipoprotein lipase against desiccation‐, freezing‐, and lyophilization‐induced deactivation. Our data also show that a variety of globular and disordered protein controls, with no known link to desiccation tolerance, protect our test enzymes. Protection of lactate dehydrogenase correlates, albeit imperfectly, with the charge density of the protein additive, suggesting an approach to tune protection by modifying charge. Our results support the potential use of CAHS proteins as stabilizing excipients in formulations and suggest that other proteins may have similar potential. 

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5. Spatial representability of neuronal activity

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00281-y  

   Akhtiamov, D.; Cohn, A. G.; Dabaghian, Y. (October 2021, Scientific Reports)

   Abstract A common approach to interpreting spiking activity is based on identifying the firing fields—regions in physical or configuration spaces that elicit responses of neurons. Common examples include hippocampal place cells that fire at preferred locations in the navigated environment, head direction cells that fire at preferred orientations of the animal’s head, view cells that respond to preferred spots in the visual field, etc. In all these cases, firing fields were discovered empirically, by trial and error. We argue that the existence and a number of properties of the firing fields can be established theoretically, through topological analyses of the neuronal spiking activity. In particular, we use Leray criterion powered by persistent homology theory, Eckhoff conditions and Region Connection Calculus to verify consistency of neuronal responses with a single coherent representation of space. 

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