Curcumin Loaded Dendrimers Specifically Reduce Viability of Glioblastoma Cell Lines

Glioblastoma (GB) is a deadly and aggressive cancer of the CNS. Even with extensive resection and chemoradiotherapy, patient survival is still only 15 months. To maintain growth and proliferation, cancer cells require a high oxidative state. Curcumin, a well-known anti-inflammatory antioxidant, is a potential candidate for treatment of GB. To facilitate efficient delivery of therapeutic doses of curcumin into cells, we encapsulated the drug in surface-modified polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. We studied the in vitro effectiveness of a traditional PAMAM dendrimer (100% amine surface, G4 NH₂), surface-modified dendrimer (10% amine and 90% hydroxyl-G4 90/10-Cys), and curcumin (Cur)-encapsulated dendrimer (G4 90/10-Cys-Cur) on three species of glioblastoma cell lines: mouse-GL261, rat-F98, and human-U87. Using an MTT assay for cell viability, we found that G4 90/10-Cys-Cur reduced viability of all three glioblastoma cell lines compared to non-cancerous control cells. Under similar conditions, unencapsulated curcumin was not effective, while the non-modified dendrimer (G4 NH₂) caused significant death of both cancerous and normal cells. By harnessing and optimizing the components of PAMAM dendrimers, we are providing a promising new route for delivering cancer therapeutics. Our results with curcumin suggest that antioxidants are good candidates for treating glioblastoma.     

Electrical properties of elastomer-based composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes—A review

Even though carbon nanotubes offer an excellent solution for the design of strain sensors, their widespread commercial utilization has been hampered by the unavailability of design rules, inconsistencies in their macro-scale properties, and lack of understanding of the effects of various parameters on their characteristics. Nevertheless, many researches have been carried out to characterize elastomeric nanocomposites filled with carbon nanotubes in order to optimize their properties such as electrical conductivity and strain sensitivity range. This article reviews the effect of different parameters on the electrical properties of such nanocomposites, followed by the analysis of performances of elastomer strain sensors.     

Operational Properties of Two Integral Transforms of Fourier Type and their Convolutions

In this paper we present the operational properties of two integral transforms of Fourier type, provide the formulation of convolutions, and obtain eight new convolutions for those transforms. Moreover, we consider applications such as the construction of normed ring structures on L₁(\mathbbR)L_{1}({\mathbb{R}}), further applications to linear partial differential equations and an integral equation with a mixed Toeplitz-Hankel kernel.     

Two- and three-dimensional networks of gadolinium(III) with dicarboxylate ligands: synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties

Four gadolinium(III) complexes with dicarboxylate ligands of formulas [Gd2(mal)3(H2O)5]n.2nH2O (1), [Gd2(mal)3(H2O)6]n (2), [NaGd(mal)(ox)(H2O)3]n (3), and [Gd2(ox)3(H2O)6]n.2.5nH2O (4) (mal = malonate; ox = oxalate) have been prepared, and their magnetic properties have been investigated as a function of the temperature. The structures of 1-3 have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. The crystal structure of 4 was already known, and it is made of hexagonal layers of Gd atoms that are bridged by bis-bidentate oxalate. Compound 1 is isostructural with the europium(III) malonate complex [Eu2(mal)3(H2O)5]n.2nH2O,1 whose structure was reported elsewhere. The Gd atoms in 1 define a two-dimensional network where a terminal bidentate and bridging bidentate/bis-monodentate and tris-bidentate coordination modes of malonate occur. Compound 2 has a three-dimensional structure with a structural phase transition at 226 K, which involves a change of the space group from I2/a to Ia. Although its structure at room temperature was already known, that below 226 K was not. Pairs of Gd atoms with a double oxo-carboxylate bridge occur in both phases, and the main differences between both structures deal with the Gd environment and the H-bond pattern. 3 is also a three-dimensional compound, and it was obtained by reacting Gd(III) ions with malonic acid in a silica gel medium. Oxalic acid results as an oxidized product of the malonic acid, and single crystals of the heteroleptic complex were produced. The Gd atoms in 3 are connected through bis-bidentate oxalate and carboxylate-malonate bridges in the anti-anti and anti-syn coordination modes. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit weak but significant ferromagnetic couplings between the Gd(III) ions through the single (1) and double (2) oxo-carboxylate bridges, whereas antiferromagnetic interactions across the bis-bidentate oxalate account for the overall antiferromagnetic behavior observed in 3 and 4.     

Multichannel vector sum phase shifter

A novel multichannel vector sum phase shifter that is suitable for phased array antenna applications is demonstrated. Each channel is implemented using a distinct optical wavelength. Selective control of each channel is performed using an acousto-optic polarization coupler. The concept is successfully demonstrated for two individually controlled channels. For each channel, a continuously variable frequency linear phase shift is demonstrated between DC and 7 GHz, with the phasing range exceeding 100 degrees.     

Impurity-induced anisotropic semiconductor-semimetal transition in monolayer biased black phosphorus

Taking into account the electron-impurity interaction within the continuum approximation of tight-binding model, the Born approximation, and the Green's function method, the main features of anisotropic electronic phase transition are investigated in monolayer biased black phosphorus (BP). To this end, we concentrated on the disordered electronic density of states (DOS), which gives useful information for electro-optical devices. Increasing the impurity concentration in both unbiased and biased impurity-infected single-layer BP, in addition to the decrease of the band gap, independent of the direction, leads to the midgap states and an extra Van Hove singularity inside and outside of the band gap, respectively. Furthermore, strong impurity scattering potentials lead to a semiconductor-semimetal transition and one more Van Hove singularity in x-direction of unbiased BP and surprisingly, this transition does not occur in biased BP. We found that there is no phase transition in y-direction. Since real applications require structures with modulated band gaps, we have studied the influence of different bias voltages on the disordered DOS in both directions, resulting in the increase of the band gap.     

Combined effect of the perpendicular magnetic field and dilute charged impurity on the electronic phase of bilayer AA-stacked hydrogenated graphene

We address the electronic phase engineering in the impurity-infected functionalized bilayer graphene with hydrogen atoms (H-BLG) subjected to a uniform Zeeman magnetic field, employing the tight-binding model, the Green's function technique, and the Born approximation. In particular, the key point of the present work is focused on the electronic density of states (DOS) in the vicinity of the Fermi energy. By exploiting the perturbative picture, we figure out that how the interaction and/or competition between host electrons, guest electrons, and the magnetic field potential can lead to the phase transition in H-BLG. Furthermore, different configurations of hydrogenation, namely reduced table-like and reduced chair-like, are also considered when impurities are the same and/or different. A comprehensive information on the various configurations provides the semimetallic and gapless semiconducting behaviors for unfunctionalized bilayer graphene and H-BLGs, respectively. Further numerical calculations propose a semimetal-to-metal and gapless semiconductor-to-semimetal phase transition, respectively, when only turning on the magnetic field. Interestingly, the results indicate that the impurity doping alone affects the systems as well, leading to semimetal-to-metal and no phase transition in the pristine system and hydrogenated ones, respectively. However, the combined effect of charged impurity and magnetic field shows that the pristine bilayer graphene is not influenced much as the functionalized ones and phase back transitions appear. Tuning of the electronic phase of H-BLG by using both types of electronic and magnetic perturbations play a decisive role in optical responses.     

Electrochemical synthesis of a thiophene-containing cyclo[9]pyrrole

A new member of the cyclo[n]pyrrole class of expanded porphyrins could be prepared from the corresponding thiophene-containing terpyrrole precursor through use of a mild electrochemical oxidative procedure. The isolated macrocycle, featuring nine heterocyclic subunits directly connected through their α,α'-positions, is the largest cyclo[n]pyrrole derivative reported to date (see figure).