Fast and stable photochromic oxazines for fluorescence switching

The stringent limitations imposed by diffraction on the spatial resolution of fluorescence microscopes demand the identification of viable strategies to switch fluorescence under optical control. In this context, the photoinduced and reversible transformations of photochromic compounds are particularly valuable. In fact, these molecules can be engineered to regulate the emission intensities of complementary fluorophores in response to optical stimulations. On the basis of this general design logic, we assembled a functional molecular construct consisting of a borondipyrromethene fluorophore and a nitrospiropyran photochrome and demonstrated that the emission of the former can be modulated with the interconversion of the latter. This fluorophore-photochrome dyad, however, has a slow switching speed and poor fatigue resistance. To improve both parameters, we developed a new family of photochromic switches based on the photoinduced opening and thermal closing of an oxazine ring. These compounds switch back and forth between ring-closed and -open isomers on nanosecond-microsecond timescales and tolerate thousands of switching cycles with no sign of degradation. In addition, the attachment of appropriate chromophoric fragments to their switchable oxazine ring can be exploited to either deactivate or activate fluorescence reversibly in response to illumination with a pair of exciting beams. Specifically, we assembled three dyads, each based on either a borondipyrromethene or a coumarin fluorophore and an oxazine photochrome, and modulated their fluorescence in a few microseconds with outstanding fatigue resistance. The unique photochemical and photophysical properties of our fluorophore-photochrome dyads can facilitate the development of switchable fluorophores for superresolution imaging and, ultimately, provide valuable molecular probes for the visualization of biological samples on the nanometer level.     

Minimizing the probability of lifetime ruin under stochastic volatility

We assume that an individual invests in a financial market with one riskless and one risky asset, with the latter’s price following a diffusion with stochastic volatility. Given the rate of consumption, we find the optimal investment strategy for the individual who wishes to minimize the probability of going bankrupt. To solve this minimization problem, we use techniques from stochastic optimal control.     

SERS-based sandwich immunoassay using antibody coated magnetic nanoparticles for Escherichia coli enumeration

A method combining immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was developed to enumerate Escherichia coli (E. coli). Gold-coated magnetic spherical nanoparticles were prepared by immobilizing biotin-labeled anti-E. coli antibodies onto avidin-coated magnetic nanoparticles and used in the separation and concentration of the E. coli cells. Raman labels have been constructed using rod shaped gold nanoparticles coated with 5,5-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and subsequently with a molecular recognizer. Then DTNB-labeled gold nanorods were interacted with gold-coated magnetic spherical nanoparticle-antibody-E. coli complex. The capture efficiency and calibration graphs were obtained and examined in different E. coli concentrations (10(1)-10(7) cfu mL(-1)). The correlation between the concentration of bacteria and SERS signal was found to be linear within the range of 10(1)-10(4) cfu mL(-1) (R(2) = 0.992). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values of the developed method were found to be 8 and 24 cfu mL(-1), respectively. The selectivity of the developed immunoassay was examined with Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter dissolvens, and Salmonella enteriditis which did not produce any significant response. The ability of the immunoassay to detect E. coli in real water samples was also investigated and the results were compared with the experimental results from plate-counting methods. There was no significant difference between the methods that were compared (p > 0.05). This method is rapid and sensitive to target organisms with a total analysis time of less than 70 min.     

Synthesis and characterization of nanomagnetite particles and their polymer coated forms

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of ferrous (Fe(2+)) and ferric (Fe(3+)) aqueous solution by a base. Nanomagnetite particles were coated with poly(St/PEG-EEM/DMAPM) and poly(St/PEG-MA/DMAPM) layer by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. Chemical structure of nanoparticles was characterized by both FTIR and (1)H NMR. Particle morphologies were determined by Zeta Sizer, DLS, XRD and SAXS. Structural analysis showed that after polymer coating nanomagnetite particles kept their superparamagnetic property. Besides the synthesized magnetites, polymer coated forms of these particles are more biocompatible, well dispersable and uniform. These properties make them a very strong candidate for bioengineering applications, such as bioseparation, gene transfer.     

General decay and blowup of solutions for coupled viscoelastic equation of Kirchhoff type with degenerate damping terms

In this work, we consider a nonlinear system of viscoelastic equations of Kirchhoff type with degenerate damping and source terms in a bounded domain. Under suitable assumptions on the initial data, the relaxation functions g_i(i = 1,2) and degenerate damping terms, we obtain global existence of solutions. Then, we prove the general decay result. Finally, we prove the finite time blow‐up result of solutions with negative initial energy. This work generalizes and improves earlier results in the literature.     

Hyperon production in pp interactions at √s = 53 and 62 GeV

Inclusive measurements of Λ⁰, $\text{Λ}$⁰, Ξ^?, Σ(1385)^±) production in the forward direction at the CERN intersecting storage rings are presented. A signal for simulataneous Λ⁰$\text{Λ}$⁰ production is also observed with total $\text{x > 0.6, 2.3 < M}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>\Lambda </mtext><mtext>\Lambda </mtext>}}\text{< 2.5}\text{GeV}$ and with a cross section of (1.7 ± 0.2) μb.     

Flow injection determination of catechol based on polypyrrole–carbon nanotube–tyrosinase biocomposite detector

A flow injection catechol biosensor based on tyrosinase entrapped in carbon nanotube modified polypyrrole biocomposite film on a glassy carbon surface has been developed. Amperometric response was measured as a function of concentration of catechol, at a fixed bias voltage of −50 mV at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The proposed biosensor exhibited impressive analytical performance such as a linear range between 3 and 50 μM, a short response time (10 s), a detection limit of 0.671 μM and an excellent operational (with a relative standard deviation of 0.54%) and long-term stability (85% remained after 10th week). A comparison of the analytical parameters of the developed biosensor with polypyrrole/tyrosinase film electrode was performed in the study. CNT was shown to enhance the electron transfer between the electrode and enzyme and capable to carry higher bioactivity owing to its intensified surface area.     

An integrated approach for scheduling health care activities in a hospital

To effectively utilise hospital beds, operating rooms (OR) and other treatment spaces, it is necessary to precisely plan patient admissions and treatments in advance. As patient treatment and recovery times are unequal and uncertain, this is not easy. In response, a sophisticated flexible job-shop scheduling (FJSS) model is introduced, whereby patients, beds, hospital wards and health care activities are respectively treated as jobs, single machines, parallel machines and operations. Our approach is novel because an entire hospital is describable and schedulable in one integrated approach. The scheduling model can be used to recompute timings after deviations, delays, postponements and cancellations. It also includes advanced conditions such as activity and machine setup times, transfer times between activities, blocking limitations and no wait conditions, timing and occupancy restrictions, buffering for robustness, fixed activities and sequences, release times and strict deadlines. To solve the FJSS problem, constructive algorithms and hybrid meta-heuristics have been developed. Our numerical testing shows that the proposed solution techniques are capable of solving problems of real world size. This outcome further highlights the value of the scheduling model and its potential for integration into actual hospital information systems.