Nanocaging Rose Bengal to Inhibit Aggregation and Enhance Photo-induced Oxygen Consumption†

Photosensitized crosslinking of proteins in tissues has many medical applications including sealing wounds, strengthening tissues, and beneficially altering tissue properties. Rose Bengal (RB) is used most frequently as the photosensitizer but is not as efficient as would be desired for broad utilization in medicine. Aggregation of RB, at the high concentrations used for medical treatments, decreases the yield of singlet oxygen, which mediates protein crosslinking. We hypothesized that nanocages that sequester RB would inhibit self-association, increasing photosensitization efficiency. We tested cucurbituril and cyclodextrin nanocages, demonstrating that hydroxypropyl-functionalized cyclodextrins are most effective in inhibiting RB aggregation. For these RB/cyclodextrin solutions, we investigated the effect of nanocaging on the photobleaching and oxygen consumption kinetics under 530 nm LED light in aqueous phosphate-buffered solutions. At 100 μm RB, the initial oxygen consumption rates increased by 58% and 80% compared with uncaged RB for the β and γ (2-hydroxypropyl) cyclodextrins, respectively. For 1 mm RB, the enhancement in these rates was much greater, about 200% and 300%, respectively. In addition, at 1 mm RB these two cyclodextrins increased the RB photobleaching rate by ~20% and ~75%. These results suggest that nanocages can minimize RB aggregation and may lead to higher-efficiency photo-medical therapies.     

Mineralization of 4-Chlorophenol under Visible Light Irradiation in the Presence of Aluminum and Zinc Phthalocyaninesulfonates

Photosensitized oxidation of 4-chlorophenol (4CP) by the title complexes (AIPcS and ZnPcS) in aerated aqueous solution uponvisible light irradiation(λ=450nm) has been investigated using methanol as a disassociating reagent.It is confirmed that the monomeric species of the sesitizer is more active than the corresponding dimer in singlet oxygen generation for 4CP oxidation.However,the monomer is also the main component found in the sensitlzer‘s photobleaching, In this reload, AIPcS is much more stable than ZnPcS, and the Dhotoble~hlno is observed to proceed via singlet and triplet oxygen, respectlvely.The final products of 4CP oxidation in alkaline solution are carbon dioxide and chloride ions.while at pH=7 and pH=3 the p-benzoquinone is the product.The temperature is found to have influence on both the photosensitized degradation of methyl orange and ZnPcS photobleaching,with an activation energy of 15.8 and 24.2kJ/mol,respectively.     

Structural Effects on Defects and Growth in Crystals of Urea

1INTRODUCTIONThecrystalofureaisanonlinearopticalmaterial(13andcanbeprepareanopticalparameterocillator(OPO)element[2).LargeperfectcrystalshavebeengrownbysO.lutionmethod[3i,v!'athez-directionrestrictedgrowth..thed,thedirectionwiththehighestgrowthspeed.However,nodetailedinformationwasgivenondislocationsandstrainfeaturesrevealedbyX-raydiffractiontopography"'.Weconcentrateonstudyofthestructuraleffectsonthedefectiveformationandgrowthmorphology.foeureacrystalcrystallizesinthete-tragonalsystem"…     

Cultivation of Scenedesmus obliquus in Photobioreactors: Effects of Light Intensities and Light–Dark Cycles on Growth,Productivity, and Biochemical Composition

One of the main parameters influencing microalgae production is light, which provides energy to support metabolism but, if present in excess, can lead to oxidative stress and growth inhibition. In this work, the influence of illumination on Scenedesmus obliquus growth was assessed by cultivating cells at different light intensities in a flat plate photobioreactor. S. obliquus showed a maximum growth rate at 150 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1. Below this value, light was limiting for growth, while with more intense illumination photosaturation effects were observed, although cells still showed the ability to duplicate. Looking at the biochemical composition, light affected the pigment contents only while carbohydrate, lipid, and protein contents remained stable. By considering that in industrial photobioreactors microalgae cells are subjected to light–dark cycles due to mixing, algae were also grown under pulsed illumination (5, 10, and 15 Hz). Interestingly, the ability to exploit pulsed light with good efficiency required a pre-acclimation to the same conditions, suggesting the presence of a biological response to these conditions.     

Effects of Ultraviolet A-1 Radiation on Calcineurin Activity and Cytokine Production in (Skin) Cell Cultures†

Calcineurin (Cn) is the target of immunosuppressive drugs used for maintenance therapy of transplant patients. UV radiation is also known to be immunosuppressive and, like the Cn inhibitors, UV has been shown to positively influence various inflammatory skin diseases. Recently, Cn activity has been demonstrated in skin and skin cell cultures. In the present study we have investigated the effects of UV(A-1) irradiation on Cn activity in skin. In total skin we found a significant reduction in Cn activity after exposure to 450 kJ m⁻² of UVA-1 (340–400 nm). In repeated experiments cultures of fibroblasts and keratinocytes also showed dose-dependent and selective reduction in Cn activity after UVA-1 irradiation. UVB irradiation caused a decrease in the Cn activity of one of two fibroblast cultures and was ineffective in keratinocytes. In Jurkat cells and PBMC UVA-1 reduced Cn activity and also the production of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2, γ-interferon, IL-4 and IL-10 that are controlled by the Ca²⁺–Cn pathway. These results indicate that UV(A-1) irradiation may lead to inactivation of Cn in the skin and thus suppress the skin immune system in a similar fashion to the Cn inhibitors.     

Effects of Praseodymium Doping on Conductivity and Oxygen Permeability of Cobalt-Free Perovskite-Type Oxide BaFeO3-δ

Among the perovskite-type oxides with symmetrical structure applied in oxygen permeable membranes, cubic phase structure is the most favorable for oxygen permeation.In order to stabilize the cubic perovskite structure of BaFeO_3-δ material at room temperature, iron was partially substituted by praseodymium.BaFe_1-yPr_yO_3-δ powders were synthesized by a solid state reaction method, and sintered samples were prepared from the synthesized BaFe_1-yPr_yO_3-δ powders.X-ray diffraction results reveal that the BaFe_1-yPr_yO_3-δ samples remain cubic structure at praseodymium substitution amount of y=0.05, 0.075, 0.1.Scanning electron microscope observation indicates that the sintered samples contain only a small amount of enclosed pores and the grain size of BaFe_1-yPr_yO_3-δ increase monotonically with the increase of the praseodymium doping amount, praseodymium doping promotes the grain size growth.Tests of electrical conductivity and oxygen permeation flux show that praseodymium doping improves the conduction properties of BaFe_1-yPr_yO_3-δ and BaFe_0.9Pr_0.1O_3-δ composition has an electrical conductivity of 6.5 S/cm and an oxygen permeation of 1.112 mL/(cm²·min) at 900 ℃, respectively.High temperature XRD investigation shows that the crystal structure of BaFe_0.975Pr_0.025O_3-δ membrane completely transform to cubic phase at 700 ℃.The present test results have shown that partially substitution of Fe by praseodymium in BaFeO₃ can stabilize the cubic structure and improve the properties.     

Effects of Doping and Oxygen Vacancy Concentrations on Oxygen Ion Migration in Sm_xCe_(1-x)O_(2-δ): a DFT + U Study

Influence of doping and oxygen vacancy concentrations on oxygen ion or oxygen vacancy(V) migration energies of Sm_xCe_(1-x)O_(2-δ)(x = 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25 and δ = 0.0625, 0.125) systems using a GGA+U method are studied. Calculated results show that advantage migration types change from V?O~(2-) to O~(2-) ?V as x and δ increase. For V?O~(2-) migrations of the Sm_(0.0625)Ce_(0.9375)O_(1.9375) and Sm_(0.125)Ce_(0.875)O_(1.9375) systems, electrostatic attractions between Sm~(3+) and V, defect associations between Ce~(3+) and V, and steric hindrances of Sm~(3+) affect the migration energies. For O~(2-) ?V migrations of the Sm+(0.125)Ce_(0.875)O_(1.875) and Sm_(0.25)Ce_(0.75)O_(1.875) systems, migration energies of O~(~(2-) ) are affected by electrostatic repulsions between Sm~(3+) and O~(2-) and defect associations between Ce~(3+) and V. Increases of the oxygen vacancy and Sm~(3+) doping concentrations benefit the oxygen ion and vacancy migrations, respectively.     

Solvent and Structural Effects on the Photoreduction of Cobalt(III)-Aryl Amine Complexes in Water–Organic Solvent Media*

Photoreduction of [Co(En)₂Cl(RC₆H₄NH₂)]²⁺ ions (where R = p-OMe, p-OEt, p-Me, m-Me, H, p-F, and m-OMe) in varying compositions of water–methanol and water–1,4-dioxane mixtures containing 15–40% (vol.) of organic co-solvent is carried out. Ultraviolet excitation of the above complexes in air-equilibrated solutions causes bleaching of its intense LMCT excited states with concurrent production of Co²⁺ion. As seen from the quantum yield data, _Co(II) increases smoothly with increasing content of organic co-solvent in the binary mixtures. The observed values indicate that the metal center is reduced by both ligands and solvent. The quantum yield _Co(II) is considerably affected by the substituent R of the amine, RC₆H₄NH₂ ligand. The effects of solvent and substituted ligands on the _Co(II) are estimated quantitatively using linear regression and multiple correlation methods. The former analysis was carried out using Grunwald–Winstein (Y) Gutmann donor number (DN ^N) and Krygowski–Fawcett E ^N _T (solvent empirical parameters). In addition, Kamlet–Taft's , , and * solvatochromic parameters were also used to study the effect of solute–solvent interaction. The effect of substitution on the aromatic amine ligand affects the quantum yield values, which was established using Hammett's substituent constant . Extensive tabulations of percentage contributions of these parameters, calculated using methods reported earlier, provide suitable values which are presumed to explain the quantitative effects of solvent and structural changes in the aromatic ligand on photoreduction of the cobalt(III) complexes.     

Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Synthetic Dyes and Industrial Dye Wastewater by Hydrothermally Synthesized G–CuO–Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> Hybrid Nanocomposites Under Visible Light Irradiation

To enhance the degradation of colour and chemical oxygen demand using photocatalytic activity, Graphene–CuO–Co₃O₄ hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized using an in situ surfactant free facile hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic degradation of synthetic anionic dyes, methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR), and industrial textile wastewater dyes under visible light irradiation was evaluated. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized structurally and morphologically using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Evaluation of the colour indicated complete removal at 15 min of irradiation for the MO and CR dyes, with 99% degradation efficiency. The reaction time for the primary effluent wastewater dye was 60 min for 81% dye removal. In contrast, a longer reaction time was required to meet the national discharge regulation for the raw wastewater dye, 300 min for 60% dye removal. The mechanism for dye degradation using the Graphene–CuO–Co₃O₄ hybrid nanocomposite was elucidated using the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model, and the rate constant and half-life of the degradation process were calculated. The results demonstrate that photocatalytic degradation using a hybrid nanocomposite and visible light irradiation is a sustainable alternative technology for removing colour from wastewater dye.     

Effects of voriconazole and fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of almonertinib in rats by UPLC–MS/MS

Almonertinib was included in the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR T790M mutations by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology in 2021. Considering that immunocompromised lung cancer patients are prone to opportunistic fungal infections, and most triazole antifungal drugs are moderate or strong inhibitors of CYP3A4, this study was conducted to develop and validate an accurate and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying almonertinib in plasma and for investigating the pharmacokinetic changes of almonertinib caused by voriconazole and fluconazole in rats. After liquid–liquid extraction with tert-butyl methyl ether, an XSelect HSS T3 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 2.5 μm, Waters) was used for the chromatographic separation of almonertinib and sorafenib-D₃ (internal standard). The analytes were detected using an AB Sciex Triple Quad 5,500 mass spectrometer in the positive ionization mode. The method exhibited great linearity (0.5–200 ng/ml, r > 0.997) and stability under the established experimental conditions. All validation experiments were in accordance with the guidelines, and the results were all within the acceptable limits. This method was successfully applied to the researches of pharmacokinetics and drug interactions for almonertinib in rats. Voriconazole and fluconazole significantly altered the pharmacokinetic profiles of almonertinib and increased the systemic exposure of almonertinib in rats to different degrees, but further human trials should be conducted to validate the results.     

Investigation of Matrix Effects on the Determination of Carbadox and Olaquindox in Feed by LC–MS/MS

A comprehensive survey of matrix effects on the LC–MS/MS analysis of the banned antibiotic growth promoters carbadox and olaquindox in feed was carried out. Various factors of sample preparation procedure and measurement were systematically investigated by pre- and post-extraction addition and postcolumn infusion experiments. In general, strong signal suppression up to 70 % for carbadox and up to 90 % for olaquindox was observed when using different extraction solvents and techniques as well as different chromatographic conditions. Reduction of matrix effects was achieved by SPE clean-up and dilution of sample extracts. Nevertheless, matrix effect profiles determined by postcolumn infusion revealed, that reduction of signal suppression at a respective retention time cannot guarantee improvement of the methods performance. If high variability of matrix effects is present along the chromatographic run, accuracy might decrease despite reduced signal suppression. Besides method parameters, different feedingstuffs were investigated and showed similar matrix effects.     

Investigation of Matrix Effects on the Determination of Carbadox and Olaquindox in Feed by LC–MS/MS

A comprehensive survey of matrix effects on the LC–MS/MS analysis of the banned antibiotic growth promoters carbadox and olaquindox in feed was carried out. Various factors of sample preparation procedure and measurement were systematically investigated by pre- and post-extraction addition and postcolumn infusion experiments. In general, strong signal suppression up to 70 % for carbadox and up to 90 % for olaquindox was observed when using different extraction solvents and techniques as well as different chromatographic conditions. Reduction of matrix effects was achieved by SPE clean-up and dilution of sample extracts. Nevertheless, matrix effect profiles determined by postcolumn infusion revealed, that reduction of signal suppression at a respective retention time cannot guarantee improvement of the methods performance. If high variability of matrix effects is present along the chromatographic run, accuracy might decrease despite reduced signal suppression. Besides method parameters, different feedingstuffs were investigated and showed similar matrix effects.

     

Effects of trichlorfon on the contents of acetylcholine and choline in fish brain microdialysis samples by UPLC-MS/MS methodEI北大核心CSCD

A combination of microdialysis sampling with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-MS/MS）was used to quantitatively analyze the effects of organophosphorus pesticides trichlorfon on acetylcholine （ACh） and choline （Ch） in the brain of crucian carp. The mechanism of organophosphorus pesticides poisoning was preliminarily discussed,showing that the ACh content in the brain of fish increased significantly with the increase of the exposure time to trichlorfon,while the Ch content decreased. It indicated that organophosphorus pesticides inhibited the activity of cholinesterase in organisms. © 2023, Youke Publishing Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.     

Effects of the temperature and beam parameters on depth profiles in X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry under C60–Ar cosputtering

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is widely used in various fields, including the semiconductor, biomaterial and microelectronic fields. Obtaining the correct depth profiles of PMMA is essential, especially when it is used as a thin-film. There have been many studies that have used earlier generation of cluster ion (SF₅⁺) as the sputtering source to profile PMMA films, but few reports have discussed the use of the more recently developed C₆₀⁺ in the PMMA sputtering process. In this study, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and dynamic secondary ion mass spectroscopy (D-SIMS) were used concurrently to monitor the depth profiles of PMMA under C₆₀⁺ bombardment. Additionally, the cosputtering technique (C₆₀⁺ sputtering with auxiliary, low-kinetic-energy Ar⁺) was introduced to improve the analytical results. The proper cosputtering conditions could eliminate the signal enhancement near the interface that occurred with C₆₀⁺ sputtering and enhance the sputtering yield of the characteristic signals. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also used to measure the ion-induced topography. Furthermore, the effect of the specimen temperature on the PMMA depth profile was also examined. At higher temperatures (+120 °C), the depolymerization reaction that corresponded to main-chain scission dominated the sputtering process. At lower temperatures (−120 °C), the cross-linking mechanism was retarded significantly due to the immobilization of free radicals. Both the higher and lower sample temperatures were found to further improve the resulting depth profiles.     

Effects of the support crystallite size and the reduction temperature on the properties of Pd/α-Al2O3 catalysts in selective acetylene hydrogenation

Pd catalysts supported on the solvothermal-derived nanocrystalline α-Al₂O₃ (45 nm) exhibited superior performances in the selective acetylene hydrogenation than those supported on micron-sized ones (44–149 μm). Reduction at 500°C led to an improvement of the ethylene yield for the Pd/nanocrystalline α-Al₂O₃, but not for the Pd/micron-sized α-Al₂O₃.     

Effects of temperature and Nd composition on non-linear transport properties in substituted Ce1−xNdxO2−δ cerium dioxides

Cerium dioxides doped or substituted by neodymium have been prepared using low- (320°C) and high-temperature (1600°C) processes. The Nd substituted ceria phase obtained at high temperature is a solid solution Ce_1−xNd_xO_2−δ 0?x?0.30. Electrical impedance spectroscopy analyses have been performed in the temperature range 40-700°C. At temperatures above 400°C, Nyquist representations allow to separate three signals corresponding to bulk, grain boundary and electrode responses. Non-linear variations of the resistance and the capacitance as functions of temperature and composition x are observed. In the case of grain boundary and electrode interface signals, constant phase elements with non-integer exponent n have been used to represent the equivalent circuits. For each contribution, the conductance strongly increases then reaches a limit value, above x=0.10. When composition x increases, the condensation of Nd-vacancy defect clusters might be at the origin of the non-linear evolution of the conductance. Bulk and grain boundary conductions present different activation energies (0.7 and 1.3 eV).     

Effects of novel hybrid nanofluid (TiO2–Cu/EG) and geometrical parameters of triangular rib mounted in a duct on heat transfer and flow characteristics

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Heat transfer and flow characteristics have been numerically analyzed by using four different fluids [pure ethylene glycol (EG), TiO2/EG and Cu/EG...     

Cover Feature: Effects of Microhydration on the Mechanisms of Hydrolysis and Cl− Substitution in Reactions of N2O5 and Seawater (ChemPhysChem 5/2023)

The reaction of N₂O₅ at atmospheric interfaces has recently received considerable attention due to its importance in atmospheric chemistry. N₂O₅ reacts preferentially with Cl⁻ to form ClNO₂/NO₃⁻ (Cl⁻ substitution), but can also react with H₂O to form 2HNO₃ (hydrolysis). In this paper, we explore these competing reactions in a theoretical study of the clusters N₂O₅/Cl⁻/nH₂O (n=2–5), resulting in the identification of three reaction motifs. First, we uncovered an S_N2-type Cl⁻ substitution reaction of N₂O₅ that occurs very quickly due to low barriers to reaction. Second, we found a low-lying pathway to hydrolysis via a ClNO₂ intermediate (two-step hydrolysis). Finally, we found a direct hydrolysis pathway where H₂O attacks N₂O₅ (one-step hydrolysis). We find that Cl⁻ substitution is the fastest reaction in every cluster. Between one-step and two-step hydrolysis, we find that one-step hydrolysis barriers are lower, making two-step hydrolysis (via ClNO₂ intermediate) likely only when concentrations of Cl⁻ are high.     

Structural variations of nickel complexes in NiS4 and NiS2PN coordination environments: spectral and single-crystal X-ray structural studies on bis(4-methylpiperidinecarbodithioato-S,S′)nickel(II) and (4-methylpiperidinecarbodithioato-S,S′)(thiocyanato-N)(triphenylphosphine)nickel(II)

Abstract  

[Ni(4-mpipdtc)₂] and [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] (4-mpipdtc = 4-methylpiperidinecarbodithioate anion) have been characterized by electronic, IR, and NMR spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray analysis, and cyclic voltammetry. IR spectra of the complexes show the contribution of the thioureide form to the structures. ¹H NMR spectra show the deshielding of α-CH₂ protons on complexation. ¹³C NMR spectra shows interesting differences between the N¹³CS₂ carbon signals of the parent complex [Ni(4-mpipdtc)₂] and the mixed ligand complex [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)]. The N¹³CS₂ carbon signal for [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] is observed at 204.85 ppm with an upfield shift of about 3.8 ppm compared with that found in [Ni(4-mpipdtc)₂] (201.06 ppm). The observed shielding in [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] indicates the effect of PPh₃ on the mesomeric drift of electron density toward nickel through the thioureide C–N bond. Single crystal X-ray analysis of [Ni(4-mpipdtc)₂] and [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] confirms the presence of four-coordinated nickel in a distorted square-planar arrangement with the NiS₄ and NiS₂PN chromophores, respectively. The C–N (thioureide) bond lengths of [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] are shorter than those found in [Ni(4-mpipdtc)₂], because of the presence of the π-acid (triphenylphosphine) in [Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)]. Significant asymmetry in Ni–S bond distances was observed in Ni(4-mpipdtc)(PPh₃)(NCS)] (2.162(2) and 2.211(2) ?). This observation clearly supports the less effective trans effect of SCN^– over PPh₃. The piperidine ring in the dithiocarbamate fragment is in the normal chair conformation.     

The Effect of the Copper Oxide Content and Support Structure in (0.5−15%)СuО/ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Catalysts on Their Activity in the CO Oxidation Reaction with Oxygen in an Excess of Hydrogen

The dependence of the activity of СuO/ZrO₂ catalysts in the CO oxidation reaction with oxygen in the presence of an excess of hydrogen and adsorption of СО over them on the CuO content (0.5 to 15%) and the structure of the support ZrO₂, monoclinic (М), tetragonal (Т), or mixed (М + Т) has been studied. It has been found that the activity of CuO/ZrO₂ is associated with the adsorption capacity of the samples for СО at 20°С. Thus, 5%CuO/ZrO₂(Т + М) and 5% CuO/ZrO₂(Т) samples, which exhibit the maximum activity (the СО conversion over them is 80–85% at 160°С), also possess a high chemisorption capacity towards CO (~2.2 × 10²⁰ molecules/g). At the same time, CuO/ZrO₂(М) samples with the CuO contents of 1 and 5% do not chemisorb СО and are inactive in the reaction at 160°С. The СО conversion over them does not exceed 32–36% at 250°С. On the basis of the data obtained by X-ray phase analysis, temperature-programmed reduction with Н₂, temperature-programmed СО desorption, and electron paramagnetic resonance, a conclusion has been made that at low temperatures СО oxidation proceeds over Cu_nO_m clusters that are located on ZrO₂(Т) crystallites. With the increase in the copper oxide content from 0.5 to 5%, the activity of the clusters increases, while the reaction temperature decreases. CuO_m oxo complexes and particles of the СuO phase do not exhibit catalytic activity. The reasons for the low activity of the CuO/ZrO₂(М) samples with the CuO contents of 1 and 5% in the СО oxidation and adsorption processes are discussed. The mechanism of the low-temperature СО oxidation with oxygen in an excess of hydrogen over a 5% CuO/ZrO₂(Т + М) catalyst is considered.