Effect of Cortisol on Calpains in the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 Cells

The present study was carried out to understand the effect of cortisol on calpain system in the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells under co-culture system. Cells were co-cultured by using transwell inserts with a 0.4 μm porous membrane to separate C2C12 and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. Each cell type was grown independently on the transwell plates. Following cell differentiation, inserts containing 3T3-L1 cells were transferred to C2C12 plates. Ten microgram per milliliter of cortisol was added to the medium. Following treatment for 3 days, the cells in the lower well were harvested for analysis. Calpains such as μ-calpain, m-calpain, and calpastatin were selected for the analysis. RT-PCR results indicated the significant increase in the mRNA expression of μ-calpain, m-calpain, and calpastatin. In addition, the confocal microscopical investigation indicated the cortisol treatment increases calpain expression in the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. Taking all these together, cortisol treatment with co-culture system shows most reliable status of calpains expression in the cells, which is quite distinct from one-dimensional monocultured cells.     

Germanium films with strong in-plane and out-of-plane texture on flexible,randomly textured metal substrates

High efficiencies have been achieved in photovoltaic cells based on III–V compounds grown on single crystal germanium substrates. Since the size of these substrates is limited and their cost is very high, such III–V photovoltaics have not found widespread terrestrial use. The objective of this work is to develop highly textured, epitaxial germanium thin films on inexpensive substrates suitable for roll-to-roll continuous processing to serve as templates for III–V compounds. Germanium films with a high degree of in-plane and out-of plane texture have been demonstrated on randomly textured, flexible nickel alloy substrates by epitaxial growth on template films made by ion beam-assisted deposition (IBAD). In order to achieve epitaxial growth, an intermediate layer of CeO₂ was found to be required between the IBAD MgO template and the Ge film. Our study shows that structural match between Ge and the underlying oxide layer is the key to epitaxial growth. Room temperature optical bandgap of the Ge films was identified at 0.67 eV suggesting minimal residual strain in the film. Refraction index and extinction coefficient values of the epitaxial Ge film were found to match well with that measured from a reference Ge single crystal.     

Synthesis and characterization of oligodeoxynucleotides containing formamidopyrimidine lesions and nonhydrolyzable analogues

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing formamidopyrimidine lesions and C-nucleoside analogues at defined sites were prepared by solid-phase synthesis and in some cases enzymatic ligation. Formamidopyrimidine lesions were introduced as dinucleotides to prevent rearrangement to their pyranose isomers. Oligodeoxynucleotides containing single diastereomers of C-nucleoside analogues of Fapy.dA were introduced by using the respective phosphoramidites. The formamidopyrimidine lesions reduce the T(M) of dodecamers relative to their unmodified nucleotide counterparts when opposite the nucleotide proper base-pairing partner. However, duplexes containing Fapy.dG-dA mispairs melt significantly higher than those comprised of dG-dA. All duplexes containing Fapy.dA-dX or its C-nucleoside analogue melt lower than the respective complexes containing dA-dX. Studies of the alkaline lability of oligodeoxynucleotides containing formamidopyrimidine lesions indicate that Fapy.dA is readily identified as an alkali-labile lesion with use of piperidine (1.0 M, 90 degrees C, 20 min), but Fapy.dG is less easily identified in this manner.     

Spin-probe ESR study on the entrapment of organic solutes by the nanochannel of MCM-41 in benzene

An ESR study has been made on the adsorption of three types of aminoxyl radicals with different substituent groups in the nanochannel of MCM-41 in benzene. In the suspensions of MCM-41, all the aminoxyl radicals, usually called as spin probes, show the ESR spectra composed of two signals: the main broader one from the spin probes trapped in the nanochannel, and a sharp minor signal from those in the bulk. The spin probes adsorbed in the nanochannel retain considerable mobility especially at higher temperatures over 300 K. When fumed silica, having a surface structure similar to that of MCM-41, is employed, on the other hand, the relatively hydrophobic spin probe mainly remains in the bulk, but the hydrophilic one is mostly adsorbed and immobilized rigidly. From these results, the adsorption by the MCM-41 nanochannel in benzene is characterized by medium selectivity and considerable motional allowance to the adsorbate molecule. The mobility of the spin probe in the MCM-41 nanochannel increases and the adsorption efficiency decreases by either of the following changes made to the system: (a) increasing the channel diameter, (b) increasing the hydrophobicity of the spin probe, (c) adding a small amount of 2-propanol in the solution, (d) methylation of the surface OH groups of the nanochannel, and (e) elevating the system temperature. A model of this special type of adsorption has been proposed on the basis of the thermodynamic parameters and the ESR spectra for the modified systems including those with different solvents.     

Effect of TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composite thin film as a blocking layer on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The objective of the present work was to study the change in efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells due to introduction of a thin blocking composite...     

Sonochemical Synthesis of Layered Copper Hydroxy Nitrate Nanosheets

Sonochemical reduction of copper nitrate, using 20 kHz ultrasound in aqueous solutions in the presence of urea, led to the formation of layered copper hydroxy nitrate nanosheets, as evidenced by scanning and transmission electron microscopy images. Fourier‐transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were used to characterize layered Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ nanosheets. The ultrasound‐assisted progressive hydrolysis of urea and in situ formation of Cu(0) through the sonochemical reduction process induced homogeneous nucleation and crystallization of layered Cu₂(OH)₃NO₃ nanosheets.     

Synthesis,spectral, stereochemical and biological evaluation of (E)-2-(3-pentyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ylidene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide derivatives

A series of new (E)-2-(3-pentyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-ylidene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamides (1-6) were synthesized from the corresponding 3-pentyl-2,6-diarylpiperidine-4-ones condensation with phenyl thiosemicarbazide. Their chemical structures were confirmed by means of elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectral techniques and for compound 3, HOMOCOSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, and DEPT NMR spectral techniques. From the NMR spectral data the compounds (1-6) are shown to exist in normal chair conformation with equatorial orientation of all the phenyl groups at C-2 and C-6 and pentyl group at C-3. The synthesized compounds were screened for their bacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Escherichia coli and fungal activity against Candida albicans, Rhizopus sp, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flasvus.     

Increasing the performance of tritium analysis by electrolytic enrichment†

Several improvements are described for the existing tritium enrichment system at the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory of the International Atomic Energy Agency for processing natural water samples. The improvements include a simple method for pretreatment of electrolytic cells to ensure a high tritium separation factor, an improved design of the exhaust system for explosive gases, and a vacuum distillation line for faster initial preparation of water samples for electrolytic enrichment and for tritium analysis. Achievements included the reduction of variation of individual enrichment parameters of all cells to less than 1% and an improvement of 50% of the stability of the background mean. It resulted in an improved detection limit of less than 0.4 TU (at 2s), important for application of tritium measurements in the future at low concentration levels, and resulted in measurement precisions of±0.2 TU and±0.15 TU for liquid scintillation counting and for gas proportional counting, respectively.     

Sonochemical synthesis of CuO nanostructures with different morphology

This paper describes a highly efficient and rapid approach of synthesizing different CuO nanostructures in aqueous solutions using ultrasound irradiation of copper(II) acetate with urea/sodium hydroxide in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), as stabilizing polymer. Field emission scanning electron microscope images clearly indicate the formation of CuO quasi-spherical microarchitectures and long-straw like structure in the presence of urea and sodium hydroxide. Other characterization techniques such as TEM, XRD and XPS are also provided to support the formation of such structures. One of the reasons for the formation of such CuO nanostructures may be due to the formation of a polymer-metal complex with the stabilizing polymer (PVP).     

Docking,Synthesis, Spectral Characterization,and Evaluation of In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Bis/Monophenyl‐1‐aryl‐1H‐tetrazole‐5‐carboxylate

Some novel compounds of bis/monophenyl‐1‐aryl‐1H‐tetrazole‐5‐carboxylate were synthesized by the equimolar reaction between bis/mono‐1‐aryl‐1H‐tetrazole and phenyl chloroformate in the presence of NaOH in dry tetrahydrofuran. The content was stirred for 4 h at room temperature. Structures of these synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and mass spectrometric methods. The in vitro antifungal activity study demonstrates that results of compounds 6g and 6h are excellent, 6e a comparatively good one, and other compounds are moderate. The C docker energy of compounds 6g and 6h were ?38.22 and ?32.62 kcal/mol and that of compound 6e was ?21.26 kcal/mol.