Interactions between temperature-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and granulocytes

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) has a low critical solution temperature (LCST) at 32°C in water and the hydrophilicity changes through the LCST. The microspheres whose surface was composed of PNIPAM exhibited phase transition behavior around 32°C. Therefore, the interactions between PNIPAM micropheres and granulocytes depended on the temperature. That is, the oxygen consumption and active oxygen production by cells in contact with PNIPAM-containing microspheres and adhesion of the microspheres to the cell surface were more enhanced above the LCST of PNIPAM than below it, whereas no significant temperature dependence of cell–microspheres interaction was observed in nonthermosensitive microsphere systems. It was suggested that the function of cells could be controlled with temperature using the temperature-sensitive microspheres.     

Recent progress of on-line sample preconcentration techniques in microchip electrophoresis

This review highlights recent developments and applications of on-line sample preconcentration techniques to enhance the detection sensitivity in microchip electrophoresis (MCE); references are mainly from 2008 and later. Among various developed techniques, we focus on the sample preconcentration based on the changes in the migration velocity of analytes in two or three discontinuous solutions system, since they can provide the sensitivity enhancement with relatively easy experimental procedures and short analysis times. The characteristic features of the on-line sample preconcentration applied to microchip electrophoresis (MCE) are presented, categorized on the basis of "field strength-" or "chemically" induced changes in the migration velocity. The preconcentration techniques utilizing field strength-induced changes in the velocity include field-amplified sample stacking, isotachophoresis and transient-isotachophoresis, whereas those based on chemically induced changes in the velocity are sweeping, transient-trapping and dynamic pH junction.     

Method validation by interlaboratory studies of improved hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity methods for the determination of antioxidant capacities of antioxidant solutions and food extracts

Hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORAC) is a method for evaluating antioxidant capacities of solutions of hydrophilic compounds. In this study, we improved the original method for H-ORAC determination, and evaluated the precision of the two improved methods (methods A and B) by interlaboratory studies using 5 antioxidant solutions and 5 food extracts as test samples. An interlaboratory study of method A, in accordance with the harmonized protocol, demonstrated satisfactory performance (intermediate precision relative standard deviations (RSD(int)) ranging from 4.6 to 18.8%; the reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSD(R)) ranging from 7.0 to 21.1%, and the HorRat values ranging from 0.40 to 1.93). However, methodological problems remained, and a further improved method, method B, was thus developed. An interlaboratory study of method B by 5 participating laboratories showed better intermediate precision and reproducibility (RSD(int) and RSD(R) ranging from 1.8 to 9.4%, and from 4.4 to 13.8%, respectively), and all HorRat values for the test samples were less than 1.3, suggesting good performance for the H-ORAC measurement.     

Preparation of alkyl-modified silicon nanosheets by hydrosilylation of layered polysilane (Si6H6)

Alkyl-modified crystalline silicon nanosheets 2 were synthesized and maintained the crystal structure of a Si(111) plane, in which the dangling silicon bond is stabilized by capping with the alkyl group. 2 was characterized using UV-vis, Fourier transform-infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies; X-ray diffraction; and X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis. A model structure is proposed that has a periodicity through the nanosheet surface.     

PEGylation of an artificial O2 and CO receptor: synthesis, characterisation and pharmacokinetic study

A synthetic oxygen (O(2)) and carbon monoxide (CO) receptor (hemoCD) composed of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphinatoiron(ii) and a per-O-methylated β-cyclodextrin dimer with a pyridine linker (Py3CD) was functionalised with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to elongate the circulation time of the receptor in the bloodstream. α-PEG monocarboxylic acid (HOOC(CH(2))(3)(CO)O-PEG(mw)-OCH(3); mw = 750 or 5k) or α,ω-PEG dicarboxylic acid (HOOC(CH(2))(3)(CO)O-PEG(mw)-O(CO)(CH(2))(3)COOH; mw = 10k or 20k) was reacted with the amino group of 5-(4-aminophenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin to afford a porphyrin monomer having a PEG chain or a porphyrin dimer having a PEG linker, respectively. The ferrous complexes of these PEGylated porphyrins (PEG750-, PEG5k-, PEG10k- and PEG20k-hemoCDs) bound O(2) in aqueous solution, P(1/2) values being 6.5-8.1 Torr at pH 7.0 and 25 °C. Each PEG(mw)-hemoCD was infused into the femoral vein of a Wistar male rat. After 6 h of the infusions, 67, 82, 86 and 42% of PEG750-, PEG5k-, PEG10k- and PEG20k-hemoCD were excreted in the urine. PEG750-hemoCD with a hydrodynamic diameter (D(h)) of 3.4 nm seemed to partly leak from the blood vessels (pore size: 2-6 nm) before renal filtration (pore size: 4-14 nm). PEG5k- (D(h) = 6.2 nm) and PEG10k-hemoCDs (9.0 nm) hardly passed through the blood vessels but were fully filtered by the kidney, resulting in high excretion rates. A considerable amount of PEG20k-hemoCD (D(h) = 12.0 nm) was retained in the blood even at 6 h after administration. The present study demonstrates that the behaviour of hemoCD in blood after administration can be controlled by modification of hemoCD with PEG having an appropriate molecular weight.     

Silver nanoparticles dispersed within amphiphilic star-block copolymers as templates for plasmon band materials

Formation of silver nanoparticles has been developed based on a template technique. Amphiphilic star-block copolymers employed as single molecule template, utilizing the coordination of Ag⁺ ions with carboxyl groups in the core of the star-block copolymer. Silver nanoparticles have been prepared by the addition of chemical reductant, e.g., NaBH₄. The solution of the resultant nanosphere composites showed yellow due to the surface plasmon resonance. These composites were soluble in organic solvents, because hydrophobic corona of the star-block copolymer protected the fabricated silver nanoparticles from aggregation.     

Excited states of porphyrin isomers and porphycene derivatives: a SAC-CI study

Excited states of free-base porphyrin isomers, porphycene (Pc), corrphycene (Cor), and hemiporphycene (hPc), were studied by the Symmetry-Adapted Cluster (SAC)/SAC-Configuration Interaction (CI) method. The absorption peaks of the porphyrin isomers were assigned on the basis of the SAC-CI spectra. The X, Y, X', and Y' bands of the porphyrin isomers, which have weak intensities, are identified. The differences in the Q-band absorptions among the isomers were clearly explained by the four-orbital model. In Cor and hPc, the wave function of the B-band corresponds to the mixture of the four-orbital excitations and the optically forbidden excitation of free-base porphin (P), due to the molecular symmetry lowering in the isomers. The B-band character is described by the five-orbital model in Pc and the six-orbital model in Cor and hPc. Two tetrazaporphycenes and two ring-extended (dibenzo) porphycenes were designed, and the Q-band transition moment was successfully controlled. These examples show that the control of the four-orbital energy levels is the guiding principle for pigment design in porphyrin compounds.