Carboxyfluorescein leakage from poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted liposomes induced by the interaction with serum

The effects of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on carboxyfluorescein (CF) leakage from poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted liposomes (PEG-liposomes) were investigated. PEG-liposomes were prepared from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and distearoyl-N-monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-succinyl-phosphatidylethanolamines (DSPE-PEG) having PEG molecular weights of 1000, 2000, 3000 and 5000. The presence of FBS dramatically increased CF leakage from liposomes near the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature, but had little effect at lower and higher temperatures. The CF leakage from PEG-liposomes whose molecular weight in PEG units was above 2000 was suppressed compared with that of liposomes without PEG. And, there was hardly any difference in the effect of the PEG molecular weight of the PEG-lipids on CF leakage from PEG-liposomes with FBS when PEG-lipids with a molecular weight in PEG units above 2000 were used. On the other hand, the leakage of CF from liposomes containing 0.145 mol fractions of DSPE-PEG1000 was larger than that of liposomes without PEG. Furthermore, the effects of FBS on the cooperative units of lipid molecules during the gel-liquid crystalline phase transition of liposomes were examined. However, the cooperative units of liposomes with FBS had little change compared with that of liposomes without FBS.     

Monolayer alignment on azobenzene surfaces during UV light irradiation: analysis of optical polarized absorption measurement results and theoretical treatment

The influence of the charge separation during the trans-cis conformational change on the surface of azobenzene 6Az10PVA monolayer on the polar liquid-crystal monolayer film, such as 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl(5CB), is investigated. The effective anchoring energy (in the Rapini-Papolar form) is phenomenologically described in the framework of the molecular model, which takes into account the interaction between the surface polarization and surface electric field, for number of conformational states of the boundary surface. It is shown, using the experimental data for the voltage across the 6Az10PVA+5CB film, provided by the surface-potential technique, that the charge separation during the conformational changing, caused by the UV irradiation, may lead to changing of the surface alignment of liquid-crystalline molecules. The influence of the photoisomerization process on the orientational order parameter S2(t) using the optical polarized absorption measurement is also investigated.     

Applications of realizations (aka linearizations) to free probability

We show how the combination of new “linearization” ideas in free probability theory with the powerful “realization” machinery – developed over the last 50 years in fields including systems engineering and automata theory – allows solving the problem of determining the eigenvalue distribution (or even the Brown measure, in the non-selfadjoint case) of noncommutative rational functions of random matrices when their size tends to infinity. Along the way we extend evaluations of noncommutative rational expressions from matrices to stably finite algebras, e.g. type II₁ von Neumann algebras, with a precise control of the domains of the rational expressions.The paper provides sufficient background information, with the intention that it should be accessible both to functional analysts and to algebraists.     

Optimality and duality in constrained interval-valued optimization

Fritz John and Karush–Kuhn–Tucker necessary conditions for local LU-optimal solutions of the constrained interval-valued optimization problems involving inequality, equality and set constraints in Banach spaces in terms of convexificators are established. Under suitable assumptions on the generalized convexity of objective and constraint functions, sufficient conditions for LU-optimal solutions are given. The dual problems of Mond–Weir and Wolfe types are studied together with weak and strong duality theorems for them.     

Graphene nanoribbon-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor targeting function for targeted photothermal tumor therapy

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most malignant subtypes of breast cancer. Here, we report the construction of graphene nanoribbon (GNR)-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor (mannose and α_vβ₃ integrin receptors) targeting function, denoted as GNR-Man/PRGD, for targeted photothermal treatment (PTT) of TNBC. The GNR-Man/PRGD ensembles were constructed through the solution-based self-assembly of mannose-grafted GNRs (GNR-Man) with a pyrene-tagged α_vβ₃ integrin ligand (PRGD). Enhanced PTT efficacies were achieved both in vitro and in vivo compared to that of the non-targeting equivalents. Tumor-bearing live mice were administered (tail vein) with GNR-Man/PRGD and then each mice group was subjected to PTT. Remarkably, GNR-Man/PRGD induced complete ablation of the solid tumors, and no tumor regrowth was observed over a period of 15 days. This study demonstrates a new and promising platform for the development of photothermal nanomaterials for targeted tumor therapy.

Dual receptor-targeting supramolecular glycomaterials are constructed based on graphene nanoribbons for the targeted photothermal therapy of triple-negative breast cancer in vivo.     

Self-assembly of block copolymers

Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly has attracted considerable attention for many decades because it can yield ordered structures in a wide range of morphologies, including spheres, cylinders, bicontinuous structures, lamellae, vesicles, and many other complex or hierarchical assemblies. These aggregates provide potential or practical applications in many fields. The present tutorial review introduces the primary principles of BCP self-assembly in bulk and in solution, by describing experiments, theories, accessible morphologies and morphological transitions, factors affecting the morphology, thermodynamics and kinetics, among others. As one specific example at a more advanced level, BCP vesicles (polymersomes) and their potential applications are discussed in some detail.     

SPR sensing of bisphenol A using molecularly imprinted nanoparticles immobilized on slab optical waveguide with consecutive parallel Au and Ag deposition bands coexistent with bisphenol A-immobilized Au nanoparticles

A slab-type optical waveguide (s_OWG)-based microfluidic SPR measurement system for bisphenol A was developed. This s_OWG possesses consecutive parallel gold and silver deposition bands in the line of plasmon flow, allowing two individual SPR signals to be independently obtained as a result of the difference in resonant reflection spectra of these metals. As a molecular recognition element, molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP-Np) were employed and immobilized on the surface of each of the gold and silver deposition bands. The resonant reflection spectra were measured on the MIP-Np-immobilized consecutive parallel gold and silver deposition bands coexistent with BPA-AuNp. The Ag-based SPR spectra showed a red shift (0.7 nm) when free BPA (0.1 mM) was passed over the BPA-AuNp/immobilized MIP-Np complexes formed on the s_OWG, unlike the case for the Au deposition band, while a large excess of BPA induced a blue shift due to the competitive desorption of BPA-AuNp from the immobilized MIP-Np on the s_OWG. By using the proposed detection system, binding events of other small molecules could be monitored in conjunction with the use of MIP-Np and labeled-AuNp.