Bioconjugated quantum dots as fluorescent probes for bioanalytical applications

Quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals that have unique optoelectronic properties responsible for bringing together multidisciplinary research to impel their potential bioanalytical applications. In recent years, the many remarkable optical properties of QDs have been combined with the ability to make them increasingly biocompatible and specific to the target. With this great development, QDs hold particular promise as the next generation of fluorescent probes. This review describes the developments in functionalizing QDs making use of different bioconjugation and capping approaches. The progress offered by QDs is evidenced by examples on QD-based biosensing, biolabeling, and delivery of therapeutic agents. In the near future, QD technology still faces some challenges towards the envisioned broad bioanalytical purposes.      

Determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in sewage sludge by direct hollow fiber supported liquid membrane extraction and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this study, a three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) method combined with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was developed for direct determination of four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen) in sewage sludge. The drugs were extracted from non-spiked and spiked slurry samples with different amounts of sludge into an organic phase and then back-extracted into an aqueous phase held in the lumen of the hollow fiber. High enrichment factors ranging from 2761 to 3254 in pure water were achieved. In sludge samples, repeatability and inter-day precision were tested with relative standard deviation values between 10–18% and 7–15%, respectively. Average concentrations of 29 ± 9, 138 ± 2, 39 ± 5 and 122 ± 7 ng/g were determined in dried sludge from Källby sewage treatment plant (Sweden) for ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen, respectively.     

Generation and characterization of stable, highly concentrated titanium dioxide nanoparticle aerosols for rodent inhalation studies

The intensive use of nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles in many different applications necessitates studies on their risk assessment as there are still open questions on their safe handling and utilization. For reliable risk assessment, the interaction of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NP) with biological systems ideally needs to be investigated using physico-chemically uniform and well-characterized NP. In this article, we describe the reproducible production of TiO₂ NP aerosols using spark ignition technology. Because currently no data are available on inhaled NP in the 10?C50 nm diameter range, the emphasis was to generate NP as small as 20 nm for inhalation studies in rodents. For anticipated in vivo dosimetry analyses, TiO₂ NP were radiolabeled with ⁴⁸V by proton irradiation of the titanium electrodes of the spark generator. The dissolution rate of the ⁴⁸V label was about 1% within the first day. The highly concentrated, polydisperse TiO₂ NP aerosol (3?C6 × 10⁶ cm^?3) proved to be constant over several hours in terms of its count median mobility diameter, its geometric standard deviation, and number concentration. Extensive characterization of NP chemical composition, physical structure, morphology, and specific surface area was performed. The originally generated amorphous TiO₂ NP were converted into crystalline anatase TiO₂ NP by thermal annealing at 950 °C. Both crystalline and amorphous 20-nm TiO₂ NP were chain agglomerated/aggregated, consisting of primary particles in the range of 5 nm. Disintegration of the deposited TiO₂ NP in lung tissue was not detectable within 24 h.     

The subvariety of commutative residuated lattices represented by twist-products

Given an integral commutative residuated lattice L, the product L × L can be endowed with the structure of a commutative residuated lattice with involution that we call a twist-product. In the present paper, we study the subvariety ${\mathbb{K}}$ of commutative residuated lattices that can be represented by twist-products. We give an equational characterization of ${\mathbb{K}}$ , a categorical interpretation of the relation among the algebraic categories of commutative integral residuated lattices and the elements in ${\mathbb{K}}$ , and we analyze the subvariety of representable algebras in ${\mathbb{K}}$ . Finally, we consider some specific class of bounded integral commutative residuated lattices ${\mathbb{G}}$ , and for each fixed element ${{\bf L} \in \mathbb{G}}$ , we characterize the subalgebras of the twist-product whose negative cone is L in terms of some lattice filters of L, generalizing a result by Odintsov for generalized Heyting algebras.     

The Lattice of Synchrony Subspaces of a Coupled Cell Network: Characterization and Computation Algorithm

Coupled cell systems are networks of dynamical systems (the cells), where the links between the cells are described through the network structure, the coupled cell network. Synchrony subspaces are spaces defined in terms of equalities of certain cell coordinates that are flow-invariant for all coupled cell systems associated with a given network structure. The intersection of synchrony subspaces of a network is also a synchrony subspace of the network. It follows, then, that, given a coupled cell network, its set of synchrony subspaces, taking the inclusion partial order relation, forms a lattice. In this paper we show how to obtain the lattice of synchrony subspaces for a general network and present an algorithm that generates that lattice. We prove that this problem is reduced to obtain the lattice of synchrony subspaces for regular networks. For a regular network we obtain the lattice of synchrony subspaces based on the eigenvalue structure of the network adjacency matrix.     

Characterization of polyether‐poly(methyl methacrylate)‐lithium perchlorate blend electrolytes

Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) systems based on interpenetrating blends of poly(ethylene oxide‐co‐propylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) host matrices, with lithium perchlorate as guest salt, were prepared. These electrolytes were presented as free‐standing films, and their thermal and electrochemical properties were characterized by conductivity and electrochemical stability measurements. The properties of the interpenetrating blends of poly(ethylene oxide‐co‐propylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate) host matrices as the electrolyte component of a solid‐state electrochromic device are reported and the results obtained suggest that this electrolyte provides an encouraging performance in this application. The most conducting electrolyte composition of this SPE system is the formulation designated as SPE2‐0PC (5.01 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at about 57°C). The lowest decomposition temperature was registered with the SPE6‐15PC composition (233°C). The average transmittance in the visible region of the spectrum was above 41% for all the samples analyzed. After coloration the device assembled with 71 wt% PC presented an average transmittance of 15.71% and an optical density at 550 nm of 0.61. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of thermal comfort conditions in a classroom equipped with radiant cooling systems and subjected to uniform convective environment

The aim of this work is to evaluate numerically the human thermal response that 24 students and 1 teacher feel in a classroom equipped with radiant cooling systems and subjected to uniform convective environments, in lightly warm conditions. The evolution of thermal comfort conditions, using the PMV index, is made by the multi-nodal human thermal comfort model.In this numerical model, that works in transient or steady-state conditions and simulates simultaneously a group of persons, the three-dimensional body is divided in 24 cylindrical and 1 spherical elements. Each element is divided in four parts (core, muscle, fat and skin), sub-divided in several layers, and protected by several clothing layers. This numerical model is divided in six parts: human body thermal system, clothing thermal system, integral equations resolution system, thermoregulatory system, heat exchange between the body and the environment and thermal comfort evaluation.Seven different radiant systems are combined to three convective environments. In the radiant systems (1) no radiant system without warmed curtain, (2) no radiant system with warmed curtain, (3) radiant floors cooling system with warmed curtain, (4) radiant panels cooling system with warmed curtain, (5) radiant ceiling cooling system with warmed curtain, (6) radiant floor and panels cooling system with warmed curtain and (7) radiant ceiling and panels cooling system with warmed curtain are analysed, while in the convective environments (1) without air velocity field and with uniform air velocity field of (2) 0.2 m/s and (3) 0.6 m/s are also analysed. The internal air temperature and internal surfaces temperature are 28 °C, the radiant cooling surfaces temperature are 19 °C and the warmed internal curtains surfaces temperatures, subjected to direct solar radiation, are 40 °C.The numerical model calculates the Mean Radiant Temperature field, the human bodies’ temperatures field and the thermal comfort level, for the 25 occupants, for the 21 analysed situations.Without uniform air velocity field, when only one individual radiant cooling system is used, the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied people is lowest when the radiant floor cooling system is applied and is highest when the radiant panel cooling system is applied. When are combined the radiant ceiling or the floor cooling systems with the radiant panel cooling system the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied people decreases.When the uniform air velocity increases the thermal comfort level, that the occupants are subjected, increases. When the radiant floor cooling system or the combination of radiant floor and panel cooling systems without uniform air velocity field is applied, the Category C is verified for some occupants. However, with a convective uniform air velocity field of 0.2 m/s the Category B is verified and with a convective uniform air velocity field of 0.6 m/s the Category A is verify for some occupants. In the last situation the Category C is verified, in general, for all occupants.