New N-heterocyclic carbene mercury(II) complexes: Close mercury-arene interaction

Mononuclear mercury complexes (1, 2, and 3) bearing bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands of the form [(NHC)₂-μ-Hg]⁺² have been prepared and structurally characterised. The complexes were derived from three bis-imidazolium salts as precursors to NHC; either 1,3-bis(N-methylimidazolium-1-ylmethyl)benzene bis(hexafluorophosphate) (I·2PF₆), 1,3-bis(N-butylimidazolium-1-ylmethyl)benzene bis(hexafluorophosphate) (II·2PF₆) or 3,5-bis(N-butylimidazolium-1-ylmethyl)toluene bis(hexafluorophosphate) (III·2PF₆) treated with mercury(II) acetate. Interestingly X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed a close interaction between the Hg metal centre with one carbon atom of the aryl linker in addition to coordination with two NHCs.     

Extracting factors for students’ motivation in studying mathematics

The purpose of this article is to identify factors that statistically explain the variation and the measures on the level of motivation of a sample of mathematics students in a university. Specifically, this analysis will identify groups of similar items and reduce the number of variables used in a study. This article explains the use of exploratory factor analysis in extracting factors of personal belief and motivational factors among students in learning mathematics. The adaptation of these factors can be used for assessing academic performance in relation to motivation level. By identifying these factors, the mathematics educators or researchers will be able to find ways to improve the condition of the factors and also to further investigate the factors based on confirmatory approaches.     

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Cell Filamentation in Escherichia coli

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) induce morphological transformation of Escherichia coli from its native rod‐shape of ≈2–4 μm to filamentous cells of 20–40 μm in length. The transient response can only be observed at up to 3.5 h proliferation, beyond which the cytotoxic effect is neutralized and the rod‐shape is restored. The filamentation is part of the bacterium SOS response to the Trojan horse‐type internalization of undissolved ZnO solids. In the absence of ZnO solids, no cell filamentation can be observed from the leached soluble zinc fraction or dissolved zinc salt.     

Effect of pulse magnetic field stimulation on calcium channel current

This study aimed to investigate the effect of low frequency and high amplitude pulse magnetic field (PMF) on Calcium ion channel current of cells. Measurements were done on the Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells (HEK 293), which have only Calcium ion channels functioning. The whole cell current was measured by patch clamp method, with the clamped voltage ramping from −90 mV to +50 mV across the cell membrane. A PMF was generated by a 400-turn coil connected to a pulse current generator. The frequency of the pulse was 7 Hz, the width of the pulse was 3 ms, and the amplitude of the pulse, or the flux density, was ranging from 6 to 25 mT. The results showed that the profile of the whole cell Calcium channel current could be modified by the PMF. With the PMF applied, the phase shifting occurred: the onset of the channel opening took place several mili-seconds earlier than that without the PWF and correspondingly, the whole cell current reached its maximum earlier, and the current returned back to zero earlier as well. When the PWF was stopped, these effects persisted for a period of time, and then the current profile “recovered” to its original appearance. The decrease of the onset time and peak current time could be due to the local electric potential induced by the PWF and the direct interaction between PMF and ion channels/ions. The exact mechanisms of the observed effects of PMF on the cell are still unknown and need to be further studied.     

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Corannulene-Based Curved Nanographenes

It is shown that corannulene-based strained π-surfaces can be obtained through the use of mechanochemical Suzuki and Scholl reactions. Besides being solvent-free, the mechanochemical synthesis is high-yielding, fast, and scalable. Therefore, gram-scale preparation can be carried out in a facile and sustainable manner. The synthesized nanographene structure carries positive (bowl-like) and negative (saddle-like) Gaussian curvatures and adopts an overall quasi-monkey saddle-type of geometry. In terms of properties, the non-planar surface exhibits a high electron affinity that was measured by cyclic voltammetry, with electrolysis and in situ UV/vis spectroscopy experiments indicating that the one-electron reduced state displays a long lifetime in solution. Overall, these results indicate the future potential of mechanochemistry in accessing synthetically challenging and functional curved π-systems.     

Studies of Nanosized Iron-Doped TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Photocatalysts by Spectroscopic Methods

Iron-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles with iron content in the range of 0.005 < Fe/Ti < 0.3 were prepared using the flame spray pyrolysis method and investigated with CW X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This allowed for the clarification of the internal organization of Fe–TiO₂ nanoparticles. Different types of Fe(III) centers were distinguished in the samples: isolated high-spin paramagnetic Fe(III) ions (S = 5/2) in rhombic ligand fields state at 0.005 < Fe/Ti < 0.05, and Fe(III) ferromagnetic clusters at Fe/Ti < 0.1. All Fe-doped samples had rather high activity for the photocatalytic mineralization of oxalic acid under visible light illumination (λ > 400 nm) at 25 °C. Correlations were made between EPR and photocatalytic activity results. The specific surface area [S] data allowed us to deduce that the isolated Fe(III) centers were responsible for the photomineralisation of oxalic acid, while the Fe(III) ferromagnetic aggregates decreased the total efficiency of the system.     

Use of ultraviolet-light irradiated multiple myeloma cells as immunogens to generate tumor-specific cytolytic T lymphocytes

Background

As the eradication of tumor cells in vivo is most efficiently performed by cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL), various methods for priming tumor-reactive lymphocytes have been developed. In this study, a method of priming CTLs with ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated tumor cells, which results in termination of tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, as well as upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSP) expression is described.

Methods

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were primed weekly with UV-irradiated or mitomycin-treated RPMI 8226 multiple myeloma cells. Following three rounds of stimulation over 21 days, the lymphocytes from the mixed culture conditions were analyzed for anti-MM cell reactivity.

Results

By day 10 of cultures, PBMCs primed using UV-irradiated tumor cells demonstrated a higher percentage of activated CD8+/CD4- T lymphocytes than non-primed PBMCs or PBMCs primed using mitomycin-treated MM cells. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that primed PBMCs were markedly more effective (p < 0.01) than non-primed PBMCs in killing RPMI 8226 MM cells. Surface expression of glucose regulated protein 94 (Grp94/Gp96) and Grp78 were both found to be induced in UV-treated MM cells.

Conclusion

Since, HSP-associated peptides are known to mediate tumor rejection; these data suggest that immune-mediated eradication of MM cells could be elicited via a UV-induced HSP process. The finding that the addition of 17-allylamide-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG, an inhibitor of HSP 90-peptide interactions) resulted in decreased CTL-induced cytotoxicity supported this hypothesis. Our study, therefore, provides the framework for the development of anti-tumor CTL cellular vaccines for treating MM using UV-irradiated tumor cells as immunogens.     

Layer-by-layer Au nanoparticles as a Schottky barrier in a water-based dye-sensitized solar cell

We fabricated layer-by-layer gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) onto an electrode as a Schottky barrier in a water-based dye-sensitized solar cell. The Maxwell–Garnett equation was used to fit the characteristics of the Au film. The short-circuit current for four layers of Au NPs in a water-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) ranges from 2.76 mA/cm² to 5.96 mA/cm², which is due to the Schottky barrier reducing the number of electrons going from the semiconductor back to either the dye or the electrolyte. The efficiency of photo-electric conversion for four layers of Au NPs in water-based DSSC can be enhanced from 0.26% up to 0.95%. PACS 85.30.Hi; 82.47.Jk; 73.63.-b; 81.16.-c; 78.67.Bf     

Electrical resistivity of iron-vanadium alloys between 78 and 1200 K

Electrical resistivity (?) of FeV alloys containing 0.5, 0.9, 2.7, and 6.1 at% V has been measured as a function of temperature (T) between 78 and 1200 K. The ? vs. T curves exhibit a change in the slope at the ferromagnetic Currie temperature (T_c). The d?/dT vs. T curves in the neibhorhood of T_c are similar to the corresponding plot for pure Fe. Our studies confirm the previously observed anomalous effect of V on T_c of Fe, i.e., that T_c increase with small additions of V to Fe. The critical index λ⁺ associated with the power law of d?/dT just above T_c has been determined as a function of V concentration.