Preparation of a biocompatible magnetic film from an aqueous ferrofluid

Very promising nanoparticles for biomedical applications or in medical drug targeting are superparamagnetic nanoparticles based on a core consisting of iron oxides (SPION) that can be targeted through external magnets. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a unique synthetic biocompatible polymer that can be chemically cross-linked to form a gel. Biotechnology applications of magnetic gels include biosensors, targeted drug delivery, artificial muscles and magnetic buckles. These gels are produced by incorporating magnetic materials in the polymer composites. In this paper we report the synthesis of an aqueous ferrofluid and the preparation of a biocompatible magnetic gel with polyvinyl alcohol and glutharaldehyde (GTA). HClO₄ was used to induce the peptization since this kind of ferrofluid does not have surfactant. The magnetic gel was dried to generate a biocompatible film.     

Oxide/metal interface distance and epitaxial strain in the NiO/Ag(001) system

Geometric parameters of NiO films epitaxially grown on Ag(001) were determined using two independent experimental techniques and ab initio simulations. Primary beam diffraction modulated electron emission experiments determined that the NiO films grow with O on top of Ag and that the oxide/metal interface distance is d=2.3+/-0.1 A. Polarization-dependent x-ray absorption, at the Ni-K edge, determined the tetragonal strain (r( parallel )=2.046+/-0.009 A, r( perpendicular )=2.12+/-0.02 A) and d=2.37+/-0.05 A. Periodic slab model results agree with the experiments (d=2.40, r( parallel )=2.07, r( perpendicular )=2.10 A; the O-on-top configuration is the most stable).     

Structural and vibrational study of 2‐(2′‐ furyl)‐4,5‐1H‐dihydroimidazole

In this study 2‐(2′‐furyl)‐4,5‐1H‐dihydroimidazole (1) was prepared and then characterized by infrared, Raman, and multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The crystal and molecular structures of 1 were determined by X‐ray diffraction methods. The density functional theory (DFT) and second‐order Møller–Plesset theory (MP2) with Pople's basis set show that there are two conformers for the title molecule that have been theoretically determined in the gas phase, and that only one of them, conformer I, is present in the solid phase. NMR spectra observed for 1 were successfully compared with the calculated chemical shifts at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level theorized for this conformer. The harmonic vibrational frequencies for the optimized geometry of the latter conformer were calculated at the B3LYP/6‐311++G** level in the approximation of the isolated molecule. For a complete assignment of the IR and Raman spectra in the solid phase of 1 , DFT calculations were combined with Pulay´s scaled quantum mechanics force field (SQMFF) methodology to fit the theoretical frequency values to the experimental ones. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of ionic liquids on the surface properties of poplar veneers

In this paper, the influence of four types of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) on the surface properties of common aspen (Populus tremula) veneers has been studied by using contact angle, electrical conductivity and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The measurements showed that wood wettabillity is increased by IL treatment. The electrical conductivities of treated wood were in the 0.5-1 mS/cm range, higher than the ones reported in the reference literature. It has been determined that the ILs decrease the crystallinity and improve the flexibility of the cellulose matrix. It has been determined by photographic image analysis that the surface roughness of the IL treated veneers decreases in comparison with the untreated samples.     

The effect of core and lanthanide ion dopants in sodium fluoride-based nanocrystals on phagocytic activity of human blood leukocytes

Sodium fluoride-based β-NaLnF4 nanoparticles (NPs) doped with lanthanide ions are promising materials for application as luminescent markers in bio-imaging. In this work, the effect of NPs doped with yttrium (Y), gadolinium (Gd), europium (Eu), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) and terbium (Tb) ions on phagocytic activity of monocytes and granulocytes and the respiratory burst was examined. The surface functionalization of <10-nm NPs was performed according to our variation of patent pending ligand exchange method that resulted in meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) molecules on their surface. Y-core-based NCs were doped with Eu ions, which enabled them to be excited with UV light wavelengths. Cultures of human peripheral blood (n = 8) were in vitro treated with five different concentrations of eight NPs for 24 h. In summary, neither type of nanoparticles is found toxic with respect to conducted test; however, some cause toxic effects (they have statistically significant deviations compared to reference) in some selected doses tested. Both core types of NPs (Y-core and Gd-core) impaired the phagocytic activity of monocytes the strongest, having minimal or none whatsoever influence on granulocytes and respiratory burst of phagocytic cells. The lowest toxicity was observed in Gd-core, Yb, Tm dopants and near-infrared nanoparticles. Clear dose-dependent effect of NPs on phagocytic activity of leukocytes and respiratory burst of cells was observed for limited number of samples.     

Gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry for face processing

Background  

Current cognitive neuroscience models predict a right-hemispheric dominance for face processing in humans. However, neuroimaging and electromagnetic data in the literature provide conflicting evidence of a right-sided brain asymmetry for decoding the structural properties of faces. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether this inconsistency might be due to gender differences in hemispheric asymmetry.     

Circulating hemocytes from larvae and adults of Carabus (Chaetocarabus) lefebvrei Dejean 1826 (Coleoptera, Carabidae): cell types and their role in phagocytosis after in vivo artificial non-self-challenge

Carabus lefebvrei Dejean 1826 is an helicophagous Italian endemic ground beetle that lives in central and south Apennines mountain forests, from lower altitudes to about 1500 m. In ground beetles, no morphofunctional data about immune system is available, even though they are well known both taxonomically and ecologically and they have been often used as indicators of the habitat quality due to their specificity to certain habitat types. In the current investigation the cellular population in the hemolymph of adult and third instar larvae of C. lefebvrei has been characterized by means of light and electron microscopy analysis and phagocytosis assays were performed in vivo by injection of 0.9 microm carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex beads in order to identify the hemocyte types involved in phagocytosis. Four morphotypes of circulating hemocytes were found both in larvae and in adults: prohemocytes, granulocytes, oenocytoids and plasmatocytes. After in vivo artificial non-self-challenge treatments, C. lefebvrei showed a non-specific immune response involving phagocytosis performed by plasmatocytes, both in adults and in larvae and by oenocitoids in larvae. In untreated animals, the hemocyte type presenting a firm phagocytic activity, the plasmatocytes, presented a percentage significantly higher in larvae than in adults, and after latex beads injections in larvae there was a tendency of significant difference in plasmatocyte percentage compared to controls injected with phosphate saline buffer. We think that these differences could be correlated with the peculiar morphology (less chitinization) and ecology of larval stages that are more sensitive to pathogens than adults.     

Structure,morphology, and growth dynamics of perfluoro‐pentacene thin films

We report high structural order in thin films of the organic semiconductor perfluoro‐pentacene (PFP), which is a candidate material for n‐type applications, deposited by vacuum sublimation on oxidized silicon wafers. Bragg reflections up to high order in both specular and grazing incidence geometries and a mosaicity of less than 0.01° demonstrate the well defined structure. The thin film entirely consists of crystallites with a structure close to the bulk phase without any contamination with a second phase. Real‐time X‐ray measurements show that PFP grows in a Stranski–Krastanov growth mode with the first monolayer wetting the substrate before 3d‐growth sets in during growth of the second monolayer. Implications for its use are discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Nonexistence of single blow-up solutions for a nonlinear Schrödinger equation involving critical Sobolev exponent

In this paper we shall consider the critical elliptic equation where and a(x) is a real continuous, non negative function, not identically zero. By using a local Pohozaev identity, we show that problem (0.1) does not admit a family of solutions which blows-up and concentrates as at some zero point x₀ of a(x) if the order of flatness of the function a(x) at x₀ is      

The structured distance to normality of banded Toeplitz matrices

Spectral properties of normal (2k+1)-banded Toeplitz matrices of order n, with k≤⌊ n/2⌋, are described. Formulas for the distance of (2k+1)-banded Toeplitz matrices to the algebraic variety of similarly structured normal matrices are presented.