High-content and high-throughput identification of macrophage polarization phenotypes

Macrophages are plastic cells of the innate immune system that perform a wide range of immune- and homeostasis-related functions. Due to their plasticity, macrophages can polarize into a spectrum of activated phenotypes. Rapid identification of macrophage polarization states provides valuable information for drug discovery, toxicological screening, and immunotherapy evaluation. The complexity associated with macrophage activation limits the ability of current biomarker-based methods to rapidly identify unique activation states. In this study, we demonstrate the ability of a 2-element sensor array that provides an information-rich 5-channel output to successfully determine macrophage polarization phenotypes in a matter of minutes. The simple and robust sensor generates a high dimensional data array which enables accurate macrophage evaluations in standard cell lines and primary cells after cytokine treatment, as well as following exposure to a model disease environment.

Phenotyping macrophage activation states using an array-based sensor. FRET complex assembly selectively interacts with the macrophage surface, generating a fingerprint for each polarization state that is further used to identify the activation state.     

Evaluation of activity of a commercial amylase under ultrasound-assisted irradiation

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of ultrasound irradiation on the activity of a commercial amylase. A central composite design was carried out to assess the effects of temperature and pH on the enzyme activity in the presence and absence of ultrasound irradiation. The activation energy, the influence of treatment time as well as the substrate concentration on enzyme activity were also determined in the presence and absence of ultrasound irradiation. The results demonstrated that the effect of temperature was less pronounced in the presence of ultrasound, resulting in a decreasing of about 80% in the activation energy in comparison with the value obtained in the absence. The enzyme showed activities about 3 times higher for temperatures up to 40 °C in the presence of ultrasound. The pH negatively affected the activity in the presence of ultrasound, whereas in the absence a positive effect was verified. The ultrasound irradiation is a promising technology to be used in enzymatic reaction due to its positive effects on enzyme activity.     

A 1,2,4‐diazaphospholane complex of rhodium

The crystal structure of a prospective olefin catalyst, namely {2‐[1‐acetyl‐5‐(2‐hydroxy­phenyl)‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,4‐di­aza­phospholan‐3‐yl]­phenyl acetate‐κP}chloro­(η⁴‐cyclo­octa‐1,5‐diene)rhodium(I) di­chloro­methane solvate, [RhCl(C₈H₁₂)(C₂₄H₂₃N₂O₄P)]·CH₂Cl₂, has been determined at 173 K. The five‐membered heterocycle of the phosphine ligand is in a slightly distorted twist conformation. An intramolecular N1—H1⃛Cl1 hydrogen bond contributes to the adopted conformation and may additionally participate in secondary interactions with substrates during catalysis.     

Vibrational spectroscopic studies,theoretical aspects,and X-ray analysis of xanthenodiones (1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthenes)

Compounds containing a pyran moiety fused to two cyclohexen-2-one rings are collectively called xanthenodiones (1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthenes). With the aim of increasing the knowledge about the structures of xanthenodiones, in the present investigation two xanthenodiones, namely 9-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione ( 1 ) and 9-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,6-diisopropyl 3,4,5,6,7,9-hexahydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione ( 2 ), were synthesized. Their structures were investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared (IR), and Raman spectroscopy techniques along with mass spectrometry. In addition, a computational study was carried out involving vibrational spectroscopy, which allowed us to assign vibrational modes and their shifts as lattice environment. Even though compound 2 has two stereocenters, it crystallized in a centrosymmetric space group (P2₁/c) as expected from its achiral synthesis. This compound also crystallized as monohydrate and the presence of water molecule did not change the conformation of the target compounds.     

Thermal Analyses of Diorganotin dl-Mandelates

The compounds [(LR₂Sn)₂O] {R=CH₃ (Me), n-C₄H₉(Bⁿ); L=C₆H₅CH(OH)COO⁻}were studied by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry in a dynamic atmosphere of helium. The thermal decomposition mechanisms are similar for both compounds and occur in two consecutive steps. The TG curves of the complexes suggest the liberation of the ligand L in the first step, with probable formation of a tin oxide R₂SnO intermediate. At the end of the second step free tin is obtained in accordance with the stoichiometry of the related compounds. An inverse relation betweenΔH _fusion and solubility of the compounds suggests a polymeric structure for the compound with Bⁿ ligand in relation to the compound with M ligand. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A New Spectrophotometric Method with Di-2-Pyridyl Ketone Benzoylhydrazone for Determination of Nickel(II)

Abstract

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic hydrazones have been used as analytical reagents, mainly to metallic ion spectrophotometric determinations in natural water samples. Using the reagent di-2-pyridil ketone benzoilhydrazone (DPKBH) we have developed a spectrophotometric method for the determination of Ni(II) in samples of several sources. DPKBH was used in excess in order to coordinate Ni(II) and the highest sensitivity was obtained in 50% v/v ethanol solutions when ammonium acetate buffer was added to maintain pH?6.

Analysis for Ni(II) in natural water is frequently performed by EAAS following preconcentration involving solvent extraction. While these methods are sensitive, they also require relatively expensive instrumentation and are generally time-consuming. In contrast, the advantages of the proposed method are the use of simple instrumentation and the possibility of its application in the field. The method is fast, shows high sensitivity, good precision and several samples can be prepared and measured until 10 hours later .

The best order for the addition of reagents, stability of the complex, effect of the reagents excess and foreign ions besides composition of the complex are here reported. A linear behavior was observed between absorbance and nickel concentration. The favorable range is 8.50×10^?7 to 1.72×10^?5 mol.L^?1. The correlation coefficient is 0.997. The intercept of the linear curve is 3.55×10^?3 and the slope is 4.00×10⁴cm^?1.moI^?1.L. The standard error of the intercept and slope is 3.73×10^?3 and 4.48×10^?4, respectively.     

Quasiprobability and Probability Distributions for Spin-1/2 States

We develop a Radon-like transformation, in which P quasiprobability distribution for spin-1/2 states is written in terms of the tomographic probability distribution w.