Cationic PLA nanoparticles for DNA delivery: comparison of three surface polycations for DNA binding, protection and transfection properties

Biodegradable cationic nanoparticles (cNP) made of poly(lactide) (PLA) have been shown to be promising carrier systems for in vivo DNA delivery and immunization. In previous work, we have described a versatile approach for the elaboration of cationic PLA cNP based on the use of pre-formed particles and subsequent adsorption of a model polycation, the poly(ethylenimine) (PEI). Here, we evaluated two more polycations, chitosan and poly(2-dimethyl-amino)ethyl methacrylate (pDMAEMA)) to determine the most suitable one for the development of PLA cNP as DNA carriers. Cationic PLA-PEI, PLA-chitosan and PLA-pDMAEMA nanoparticles were compared for interaction with plasmid DNA and, more importantly, with regards to the biological properties of bound DNA. pDMAEMA coating yielded the most positively charged nanoparticles with the highest DNA binding capacity (32 mg/g). Loaded with DNA, all three cNP were in the same size range ( approximately 500 nm) and had a negative zeta potential (-50 mV). PLA-chitosan was the only cNP that released DNA at pH 7; the two others required higher pH. Adsorption and release from cNP did not alter structural and functional integrity of plasmid DNA. Moreover, DNA coated onto cNP was partially protected from nuclease degradation, although this protection was less efficient for PLA-chitosan than others. The highest transfection efficiency in cell culture was obtained with PLA-pDMAEMA carriers. We have shown that at least three different cationic polymers (chitosan, PEI, pDMAEMA) can be used for the production of PLA-based particulate DNA carriers and most probably other cationic polymers can also be used in the same purpose. PLA-pDMAEMA cNP were the most promising system for DNA delivery in this in vitro study. Our future work will focus on the in vivo evaluation of these gene delivery systems.     

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding and tautomerism in 1-[N-(4-bromophenyl)]aminomethylidene-2(1H) naphthalenone

1-[N-(4-bromophenyl)]aminomethylidene-2(1H)naphthalenone (C₁₇H₁₂NOBr) (1) was synthesized and its crystal structure was determined. Compound (1) is monoclinic, space group P2₁/n with a = 4.808(1) Å, b = 20.617(1) Å, c = 13.750(1) Å, = 93.004(1)°, V = 1361.11(3) ų, Z = 4, D_c = 1.592 g·cm^–3, (Mo K) = 3.014 mm^–1, R = 0.051 for 1013 reflections [I > 2(I)]. There is a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond of distance 2.544(2) Å between the hydroxyl oxygen atom and imine nitrogen atom, the hydrogen atom essentially being bonded to the nitrogen atom. The title molecule is not planar. X-ray crystal structure determination reveals the existence of the keto (or predominantly keto) tautomer in (1). Spectra of compound (1) were observed by IR and NMR, and UV–visible spectra of (1) were studied in different solvents and acidic media.     

Comparison of near- and far-fault ground motion effect on the nonlinear response of dam–reservoir–foundation systems

In this paper, it is aimed to compare the near- and far-fault ground motion effects on the nonlinear dynamic response of dams including dam–reservoir–foundation interaction. Two different types of dams, which are concrete arch and concrete faced rockfill dams, are selected to investigate the near- and far-fault ground motion effects on the dam responses. The behavior of reservoir water is taken into account using Lagrangian approach. The Drucker–Prager material model is employed in nonlinear analyses. Near and far-fault strong ground motion records, which have approximately identical peak ground accelerations, of Loma Prieta (1989) earthquake are selected for the analyses. Displacements, maximum and minimum principal stresses are determined using the finite element method. The displacements and principal stresses obtained from the analyses of dams subjected to each fault effect are compared with each other. It is clearly seen that there is more seismic demand on displacements and stresses when the dam is subjected to near-fault ground motion.     

p-Adic multi-zeta values

Let X be the projective line minus 0,1, and ∞ over . The aim of the following is to give a series representations of the p-adic multi-zeta values in the depth two quotient. The approach is to use the lifting of the frobenius which is not a good choice near 1, but which gives simple formulas away from 1, and to relate the action of frobenius on the de Rham path from 0 to ∞ and on the one from 0 to 1. Also some relations between the p-adic multi-zeta values of depth two are obtained.     

Photoluminescence of Turkish purple jade (turkiyenite)

The purple-colored unique gem material is only found in the Harmanc?k (Bursa) region of the western Anatolia (Turkey). Therefore, it is specially called “Turkish purple jade or turkiyenite” on the worldwide gem market. Even though its jadeite implication is the principal constituent, the material cannot be considered as a single jadeite mineral since other implications are quartz, orthoclase, epidote, chloritoid and phlogopite minerals.Even if the analytical methods are used to characterize and identify the Turkish purple jade samples in detail, the luminescence spectra, especially photoluminescence features regarding to composite mineral implications of the material are important because of the existence the numerous characteristic broad and intensive luminescence bands in the samples. We can state that the UV-irradiation luminescence centers as photoluminescence (PL) are due to the overall signals in the Turkish purple jade samples. Accordingly, the distinctive photoluminescence peaks at 743, 717, 698, 484, 465 and 442 nm in PL-2D (counter diagram and sections) and PL-3D (sequence spectra) ranging between 300 and 900 nm of wavelengths, and between 220 and 340 K of temperatures are observed.Finally, photoluminescence features of the heterogeneous-structured material cannot be simply attributed to any chemical impurities, since the jade mass has numerous heterogeneous mineral constituents instead of a single jadeite mineral. Six different mineral implications and chemical impurities in the material composition display complex and individual all kind of luminescence features. Therefore, photoluminescence as well as radioluminescence, cathodoluminescence and thermoluminescence spectra provide positive identification regarding to the provenance (geographic origin) of the original Turkish purple jade (turkiyenite).     

Spray‐processable thiazolothiazole‐based copolymers with altered donor groups and their electrochromic properties

Two novel thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole containing donor–acceptor type alternating copolymers, poly[2‐(5‐(2‐decyl‐2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol‐4‐yl)thiophen‐2‐yl)‐5‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole] (BTzTh) and poly[2‐(5‐(2‐decyl‐2H‐benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol‐4‐yl)furan‐2‐yl)‐5‐(furan‐2‐yl)thiazolo[5,4‐d]thiazole] (BTzFr) were synthesized by Stille coupling polymerization and their electrochemical and electrochromic properties were explored. Electrochemical activities of the spray‐casted polymer films were determined by cyclic voltammetry. To evaluate the effect of thiophene and furan moieties on the optical properties of the copolymers, spectroelectrochemistry studies were performed. To examine the switching abilities, copolymer films were subjected to a double potential step chronoamperometry in their local maximum absorptions. Both thiazolothiazole‐containing copolymers showed multichromic properties with low band‐gap values 1.7 and 1.9 eV for BTzTh and BTzFr, respectively. The decent electrochromical properties together with solution processability make them important candidates for electrochromic applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3901–3906     

Electrochemical Determination of Cu(II) Ions by 4‐Formylphenylboronic Acid Modified Gold Electrode

A self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) modified by 4‐formylphenylboronic acid was formed on the gold electrode, which was applied for the determination of trace concentrations of Cu(II). The formation of advanced SAM on the gold electrode was evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. Electrochemical determination of Cu(II) ions was performed by square wave voltammetry. Some mutual interferences caused by Cd(II), Co(II), Fe(II), Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions were investigated and it was demonstrated how the negative effects of these interfering ions could be eliminated by adjustment of proper parameters of square wave voltammetry.     

Synthesis of new iron–NHC complexes as catalysts for hydrosilylation reactions

A series of new piano‐stool iron(II) complexes comprising N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands [Fe(Cp)(CO)₂(NHC)]I (NHC = 1,3‐disubstituted imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene) have been synthesized and analyzed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometric techniques. These compounds were easily prepared from the reaction of disubstituted imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene with [FeI(Cp)(CO)₂] in toluene at room temperature. These complexes were tested in the catalytic hydrosilylation reaction of aldehydes and ketones with phenylsilane in solvent‐free conditions. After a basic hydrolysis step, the corresponding alcohols were obtained in good yields. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis,structure, spectroscopic (FT-IR) and density functional modelling studies of 1-[(4-ethoxyphenylimino)methyl]napthalene-2-ol

Synthesis, crystallographic characterisation, spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy [FT-IR]) and density functional modelling studies of the Schiff base 1-[(4-ethoxyphenylimino)methyl]napthalene-2-ol (C₁₉H₁₇NO₂) have been reported. The molecular structure obtained from X-ray single-crystal analysis of the investigated compound in the ground state has been compared using Hartree–Fock and density functional theory (DFT) with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. In addition to the optimised geometrical structures, atomic charges, molecular electrostatic potential, natural bond orbital, non-linear optical (NLO) effects and thermodynamic properties of the compound have been investigated by using DFT. The experimental (FT-IR) and calculated vibrational frequencies (using DFT) of the title compound have been compared. The solvent effect was also investigated for obtained molecular energies and the atomic charge distributions of the compound. There exists a good correlation between experimental and theoretical data for enol-imine form of the compound. The total molecular dipole moment (µ), linear polarisability (α), and the first-order hyperpolarisability (β) were predicted by the B3LYP method with different basis sets 6-31G(d), 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31++G(d,p), 6-311+G(d) 150 and 6-311++G(d,p) for investigating the effects of basis sets on the NLO properties. Our computational results yield that β_tot for the title compound is greater than those of urea.     

Codes over an infinite family of rings with a Gray map

Codes over an infinite family of rings which are an extension of the binary field are defined. Two Gray maps to the binary field are attached and are shown to be conjugate. Euclidean and Hermitian self-dual codes are related to binary self-dual and formally self-dual codes, giving a construction of formally self-dual codes from a collection of arbitrary binary codes. We relate codes over these rings to complex lattices. A Singleton bound is proved for these codes with respect to the Lee weight. The structure of cyclic codes and their Gray image is studied. Infinite families of self-dual and formally self-dual quasi-cyclic codes are constructed from these codes.