Zinc-Mediated Cleavage of Diselenides: A Novel Synthesis of Selenoformates in Aqueous Media

Summary. An efficient procedure was developed for the preparation of selenoformates by means of an one-pot zinc-mediated reaction of diaryl diselenides and chloroformates in aqueous media.     

Distinguishing and quantification of the human visual pathways using high-spatial-resolution diffusion tensor tractography

Quantification of the living human visual system using MRI methods has been challenging, but several applications demand a reliable and time-efficient data acquisition protocol. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of high-spatial-resolution diffusion tensor fiber tractography (DTT) in reconstructing and quantifying the human visual pathways. Five healthy males, age range 24–37 years, were studied after approval of the institutional review board (IRB) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. We acquired diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data with 1-mm slice thickness on a 3.0-Tesla clinical MRI scanner and analyzed the data using DTT with the fiber assignment by continuous tractography (FACT) algorithm. By utilizing the high-spatial-resolution DTI protocol with FACT algorithm, we were able to reconstruct and quantify bilateral optic pathways including the optic chiasm, optic tract, optic radiations free of contamination from neighboring white matter tracts.     

Relationship of nanostructure and thermo-chemical response/thermal ablation of carbon aerogels

In this work, the interfacial mass balance relations combined with the non-parametric kinetic (NPK) analysis results were used for evaluating the thermo-chemical ablation process and oxidation mechanism of carbon aerogels with various porous structure. It was found that the two-parameter model of Nomen–Sempereis was able to describe the kinetics of the oxidation reaction and to reveal the structure-dependent contribution of two main processes with chemical and physical nature. The porosity of the carbon aerogel, rather than the other microstructural features, was realized more effective on the rate of ablation.     

Smart pixels with smart illumination

Smart pixels with smart illumination is a new concept in sensor array technology based on structured built-in illumination and optoelectronic feedback. It offers many new possibilities and potential advantages over more-traditional sensor arrays. We discuss an edge-detection system as an example of how smart illumination can advantageously be used to achieve a variety of functions. We also present initial experimental results from a fabricated chip based on this concept. The chip includes an integrated array of photodetectors and LED's. The output of each pixel can be controlled based on the feedback received by its dual detectors.     

Intermolecular complexes of nido-C<Subscript>2</Subscript>B<Subscript>3</Subscript>H<Subscript>7</Subscript> with HF and LiH molecules: the theoretical studies,bonding properties and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis

The changes in stabilization energy upon the formation of intermolecular hydrogen, dihydrogen and lithium bond complexes between C₂B₃H₇, LiH and HF have been investigated using MP2 method with aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. The interaction of HF with nido-C₂B₃H₇ could occur through the formation of B–H^?δ···^+δH–F, C–H^+δ···F^?δ–H and B–C···H–F classical and non-classical hydrogen bonds. The B–C bonds in backbone of the C₂B₃H₇ as electron donor interact with σ* orbital of HF as electron acceptor. Also interaction of LiH with nido-C₂B₃H₇ resulted in B–C···Li–H and B–H···LiH lithium bonds as well as C–H···H–Li dihydrogen bond complexes. In some of these complexes, LiH interacts with B–C bonds. Results are indicating that more stable complexes belong to interaction of HF and LiH with backbone of the nido-C₂B₃H₇. The AIM and NBO methods were used to analyze the intermolecular interactions; also the electron density at the bond critical point and the charge transfer of obtained complexes were studied.     

Electrospray doxorubicin-loaded polycaprolactone-polyethylene glycol nanospheres/poloxamer-chitosan thermogel: A promising candidate for clinical applications

In recent years, polymer nanospheres have been considered as one of the most common materials in the drug delivery domain. In this research, polycaprolactone-polyethylene glycol (PCL-PEG) blend nanospheres were produced using the electrospray method to load doxorubicin. Also, these nanospheres can be used for injection in the treatment site by poloxamer-chitosan thermogel. In this research, PCL and PEG were used as raw materials to produce nanospheres. Then, doxorubicin was used for loading in nanospheres. The electrospray method was chosen as the method of nanosphere production. In the next step, poloxamer-chitosan thermogel was used for injection at the treatment site. In this method, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and rheometer techniques were used to identify the compounds and properties of the obtained specimens. Also, the MTT test was used to investigate toxicity. The results showed that PCL-PEG polymer nanospheres were produced by loading doxorubicin using the electrospraying method with a diameter of 185 ± 23 nm. Also, these nanospheres were used for injection in the treatment site using poloxamer-chitosan thermogel. The amount of drug release in the PLX-CS (DOX-PCL-PEG)NSs was 63% in 144 h at medium pH 5.5. In the drug release system, the in-vitro method was utilized to study the release of PLX-CS (DOX-PCL-PEG) NSs. PCL-PEG nanospheres combined in poloxamer-chitosan thermogel polymer showed the controlled release of doxorubicin, therefore, the evaluated drug release system is considered a valuable perspective as an efficient and safe route for drug delivery in the target tissue and treating various types of cancer. This research can be used as a new method in drug delivery systems.     

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Anthemis altissima L. var. altissima

The essential oil obtained from the flowering parts of Anthemis altissima L. var. altissima was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. In this study, 34 compounds representing 98.76% of the essential oil were identified. The main components were α-terpineol (26.42%), β-pinene (9.23%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (6.30%), globulol (5.36%), n-tricosane (4.41%), terpinen-4-ol (4.08%) and 1,8 cineole (3.84%). Antibacterial activities of the essential oil and its two major components (α-terpineol and β-pinene) were determined using microdilution method against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria. The essential oil showed a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity (MICs ranged from 3.13 to 6.25?μL?mL(-1)). It was found that α-terpineol with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the range 0.87-1.56?μL?mL(-1) was a more potent antibacterial agent than β-pinene with MIC values of the range 1.56-6.25?μL?mL(-1). All of them, the essential oil, β-pinene and α-terpineol, were more effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative ones.     

Flexible microfluidic cloth-based analytical devices using a low-cost wax patterning technique

This paper describes the fabrication of microfluidic cloth-based analytical devices (μCADs) using a simple wax patterning method on cotton cloth for performing colorimetric bioassays. Commercial cotton cloth fabric is proposed as a new inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible platform for fabricating two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic systems. We demonstrated that the wicking property of the cotton microfluidic channel can be improved by scouring in soda ash (Na(2)CO(3)) solution which will remove the natural surface wax and expose the underlying texture of the cellulose fiber. After this treatment, we fabricated narrow hydrophilic channels with hydrophobic barriers made from patterned wax to define the 2D microfluidic devices. The designed pattern is carved on wax-impregnated paper, and subsequently transferred to attached cotton cloth by heat treatment. To further obtain 3D microfluidic devices having multiple layers of pattern, a single layer of wax patterned cloth can be folded along a predefined folding line and subsequently pressed using mechanical force. All the fabrication steps are simple and low cost since no special equipment is required. Diagnostic application of cloth-based devices is shown by the development of simple devices that wick and distribute microvolumes of simulated body fluids along the hydrophilic channels into reaction zones to react with analytical reagents. Colorimetric detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in artificial urine is carried out by direct visual observation of bromophenol blue (BPB) colour change in the reaction zones. Finally, we show the flexibility of the novel microfluidic platform by conducting a similar reaction in a bent pinned μCAD.     

Evaluation the pozzolanic reactivity of sonochemically fabricated nano natural pozzolan

Natural pozzolans are appropriate supplementary cementitious materials in cement and concrete industry. A simple sonochemical method was developed to synthesize nanostructures of natural pozzolan. Chemical composition, crystallinity, morphology and reactivity of the natural pozzolan samples were compared before and after the sonochemical process, by using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Thermal Gravimetry and Differential Thermal Analysis (TG/DTA). Compressive strength tests were performed to evaluate the properties of blended cements incorporating nano natural pozzolan. Under optimized conditions, the nano natural pozzolans showed a superior reactivity as compared with the bulk natural pozzolan. Also higher compressive strength was obtained for the cement specimen incorporating nano natural pozzolan.     

The reduction of rotational ambiguity in soft-modeling by introducing hard models

Rotational ambiguity is a major problem in the application of soft-modeling analysis to a variety of multivariate mixture resolution problems and particularly important in the analysis of kinetic data. Soft-modeling analyses rely on constraints that restrict the concentration profiles and/or the spectral responses of all components. The main goal of this work is to demonstrate how a hard-modeling constraint on concentration profiles drastically decreases the extent of the rotational ambiguity. Therefore, in the present paper the discussion is focused on systems in which hard-modeling information is available. The results of simulated examples reveal that the utilized hard constraint decreases the rotational ambiguity in estimated concentration profile even components that do not take part in the explicit model. In addition, the rate constant of known reaction is determined in this method.