Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles with an iron oxide magnetic core and a biologically active trialkylsilylated aliphatic alkanolamine shell

Water-soluble double-coated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) containing cytotoxic decyldimethyl(β$\beta$-dimethylaminoethoxy)silane methiodide (AA) molecule sorbed at biocompatible magnetic particles, which consist of magnetite pre-coated with oleic acid (OA), have been prepared. X-ray line profile broadening analysis was used for crystallite size determination. The method of magnetogranulometry has been used for determination of diameter of iron oxide magnetic core and magnetic properties of NPs prepared. In vitro cytotoxicity on monolayer tumor cell lines HT-1080 (human fibrosarcoma), MG-22A (mouse hepatoma) and normal mouse fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) has been studied. It was revealed that all the water-based colloidal solutions obtained are non-toxic and possess high NO-induction ability.     

Synthesis and properties of cellulose nanocrystal conjugates with reactive dyes

Cellulose - In this work, we have developed methods of synthesis of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) conjugates with chlorotriazine reactive dyes (RDs)—reactive violet, reactive-bright red and...     

Large‐acceptance diamond planar refractive lenses manufactured by laser cutting

For the first time, single‐crystal diamond planar refractive lenses have been fabricated by laser micromachining in 300 µm‐thick diamond plates which were grown by chemical vapour deposition. Linear lenses with apertures up to 1 mm and parabola apex radii up to 500 µm were manufactured and tested at the ESRF ID06 beamline. The large acceptance of these lenses allows them to be used as beam‐conditioning elements. Owing to the unsurpassed thermal properties of single‐crystal diamond, these lenses should be suitable to withstand the extreme flux densities expected at the planned fourth‐generation X‐ray sources.     

Reconstruction of the blood flow velocity vector as an additional mode of ultrasonic tomograph

The possibility of simultaneous reconstruction of the blood flow velocity vector and spatial distributions of the speed of sound and absorption coefficient in a medical ultrasonic tomograph is discussed. The operating capacity of the proposed spatial-correlation method for determining the blood flow velocity vector is confirmed by experiments on a tomograph prototype.     

One-pot five-component high diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones from aromatic aldehydes,nitriles, dialkyl malonates and ammonium acetate

Molecular Diversity - A novel five-component diastereoselective synthesis of polysubstituted 2-piperidinones is reported. The Knoevenagel condensation–Michael addition–Mannich cascade...     

Novel Highly Energetic Pyrazoles: N‐Trinitromethyl‐Substituted Nitropyrazoles

A new family of energetic compounds, nitropyrazoles bearing a trinitromethyl moiety at the nitrogen atom of the heterocycle, was designed. The desirable high‐energy dense oxidizers 3,4‐dinitro‐ and 3,5‐dinitro‐1‐(trinitromethyl)pyrazoles were synthesized in good yields by destructive nitration of the corresponding 1‐acetonylpyrazoles. All of the prepared compounds were fully characterized by multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, as well as by elemental analysis. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies show remarkably high density. Impact sensitivity tests and thermal stability measurements were also performed. All of the pyrazoles possess positive calculated heats of formation and exhibit promising energetic performance that is the range of 1,3,5‐trinitroperhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine and pentaerythritol tetranitrate. The new pyrazoles exhibit positive oxygen balance and are promising candidates for new environmentally benign energetic materials.     

Determination of Brain Tissue Samples Storage Conditions for Reproducible Intraoperative Lipid Profiling

Ex-vivo molecular profiling has recently emerged as a promising method for intraoperative tissue identification, especially in neurosurgery. The short-term storage of resected samples at room temperature is proposed to have negligible influence on the lipid molecular profiles. However, a detailed investigation of short-term molecular profile stability is required to implement molecular profiling in a clinic. This study evaluates the effect of storage media, temperature, and washing solution to determine conditions that provide stable and reproducible molecular profiles, with the help of ambient ionization mass spectrometry using rat cerebral cortex as model brain tissue samples. Utilizing normal saline for sample storage and washing media shows a positive effect on the reproducibility of the spectra; however, the refrigeration shows a negligible effect on the spectral similarity. Thus, it was demonstrated that up to hour-long storage in normal saline, even at room temperature, ensures the acquisition of representative molecular profiles using ambient ionization mass spectrometry.     

The Use of the Statistical Entropy in Some New Approaches for the Description of Biosystems

Some problems of describing biological systems with the use of entropy as a measure of the complexity of these systems are considered. Entropy is studied both for the organism as a whole and for its parts down to the molecular level. Correlation of actions of various parts of the whole organism, intercellular interactions and control, as well as cooperativity on the microlevel lead to a more complex structure and lower statistical entropy. For a multicellular organism, entropy is much lower than entropy for the same mass of a colony of unicellular organisms. Cooperativity always reduces the entropy of the system; a simple example of ligand binding to a macromolecule carrying two reaction centers shows how entropy is consistent with the ambiguity of the result in the Bernoulli test scheme. Particular attention is paid to the qualitative and quantitative relationship between the entropy of the system and the cooperativity of ligand binding to macromolecules. A kinetic model of metabolism. corresponding to Schrödinger’s concept of the maintenance biosystems by “negentropy feeding”, is proposed. This model allows calculating the nonequilibrium local entropy and comparing it with the local equilibrium entropy inherent in non-living matter.