Synthesis, structures and magnetic properties of n=3 Ruddlesden-Popper compounds Ca4Mn3−xTaxO10 (0≤x≤0.3)

The structural and magnetic properties of Ta-doped Ca₄Mn_3−xTa_xO₁₀ (0≤x≤0.3) compounds have been investigated. Structural refinement indicates that the Ta doping maintains the orthorhombic layered perovskite structure with space group Pbca as Ca₄Mn₃O₁₀ but induces an increase in both unit cell volume and octahedral distortion. The magnetization measurements reveal that the magnetization first increases and reaches to maximum for the x=0.1 sample and then gradually decreases with the increase of Ta content. There appear short-range ferromagnetic (FM) clusters in all the doped samples, which are caused by the double-exchange interaction between Mn⁴⁺ and Mn³⁺ that is induced by the charge compensation effect. As x is higher than 0.1, the overall results show evidence for the gradual appearance of a cluster glass behavior. When x increases to 0.3, the long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state is melted into the short-range magnetically ordered regions due to the increase of Ta⁵⁺ and Mn³⁺ at the expense of Mn⁴⁺. The competition between AFM regions and FM clusters makes the short-range magnetic components frustrate when the temperature falls to a frustrating point, and thus cluster glass transition occurs.     

Direct electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at a glassy carbon electrode modified with polypyrrole nanowires and platinum hollow nanospheres

A nonenzymatic sensor for hydrogen peroxide has been fabricated by dispersing platinum hollow nanospheres onto polypyrrole (PPy) nanowires to form a PPy-Pt hollow sphere nanocomposite on a glassy carbon electrode. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The process and the sensor were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and chrono-amperometry and revealed that the electrode has a large electroactive surface area and small resistance to electron transfer. The linear range for the determination of hydrogen peroxide is from 3.5 µM to 9.9 mM, the detection limit is 1.2 µM (S/N?=?3), and the response time is 3 s. The electrode exhibited good stability and excellent repeatability.     

A novel immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen based on poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) protected prussian blue nanoparticles and double-layer nanometer-sized gold particles

A highly sensitive amperometric immunosensor has been developed for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). It is based on (a) Prussian Blue nanoparticles coated with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (P-PB) and (b) double-layer gold nanocrystals. The sensor was obtained by first electrodepositing porous gold nanocrystals on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and then by modifying the electrode with the coated P-PB. Subsequently, colloidal gold nanoparticles (nano-Au) were adsorbed onto the GCE by electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nano-Au and the positively charged P-PB to immobilize CEA antibodies. Finally, bovine serum albumin was employed to block possible remaining active sites and to prevent the non-specific adsorption on the nano-Au. This immunosensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy. The working range was adjusted to two concentration ranges, viz. from 0.5 to 10 ng.mL^?1, and from 10 to 120 ng.mL^?1 of CEA, with a detection limit of 0.2 ng.mL^?1 at three times the background noise.     

Enzyme biosensor based on the immobilization of HRP on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/BSA/Au composite nanoparticles

In this work, an enzyme biosensor based on the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on SiO₂/BSA/Au/thionine/nafion-modified gold electrode was fabricated successfully. Firstly, nafion was dropped on the surface of the gold electrode to form a nafion film followed by chemisorption of thionine (Thi) as an electron mediator via the ion-exchange interaction between the Thi and nafion. Subsequently, the SiO₂/BSA/Au composite nanoparticles were assembled onto Thi film through the covalent bounding with the amino groups of Thi. Finally, HRP was immobilized on the SiO₂/BSA/Au composite nanoparticles due to the covalent conjugation to construct an enzyme biosensor. The surface topographies of the SiO₂/BSA/Au composite nanoparticles were investigated by using scanning electronic microscopy. The stepwise self-assemble procedure of the biosensor was further characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The enzyme biosensor showed high sensitivity, good stability and selectivity, a wide linear response to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the range of 8.0 × 10^-6 ∼ 3.72 × 10^-3 mol/L, with a detection limit of 2.0 × 10^-6 mol/L. The Michaelies-Menten constant K_M^app K_M^{app} value was estimated to be 2.3 mM.     

New methods for nanotoxicology: synchrotron radiation-based techniques

Nanotoxicology, a new branch of bionanoscience, deals with the study and application of the toxic or biological effects of nanomaterials or nanostructures, and aims to fill gaps in our knowledge of interactions between nano- and biosystems. However, progress in this new discipline largely relies on developing methodology to characterize nanomaterials in biological samples, quantify nanoparticles in living systems, and study their uptake, translocation, biodistribution, location and chemical status in vitro and in vivo, etc. In this review article, we focus on the main features of synchrotron radiation-based methods and their application to the study of the toxicological activities of nanomaterials. Synchrotron radiation-based analytical techniques are shown to provide a potent means for characterizing the toxic or biological behaviors of nanoparticles in biological systems.     

A novel cyclopentene derivative and a polyhydroxylated steroid from a South China Sea gorgonian Menella sp

A chemical investigation on a South China Sea gorgonian, Menella sp. resulted in the isolation and elucidation of menellin A (1), a highly oxygenated racemate with C(8) skeleton, and a polyhydroxylated steroid, menellsteroid C (2), along with eight known compounds (3-10). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and the relative stereochemistry of 1 was determined by X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. In addition, compound 7 was isolated as a new natural product. Compounds 1-3 and 7 were selected to test the anti-inflammatory inhibition against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages. 1 and 3 exhibited modest inhibitory effects with IC(50) of 71.3, 33.9 μM, respectively, compared to the positive control aminoguanidine (IC(50) 25.0 μM).     

Synthesis,Antiproliferative, and Antiplatelet Activities of Oxime‐Containing 3,4‐Dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐One Derivatives

Some oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antiplatelet and antiproliferative activities. These compounds were synthesized via alkylation of hydroxyl precursors followed by the reaction with NH₂OH. The preliminary assays indicated that (Z)‐7‐[2‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐2‐(hydroxyimino)ethoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (13c) is the most active against U46619 induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of 3.51 μM. For the inhibition of AA‐induced aggregation, (E)‐6‐[2‐(hydroxyimino)propoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (15 ) is the most potent with an IC₅₀ value of 1.85 μM. These oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were inactive against thrombin induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of greater than 26.78 μM. For the antiproliferative activity, most of these oxime‐containing 3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one derivatives were inactive while (Z)‐7‐[2‐(hydroxyimino)‐2‐(naphthalen‐2‐yl)ethoxy]‐3,4‐dihydroquinolin‐2(1H)‐one (13a) exhibited only marginal activities with GI₅₀ value of 7.63, 7.34 and 6.36 μM against the growth of NPC‐TW01, NCI‐H661, and Jurkat respectively.     

A New Strategy to Identify and Eliminate the Inner Filter Effects by Outer Filter Technique

To identify and eliminate the inner filter effects (IFEs), prepositive and side cells containing absorbents are fixed beside the fluorescer contained cell. In this way, excitation and emission lights can be quenched by primary and secondary outer filter effects respectively, depending on absorbent concentration and cell length. Herein the quenching of emission fluorescence caused by IFEs can be equally reduced by outer filter effects (OFEs) and the interference of IFEs was eliminated. This approach was experimentally used for identifying the interaction mode and mechanism between BSA and nanoAg. Results showed that the quenching of BSA fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence mainly attributes to IFEs, instead of static/dynamic fluorescent quenching. In view of the above, the elimination of the interference of IFEs by the design of OFEs plays an important part in the precise application of fluorescence detector.     

Observation of collective atomic recoil motion in a degenerate fermion gas

We demonstrate collective atomic recoil motion with a dilute, ultracold, degenerate fermion gas in a single spin state. By utilizing an adiabatically decompressed magnetic trap with an aspect ratio different from that of the initial trap, a momentum-squeezed fermion cloud is achieved. With a single pump pulse of the proper polarization, we observe, for the first time, multiple wave-mixing processes that result in distinct collective atomic recoil motion modes in a degenerate fermion cloud. Contrary to the case with Bose condensates, no pump-laser detuning asymmetry is present.     

Ankyrin repeat and SOCS box containing protein 4 (Asb-4) colocalizes with insulin receptor substrate 4 (IRS4) in the hypothalamic neurons and mediates IRS4 degradation

Background

Cigarette smoking enhances the risk of stroke. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. The present study established an in vivo rat secondhand cigarette smoking (SHS) model and examined the hypothesis that SHS upregulates endothelin receptors with increased cerebrovascular contraction via the Raf/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway.

Results

Rats were exposed to SHS for up to 8 weeks. The cerebral artery vasoconstriction was recorded by a sensitive myograph. The mRNA and protein expressions for endothelin receptors in cerebral arteries were studied by real-time PCR and Western blot. Compared to fresh air exposed rats, cerebral arteries from SHS rats exhibited stronger contractile responses (P < 0.05) mediated by endothelin type A (ET_A) receptors. The expressions of mRNA and protein for ET_A receptors in the cerebral arteries from SHS rats were higher (P < 0.05) than that in control. SHS did not affect endothelin type B (ET_B) receptor-mediated contractions, mRNA or protein levels. The results suggest that SHS upregulates ET_A, but not ET_B receptors in vivo. After SHS exposure, the mRNA levels of Raf-1 and ERK1/2, the protein expression of phosphorylated (p)-Raf-1 and p-ERK1/2 were increased (P < 0.05). Raf-1 inhibitor, GW5074 suppressed the enhanced ET_A receptor-mediated contraction, mRNA and protein levels induced by SHS. In addition, GW5074 inhibited the SHS-caused increased mRNA and phosphorylated protein levels of Raf-1 and ERK1/2, suggesting that SHS induces activation of the Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway.

Conclusions

SHS upregulates cerebrovascular ET_A receptors via the Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway, which provides novel understanding of mechanisms involved in SHS-associated stroke.