Effect of Cationic Lipid Nanoparticle Loaded siRNA with Stearylamine against Chikungunya Virus

Chikungunya is an infectious disease caused by mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus (CHIKV). It was reported that NS1 and E2 siRNAs administration demonstrated CHIKV inhibition in in vitro as well as in vivo systems. Cationic lipids are promising for designing safe non-viral vectors and are beneficial in treating chikungunya. In this study, nanodelivery systems (hybrid polymeric/solid lipid nanoparticles) using cationic lipids (stearylamine, C9 lipid, and dioctadecylamine) and polymers (branched PEI-g-PEG -PEG) were prepared, characterized, and complexed with siRNA. The four developed delivery systems (F1, F2, F3, and F4) were assessed for stability and potential toxicities against CHIKV. In comparison to the other nanodelivery systems, F4 containing stearylamine (Octadecylamine; ODA), with an induced optimum cationic charge of 45.7 mV in the range of 152.1 nm, allowed maximum siRNA complexation, better stability, and higher transfection, with strong inhibition against the E2 and NS1 genes of CHIKV. The study concludes that cationic lipid-like ODA with ease of synthesis and characterization showed maximum complexation by structural condensation of siRNA owing to high transfection alone. Synergistic inhibition of CHIKV along with siRNA was demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models. Therefore, ODA-based cationic lipid nanoparticles can be explored as safe, potent, and efficient nonviral vectors overcoming siRNA in vivo complexities against chikungunya.     

Photoluminescence and atomic force microscopy studies on pre- and post-irradiated ruby with Fe3+ ion

Photoluminescence spectra measured for pristine ruby and its two irradiated samples with Fe³⁺ ion show R₁, R₂, N lines and a broad band. Decrease in intensities of these features is observed with irradiation of Fe³⁺ ion in ruby. Progressive structural changes and modifications on surface of irradiated rubies with Fe³⁺ ion have been observed by atomic force microscopy. Decrease in intensities is discussed in terms of pair formation.     

Cross sections and transverse single-spin asymmetries in forward neutral-pion production from proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

Measurements of the production of forward high-energy pi(0) mesons from transversely polarized proton collisions at sqrt[s]=200 GeV are reported. The cross section is generally consistent with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The analyzing power is small at x(F) below about 0.3, and becomes positive and large at higher x(F), similar to the trend in data at sqrt[s]< or =20 GeV. The analyzing power is in qualitative agreement with perturbative QCD model expectations. This is the first significant spin result seen for particles produced with p(T)>1 GeV/c at a polarized proton collider.     

Total synthesis of carbazoquinocin C: application of the o-benzannulation of Fischer carbene complexes to carbazole-3,4-quinone alkaloids

[reaction: see text] The photoinduced o-benzannulation of 3-(2-vinyl)indolylcarbene complexes provides a direct route to carbazole derivatives that are oxygenated in the 3- and 4-positions. This reaction is quite efficient and provides for a unique synthesis of the lipid peroxidation inhibitor carbazoquinocin C.     

Quantitative detection of singlet O2 by cavity-enhanced absorption

A method for the practical determination of the absolute concentration of single (a1delta(g)) oxygen is discussed. The method is based on sensitive off-axis integrated-cavity-output spectroscopy (ICOS). Off-axis ICOS allows narrowband, continuous-wave lasers to be used in conjunction with optical cavities to record sensitive absorption measurements. The details of the method as well as spectroscopic data confirming the first observation of the (1, 0) band of the b1sigma(g)(+) - a1delta(g) Noxon system are presented. The absolute transition probabilities for the b1sigma(g)(+) - a1delta(g) Noxon system, which are not known precisely from experiments, are determined by quantum chemistry theory.     

Oligonucleosides with a nucleobase-including backbone; synthesis and self-association of novel dinucleotide analogues

The synthesis and self-association of protected oxymethylene-bridged UA analogues are described.     

Effect of pressure on the magneto-optical properties of bcc and bct iron

We have studied the effect of pressure on the electronic structure of bcc and bct iron within the local spin density approximation (LSDA) for the electronic exchange and correlation. We report calculations of the magneto-optical properties of ferromagnetic iron in the bcc and bct phases using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method as implemented in the WIEN2K code. In both phases, we find two prominent minima in Kerr rotation. In bcc phase, both the calculated Kerr minima shift towards higher energies with increase in pressure while in bct phase, the low energy minimum in Kerr rotation spectra 2 eV becomes less pronounced and the minimum at 7 eV moves towards higher energies on increasing pressure.     

Effects of thermal energy deposition on material ejection in poly(methyl methacrylate)

The effects of absorption of 7.9 and 5.0 eV photons by the polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) are studied using molecular dynamics simulations. By rapidly depositing a critical amount of thermal energy in the surface region (greater than 0.03 eV Å⁻³), a pressure wave is formed which causes spallation of the substrate. If there is only one photon absorbed per monomer unit of the polymer, the 7.9 eV photons can supply sufficient energy density to initiate ejection.     

Synthesis of high molecular weight polymer nanoparticles by [Cp2ZrCl2] catalyzed emulsion polymerization

An early transition metal metallocene compound, Cp₂ZrCl₂, with an anionic surfactant, sodium n‐dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as emulsifier and NaBPh₄ as cocatalyst has been found to be an effective catalytic system for polymerization and copolymerization of monomers like styrene and methyl methacrylate in aqueous medium. The diameters of the latex particles were found to be in between 20 and 40 nm. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011