Effect of oxidized silicon (SiOx) surfaces functionalization on real‐time PCR by Lab‐on‐a‐chip microdevices

There is a great need to improve the biocompatibility of silicon‐based lab‐on‐chip substrate materials for reliable quantitative analysis of biological solutions. These advanced microdevice surfaces need not only be biocompatible but also have surfaces of defined wettability characteristics. The inhibition of biomolecular activity due to microdevice surface interaction is common and can result in inaccurate results or decreased reaction yields. In this work we investigate different techniques for the chemical functionalization of oxidized silicon (SiO_x) surfaces in order to: (i) obtain defined hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces; and (ii) increase the efficiency of performing Real‐Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on a silicon‐based lab‐on‐chip. Silicon oxide surfaces are functionalized by grafting alkylic chain silanes and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains to the surfaces, rendering them hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Functionalized surfaces are characterized through contact angle and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, showing stable hydrophobic surfaces with contact angles of 69–78° and layer thicknesses of 11–15 Å and hydrophilic surfaces displaying contact angles of 5–6° and thicknesses of 22–52 Å. PCR experiments carried out directly on bare silicon oxide lab‐on‐chip surfaces show low yields of DNA amplification. Hydrophobic surfaces decrease the inhibition of PCR. Hydrophilic surfaces are a major improvement on the bare silicon oxide exhibiting the same maximum reaction yield as obtained with a standard thermocycler. We have found that the best results are associated with PEG modified surfaces, which prove very suitable for the fabrication of reliable PCR silicon lab‐on‐chips. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hyperbranched anatase TiO2 nanocrystals: nonaqueous synthesis, growth mechanism, and exploitation in dye-sensitized solar cells

A colloidal crystal-splitting growth regime has been accessed, in which TiO(2) nanocrystals, selectively trapped in the metastable anatase phase, can evolve to anisotropic shapes with tunable hyperbranched topologies over a broad size interval. The synthetic strategy relies on a nonaqueous sol-gel route involving programmed activation of aminolysis and pyrolysis of titanium carboxylate complexes in hot surfactant media via a simple multi-injection reactant delivery technique. Detailed investigations indicate that the branched objects initially formed upon the aminolysis reaction possess a strained monocrystalline skeleton, while their corresponding larger derivatives grown in the subsequent pyrolysis stage accommodate additional arms crystallographically decoupled from the lattice underneath. The complex evolution of the nanoarchitectures is rationalized within the frame of complementary mechanistic arguments. Thermodynamic pathways, determined by the shape-directing effect of the anatase structure and free-energy changes accompanying branching and anisotropic development, are considered to interplay with kinetic processes, related to diffusion-limited, spatially inhomogeneous monomer fluxes, lattice symmetry breaking at transient Ti(5)O(5) domains, and surfactant-induced stabilization. Finally, as a proof of functionality, the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells based on thin-film photoelectrodes that incorporate networked branched nanocrystals with intact crystal structure and geometric features is demonstrated. An energy conversion efficiency of 6.2% has been achieved with standard device configuration, which significantly overcomes the best performance ever approached with previously documented prototypes of split TiO(2) nanostructures. Analysis of the relevant photovoltaic parameters reveals that the utilized branched building blocks indeed offer light-harvesting and charge-collecting properties that can overwhelm detrimental electron losses due to recombination and trapping events.     

A semilinear elliptic PDE not in divergence form via variational methods

In this paper we consider a semilinear equation driven by an operator not in divergence form. Precisely, the principal part of the operator is in divergence form, but it has also a lower order term depending on Du. While the right-hand side of the equation satisfies superlinear and subcritical growth conditions at zero and at infinity. The problem has not a variational structure, but, despite that, we use variational techniques in order to prove an existence and regularity result for the equation.     

Fractal geometry of Ising magnetic patterns: signatures of criticality and diffusive dynamics

We investigate the geometric properties displayed by the magnetic patterns developing on a two-dimensional Ising system, when a diffusive thermal dynamics is adopted. Such a dynamics is generated by a random walker which diffuses throughout the sites of the lattice, updating the relevant spins. Since the walker is biased towards borders between clusters, the border-sites are more likely to be updated with respect to a non-diffusive dynamics and therefore, we expect the spin configurations to be affected. In particular, by means of the box-counting technique, we measure the fractal dimension of magnetic patterns emerging on the lattice, as the temperature is varied. Interestingly, our results provide a geometric signature of the phase transition and they also highlight some non-trivial, quantitative differences between the behaviors pertaining to the diffusive and non-diffusive dynamics.     

Enzymatic resolution of (±)-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester and its transformations into polyfunctionalised amino acids and dipeptides

Enantiomerically pure (5R)-(?)-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester was obtained via enzymatic resolution of the corresponding racemic mixture using a lipase from hog pancreas (PPL). The following reduction of the ester group to the corresponding alcohol and the oxidation of the latter led to (5R)-(?)-5-phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazole-3-carbaldehyde, and the reaction between this and Schöllkopf’s reagent, (2R)-(+)-2,5-dihydro-3,6-dimethoxy-2-isopropylpyrazine, gave mixtures of adducts with a good syn/anti ratio. The steric configurations of the major diastereoisomer were assigned on the basis of spectroscopic data and X-ray analysis. The subsequent controlled hydrolysis of the pyrazine ring led to β-(5-phenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)-serine methyl esters and the corresponding dipeptides with (R)-valine. Finally, reductive cleavage of the 4,5-dihydroisoxazole ring under hydrolytic conditions made it possible to obtain the corresponding polyfunctionalised dipeptides.     

Models having the thermodynamic properties of aqueous alkaline earth halides and NaCl-MgCl2 mixtures

A model studied earlier in relation to aqueous 1–1 electrolytes has been applied to the interpretation of the excess free energies of aqueous solutions of the alkaline earth halides up to 1 M ionic strength. Several variations on the model could be fitted to the data. In the one which seems most consistent with the other observations, the cospheres (hydration layers) on the M⁺⁺ ions were two water molecules thick rather than one as for the alkali metal, tetraalkylammonium, and halide ions. The overlap of cospheres of an M⁺⁺, M⁺⁺ pair was found to make a small attractive contribution to the interionic force, while the overlap of cospheres of an M⁺⁺, X^– pair makes a small positive contribution which is almost the same for X^–=Cl^–, Br^–, or I^–. Thus, ionic hydration shells which are not penetrated by other ions are not required to account for the observed excess free energies. The model is also fitted to NaCl-MgCl₂ mixtures to see whether the new cosphereoverlap parameter which must be determined is consistent with the others. The calculation also shows how the thermodynamic behavior of the mixtures is consistent with the mixture limiting law for unsymmetrical mixtures. The singularities in the mixing coefficients g₀ and w₀ at infinite dilution dominate their concentration dependence only up to ionic strengths of about 0.01 M in models which fit the data.Most of this report is abstracted from a thesis presented by A. Smitherman to the Graduate School of the State University of New York at Stony Brook in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree, August 1972.     

Complex formation between glycine and magnesium (II), calcium(II), and iron(II) at 25 °C in 3.00M NaClO4

Equilibria occurring between glycine (L) and magnesium(II) and calcium(II) were studied by measuring at 25 °C the electromotive force (e.m.f.) of the cell: (–) Pt, H₂/SolutionS/R.E. (+) where R.E. is the reference electrode described in the text.Equilibria taking place in solutions containing iron(II) and glycine were investigated by means of the cell: (–) R.E./SolutionS/G.E. (+) where G.E. is the glass electrode. The general composition of solutionS was in both cases the following: B M inM ²⁺;H M in H⁺;A M inL; 3.00M in ClO ₄ ^– ; (3-H-2B)M in Na⁺.Experimental data were explained by assuming the existence of the species:: MgL(log _1,0,1=1.53±0.05); MgL ₂(log _2,0,1=2.26±0.05); CaL(log _1,0,1==0.75±0.03); FeL(log _1,0,1=4.20±0.04).Protonation constants of aminoacetate, not known in the experimental conditions selected, were determined by means of e.m.f. measurements carried out with a H₂ electrode.

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Komplexbildung zwischen Glycin und Magnesium(II), Calcium(II), bzw. Eisen(II) bei 25 °C in 3,00M NaClO₄

Zusammenfassung Die Gleichgewichte zwischen Glycin (L) und Magnesium(II) bzw. Calcium(II) wurden bei 25 °C durch E.M.K. Messungen der folgenden Meßkette untersucht: (–) Pt, H₂/ProbenlösungS/R.E. (+) wobei R.E. Referenz-Elektrode bedeutet (siehe Text).Zum Studium der Reaktion zwischen Eisen(II) und Glycin bei 25 °C wurde folgende Meßkette benutzt: (–) R.E./ProbenlösungS/G.E. (+) wobei G.E. Glas-Elektrode bedeutet.Alle Meßproben hatten die folgende allgemeine Zusammensetzung:B M inM ²⁺;H M in H⁺;A M inL; 3,00M in ClO ₄ ^– ; (3-H-2B)M in Na⁺.Die experimentellen Daten konnten unter Annahme folgender Komplexe erklärt werden: MgL(log _1,0,1=1,53±0,05); MgL ₂(log _2,0,1=2,26±0,05); CaL(log _1,0,1=0,75±0,03); FeL(log _1,0,1=4,20±0,04). Die Protonierungskonstanten von Aminoacetat, die bei den gewählten experimentellen Bedingungen nicht bekannt sind, wurden mittels E.M.K. Messungen (mit Wasserstoff-Elektrode) bestimmt.

     

Metabolic profile of lettuce leaves by high-field NMR spectra

A detailed analysis of the proton high-field NMR spectra of aqueous and organic extracts of lettuce leaves is reported for the first time. A combination of COSY, TOCSY, (1)H-(13)C HSQC, (1)H-(13)C HMBC bidimensional sequences and DOSY was used to assign each spin system and to separate the components of the complex patterns. A large number of water-soluble metabolites belonging to different classes such as carbohydrates, polyols, organic acids and amino acids were fully assigned. Moreover, the complex spectra of metabolites extracted in organic solvents belonging to sterols, fatty acids, diacylglycerophospholipids, galactosyldiacylglycerols, sulpholipids, pheophytins, carotenoids and hydrocarbons were also assigned.     

Dominated, diagonal polynomials on ℓ p spaces

We show that the r-dominated polynomials on _p(2 p ) are integral on ₁, and give examples proving that the converse is not true. We characterize when the 2-homogeneous, diagonal polynomials on _p(1 < p ) are r-dominated. We prove that, unlike the linear case, there are nuclear polynomials which are not 1-dominated.Received: 6 June 2004; revised: 28 September 2004