A High Cell‐Bearing Capacity Multibore Hollow Fiber Device for Macroencapsulation of Islets of Langerhans

Macroencapsulation of islets of Langerhans is a promising strategy for transplantation of insulin‐producing cells in the absence of immunosuppression to treat type 1 diabetes. Hollow fiber membranes are of interest there because they offer a large surface‐to‐volume ratio and can potentially be retrieved or refilled. However, current available fibers have limitations in exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and delivery of insulin potentially impacting graft survival. Here, multibore hollow fibers for islets encapsulation are designed and tested. They consist of seven bores and are prepared using nondegradable polymers with high mechanical stability and low cell adhesion properties. Human islets encapsulated there have a glucose induced insulin response (GIIS) similar to nonencapsulated islets. During 7 d of cell culture in vitro, the GIIS increases with graded doses of islets demonstrating the suitability of the microenvironment for islet survival. Moreover, first implantation studies in mice demonstrate device material biocompatibility with minimal tissue responses. Besides, formation of new blood vessels close to the implanted device is observed, an important requirement for maintaining islet viability and fast exchange of glucose and insulin. The results indicate that the developed fibers have high islet bearing capacity and can potentially be applied for a clinically applicable bioartificial pancreas.     

Templated protein assembly on micro-contact-printed surface patterns. Use of the SNAP-tag protein functionality

Micro contact printing (microCP) has been established as a simple technique for high-resolution protein patterning for micro- and nanoarrays. However, as biochemical assays based on immobilized protein arrays progress from immunoassays to more delicate functional assays, the demand for methods of miniaturized, gentle, and oriented immobilization, which are applicable to many different target proteins, becomes larger. In this study, we present a novel microCP templated assembly approach, based on a recombinant SNAP-FLAG-HIS 10 (SFH) immobilization vehicle, which exploits the recently developed SNAP-tag protein. The SNAP-tag is derived from the human DNA repair protein hAGT, which covalently transfers the alkyl group of benzyl guanine (BG) substrates onto itself. We have designed a model SFH cassette carrying three tags (SNAP-tag, FLAG-tag, and HIS-tag), each of which can be used for fluorescence labeling or surface immobilization. When patterns of streptavidin modified with BG-biotin (streptavidin-BG) are stamped onto a surface, the SFH can subsequently assemble on the ligand pattern from solution, functioning as a general immobilization vehicle for high-resolution patterning of any protein expressed in the SFH cassette, in a gentle and oriented manner. Alternatively, the SFH can be site-selectively biotinylated using BG-biotin and, subsequently, assemble on stamped streptavidin. We exploit several ways to biotinylate the SFH protein via the SNAP-tag, promoting its templated assembly on micropatterns of streptavidin in four complementary formats. Quantitative analysis of the obtained patterns, revealed by immunostaining, indicates that all four approaches resulted in proper SFH immobilization and antibody recognition, demonstrating the versatility of the SFH cassette and the potential for high resolution patterning applications. Also, our data confirm that streptavidin can be stamped directly on surfaces, without loss of activity. While three strategies resulted in similar patterning efficiencies, one particular approach--namely templated assembly of SFH directly on streptavidin-BG patterns--resulted in an order of magnitude increase in patterning efficiency.     

Electrical impedance spectroscopy of epoxy systems: The case of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether/cis-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic anhydride and triethylamine as initiator

A series of epoxy cured samples, with different molar composition of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (EP), cis-1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic anhydride (CH) and triethylamine (TEA) as initiator, was studied by Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in the frequency range 10⁻²-10⁵ Hz. The resistivity of the system was evaluated by using the complex impedance analysis method. Resistivity values in the range between 10⁷ and 10¹³ Ω cm were obtained and related to the composition (molar fraction x_EP or x_CH) of the epoxy system. The gel formation characteristics of the samples were obtained as theoretically described by Flory.     

Construction of a simple optical sensor based on air stable lipid film with incorporated urease for the rapid detection of urea in milk

This work describes the construction of a simple optical sensor for the rapid, selective and sensitive detection of urea in milk using air stable lipid films with incorporated urease. The lipid film is stabilized on a glass filter by polymerization using UV (ultra-violet) radiation prior its use. Methacrylic acid was the functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was the crosslinker and 2,2′-azobis-(2-methylpropionitrile) was the initiator. Urease is incorporated within this mixture prior to the polymerization. The presence of the enzyme in these films quenched this fluorescence and the colour became similar to that of the filters without the lipid films. A drop of aqueous solution of urea provided a “switching on” of the fluorescence which allows the rapid detection of this compound at the levels of 10⁻⁸ M concentrations. The investigation of the effect of potent interferences included a wide range of compounds usually found in foods and also of proteins and lipids. These lipid membranes were used for the rapid detection of urea in milk.     

Disposable pipette extraction for gas chromatographic determination of codeine, morphine, and 6-monoacetylmorphine in vitreous humor

The availability of a sensitive and rapid analytical method for the determination of opiates, and other substances of forensic interest, in a variety of biological specimens is of utmost importance to forensic laboratories. Solid-phase extraction is very popular in the pre-treatment of forensic samples. Nevertheless, a new approach, disposable pipette extraction (DPX), is gaining increasing interest in sample preparation. DPX has already been applied to the analysis of drugs of abuse in common biological matrices, such as urine and blood, but has not yet been evaluated on alternative biological samples, such as vitreous humor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of DPX on the analysis of opiates in vitreous humor. The currently developed method is fast, reliable, and easy to perform. The sensitivity, precision, and accuracy are satisfactory. Recoveries obtained are within the range of 72-91%, whereas the sample volume of vitreous humor required is only 100 μL.     

Carbon Nano-Flakes Produced by an Inductively Coupled Thermal Plasma System for Catalyst Applications

Carbon material was produced using an inductively coupled thermal plasma torch system of 35 kW and a conical shape reactor. The carbon nanopowders were obtained by plasma decomposition of methane at various flow rates and show a uniform microstructure throughout the reactor. The product has a crystalline graphitic structure, with a stacking of between 6 and 16 planes and a nano-flake morphology with particles dimensions of approximately 100 nm long, 50 nm wide and 5 nm thick. Nitrogen was also introduced in some synthesis experiments along with the methane precursor using flow rates of 0.1 and 0.2 slpm. The resulting product has the same structural properties and the nitrogen is incorporated into the graphitic structure through pyridinic type bonds.     

Rate coefficients for the O(3P) + Cl2O gas‐phase reaction between 230 and 357 K

Rate coefficients, k, for the gas‐phase reaction of O(³P) atoms with Cl₂O (dichlorine monoxide) over a range of temperatures (230–357 K) at pressures between 12 and 32 Torr (N₂) are reported. Rate coefficients were measured under pseudo‐first‐order conditions in O(³P) using pulsed laser photolysis to produce O(³P) atoms and atomic resonance fluorescence to detect its temporal profile. The rate coefficient temperature dependence is given by the Arrhenius expression k(T) = (1.51 ± 0.20) × 10^?11 exp[?(477 ± 30)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, and k(296 K) was measured to be (2.93 ± 0.30) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. The quoted uncertainty limits are at the 2σ (95% confidence) level and include estimated systematic errors. The rate coefficients determined in the present study, under conditions that minimized secondary losses of O(³P), are compared with previous results from other laboratories and the discrepancies are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Peiodicals, Inc.

1 This article is a U.S. Government work and, as such, is in the public domain of the United States of America.

Int J Chem Kinet 43: 312–321, 2011     

Optimizing Melt‐Processing Conditions for the Preparation of iPP/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites: Morphology,Mechanical and Gas Permeability Properties

A series of iPP/SiO₂ nanocomposites, containing 1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt.‐% fumed silica nanoparticles, were prepared by melt mixing in a twin screw co‐rotating extruder. The effect of different extrusion parameters was evaluated. The size of aggregates increased with increase in SiO₂ content and repetition of the mixing process improved the filler's dispersion. A similar effect was also exhibited by either increasing the rotor speed or the mixing temperature, with the latter being more pronounced at the ranges studied. The mechanical properties of the prepared nanocomposites were evaluated and various models used to explain the observed enhancements. However, only the three‐phase model could provide some correlation with the experimental results. All nanocomposites displayed lower permeability to gases.

     

Evidence for a SN2-type pathway for phosphine exchange in phosphine-phosphenium cations, [R2P--PR'3]+

Abstraction of a Cl(-) ion from the P-chlorophospholes, R4C4PCl (R=Me, Et), produced the P--P bonded cations [R4C4P--P(Cl)C4R4]+, which reacted with PPh3 to afford X-ray crystallographically characterised phosphine-phosphenium cations [R4C4P(PPh3)]+ (R=Me, Et). Examination of the 31P-{1H} NMR spectrum of a solution (CH2Cl(2)) of [Et4C4P-(PPh3)]+ and PPh3 revealed broadening of the resonances due to both free and coordinated PPh3, and importantly it proved possible to measure the rate of exchange between PPh3 and [Et4C4P-(PPh3)]+ by line shape analysis (gNMR programmes). The results established second-order kinetics with DeltaS( not equal)=(-106.3+/-6.7) J mol(-1) K(-1), DeltaH( not equal)=(14.9+/-1.6) kJ mol(-1) and DeltaG( not equal) (298.15 K)=(46.6+/-2.6) kJ mol(-1), values consistent with a SN2-type pathway for the exchange process. This result contrasts with the dominant dissociative (S(N)1-type) pathway reported for the analogous exchange reactions of the [ArNCH2CH2N(Ar)P(PMe3)]+ ion, and to understand in more detail the factors controlling these two different reaction pathways, we have analysed the potential energy surfaces using density functional theory (DFT). The calculations reveal that, whilst phosphine exchange in [Et4C4P(PPh3)]+ and [ArNCH2CH2N(Ar)P(PMe3)](+) is superficially similar, the two cations differ significantly in both their electronic and steric requirements. The high electrophilicity of the phosphorus center in [Et4C4P]+, combined with strong pi-pi interactions between the ring and the incoming and outgoing phenyl groups of PPh3, favours the SN2-type over the SN1-type pathway in [Et4C4P(PPh3)]+. Effective pi-donation from the amide groups reduces the intrinsic electrophilicity of [ArNCH2CH2N(Ar)P]+, which, when combined with the steric bulk of the aryl groups, shifts the mechanism in favour of a dissociative SN1-type pathway.     

Engineering a Chemical Switch into the Light‐driven Proton Pump Proteorhodopsin by Cysteine Mutagenesis and Thiol Modification

For applications in synthetic biology, for example, the bottom‐up assembly of biomolecular nanofactories, modules of specific and controllable functionalities are essential. Of fundamental importance in such systems are energizing modules, which are able to establish an electrochemical gradient across a vesicular membrane as an energy source for powering other modules. Light‐driven proton pumps like proteorhodopsin (PR) are excellent candidates for efficient energy conversion. We have extended the versatility of PR by implementing an on/off switch based on reversible chemical modification of a site‐specifically introduced cysteine residue. The position of this cysteine residue in PR was identified by structure‐based cysteine mutagenesis combined with a proton‐pumping assay using E. coli cells overexpressing PR and PR proteoliposomes. The identified PR mutant represents the first light‐driven proton pump that can be chemically switched on/off depending on the requirements of the molecular system.