Development and Application of Liquid Crystals as Stimuli-Responsive Sensors

This focused review presents various approaches or formats in which liquid crystals (LCs) have been used as stimuli-responsive sensors. In these sensors, the LC molecules adopt some well-defined arrangement based on the sensor composition and the chemistry of the system. The sensor usually consists of a molecule or functionality in the system that engages in some form of specific interaction with the analyte of interest. The presence of analyte brings about the specific interaction, which then triggers an orientational transition of the LC molecules, which is optically discernible via a polarized optical image that shows up as dark or bright, depending on the orientation of the LC molecules in the system (usually a homeotropic or planar arrangement). The various applications of LCs as biosensors for glucose, protein and peptide detection, biomarkers, drug molecules and metabolites are extensively reviewed. The review also presents applications of LC-based sensors in the detection of heavy metals, anionic species, gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxic substances and in pH monitoring. Additionally discussed are the various ways in which LCs have been used in the field of material science. Specific attention has been given to the sensing mechanism of each sensor and it is important to note that in all cases, LC-based sensing involves some form of orientational transition of the LC molecules in the presence of a given analyte. Finally, the review concludes by giving future perspectives on LC-based sensors.     

Induction of Liver Size Reduction in Zebrafish Larvae by the Emerging Synthetic Cannabinoid 4F-MDMB-BINACA and Its Impact on Drug Metabolism

Zebrafish (ZF; Danio rerio) larvae have become a popular in vivo model in drug metabolism studies. Here, we investigated the metabolism of methyl 2-[1-(4-fluorobutyl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamido]-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (4F-MDMB-BINACA) in ZF larvae after direct administration of the cannabinoid via microinjection, and we visualized the spatial distributions of the parent compound and its metabolites by mass spectrometry imaging (MSI). Furthermore, using genetically modified ZF larvae, the role of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2) on drug metabolism was studied. Receptor-deficient ZF mutant larvae were created using morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs), and CB2-deficiency had a critical impact on liver development of ZF larva, leading to a significant reduction of liver size. A similar phenotype was observed when treating wild-type ZF larvae with 4F-MDMB-BINACA. Thus, we reasoned that the cannabinoid-induced impaired liver development might also influence its metabolic function. Studying the metabolism of two synthetic cannabinoids, 4F-MDMB-BINACA and methyl 2-(1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-3-carboxamido)-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (7′N-5F-ADB), revealed important insights into the in vivo metabolism of these compounds and the role of cannabinoid receptor binding.     

Diffusion energies of oxygen diffusing into polystyrene (PS)/poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) composites

Diffusion coefficient of oxygen penetrating into polystyrene (PS) latex/poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel composite films were measured using Fluorescence technique. Three different (5, 15, and 40 wt%) PS content films were prepared from PS/PNIPAM mixtures. Diffusivity of PS/PNIPAM composite films were studied by diffusion measurements which were performed over the temperature range of 24–70°C. Pyrene was used as the fluorescent probe. The diffusion coefficients (D) of oxygen were determined using the Stern–Volmer fluorescence quenching method combined with Fickian transport and were computed as a function of temperature for each PS content film. The results showed that D values were strongly dependent on both temperature and PS content in the film. Diffusion energies were measured and found to be dependent on the composition of the composite films. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Existence and multiplicity of positive solutions for a class of semilinear elliptic equations involving Hardy term and Hardy-Sobolev critical exponents

Existence and multiplicity of positive solutions are studied for a class of semilinear elliptic equations with Hardy term, Hardy-Sobolev critical exponents and sublinear nonlinearity by variational methods and some analysis techniques.     

Neumann problems for nonlinear hemivariational inequalities

In this paper we study nonlinear Neumann problems driven by the p ‐Laplacian and having a nonsmooth potential. Using techniques from the nonsmooth critical point theory, we prove two existence theorems and a multiplicity result. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Rings Related to Mininjective and Min-Flat Modules

R is called a left PS (resp. left min-coherent, left universally mininjective) ring if every simple left ideal is projective (resp. finitely presented, a direct summand of R). We first investigate when the endomorphism ring of a module is a PS ring, a min-coherent ring, or a universally mininjective ring. Then we characterize PS rings and universally mininjective rings in terms of endomorphisms of mininjective and min-flat modules. Finally, we study commutative min-coherent rings and (universally) mininjective rings using properties of homomorphism modules of special modules.     

SS(PS)/CTAB/NaBr/H_2O体系双水相性质的研究

The phase behavior and property of aqueous two-phase system formed by SS(PS)/CTAB/NaBr/H2O mixture had been studied.The results indicated that there was only one ATPS region in the both systems,and the system with PS showed a peculiar inversion of ATPS.As a function of composition,the volume ratio appeared a turn on its relation curve.It was surposed that one side of the turn was ATPS which contains cubic liquid crystal,the other dosen't.When the ratio of top vulume to bottom volume was close to 1,the ATPS forming time was the shortest,and vice versa.     

阴图PS版感光层的光交朕

阴图PS版感光层主要是由成膜树脂和感光树脂组成.感光树脂一般是二苯胺或取代二苯胺重氮树脂.成膜树脂类型较多.就成膜角度看,能溶于合适溶剂的线型聚合体均可为成膜树脂.实际上并非如此,很多聚合体虽能与重氮树脂有共同的溶剂,并且本身可形成强度甚好的膜,以后可被显影除去,但并不能选作成膜树脂,主要原因是这些聚合体在光照下不能与重氮树脂光交联.     

An overview of lipid membrane supported by colloidal particles

In recent years, original hybrid assemblies composed of a particle core surrounded by a lipid shell emerged as promising entities for various biotechnological applications. Their broadened bio-potentialities, ranging from model membrane systems or biomolecule screening supports, to substance delivery reservoirs or therapeutic vectors, are furthered by their versatility of composition due to the possible wide variation in the particle nature and size, as well as in the lipid formulation. The synthesis, the characteristics, and the uses of these Lipid/Particle assemblies encountered in the literature so far are reviewed, and classified according to the spherical core size in order to highlight general trends. Moreover, several criteria are particularly discussed: i) the interactions involved between the particles and the lipids, and implicitly the assembly elaboration mechanism, ii) the most suited techniques for an accurate characterization of the entities from structural and physicochemical points of view, and iii) the remarkable properties of the solid-supported lipid membrane obtained.