Eco friendly synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots for the sensitive detection of ferric ions and cell imaging

This study established a ferric ion (Fe³⁺) detection method as a result of the fluorescence quenching effect of Fe³⁺ on carbon dots (CDs). Specifically, we proposed, a green microwave synthesis route towards fluorescent CDs that requires only the brewer’s spent grain as starting materials. Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to investigate the CDs characteristic: morphology, size distribution, functional groups, and composition, respectively. The experimental results, which were run under optimal experimental conditions, indicated that the fluorescence intensity and concentration of Fe³⁺ were within the desired linear range (0.3–7 μM). The detection limit of this assay towards Fe³⁺ was 95 nM. The proposed method showed significant selectivity with respect to interfering ions. We evaluated the potential application of this method with tap water, lake water and fetal bovine serum as real samples. Additionally, the CDs could be served as superior bioimaging probes in Hela cells as a result of their excellent optical stability and good biocompatibility. In a word, the present study provides a new idea for CDs derived from the waste of agricultural products for detecting food or environmental contaminants and cell imaging.     

Surface characteristics and electrochemical behaviour of sputter-deposited NiTi thin film

Thin nanocrystalline amorphous NiTi film was deposited on Si substrate using DC magnetron sputtering. The as-deposited NiTi thin film was crystallized by heat treatment at 500 °C for 1 h. The crystal structure, surface morphology, microstructure and surface chemistry of the deposited films were studied using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Corrosion behaviour was assessed in Ringer’s solution at 37 °C by open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a function of exposure time. OCP values indicate that the tendency for the formation of a spontaneous oxide film is greater for the NiTi thin films than the bulk NiTi. Long time exposure to Ringer’s solution was found to have a great effect on the corrosion behaviour of the samples. Significantly low corrosion current density was obtained for the annealed NiTi film from the potentiodynamic polarization curves indicating a typical passive behaviour, but as-deposited film and bulk NiTi alloy exhibited breakdown of passivity at potentials approximately +1.4 V (vs. SCE). XPS showed that the oxide film formed on the annealed NiTi thin film mainly composed of Ti oxides, and no evidence of Ni was found up to 8.2 nm beneath the top surface, suggesting the excellent corrosion resistance of this sample in Ringer’s solution.     

用于荧光光谱测定的微量固体粉末样品制样优化*

为满足微量固体粉末荧光检测要求,采用薄层制样法,改变黏结剂种类、黏结剂的用量、涂层厚度以及后处理方法来进行其制样工艺优化。 结果表明:以聚乙烯醇做黏结剂、1∶5的固液比、在50 ℃烘干30 min、涂片次数3层的薄层制样优化工艺可满足荧光固体测样的要求。采用t检验比较固体样品池装样和薄层制样法的荧光检测结果发现两者无显著性差异,薄层制样优化工艺的需样量较样品池减少90%。     

β-secretase 1 inhibitory activity and AMP-activated protein kinase activation of Callyspongia samarensis extracts

Abstract

The methanolic extract of Callyspongia samarensis (MCS) significantly inhibited β-secretase 1 (IC₅₀ 99.82?µg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner and demonstrated a noncompetitive type of inhibition. Furthermore, it exhibited the highest AMPK activation (EC₅₀ 14.47?μg/mL) as compared with the standard, Aspirin (EC₅₀ >100?μg/mL). HPLC/ESI-MS analysis of MCS extract revealed 15 peaks, in which nine peaks demonstrated similar fragmentation pattern with the known compounds in literature and in database library: 5-aminopentanoic acid (1), 4-aminobutanoic acid (3), Luotonin A (4), (E)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl) prop-2-enoic acid (8), Galactosphingosine (10), D-sphingosine (11), 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone (12), hydroxydihydrovolide (13), and 3,5-dibromo-4-methoxyphenylpyruvic acid (14); and 6 peaks are not identified (2, 5–7, 9, and 15). Acute oral toxicity test of MCS extract revealed that it is nontoxic, with an LD₅₀ of >2000?mg/kg. Assessment of BBB permeability of MCS extract showed that compound 15 was able to cross the BBB making it a suitable candidate for developing CNS drugs.     

Toonapolyynes A–D,new polyynes from Toona ciliata

Abstract

Phytochemical investigation on the leaves and twigs of Toona ciliata has led to the isolation of four new polyynes (1–4) and two knowns (5 and 6). Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis (MS, UV, IR, and NMR) and Mosher’s method. All compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against HepG2 human tumor cell line but were inactive.     

Acoustoelastic effect simulation by time–space finite element formulation based on quadratic interpolation of the acceleration

Acoustoelastic effect describes the change of ultrasound velocity due to the initial stress. Its simulation involves a numerical analysis of nonlinear elastodynamics and requires high accuracy in the time domain. A time–space finite element formulation, derived from the quadratic interpolation of the acceleration within a time segment, is proposed for an accurate simulation of the acoustoelastic effect in the present study. Ten different integration schemes are generated based on this formulation and nine of them are found to be conditionally stable. Among the nine stable schemes, one is found to obtain a spectral radius of one when the normalized step ratio is less than 5.477, indicating no numerical dissipation or numerical divergence. Compared with integration schemes from previous studies, this integration scheme demonstrates better performance in calculation accuracy and energy conservation. A two-stage approach, namely the static stage and the dynamic stage, has been employed in the simulation of the acoustoelastic effect. The former stage is adopted to obtain the initial stress and the latter stage, where the proposed integration scheme is implemented, is adopted to simulate the ultrasound propagation in an initial stress state. The simulation results of the dynamic stage show that the ultrasound velocity increases in a compression stress state and decreases in a tension stress state for aluminum alloy, which is in good agreement with previous experimental studies. Together with the simulation result of the static stage, it is conjectured that the acoustoelastic effect results from the stress-dependent elastic modulus.     

Aeroelastic analysis of cantilever plates using Peters’ aerodynamic model,and the influence of choosing beam or plate theories as the structural model

In this paper, the aeroelastic analyses of a rectangular cantilever plate of varying aspect ratio is presented. The classical plate theory has been selected as the structural model. The main point that distinguishes this study from previously reported research is employing Peters’ theory to model aerodynamic effect which is not straightforward. The Peters’ aerodynamic model was originally developed to provide lift and moment, which is only applicable to the structural model based on the beam theories. In this study, using the basic concept of the Peters’ aerodynamic model in addition to utilizing the Fourier series, the pressure distribution is derived, which makes Peters’ model applicable to structural models based on plate theory. This combination provides a much simpler state–space aeroelastic model for plates in comparison to the prevalent panel methods, which could lead to a significant reduction in computational time. In addition, the aeroelastic response of the plate with respect to changes in the structural model from the beam theory to the plate theory is evaluated. By using data from an experiment carried out at Duke University, the theoretical results are evaluated. Furthermore, the differences in structural models obtained from the plate and beam theories can be divided into two distinct parts, which are responsible for differences in bending and torsional behaviors of the structure, separately. This approach enables us to measure the effects of differences of each behavior separately, which could provide with a new insight into the problem. It has been determined that the flutter speeds obtained from the beam and plate aeroelastic models are little affected by the difference in bending behavior, but rather is mainly caused by the difference in torsional frequencies.     

Ultrasonic stimulation of the brain to enhance the release of dopamine – A potential novel treatment for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the decrease of dopamine (DA) production and release in the substantia nigra and striatum regions of the brain. Transcranial ultrasound has been exploited recently for neuromodulation of the brain in a number of fields. We have stimulated DA release in PC12 cells using low-intensity continuous ultrasound (0.1 W/cm² − 0.3 W/cm², 1 MHz), 12 h after exposure at 0.2 W/cm², 40 s, the amount of DA content eventually increased 78.5% (p = 0.004). After 10-day ultrasonic treatment (0.3 W/cm², 5 min/d), the DA content in the striatum of PD mice model restored to 81.07% of the control (vs 43.42% in the untreated PD mice model). In addition to this the locomotion activity was restored to the normal level after treatment. We suggest that the low intensity ultrasound-induced DA release can be attributed to a combination of neuron regeneration and improved membrane permeability produced by the mechanical force of ultrasound. Our study indicates that the application of transcranial ultrasound applied below FDA limits, could provide a candidate for relatively safe and noninvasive PD therapy through an amplification of DA levels and the stimulation of dopaminergic neuron regeneration without contrast agents.     

熊果酸-3’-取代丙醇酯衍生物的合成及抗肿瘤活性研究

熊果酸与1,3-二溴丙烷反应制得中间体熊果酸-3’-溴代丙醇酯(1),含溴醇酯1与含氮化合物反应,合成了系列熊果酸含氮衍生物2a～2j,均未见文献报道,其结构经1H NMR,13C NMR,IR,MS确认.初步的抗肿瘤生物活性研究表明,部分化合物的抗肿瘤活性与熊果酸相比均有提高,其中化合物2e具有更强的抑制活性.