Optical probes for detection and quantification of neutrophils’ oxidative burst. A review

Neutrophils, also known as polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), are the most common type of white blood cells, comprising about 50-70% of all white blood cells. In the event of inflammatory processes, neutrophils display increased mobility, tissue influx ability, prolonged life span, and an increased phagocytic capacity, constituting the initial participants in the cellular defense of the organism. One of the most important defense systems of neutrophils corresponds to their ability to mediate a strong oxidative burst through the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). While oxidative burst is important for the elimination of invading microorganisms, the overproduction of ROS and RNS or the impairment of endogenous antioxidant defenses may result to detrimental effects to the host. The nature and the extent of ROS and RNS production by neutrophils in response to different stimuli is, consequently, a matter of extensive research, with scientific reports showing an enormous variability on the detection methodologies employed. This review attempts to provide a critical assessment of the most common approaches to identify and quantify reactive species formed during the neutrophils’ oxidative burst. The detection mechanisms and performance, as well as advantages and limitations of the different methodologies, are scrutinized, focusing on the use of fluorimetric, chemiluminometric and colorimetric probes.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Nanorods and Nanowires of Mg/Al Layered Double Hydroxides

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of synthetic anion clays, characterized by the formula[MⅡ1-xMⅢx (OH)2]x (An- )x/n·yH2O (where M =metal and A = anion, usually carbonate)[1-3]. A large number of LDHs with a wide variety of M Ⅱ-M Ⅲ cation pairs including M Ⅰ-M Ⅲ ( e. g. , Li-Al ) and M Ⅱ-MⅣ( e. g. , Co-Ti) have been reported. Thus the identities of the cations(MⅠ , MⅡ , MⅢ and MⅣ) and the interlayer anion (An-) together with the value of the stoichiometric coefficient (x) may vary widely, giving rise to a large class of isostructural materials.     

碳纳米管添加剂对质子交换膜燃料电池低铂载量膜电极性能的影响研究

以碳纳米管（CNT）作为低铂载量膜电极（CCM）催化层（0.1 mg_Pt·cm^-2）添加剂，研究了CNT的添加方式对催化层微观结构以及膜电极性能的影响.结果表明，与常规低铂载量催化层相比，在其表面喷涂一层CNT或将CNT均匀分散到Pt/C催化层中均有利于提升低铂载量膜电极的输出性能，在70℃和100%相对湿度条件下最高输出功率比常规低铂载量膜电极的0.522 W·cm^-2分别提升了22.4%和60.0%，并且均匀分散添加方式优于分层添加方式.其原因在于分层添加CNT后改善了低铂催化层和气体扩散层之间的接触界面，降低了催化层与扩散层间的接触电阻，而均匀分散添加方式除了可降低界面接触电阻外，还显著改善了低铂催化层中的气体传输，大幅提升了Pt催化剂的利用效率，使得膜电极电化学反应电阻明显降低.进一步对均匀分散添加方式中CNT的载量进行优化，表明CNT添加量为37.5 μg·cm^-2时电池输出性能最佳，70℃和100%相对湿度条件下的最大输出功率达到0.91 W·cm^-2.本研究工作表明，将CNT均匀分散添加到催化层中是一种有效提升低铂载量膜电极性能的方法.     

pH-Responsive Inorganic/Organic Nanohybrids System for Controlled Nicotinic Acid Drug Release

Although nicotinic acid (NA) has several clinical benefits, its potency cannot be fully utilized due to several undesirable side effects, including cutaneous flushing, GIT-associated symptoms, etc. To overcome such issues and improve the NA efficacy, a new inorganic–organic nanohybrids system was rationally designed. For making such a hybrid system, NA was intercalated into LDH through a coprecipitation technique and then coated with Eudragit^® S100 to make the final drug delivery system called Eudragit^® S100-coated NA-LDH. The as-made drug delivery system not only improved the NA release profile but also exhibited good bio-compatibility as tested on L929 cells. Such an inorganic–organic nanohybrid drug delivery agent is expected to reduce the undesirable side effects associated with NA and hopefully improve the pharmacological effects without inducing any undesirable toxicity.     

Tributyl phosphate degradation by immobilized cells of aCitrobacter sp.

Tributyl phosphate (TBP), a plasticizer and solvent, is used in nuclear fuel reprocessing, generating TBP wastes laden with residual uranium. ACitrobacter sp. accumulated heavy metals via a phosphohydrolase(s) that precipitated metals with inorganic phosphate liberated from an organic phosphate “donor” molecule (TBP). Mutant analysis suggested that TBP hydrolysis was not attributable to a previously documented acid phosphatase (monoesterase). Purified monoesterase had little activity against phospho di- and triesters, had no requirement for Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺, and was EDTA-resistant. Conversely, TBP cleavage by immobilized cells was enhanced by Mg²⁺, and ininhibited by Mn²⁺ and EDTA. A separate phosphotri/diesterase was implicated.     

Double centralizing theorem for wreath products of the alternating group

The double centralizing theorem between the action of the symmetric group S_n and the action of the general linear group on the tensor space T_n(W) was obtained by Schur. Here we obtain a double centralizing theorem when S_n is replaced by the wreath product of a finite group G and the alternating group A_n.     

XPS in‐depth composition study on commercial monocrystalline silicon solar cells

From large‐scale production, two monocrystalline silicon solar cells of different quality, i.e. I_SC = 3.0 A (good cell) and I_SC = 1.6 A (bad cell), have been studied by XPS combined with 4 keV Ar⁺ depth profiling. Depth profiling was carried out through the anti‐reflection coating (TiO₂), the passivation layer (SiO₂) and up into the phosphorus‐doped silicon bulk. At the solar cell surface the elemental composition is similar for both cells, although the bad one presents slightly more carbon, phosphorus and lead but less silver than the good one. During profiling, carbon and silver could be followed by XPS. It was found that the carbon content is distinguishably higher in the bad cell than in the good one. Furthermore, it was found that silver atoms have not diffused in the same way in both cells. Only the good cell presents silver atoms up into the silicon bulk. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An application of Ungar's differential transform to elastodynamics

In recent years, a lot of writers have used Cagniard-de Hoop’s method^[1][2] to solve some problems of elastic wave. But it is a difficult and complicated task to change the path of integration when we use this method. A differential transform by A.Ungar^[3,6] can obviate this difficulty. In this paper, weuse Ungar’s differential transform to solve a case of Lamb’s problem^[1][2].     

反式钙钛矿电池超薄空穴传输层研究进展

空穴传输层(HTLs)厚度对反式钙钛矿太阳能电池(PSCs)性能具有重大影响,因其显著影响太阳光透过和HTLs的空穴传输性能。几个纳米至十几个纳米厚度的超薄HTLs在减少伴生吸收、电荷传输损失和材料消耗等方面具有明显优势。目前,有许多成熟的制备超薄无机HTLs的方法,并在反式和叠层PSCs中得到广泛研究与应用。最近,一些关于有机超薄HTLs的新型制备方法也展现出良好的性能并逐渐引起相关领域研究者关注。在此,本文主要总结反式PSCs中超薄HTLs的研究进展与应用,关注其未来发展的挑战和方向,为该领域进一步的研究提供参考。     

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Characterization of a New Manganese(Ⅱ)Tetracarboxylate

By hydrothermal synthesis,a manganese(Ⅱ)tetracarboxylate [Mn(2,2'-bipyridi-ne)btec)o.5(H2O)]2n(H4btec=1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid)was obtained and characteri-zed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction,IR,elemental analysis and thermogravimetrie analysis.It crystallizes in triclinic,space group P(1),with a=7.721(4),b=8.905(5),c=10.712(6)(A),α=80.899(8),β=70.371(8),γ=78.201(8)°,z=2,V=675.8(7)(A)3,Mr=354.20,Dc=1.741 g/cm3,μ=1.007mm-1,F(000)=360,S=0.956,(△/σ)max=0.000,the final R=0.0490 and wR=0.1262.This compound presents an infinite 1D polymer featuring a double-chain structure.The Mn(Ⅱ)ion is five-coordinated.The four carboxylate groups of btec4- are all deprotonated and coordinated to four Mn atoms in a monodentate fashion,forming a 1D double chain structure with a cavity.Such chains are interconnected by π-π stacking interactions into 2D layers which are further interlinked into a supramolecular structure by hydrogen bonds.