Continuous Spectroscopy Characterization of Emulsions

In emulsion polymerization, the formation of particles has an important effect on the rate of reaction and on the final properties of the latex. To investigate particle nucleation mechanisms in emulsion polymerization it is necessary to establish the initial conditions of the emulsified system before the reaction takes place. This research reports on a technique to continuously monitor the droplet size distribution of liquid-liquid emulsions using spectroscopy. The on-line particle characterization methodology is based on an integrated sampling and dilution strategy combined with spectroscopy methods. It is shown that the sampling system integrated with a multiwavelength turbidity detector provides reliable estimates of droplet populations as function of the dispersed phase concentration in emulsions of saturated hydrocarbons. The results provide not only the groundwork necessary for the elucidation of particle nucleation during emulsion polymerization process but also suggests the potential of this combined technology to further our understanding of liquid-liquid emulsions.     

基于电喷雾电离质谱的人肝癌细胞HepG2与正常肝细胞L02的N-糖链的定性定量比较

以培养的原发性肝癌细胞HepG2和正常肝细胞L02为研究对象,采用细胞裂解液提取总蛋白,用PNGase F酶解释放N-糖链,以微晶纤维素柱结合石墨碳柱纯化分离N-糖链,通过电喷雾电离质谱(ESI-MS)和串联质谱(MS/MS)对N-糖链进行序列鉴定,以β-环糊精为内标对2种细胞系的N-糖链进行了定量比较分析.结果表明,在肝癌细胞系HepG2和正常细胞系L02中共检测到26种N-糖链,与L02相比,HepG2的大多数高甘露糖型糖链、唾液酸化糖链和岩藻糖基化糖链的数量都明显升高,其中有15种糖链在数量上具有极显著性差异(p0.01),1种糖链具有显著性差异(p0.05).本研究为进一步探索肝癌中各类N-糖链的表达特点及发现早期肝癌糖链标志物提供了参考.     

Determination of cysteine,homocysteine, cystine,and homocystine in biological fluids by HPLC using fluorosurfactant‐capped gold nanoparticles as postcolumn colorimetric reagents

We have demonstrated for the first time the suitability of fluorosurfactant‐capped spherical gold nanoparticles as HPLC postcolumn colorimetric reagents for the direct assay of cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine. The success of this work was based on the use of an on‐line tris(2‐carboxyethyl)phosphine reduction column for cystine and homocystine. Several parameters affecting the separation efficiency and the postcolumn colorimetric detection were thoroughly investigated. Under the optimized conditions, cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine in human urine and plasma samples were determined. Detection limits for cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine ranged from 0.16–0.49 μM. The accuracy in terms of recoveries ranged between 94.0–102.1%. This proposed method was rapid, inexpensive, and simple.     

Aspects of trapping efficiency and matrix effects in the development of a restricted‐access‐media‐based trap‐and‐elute liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry method

Online restricted access media with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the direct analysis of small molecules in biological fluids represents an interesting alternative to time‐demanding traditional sample preparation techniques. In this study, important considerations concerning the development of a restricted access media with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry method for the analysis of dansylated estrogens in biological matrix are presented. Parameters influencing peak tailing and trapping efficiency were evaluated. The key factors included the ion strength of the mobile phase, a loading flow rate of the sample onto the trap column, and selection of a proper stationary phase of the trap column for a given set of analytes. These parameters have proven to be essential for minimizing any unwanted chromatographic peak tailing. The bulk derivatization of the analytes in the biological fluids and its relationship to the observed matrix effects was evaluated as well.     

Insight into luminescent iridium complexes: Their potential in light-emitting electrochemical cells

Cyclometallated iridium complexes possess fascinating electrochemical and photophysical properties that make them excellent candidates for a variety of photonic and optoelectronic applications. In particular, light-emitting electrochemical cells (LEECs) based on iridium-containing ionic transition-metal complexes (Ir-iTMCs) are a promising alternative to conventional organic light-emitting diodes with several advantages, including a simpler device structure, solution processability, and reduced manufacturing costs. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the current status of Ir-iTMC-based LEECs using the archetypal complex [Ir(ppy)₂(bpy)]PF₆ as a reference emitter. After a discussion of the device fundamentals and important photophysical and device parameters, key strategies for tuning the emission characteristics and device stability through LUMO and HOMO stabilization/destabilization are presented using numerous examples from the literature, with a particular focus on ligand modification with hydrophobic, electron-withdrawing, and electron-donating substituents, π-stacking interactions, and alternative ancillary and cyclometalated ligand skeletons. Comprehensive data tables summarizing the photophysical and LEEC properties of the various classes of iridium complexes reported to date are also provided. Finally, in an effort to highlight promising directions for future research, the current champion iridium complexes for fabricating state-of-the-art LEECs are identified, and the merits and limitations of existing approaches are discussed.     

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor curcumin upregulates mitochondrial uncoupling protein1 (UCP1) and mitochondrial function in brown adipocytes,in-silico study and screening natural drug library

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with diverse pathological conditions globally. Specifically, in adipose tissues, mitochondrial dysfunction is the primary cause of obesity and obesity-related illnesses. An existing drugs such as atorvastatin and other lipid-lowering drugs demonstrated adverse effects and initiated other diseases. Thus, we need to explore new methods to prevent and treat obesity. In this study, we used the cell screening method to identify several natural compounds that increase adipocyte UCP1 gene expression. The identified drug Curcumin was evaluated in cell models and the In-silico model. We found curcumin is an active compound of turmeric belonging to Zingiberaceae (ginger family), which activates the Nrf2 mechanism. Curcumin potentially endorses the expression of UCP1 in the brown adipocyte in vitro cellular model. Curcumin plays an important role that modulating mitochondrial function and improving mitochondrial DNA quantification, ATP production, and cell viability. We have established an efficient in vitro cell experiment system to study the metabolic regulation of UCP1. The in-silico model revealed curcumin-UCP1 interaction. Curcumin, via enhancing mitochondrial activity, could be a helpful therapeutic molecule against metabolic disorders or obesity-related diseases. Curcumin will be the subject of more research in both human and murine models, which will provide novel therapeutic pathways for the treatment of metabolic illnesses by modulating the control of mitochondrial function.     

Polarity guided extraction,HPLC based phytochemical quantification,and multimode biological evaluation of Otostegia limbata (Benth.) Boiss

Purpose of studyOtostegia limbata (Benth.) Boiss. (Family: Lamiacae) is an important underexplored ethnomedicinal plant that has been used as antinflammatory, anticancer and antibacterial herbal remedy previously. The present work was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, antileishmanial, and anticancer prospective of O. limbata stem and leaf extracts.ResultsThe highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid content was obtained in the methanol-acetone and methanol stem extracts i.e., 53.29 ± 1.33 and 28.64 ± 1.16, respectively with highest DPPH scavenging in MeH stem extract (IC₅₀ = 34.5 ± 1.34 μg/ml). Significant amount of catechin, gallic acid, apigenin and rutin was quantified. A moderate antibacterial and substantial antifungal activity was observed. Cytotoxicity against brine shrimps categorized 21% of stem (3 out of 14 extracts) and 57% (8 out of 14 extracts) of leaf extracts as potent. Substantial cytotoxicity against THP-1 cell line (IC₅₀ = 3.46 ± 0.25 μg/ml) and Leishmania (IC₅₀ = 1.50 ± 0.23 μg/ml) was exhibited by methanol-distilled water leaf extract while noteworthy antiproliferative activity against Hep-G2 (IC₅₀ = 0.44 ± 0.45 μg/ml) was manifested by n-hexane stem extract. Absence of hemolysis in normal RBCs signified plant’s selective cytotoxicity. Methanol-distilled water and chloroform stem extracts displayed prominent protein kinase inhibition and antidiabetic potential of plant.ConclusionThe results of present study recommend O. limbata as a potential source of antifungal, antileishmanial, anticancer, and α-amylase inhibitory agents.     

Immobilization of Eversa® Transform via CLEA Technology Converts It in a Suitable Biocatalyst for Biolubricant Production Using Waste Cooking Oil

The performance of the previously optimized magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregate of Eversa (Eversa-mCLEA) in the enzymatic synthesis of biolubricants by transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) with different alcohols has been evaluated. Eversa-mCLEA showed good activities using these alcohols, reaching a transesterification activity with isoamyl alcohol around 10-fold higher than with methanol. Yields of isoamyl fatty acid ester synthesis were similar using WCO or refined oil, confirming that this biocatalyst could be utilized to transform this residue into a valuable product. The effects of WCO/isoamyl alcohol molar ratio and enzyme load on the synthesis of biolubricant were also investigated. A maximum yield of around 90 wt.% was reached after 72 h of reaction using an enzyme load of 12 esterification units/g oil and a WCO/alcohol molar ratio of 1:6 in a solvent-free system. At the same conditions, the liquid Eversa yielded a maximum ester yield of only 34%. This study demonstrated the great changes in the enzyme properties that can be derived from a proper immobilization system. Moreover, it also shows the potential of WCO as a feedstock for the production of isoamyl fatty acid esters, which are potential candidates as biolubricants.     

A Metabolomic Approach to Beer Characterization

The consumers’ interest towards beer consumption has been on the rise during the past decade: new approaches and ingredients get tested, expanding the traditional recipe for brewing beer. As a consequence, the field of “beeromics” has also been constantly growing, as well as the demand for quick and exhaustive analytical methods. In this study, we propose a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and chemometrics to characterize beer. ¹H-NMR spectra were collected and then analyzed using chemometric tools. An interval-based approach was applied to extract chemical features from the spectra to build a dataset of resolved relative concentrations. One aim of this work was to compare the results obtained using the full spectrum and the resolved approach: with a reasonable amount of time needed to obtain the resolved dataset, we show that the resolved information is comparable with the full spectrum information, but interpretability is greatly improved.     

真空紫外光电离质谱技术进展及其在快速分析中的应用

真空紫外光电离源(VUV-PI)是一种普适性的质谱软电离源,真空紫外光电离质谱谱图无碎片、易解析、灵敏度高,适合于在线快速分析。真空紫外光电离质谱根据分析对象不同可以直接采用单光子电离或添加掺杂剂实现化学电离,能实现气、液、固体分析,也可实现成像分析。该文介绍了真空紫外光电离源的电离原理、光源类型,分析了光电离质谱灵敏度的影响因素及其技术改进措施,并阐述了真空紫外光电离质谱技术在环境污染物、化工产物在线分析、国家安全分析以及生物医学分析中的相关应用研究。最后,总结了真空紫外光电离源的优缺点,并对真空紫外光电离技术在性能和应用方面的发展前景进行了展望。