Tranexamic Acid Cream Protects Ultraviolet B-induced Photoaging in Balb/c Mice Skin by Increasing Mitochondrial Markers: Changes Lead to Improvement of Histological Appearance

Tranexamic acid (TSA) is widely used as an antiaging treatment for reducing melasma and wrinkles. There are various mechanisms for wrinkle formation, and one of them is due to damage of the mitochondria. Research on mitochondria in the skin is very limited, so we are interested to see the changes that occur after application of TSA cream. We explored the effect of TSA on mitochondrial protein levels (PGC1α, Tom20, COX IV), which had affected to skin histological structure. Thirty male, 6-week-old, Balb/C mice were divided into five groups (negative control, positive control, TSA 3%, TSA 4% and TSA 5%). After 10 days of acclimatization, four groups of mice were exposed to UVB light, of which three groups were given TSA cream for 10 weeks. The skin tissue was excised for protein and histological studies. H&E staining was performed for evaluating histological changes in epidermal thickness and dermal elastosis. TSA treatment on the mice skin increased mitochondrial marker levels and epidermal thickness while decreasing dermal elastosis for all the treatment groups. Topical application of TSA significantly increased mitochondrial biogenesis which may cause alteration in epidermal thickness and reduced dermal elastosis in the histology of mice skin.     

Non-invasive vibrational SFG spectroscopy reveals that bacterial adhesion can alter the conformation of grafted "brush" chains on SAM

Understanding bacterial adhesion on a surface is a crucial step to design new materials with improved properties or to control biofilm formation and eradication. Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy has been employed to study in situ the conformational response of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of octadecanethiol (ODT) on a gold film to the adhesion of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ovococcoid model bacteria. The present work highlights vibrational SFG spectroscopy as a powerful and unique non-invasive biophysical technique to probe and control bacteria interaction with ordered surfaces. Indeed, the SFG vibrational spectral changes reveal different ODT SAM conformations in air and upon exposure to aqueous solution or bacterial adhesion. Furthermore, this effect depends on the bacterial cell surface properties. The SFG spectral modeling demonstrates that hydrophobic bacteria flatten the ODT SAM alkyl chain terminal part, whereas the hydrophilic ones raise this ODT SAM terminal part. Microorganism-induced alteration of grafted chains can thus affect the desired interfacial functionality, a result that should be considered for the design of new reactive materials.     

Reduction of UO2 and ThO2 content in zircon mineral from Bangka Region using calcium borate and hydrochloric acid

In an effort to reduce radiation exposure in the use of zircon minerals as opacity for the ceramic industry, it is required that the concentrations of UO₂ and ThO₂ contained in zircon must be less than 500 ppm. The purpose of this study was to reduce the concentration of UO₂ and ThO₂ in zircon minerals. The experimental investigation was initiated by synthesizing of calcium borate (CB), roasting of zircon concentrate with CB at various temperatures, and leaching with hydrochloric acid. The product quality of zircon minerals before and after roasting and leaching was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, X-Ray Diffractometer, and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. The experimental results show that roasting zircon concentrate with CB at a zircon/CB ratio of 5/5 (weight/weight), a temperature of 1200 °C, a contact time of 3 h, and the leaching of the roasted results with 6 M HCl can reduce the total concentration of UO₂ and ThO₂ in zircon from 2008,1 ppm to 498.4 ppm. It can be concluded that the prototype zircon product from the experimental results has fulfilled the premium grade zircon with UO₂ and ThO₂ content of less than 500 ppm.     

Detection of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by gold based immunosensors

We describe the elaboration of ultra-sensitive immunosensors, to detect the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. We utilized commercially available polyclonal anti-S. aureus antibody as receptor. Immunosensors were elaborated by building a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of thiolamine onto planar gold-coated sensor chips. Then, Protein A was covalently linked to the thiolated SAM using glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. After a blocking step by Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), the antibody was immobilized by affinity to Protein A. This step-by-step construction was monitored by Polarization Modulation Reflection Absorption Infrared Spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) and Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D). In a first stage, the parameters of immunosensor elaboration were optimized using a model rabbit IgG. The accessibility of receptors and the homogeneity of their distribution were checked by PM-RAIRS, QCM-D, and by immuno-gold scanning electron microscopy. Then, the specific rabbit anti-S. aureus antibody was immobilized and the resulting sensing layer was applied to the detection of the pathogen target. Independent detection of bacteria immobilized on the sensors by fluorescent imaging allowed validation of the specificity of recognition toward the pathogen as well as a quantitative response of the sensor. Using PM-RAIRS as transducing technique allowed us to enhance sensitivity and reach a very competitive detection level (10⁵ CFU mL^?1).     

Interfacing Glycosylated Carbon‐Nanotube‐Network Devices with Living Cells to Detect Dynamic Secretion of Biomolecules

A sense of cell‐being : Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are functionalized with bioactive monosaccharides to enable their use as biosensors. The glycosylated nanotube network is biocompatible and can interface with living cells (see scheme) to electronically detect biomolecular release with high temporal resolution and high sensitivity.

     

Functionalisation of gold surfaces with thiolate SAMs: Topography/bioactivity relationship - A combined FT-RAIRS, AFM and QCM investigation

Immobilisation of rabbit immunoglobulin G (rIgG) was performed by affinity binding to protein A (PrA) covalently bound to three different thiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), (i) a mixed SAM of mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and mercaptohexanol (C6OH) at a molar ratio of 1-3, (ii) a pure SAM of MUA and (iii) a pure SAM of cystamine (CA). A comparative study of anti-rIgG recognition process on these three surfaces was achieved in order to assess the influence of the attachment layer topography and composition upon the sensor quality. Functionalised gold-coated surfaces were characterised by three complementary analytical techniques, namely atomic force microscopy (AFM), polarization modulation-reflection-adsorption infrared spectroscopy (PM-RAIRS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). PM-RAIRS and AFM revealed that the three SAMs were formed on the gold surfaces. AFM observations made it clear that the thiolate and PrA layers were rather homogeneous in the case of pure MUA and CA SAMs, as compared to the MUA/C6OH mixed SAM on which PrA aggregates were observed. Though the highest amount of antibody was bound to the PrA on CA layer, higher anti-rIgG over IgG ratios were measured on the less dense layers of antibody.