Electron tunneling in ensembles of silicon nanocrystals

Results from our calculations of the electron tunneling rates between silicon nanocrystals are presented. It is shown that tunnel transitions can be more efficient than radiative interband recombination and substantially influence emission in ensembles of silicon nanocrystals.     

Friedel-crafts copolymerization of thiophene and p-di(chloromethyl)benzene. I. Products,kinetics, and mechanism of the early stages of the reaction

The rate of polymerization of thiophene, at concentrations of catalyst (SnCl₄), and thiophene of the same order as was subsequently used in studying the reaction between thiophene and di(chloromethyl)benzene, is of the order of 10^-2%/hr at 30°C. There is no significant self-condensation of DCMB under the same conditions. Since the reaction between thiophene and DCMB is complete at 30°C in minutes rather than hours, it is assumed that self-condensation of thiophene or DCMB during the reaction between them will be negligible and should not influence the course of the reaction or the structure of the resulting polymer. Reaction at 30°C is much too fast for convenient study. A temperature of 0°C is more appropriate and was used in subsequent kinetic work. The first two products of the condensation of p-di(chloromethyl)benzene (DCMB) with thiophene have been identified by a combination of mass, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as thenylchloromethylbenzene (TCMB) and dithenylbenzene (DTB). DCMB, TCMB, and DTB have been estimated quantitatively during the course of the reaction by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), and it has been established that the rates of each of the two reaction steps is first-order with respect to the chloro compound (DCMB and TCMB respectively), thiophene, and SnCl₄. Rate constants for these two consecutive reactions were calculated to be k₁ = 2.79 × 10^-4l.²/mole²-sec, k₂ = 6.37 × 10^-3l.²/mole²-sec; the corresponding energies of activation are E₁ = 7.93 kcal/mole, E₂ = 7°67 kcal/mole. These rate constants are appreciably higher than values previously obtained for the corresponding DCMB–benzene reactions.     

Tracking bacterial infection of macrophages using a novel red-emission pH sensor

The relationship between bacteria and host phagocytic cells is key to the induction of immunity. To visualize and monitor bacterial infection, we developed a novel bacterial membrane permeable pH sensor for the noninvasive monitoring of bacterial entry into murine macrophages. The pH sensor was constructed using 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) as an electron-withdrawing group and aniline as an electron-donating group. A piperazine moiety was used as the pH-sensitive group. Because of the strong electron-donating and -withdrawing units conjugated in the sensing moiety M, the fluorophore emitted in the red spectral window, away from the autofluorescence regions of the bacteria. Following the engulfment of sensor-labeled bacteria by macrophages and their subsequent merger with host lysosomes, the resulting low-pH environment enhances the fluorescence intensity of the pH sensors inside the bacteria. Time-lapse analysis of the fluorescent intensity suggested significant heterogeneity of bacterial uptake among macrophages. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis of the bacterial 16 S rRNA gene expression within single macrophage cells suggested that the 16 S rRNA of the bacteria was still intact 120 min after they had been engulfed by macrophages. A toxicity assay showed that the pH sensor has no cytotoxicity towards either E. coli or murine macrophages. The sensor shows good repeatability, a long lifetime, and a fast response to pH changes, and can be used for a variety of bacteria.     

Units of compatible nearrings

We study singly-generated wavelet systems on ${\mathbb {R}^2}$ that are naturally associated with rank-one wavelet systems on the Heisenberg group N. We prove a necessary condition on the generator in order that any such system be a Parseval frame. Given a suitable subset I of the dual of N, we give an explicit construction for Parseval frame wavelets that are associated with I. We say that ${g\in L^2(I\times \mathbb {R})}$ is Gabor field over I if, for a.e. ${\lambda \in I}$ , |??|^1/2 g(??, ·) is the Gabor generator of a Parseval frame for ${L^2(\mathbb {R})}$ , and that I is a Heisenberg wavelet set if every Gabor field over I is a Parseval frame (mother-)wavelet for ${L^2(\mathbb {R}^2)}$ . We then show that I is a Heisenberg wavelet set if and only if I is both translation congruent with a subset of the unit interval and dilation congruent with the Shannon set.     

Real-time PCR of single bacterial cells on an array of adhering droplets

Real-time PCR at the single bacterial cell level is an indispensable tool to quantitatively reveal the heterogeneity of isogenetic cells. Conventional PCR platforms that utilize microtiter plates or PCR tubes have been widely used, but their large reaction volumes are not suited for sensitive single-cell analysis. Microfluidic devices provide high density, low volume PCR chambers, but they are usually expensive and require dedicated equipment to manipulate liquid and perform detection. To address these limitations, we developed an inexpensive chip-level device that is compatible with a commercial real-time PCR thermal cycler to perform quantitative PCR for single bacterial cells. The chip contains twelve surface-adhering droplets, defined by hydrophilic patterning, that serve as real-time PCR reaction chambers when they are immersed in oil. A one-step process that premixed reagents with cell medium before loading was applied, so no on-chip liquid manipulation and DNA purification were needed. To validate its application for genetic analysis, Synechocystis PCC 6803 cells were loaded on the chip from 1000 cells to one cell per droplet, and their 16S rRNA gene (two copies per cell) was analyzed on a commercially available ABI StepOne real-time PCR thermal cycler. The result showed that the device is capable of genetic analysis at single bacterial cell level with C(q) standard deviation less than 1.05 cycles. The successful rate of this chip-based operation is more than 85% at the single bacterial cell level.     

Stickstoffbestimmung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Incorporation of nanogels within calcite single crystals for the storage,protection and controlled release of active compounds

Nanocarriers have tremendous potential for the encapsulation, storage and delivery of active compounds. However, current formulations often employ open structures that achieve efficient loading of active agents, but that suffer undesired leakage and instability of the payloads over time. Here, a straightforward strategy that overcomes these issues is presented, in which protein nanogels are encapsulated within single crystals of calcite (CaCO₃). Demonstrating our approach with bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanogels loaded with (bio)active compounds, including doxorubicin (a chemotherapeutic drug) and lysozyme (an antibacterial enzyme), we show that these nanogels can be occluded within calcite host crystals at levels of up to 45 vol%. Encapsulated within the dense mineral, the active compounds are stable against harsh conditions such as high temperature and pH, and controlled release can be triggered by a simple reduction of the pH. Comparisons with analogous systems – amorphous calcium carbonate, mesoporous vaterite (CaCO₃) polycrystals, and calcite crystals containing polymer vesicles – demonstrate the superior encapsulation performance of the nanogel/calcite system. This opens the door to encapsulating a broad range of existing nanocarrier systems within single crystal hosts for the efficient storage, transport and controlled release of various active guest species.

Nanocarriers have tremendous potential for the encapsulation, storage and delivery of active compounds.