Binding constant measurement by hyper-Rayleigh scattering: bilirubin-human serum albumin binding as a case study

In this paper, a new application of the hyper-Rayleigh scattering technique in determining multiple binding constants of a small molecule like bilirubin to a macromolecule like the protein human serum albumin has been demonstrated. Human serum albumin has two binding sites for bilirubin, and the binding constants have been measured by carrying out a second harmonic titration of the protein against bilirubin and vice versa. The measured binding constants K(1) = 1.5 +/- 0.43 x 10(7) M(-1) and K(2) = 1.01 +/- 0.16 x 10(6) M(-1) agree well with the reported values obtained by other methods.     

Adsorption Characteristics of Pb(II) and Cr(III) onto C‐4‐Methoxyphenylcalix[4]Resorcinarene in Batch and Fixed Bed Column Systems

A study on the adsorption characteristics of Pb(II) and Cr(III) cations onto C‐4‐methoxyphenylcalix‐[4]resorcinarene (CMPCR) in batch and fixed bed column systems has been conducted. CMPCR was produced by one step synthesis from resorcinol, 4‐methoxybenzaldehyde, and HCl. The synthesis was carried out at 78 °C for 24 hours and afforded the adsorbent in 85.7% as a 3:2 mixture of C_4ν:C_2ν isomer. Most parameters in batch and fixed bed column systems confirm that CMPCR is a good adsorbent for Pb(II) and Cr(III), though Pb(II) adsorption was more favorable than that of Cr(III). The adsorption kinetic of Pb(II) and Cr(III) adsorptions in batch and fixed bed column systems followed a pseudo 2ⁿ order kinetics model. The rate constant of Pb(II) was higher than that of Cr(III) in the batch system, but this result was contrary to the result obtained in a fixed bed column system. Desorption studies to recover the adsorbed Pb(II) and Cr(III) were performed sequentially with distilled water and HCl, and the results showed that the adsorption was dominated by chemisorption.     

Antibacterial,Antioxidant, Larvicidal and Anticancer Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Extracts from Fruits of Lagerstroemia speciose and Flowers of Couroupita guianensis

The present study aimed to analyze the in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, larvicidal and cytotoxicity properties of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using aqueous extracts from fruits of Lagerstroemia speciosa and flowers of Couropita guinensis. Synthesized Ag NPs were characterized using UV-DRS, FTIR, XRD, DLS, and High-Resolution SEM and TEM analyses. Absorption wavelength was observed at 386 nm by UV-DRS analysis and energy band gap was calculated as 3.24 eV. FTIR analysis showed the existence of various functional groups in the aqueous extract and in the NPs. DLS analysis showed the stability and particle size of the synthesized Ag NPs. SEM analysis revealed that Ag NPs are in a face centered cubic symmetry and spherical shape with a size of 23.9 nm. TEM analysis showed particle size as 29.90 nm. Ag NPs showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. DPPH scavenging trait of Ag NPs was ranging from 20.0 ± 0.2% to 62.4 ± 0.3% and observed significant larvicidal activity (LC50 at 0.742 ppm and LC90 at 6.061 ppm) against Culex quinquefasciatus. In vitro cytotoxicity activity of Ag NPs was also tested against human breast cancer (MCF-7) and fibroblast cells (L-929) and found that cells viabilities are ranging (500 to 25 µg/mL) from 52.5 ± 0.4 to 94.0 ± 0.7% and 53.6 ± 0.5 to 90.1 ± 0.8%, respectively. The synthesized Ag NPs have the potential to be used in the various biomedical applications.     

A note on general solution of Stokes equations

Li et al. (2015) claim that it is sufficient to use two harmonic functions to express the general solution of Stokes equations. In this paper, we demonstrate that this is not true in a general case and that we in fact need three scalar harmonic functions to represent the general solution of Stokes equations (Venkatalaxmi et al., 2004).     

Sol–gel synthesis and optical behavior of Mg–Ce–O nano-crystallites

The Mg–Ce–O powder are shown to contain periclase-type MgO and/or fluoride-type cerium oxide (CeO₂) depending upon the composition (x) defined by Ce/(Ce + Mg) atomic ratio. Lattice contraction of pariclase phase of MgO (average crystallite size ~8.8 nm) at Ce content of ‘x’ = 0.20 in comparison to pure MgO (crystallite size ~9.5 nm) has been realized due to oxygen vacancy formation. The optical band gap values of CeO₂ varies (3.0–3.2 eV) due to oxygen vacancy formation in CeO₂ phase, crystallite size and/or Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ ratio. Further, the addition of Ce has shown to reduce the physisorption and chemisorption of water significantly as reflected by (1) suppression of related absorption peaks and (2) absence of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, bands in Fourier transform infrared spectra.     

Approaches for Mitigating Microbial Biofilm-Related Drug Resistance: A Focus on Micro- and Nanotechnologies

Biofilms play an essential role in chronic and healthcare-associated infections and are more resistant to antimicrobials compared to their planktonic counterparts due to their (1) physiological state, (2) cell density, (3) quorum sensing abilities, (4) presence of extracellular matrix, (5) upregulation of drug efflux pumps, (6) point mutation and overexpression of resistance genes, and (7) presence of persister cells. The genes involved and their implications in antimicrobial resistance are well defined for bacterial biofilms but are understudied in fungal biofilms. Potential therapeutics for biofilm mitigation that have been reported include (1) antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, (2) antimicrobial lock therapy, (3) antimicrobial peptides, (4) electrical methods, and (5) antimicrobial coatings. These approaches exhibit promising characteristics for addressing the impending crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Recently, advances in the micro- and nanotechnology field have propelled the development of novel biomaterials and approaches to combat biofilms either independently, in combination or as antimicrobial delivery systems. In this review, we will summarize the general principles of clinically important microbial biofilm formation with a focus on fungal biofilms. We will delve into the details of some novel micro- and nanotechnology approaches that have been developed to combat biofilms and the possibility of utilizing them in a clinical setting.     

The Utilization of Algae and Seaweed Biomass for Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Wastewater

The presence of heavy metals in water bodies is linked to the increasing number of industries and populations. This has serious consequences for the quality of human health and the environment. In accordance with this issue, water and wastewater treatment technologies including ion exchange, chemical extraction, and hydrolysis should be conducted as a first water purification stage. However, the sequestration of these toxic substances tends to be expensive, especially for large scale treatment methods that require tedious control and have limited efficiency. Therefore, adsorption methods using adsorbents derived from biomass represent a promising alternative due to their great efficiency and abundance. Algal and seaweed biomass has appeared as a sustainable solution for environmentally friendly adsorbent production. This review further discusses recent developments in the use of algal and seaweed biomass as potential sorbent for heavy metal bioremediation. In addition, relevant aspects like metal toxicity, adsorption mechanism, and parameters affecting the completion of adsorption process are also highlighted. Overall, the critical conclusion drawn is that algae and seaweed biomass can be used to sustainably eliminate heavy metals from wastewater.     

Palladium complexes of bis(acyclic diaminocarbene) ligands with chiral N-substituents and 8-membered chelate rings

Reaction of cis-dichloridobis(p-trifluoromethylphenylisocyanide)palladium(II) with N,N′-bis[(R)-1-phenylethyl]-1,3-diaminopropane afforded an enantiomerically pure, C₁-symmetric bis(acyclic diaminocarbene)PdCl₂ complex in 41% yield. The X-ray crystal structure of the complex revealed that three of the four carbene nitrogens are twisted out of conjugation with the carbene units, apparently as a result of steric interactions between one phenyl group and the propylene backbone of the chelate. A similar reaction with N,N′-bis[(R)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl]-1,3-diaminopropane did not lead to an isolable bis(carbene) complex, instead forming significant amounts of bis(ammonium) salt as a decomposition product. However, reaction of the same palladium isocyanide precursor with a mixture of all diastereomers of N,N′-bis[1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl]-1,3-diaminopropane provided an achiral, C_s-symmetric palladium bis(acyclic diaminocarbene) complex derived exclusively from the (R,S) diamine in 20% yield. An X-ray structure showed that the (R,S) stereochemistry allows the bulky naphthyl groups to adopt an orientation that avoids steric interactions with the backbone that likely lead to the instability of the homochiral analogue. The two palladium carbene complexes catalyzed the aza-Claisen rearrangement of an allylic imidate to an allylic amide in 24–34% yield, with an enantiomeric excess of 8% ee for the [(R)-1-phenylethyl]-substituted complex.