Nanostructured Colloidal Solutions of Malachite Green Formulated: Nonlinear Optical Properties and Simulation

Journal of Fluorescence - Malachite green (MG) is a dye that has been presented to use as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) and nonlinear...     

Spacecraft formation flying in the port-Hamiltonian framework

The problem of controlling the relative position and velocity in multi-spacecraft formation flying in the planetary orbits is an enabling technology for current and future research. This paper proposes a family of tracking controllers for different dynamics of Spacecraft Formation Flying (SFF) in the framework of port-Hamiltonian (pH) systems through application of timed Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity-Based Control (IDA-PBC). The leader–multi-follower architecture is used to address this problem. In this regard, first we model the spacecraft motion in the pH framework in the Earth Centered Inertial frame and then transform it to the Hill frame which is a special local coordinate system. By this technique, we may present a unified structure which encompasses linear/nonlinear dynamics, with/without perturbation. Then, using the timed IDA-PBC method and the contraction analysis, a new method for controlling a family of SFF dynamics is developed. The numerical simulations show the efficiency of the approach in two different cases of missions.

     

On describing the steady absorption of brownian particles by a restricted random walk

This paper is concerned with idealizing brownian motion as a random walk, using the diffusion equation, and finding the boundary condition at an absorbing surface - all with an eye towards chemical kinetics. Three models of random walk (due to Smoluchowski, Fermi, and Lorentz) are considered, and it is concluded that the lorentzian model is the most appropriate.     

On the long-lived transient absorption observed in nanosecond laser photolysis studies of two polymethine cyanine dyes

It is shown that the long-lived transient absorption which is observed when solutions of cryptocyanine and DDI (1, 1′-diethyl-2, 2′-dicarbocyanine iodide) in methanol and other alcohols are exposed to nanosecond ruby laser pulses arises from a photoproduct whose formation requires consecutive absorption of two photons.     

Vector and Cell Line Engineering Technologies Toward Recombinant Protein Expression in Mammalian Cell Lines

The rapid growth of global biopharmaceutical market in the recent years has been a good indication of its significance in biotechnology industry. During a long period of time in recombinant protein production from 1980s, optimizations in both upstream and downstream processes were launched. In this regard, one of the most promising strategies is expression vector engineering technology based on incorporation of DNA opening elements found in the chromatin border regions of vectors as well as targeting gene integration. Along with these approaches, cell line engineering has revealed convenient outcomes in isolating high-producing clones. According to the fact that more than 50% of the approved therapeutic proteins is being manufactured in mammalian cell lines, in this review, we focus on several approaches and developments in vector and cell line engineering technologies in mammalian cell culture.     

Antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of nanochelating based silver nanoparticles against several nosocomial pathogens

The emergence of multi‐drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and dynamic pattern of infectious diseases demand to develop alternative and more effective therapeutic strategies. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most widely commercialized engineered nanomaterials, because of their unique properties and increasing use for various applications in nanomedicine. This study for the first time aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of newly synthesized nanochelating based AgNPs against several Gram‐positive and ‐negative nosocomial pathogens. Nanochelating technology was used to design and synthesize the AgNPs. The cytotoxicity was tested in human cell line using the MTT assay. AgNPs minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by standard broth microdilution. Antibiofilm activity was assayed by a microtiter‐plate screening method. The two synthesized AgNPs including AgNPs (A) with the size of about 20‐25 nm, and AgNPs (B) with 30‐35 nm were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AgNPs exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive strains. AgNPs were found to significantly inhibit the biofilm formation of tested strains in concentration 0.01 to 10 mg/mL. AgNPs (A) showed significant effective antibiofilm activity compared to AgNPs (B). In summary, our results showed the promising antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of our new nanochelating based synthesized AgNPs against several nosocomial pathogens.     

Synthesis and characterization of three new organotin complexes containing piperazine as a bidentate ligand

The reaction of dichlorostannanes R₂SnCl₂ (R=Me 1, Buⁿ 2) with piperazine ligand in molar ratio 1:2, in dry methylene dichloride, in an inert atmosphere leads to the synthesis of R₂Sn(C₄H₉N₂)₂(R=Me 1, Buⁿ 2). In a similar manner, The reaction between Ph₂SnCl₂ and piperazine in dry ethanol in molar ratio 1:1 produces [Ph₂Sn(C₄H₈N₂)]₂ (3). The yields of these new products were excellent and they have been fully characterized by FT-IR, UV–Vis, multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, as well as elemental analysis. The spectroscopic results indicate that the piperazine ligand is coordinated to tin atom of organotin moieties, through the nitrogen atoms. Furthermore, the ligand behaves as a bidentate fashion in (1) and (2) and gives 1:2 substitution products, while in the complex (3) the two six-membered rings bind in bidentate-chelate forms between the two Sn atoms.     

Surface modification of cellulose nanocrystal with chitosan oligosaccharide for drug delivery applications

A novel drug delivery system based on two of the most abundant natural biopolymers was developed by modifying the surface of oxidized cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with chitosan oligosaccharide (CS_OS). First, the primary alcohol moieties of CNC were selectively oxidized to carboxyl groups using the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical catalyst. The amino groups of CS_OS were then reacted with carboxylic acid groups on oxidized CNC (CNC-OX) via the carbodiimide reaction using N-hydroxysuccinimide and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide as coupling agents. Successful grafting of CS_OS to CNC-OX was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, potentiometric titration, and zeta potential measurements. The grafting resulted in a conversion of ~90 % carboxyl groups on CNC-OX and the degree of substitution was 0.26. CNC–CS_OS nanoparticles showed a binding efficiency of 21.5 % and a drug loading of 14 % w/w. A drug selective electrode was used to directly measure the concentration of procaine hydrochloride released from CNC–CS_OS particles. The in vitro drug release was studied at pH 8 and the nanoparticles revealed a fast release of up to 1 h, which can be used as biocompatible and biodegradable drug carriers for transdermal delivery applications.     

Chemical Antibody Mimics Inhibit Cadherin-Mediated Cell–Cell Adhesion: A Promising Strategy for Cancer Therapy

One of the most promising strategies to treat cancer is the use of therapeutic antibodies that disrupt cell–cell adhesion mediated by dysregulated cadherins. The principal site where cell–cell adhesion occurs encompasses Trp2 found at the N-terminal region of the protein. Herein, we employed the naturally exposed highly conserved peptide Asp1-Trp2-Val3-Ile4-Pro5-Pro6-Ile7, as epitope to prepare molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP-NPs) to recognize cadherins. Since MIP-NPs target the site responsible for adhesion, they were more potent than commercially available therapeutic antibodies for inhibiting cell–cell adhesion in cell aggregation assays, and for completely disrupting three-dimensional tumor spheroids as well as inhibiting invasion of HeLa cells. These biocompatible supramolecular anti-adhesives may potentially be used as immunotherapeutic or sensitizing agents to enhance antitumor effects of chemotherapy.     

Cross-Correlated Motions in Azidolysozyme

The changes in the local and global dynamics of azide-labelled lysozyme compared with that of the wild type protein are quantitatively assessed for all alanine residues along the polypeptide chain. Although attaching -N3 to alanine residues has been considered to be a minimally invasive change in the protein it is found that depending on the location of the alanine residue, the local and global changes in the dynamics differ. For Ala92, the change in the cross-correlated motions are minimal, whereas attaching -N3 to Ala90 leads to pronounced differences in the local and global correlations as quantified by the cross-correlation coefficients of the Cα atoms. We also demonstrate that the spectral region of the asymmetric azide stretch distinguishes between alanine attachment sites, whereas changes in the low frequency, far-infrared region are less characteristic.