Potential Applications of Cucurbit[n]urils Inclusion Complexes in Photodynamic Therapy

Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) have emerged as potential candidates for drug delivery in several areas due to their strong binding interactions and low toxicity. More recently, their benefits for a type of cancer treatment termed Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) have been recognized. The outcomes of this therapy rely on better drug delivery strategies and improving overall photoactivity of the drugs, which is where CB[n]s could have a strong impact. The effects of these molecular containers on photoactivity are discussed and new interesting work is highlighted.     

Catalytic combustion of methane over a highly active and stable NiO/CeO2 catalyst

In the last decades, many reports dealing with technology for the catalytic combustion of methane (CH₄) have been published. Recently, attention has increasingly focused on the synthesis and catalytic activity of nickel oxides. In this paper, a NiO/CeO₂ catalyst with high catalytic performance in methane combustion was synthesized via a facile impregnation method, and its catalytic activity, stability, and water-resistance during CH₄ combustion were investigated. X-ray diffraction, low-temperature N₂ adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, hydrogen temperature programmed reduction, methane temperature programmed surface reaction, Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and transmission electron microscope characterization of the catalyst were conducted to determine the origin of its high catalytic activity and stability in detail. The incorporation of NiO was found to enhance the concentration of oxygen vacancies, as well as the activity and amount of surface oxygen. As a result, the mobility of bulk oxygen in CeO₂ was increased. The presence of CeO₂ prevented the aggregation of NiO, enhanced reduction by NiO, and provided more oxygen species for the combustion of CH₄. The results of a kinetics study indicated that the reaction order was about 1.07 for CH₄ and about 0.10 for O₂ over the NiO/CeO₂ catalyst.     

高供氧压力下高马赫数氧枪数值模拟

  以北方某钢厂100 t转炉为原型，建立顶吹转炉炉内流场的三维数学模型，采用Fluent软件研究了不同高马赫数氧气射流与熔池钢液速度流场分布之间的依赖关系。研究发现，高马赫数氧枪在Ma（马赫数）为2.0～2.3时，曲线平稳，为最佳供氧压力。在提高供氧压力的同时，氧气射流的最大速度、熔池钢液面的冲击直径及冲击深度也随之增加。模拟结果显示，氧气射流在设计工况氧压小于1.0 MPa时，射流之间相互干扰作用最弱；氧气射流在设计工况氧压力大于1.0 MPa后，冲击直径与冲击深度增幅较小。基于上述研究，在实际生产中应用了高马赫数氧枪后，并结合变枪变压操作工艺，可以改善熔池底部钢液流动状况、稳定转炉吹炼过程、控制炉渣喷溅。     

多层介质膜脉宽压缩光栅清洗方法研究

采用SPM (Sulfuric-Peroxide Mixtures, 98wt%H₂SO₄+30wt%H₂O₂)+兆声(方法1)和氧等离子体+HPM (Hydrochloric/Peroxide Mixture, 37wt%HCl+30wt%H₂O₂+DIH₂O)+兆声(方法2)两种清洗方法对多层介质膜脉宽压缩光栅进行清洗, 并对清洗前后样品的表面元素含量、衍射效率、表面粗糙度、表面温升以及激光损伤阈值等参数进行测量以评估两种清洗方法清洗效果。在入射角70°, 脉宽12 ns, s偏振, 波长1064 nm的激光辐照下, 经过清洗方法1清洗后的光栅样品单脉冲激光损伤阈值为7.55 J/cm ², 而方法2清洗后的样品损伤阈值为5.32 J/cm ²。另外, 虽然经过方法2清洗后样品表面杂质含量更低, 但是在衍射效率、表面粗糙度和表面温升都劣于经方法1清洗后的样品, 进一步分析发现方法2中氧等离子体清洗过程引入的Fe元素影响了其样品损伤性能和温升性能。因此, SPM清洗方法可以作为多层介质膜脉宽压缩光栅提升抗激光损伤性能的优化清洗方案。     

Engineering 2D Multifunctional Ultrathin Bismuthene for Multiple Photonic Nanomedicine

2D monoelemental nanomaterials (Xenes) have shown tremendous potential for versatile biomedical applications. Bismuth, as a heavy element in pnictogens, has acquired massive research interest due to its unique optical performance, high biocompatibility, stability, and relatively low cost. However, the utilization of 2D bismuthene in nanomedicine has not been achieved because of the difficulty in engineering bismuthene with crucial structural/compositional characteristics for satisfying strict biomedical requirements. Herein, to address this Gordian knot, a facile strategy to intercalate and delaminate Bi bulk for generating mass few-layered 2D bismuthene with high yield by employing a water molecule mediated freezing–thawing process and sodium borohydride-triggered reduction treatment is proposed. The resulting 2D bismuthene displays good optical performance in the near-infrared (NIR) biowindow and can be excited via red light for reactive oxygen species generation, enabling applications in multiple photonic cancer nanomedicine settings, including photothermal hyperthermia and photodynamic therapy. Utilizing the intrinsic desirable optical absorbance and strong X-ray attenuation of bismuthene, dual photonic therapy can be conducted under the supervision of photoacoustic/computed tomography guided multimodal imaging. This research not only offers a potential mass-production ready, cost-effective, and eco-efficient methodology for engineering 2D Xenes, but also exploits an innovative 2D bismuthene based photonic cancer nanomedicine.     

Excision of Oxidatively Generated Guanine Lesions by Competitive DNA Repair Pathways

The base and nucleotide excision repair pathways (BER and NER, respectively) are two major mechanisms that remove DNA lesions formed by the reactions of genotoxic intermediates with cellular DNA. It is generally believed that small non-bulky oxidatively generated DNA base modifications are removed by BER pathways, whereas DNA helix-distorting bulky lesions derived from the attack of chemical carcinogens or UV irradiation are repaired by the NER machinery. However, existing and growing experimental evidence indicates that oxidatively generated DNA lesions can be repaired by competitive BER and NER pathways in human cell extracts and intact human cells. Here, we focus on the interplay and competition of BER and NER pathways in excising oxidatively generated guanine lesions site-specifically positioned in plasmid DNA templates constructed by a gapped-vector technology. These experiments demonstrate a significant enhancement of the NER yields in covalently closed circular DNA plasmids (relative to the same, but linearized form of the same plasmid) harboring certain oxidatively generated guanine lesions. The interplay between the BER and NER pathways that remove oxidatively generated guanine lesions are reviewed and discussed in terms of competitive binding of the BER proteins and the DNA damage-sensing NER factor XPC-RAD23B to these lesions.     

Rapid Hormetic Responses of Photosystem II Photochemistry of Clary Sage to Cadmium Exposure

Five-day exposure of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.) to 100 μM cadmium (Cd) in hydroponics was sufficient to increase Cd concentrations significantly in roots and aboveground parts and affect negatively whole plant levels of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), since Cd competes for Ca channels, while reduced Mg concentrations are associated with increased Cd tolerance. Total zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) uptake increased but their translocation to the aboveground parts decreased. Despite the substantial levels of Cd in leaves, without any observed defects on chloroplast ultrastructure, an enhanced photosystem II (PSII) efficiency was observed, with a higher fraction of absorbed light energy to be directed to photochemistry (Φ_PSΙΙ). The concomitant increase in the photoprotective mechanism of non-photochemical quenching of photosynthesis (NPQ) resulted in an important decrease in the dissipated non-regulated energy (Φ_NO), modifying the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS), through a decreased singlet oxygen (¹O₂) formation. A basal ROS level was detected in control plant leaves for optimal growth, while a low increased level of ROS under 5 days Cd exposure seemed to be beneficial for triggering defense responses, and a high level of ROS out of the boundaries (8 days Cd exposure), was harmful to plants. Thus, when clary sage was exposed to Cd for a short period, tolerance mechanisms were triggered. However, exposure to a combination of Cd and high light or to Cd alone (8 days) resulted in an inhibition of PSII functionality, indicating Cd toxicity. Thus, the rapid activation of PSII functionality at short time exposure and the inhibition at longer duration suggests a hormetic response and describes these effects in terms of “adaptive response” and “toxicity”, respectively.