Intracellular Fate of Hydrophobic Nanocrystal Self‐Assemblies in Tumor Cells

Control of interactions between nanomaterials and cells remains a biomedical challenge. A strategy is proposed to modulate the intralysosomal distribution of nanoparticles through the design of 3D suprastructures built by hydrophilic nanocrystals (NCs) coated with alkyl chains. The intracellular fate of two water‐dispersible architectures of self‐assembled hydrophobic magnetic NCs: hollow deformable shells (colloidosomes) or solid fcc particles (supraballs) is compared. These two self‐assemblies display increased cellular uptake by tumor cells compared to dispersions of the water‐soluble NC building blocks. Moreover, the self‐assembly structures increase the NCs density in lysosomes and close to the lysosome membrane. Importantly, the structural organization of NCs in colloidosomes and supraballs are maintained in lysosomes up to 8 days after internalization, whereas initially dispersed hydrophilic NCs are randomly aggregated. Supraballs and colloidosomes are differently sensed by cells due to their different architectures and mechanical properties. Flexible and soft colloidosomes deform and spread along the biological membranes. In contrast, the more rigid supraballs remain spherical. By subjecting the internalized suprastructures to a magnetic field, they both align and form long chains. Overall, it is highlighted that the mechanical and topological properties of the self‐assemblies direct their intracellular fate allowing the control intralysosomal density, ordering, and localization of NCs.     

Studies of the pulse charge of lead-acid batteries for photovoltaic applications: Part IV. Pulse charge of the negative plate

The paper discusses the influence of the state of charge and pulse charge frequency on the mechanism of the lead-acid battery recharge with pulse current. The data from the pulse charge transients of the negative plate potential at various frequencies show that a decrease of the pulse charge frequency keeping constant average pulse current can impede the charge reaction leading to earlier start of the hydrogen evolution reaction. The dependence of the electrochemical double layer (EDL) capacitance on the state of charge was estimated both during the charge and the discharge using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements at open circuit, followed by equivalent circuit modelling. These data were used to derive the dependence of the average double layer current on SOC and pulse charge frequency. The results show that in the end of the charge almost all of the charge proceeds with the participation of EDL in a certain pulse frequency domain. Using the data from the impedance measurements the optimal pulse charge frequencies were predicted, considering the existence of “electrochemical resonance”. The latter appears when the pulse charge frequency approaches the characteristic frequency of the Pb electrodeposition process, given by the product between EDL capacitance and the charge transfer resistance.     

Inhibition of endive (Cichorium endivia L.) polyphenoloxidase by a Carica papaya latex preparation

When endive polyphenoloxidase (PPO) was incubated with a crude papaya latex extract, it rapidly lost its activity. Inactivation was ascribed to thermostable nonenzymatic factors of low molecular weight. These factors were partially purified by a two step protocol including gel filtration chromatography on Biogel P2 and ion exchange chromatography using DEAE Sephadex A25. The PPO-inactivation rate was first order, when either inactivating agent or proton concentration was evaluated. Inactivation could be partially reversed by CuSO₄, which suggested that the inactivating factor(s) bound to the copper site of the enzyme. On a more rapid time scale than inactivation, papaya latex extract acted also as a weak noncompetitive PPO inhibitor.     

Biology-based modeling to analyze uranium toxicity data on Daphnia magna in a multigeneration study

Recent studies have investigated chronic toxicity of waterborne depleted uranium on the life cycle and physiology of Daphnia magna. In particular, a reduction in food assimilation was observed. Our aims here were to examine whether this reduction could fully account for observed effects on both growth and reproduction, for three successive generations, and to investigate through microscope analyses whether this reduction resulted from direct damage to the intestinal epithelium. We analyzed data obtained by exposing Daphnia magna to uranium over three successive generations. We used energy-based models, which are both able to fit simultaneously growth and reproduction and are biologically relevant. Two possible modes of action were compared - decrease in food assimilation rate and increase in maintenance costs. In our models, effects were related either to internal concentration or to exposure concentration. The model that fitted the data best represented a decrease in food assimilation related to exposure concentration. Furthermore, observations of consequent histological damage to the intestinal epithelium, together with uranium precipitates in the epithelial cells, supported the assumption that uranium has direct effects on the digestive tract. We were able to model the data in all generations and showed that sensitivity increased from one generation to the next, in particular through a significant increase of the intensity of effect, once the threshold for appearance of effects was exceeded.     

Role of incubation conditions and protein fraction on the antimicrobial activity of egg white against Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli

The mechanism of egg white antimicrobial activity involves specific molecules and environmental factors. However, it is difficult to compare the data from the literature because of the use of various bacterial strains and incubation conditions. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of temperature, pH, inoculum size, and egg white protein concentration on egg white antimicrobial activity and to investigate the putative interactions among these factors by conducting a complete factorial design analysis. The behavior of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli was studied after precultivation in tryptic soy broth and Luria-Bertani broth, respectively, using three different egg white protein concentrations (0, 10, and 100%), five temperatures (37, 40, 42, 45, and 48°C), two pHs (7.8 and 9.3), and six inoculum levels (3 to 8 log CFU/ml). The essential role of temperature was identified. An inverse relationship was observed between bacterial growth and an increase in temperature. The role of egg white proteins was clearly demonstrated. In the absence of egg white proteins, bacterial growth occurred under most incubation conditions, whereas the presence of 10 and 100% protein produced bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects. The interaction between temperature and protein concentration was significant. At the highest tested temperatures, proteins were less involved in the bactericidal effect. Bacterial destruction was higher at pH 9.3 than at pH 7.8. Under our experimental conditions, Salmonella Enteritidis was more resistant to inactivation by egg white than was E. coli.     

Design strategies to simplify and miniaturize imaging systems

We present the range of optical architectures for imaging systems based on a single optical component, an aperture stop, and a detector. Thanks to the formalism of third-order Seidel aberrations, several strategies of simplification and miniaturization of optical systems are examined. Figures of merit are also introduced to assess the basic optical properties and performance capabilities of such systems; by this way, we show the necessary trade-off between simplicity, miniaturization, and optical performance.     

Field Trials of Low-cost Reactive Media for the Passive Treatment of Circum-neutral Metal Mine Drainage in Mid-Wales,UK

This paper addresses the ability of five low-cost reactive materials to remove Zn, Pb, and Cd from Fe-poor, circum-neutral pH metal mine water in Mid-Wales, UK. Compost, fly ash, waste shell material, iron ochre, and a mixture of blast furnace slag (BFS) and basic oxygen furnace slag (BOS) were used in a series of small-scale passive treatment cells to assess metal removal from mine drainage initially containing, on average, 23.5 mg/L Zn, 0.5 mg/L Pb, and 0.05 mg/L Cd. Trial treatment cells contained between 1.5 and 12 kg of reactive media, had a 15 min residence time, and treated a discharge of up to 1 L per minute. Fly ash from a peat-fired power station was found to be the most effective material for metal removal, with concentrations reduced to 0.02 mg/L Zn, 0.0069 mg/L Pb, and 0.0001 mg/L Cd from over 1,000 L of water (between 98.6 and 99.9% removal). The other materials initially achieved high levels of metal removal (between 75 and 99.9% Zn, Pb, and Cd removed); however, all of the materials were saturated with Zn after less than 200 L of water had been treated. Metal sorption ranged from 21.4 mg/g Zn for the peat fly ash to 0.0015 mg/g Cd for the compost and BOS/BFS slag. The results of the pilot-scale field trials can be scaled to demonstrate that a modest-sized fly ash treatment cell (2.6 × 2.6 × 1 m) in size would be sufficient to remove 90% of the total metal load (Pb, Zn, and Cd) from this 10 L/min mine water discharge for a 1 year period. Importantly this research demonstrates that passive treatment for metal mine drainage can comply with water quality directives but cannot be considered a ‘walk-away’ solution; it requires modest (potentially annual) maintenance.     

TRANSMITTANCE OF NEAR-INRARED ENERGY BY BINARY GLASSES*

A study has been made of the transmittance of near-infrared energy by a number of binary glasses. Of the systems studied, the lithia-silica and lead oxide-silica glasses were found to have the highest transmittance of energy in the range of wave lengths from 3.0 to 5.0 microns. The transmittance of lithia-silica glass is compared with that of the other alkali-silica glasses. Values of transmittance are given for lead silicate glasses of higher lead content than previously reported in the literature.     

Mass Spectrometry,Ion Mobility Separation and Molecular Modelling: A Powerful Combination for the Structural Characterisation of Substituted Cyclodextrins Mixtures

When working on the synthesis of substituted cyclodextrins (CDs), the main challenge remains the analysis of the reaction media content. Our objective in this study was to fully characterise a complex isomers mixture of Lipidyl-βCDs (LipβCD) obtained with a degree of substitution 1 (DS = 1) from a one-step synthesis pathway. The benefit of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and ion mobility separation hyphenated with mass spectrometry (IM-MS) was investigated. The MS/MS fragment ion‘s relative intensities were analysed by principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate isomers. The arrival time distribution (ATD) of each isomer was recorded using a travelling wave ion mobility (TWIM) cell allowing the determination of their respective experimental collision cross section (CCS_exp). The comparison with the predicted theoretical CCS (CCS_th) obtained from theoretical calculations propose a regioisomer assignment according to the βCD hydroxyl position (2, 3, or 6) involved in the reaction. These results were validated by extensive NMR structural analyses of pure isomers combined with molecular dynamics simulations. This innovative approach seems to be a promising tool to elucidate complex isomer mixtures such as substituted cyclodextrin derivatives.