LaMgAl11O19 synthesis using non-hydrolytic sol-gel methods

Polycrystalline LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ (LMA) was prepared by four different non-hydrolytic sol-gel methods. From stable solutions, four powder precursors containing an amorphous and nanocrystalline phase with specific reactivity were obtained. The particle size, morphology, thermal behaviour, and phase composition of the powder precursors were studied using DLS, TEM, DSC/TG and XRD. Bulk ceramic samples containing LMA were prepared at 1200?°C for 16?h and examined in terms of phase purity and microstructure using XRD, SEM, and TEM. Raman spectroscopy of pure LMA was used to study the structure in detail. A mechanism of LMA formation and a relation between powder precursor properties and final phase composition is proposed. These findings may be useful for designing modern technologies for fabrication of LMA for optical or protective coating applications.     

Variation in fatty acid composition of ewes' colostrum and mature milk fat

Temporal content variations of approximately 70 C4–C24 fatty acids (FA) in colostrum and milk of ewes consuming winter diet were determined by gas chromatography. The content of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and straight-chain saturated FA 14:0–16:0 in colostrum was higher whereas the content of 4:0–12:0, 18:0 and branched-chain saturated FA 15:0–17:0 was lower than that in mature milk. The effect of ewe breed on the FA profiles was not significant. The composition of FA changed most significantly 1–2 days after lambing in agreement with the time schedule of colostrum formation. Nevertheless, the content of FA further successively changed up to approximately the 6th day of lactation, whereas further changes up to the 60th day of lactation were smaller. This is consistent with the recommendation that ewes' milk is suitable for human consumption after six-to-eight days of lactation. The higher contents of palmitic and myristic acids in colostrum compared with mature milk suggest that FA composition in colostrum matches the changing needs of the growing lambs.     

Basis enrichment and solid–fluid coupling for model‐reduced fluid simulation

We present several enhancements to model‐reduced fluid simulation that allow improved simulation bases and two‐way solid–fluid coupling. Specifically, we present a basis enrichment scheme that allows us to combine data‐driven or artistically derived bases with more general analytic bases derived from Laplacian eigenfunctions. We handle two‐way solid–fluid coupling in a time‐splitting fashion—we alternately timestep the fluid and rigid body simulators, while taking into account the effects of the fluid on the rigid bodies and vice versa. We employ the vortex panel method to handle solid–fluid coupling and use dynamic pressure to compute the effect of the fluid on rigid bodies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First Trimester Prediction of Preterm Delivery in the Absence of Other Pregnancy-Related Complications Using Cardiovascular-Disease Associated MicroRNA Biomarkers

The aim of the study was to determine if aberrant expression profile of cardiovascular disease associated microRNAs would be able to predict within 10 to 13 weeks of gestation preterm delivery such as spontaneous preterm birth (PTB) or preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) in the absence of other pregnancy-related complications (gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, or small for gestational age). In addition, we assessed if aberrant expression profile of cardiovascular disease associated microRNAs would be able to predict preterm delivery before and after 34 weeks of gestation. The retrospective study was performed within the period November 2012 to March 2020. Whole peripheral blood samples were collected from 6440 Caucasian individuals involving 41 PTB and 65 PPROM singleton pregnancies. A control group, 80 singleton term pregnancies, was selected on the base of equal sample storage time. Gene expression of 29 selected cardiovascular disease associated microRNAs was studied using real-time RT-PCR. Downregulation of miR-16-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-126-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-221-3p and miR-342-3p was observed in pregnancies with preterm delivery before 37 (≤36 + 6/7) weeks of gestation. Majority of downregulated microRNAs (miR-16-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-210-3p, and miR-342-3p) was associated with preterm delivery occurring before 37 (≤36 + 6/7) weeks of gestation. The only miR-210-3p was downregulated in pregnancies with preterm delivery before 34 (≤33 + 6/7) weeks of gestation. The type of preterm delivery also had impact on microRNA gene expression profile. Downregulation of miR-24-3p, miR-92a-3p, miR-155-5p, and miR-210-3p was a common feature of PTB and PPROM pregnancies. Downregulation of miR-16-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-221-3p, and miR-342-3p appeared just in PTB pregnancies. No microRNA was uniquely dysregulated in PPROM pregnancies. The combination of 12 microRNAs (miR-16-5p, miR-20b-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-210-3p, and miR-342-3p, AUC 0.818, p < 0.001, 74.53% sensitivity, 75.00% specificity, cut off > 0.634) equally as the combination of 6 microRNAs (miR-16-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-155-5p, and miR-210-3p, AUC 0.812, p < 0.001, 70.75% sensitivity, 78.75% specificity, cut off > 0.652) can predict preterm delivery before 37 weeks of gestation in early stages of gestation in 52.83% pregnancies at 10.0% FPR. Cardiovascular disease associated microRNAs represent promising biomarkers with very good diagnostical potential to be implemented into the current routine first trimester screening programme to predict preterm delivery.     

Dyeing of leather with microencapsulated acid dye

CI Acid Black 210 was microencapsulated into liposomic systems, and the effects of the microencapsulation on dyebath exhaustion, depth of shade, colour fastness properties and through‐dyeing of chrome‐tanned leather were studied. In comparison with the original dyestuff form, the microencapsulated dye showed a deeper shade and a greater depth of through‐dyeing. Exhaustion and colour fastness values were the same.     

Monooxime‐monocarbamoyl Bispyridinium Xylene‐Linked Reactivators of Acetylcholinesterase—Synthesis,In vitro and Toxicity Evaluation,and Docking Studies

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators are crucial antidotes to organophosphate intoxication. A new series of 26 monooxime‐monocarbamoyl xylene‐linked bispyridinium compounds was prepared and tested in vitro, along with known reactivators (pralidoxime, HI‐6, obidoxime, trimedoxime, methoxime, K107, K108 and K203), on a model of tabun‐ and paraoxon‐, methylparaoxon‐ and DFP‐inhibited human erythrocyte AChE. Although their ability to reactivate tabun‐inhibited AChE did not exceed that of the previously known compounds, some newly prepared compounds showed promising reactivation of pesticide‐inhibited AChE. The acute toxicity of the novel compounds was also determined. Docking studies using tabun‐inhibited AChE were performed for three compounds of interest. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) study confirmed the apparent influence of the xylene linkage and carbamoyl moiety on the reactivation ability and toxicity of the agents.     

Nanocomposites of SnO2 and g-C3N4: Preparation,characterization and photocatalysis under visible LED irradiation

Tin dioxide nanoparticles were prepared in the presence of graphitized carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) forming nanocomposites with different contents of SnO₂ up to 40 %. G-C₃N₄ was synthetized by heating of melamine at 550 °C in the open air and Sn²⁺ ions were precipitated by sodium hydroxide in g-C₃N₄ aqueous dispersions. Resulting mixtures were dried by freezing at ?20 °C and calcined at 450 °C to obtain SnO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites.The nanocomposites were characterized by common characterization methods in solid state and in their aqueous dispersions using dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis and photocatalysis. SnO₂ nanoparticles in the nanocomposites were found to have an average size of 4 nm, however, those precipitated without g-C₃N₄ had an average size of 14 nm. Separation of photoinduced electron and holes via heterojunction between SnO₂ and g-C₃N₄ was demonstrated by photocatalytic decomposition of Rhodamine B (RhB) under LED visible irradiation (416 nm) and photocurrent measurements. The most photocatalytically active nanocomposite contained 10 % of SnO₂. Graphitized carbon nitride was assumed to serve as a template structure for the preparation of SnO₂ nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution without using any stabilizing additives.     

Label-free determination of picogram quantities of DNA by stripping voltammetry with solid copper amalgam or mercury electrodes in the presence of copper

Highly sensitive label-free techniques of DNA determination are particularly interesting in relation to the present development of the DNA sensors. We show that subnanomolar concentrations (related to monomer content) of unlabeled DNA can be determined using copper solid amalgam electrodes or hanging mercury drop electrodes in the presence of copper. DNA is first treated with acid (e.g., 0.5 M perchloric acid), and the acid-released purine bases are directly determined by the cathodic stripping voltammetry. Volumes of 5-3 microL of acid-treated DNA can easily be analyzed, thus making possible the determination of picogram and subpicogram amounts of DNA corresponding to attomole and subattomole quantities of 1000-base pair DNA. Application of this determination in DNA hybridization detection is demonstrated using surface H for the hybridization (superparamagnetic beads with covalently attached DNA probe) and the mercury electrodes only for the determination of DNA selectively captured at surface H.