Inhibitory effects of curcumin and piperine on fluorescent advanced glycation end products formation in a bovine serum albumin–fructose model

This study investigated the inhibitory effects of curcumin and piperine on fluorescent advanced glycation end products (fAGEs) formation in a bovine serum albumin (BSA)–fructose model. Model systems of BSA and fructose were prepared, and curcumin or piperine was added. fAGEs and BSA oxidation product (dityrosine, kynurenine and N'-formylkynurenine) contents were determined. The results showed that fAGEs content decreased with increasing concentration of curcumin and piperine (P < 0.05). Addition of curcumin and piperine at 160 µg mL⁻¹ could inhibit fluorescent AGEs by 100% and 93% respectively. Dityrosine and N'-formylkynurenine contents decreased as curcumin and piperine concentration increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the result of principal component analysis indicated that curcumin and piperine markedly impeded BSA oxidation, resulting in a lower level of fAGEs in model systems. Therefore, adding curcumin and piperine may facilitate reduced fAGEs levels in BSA–fructose model.     

Novel strategy for encapsulation and targeted delivery of poorly water-soluble active substances

Carriers for targeted delivery and controlled release of poorly water-soluble active substances (PWSAS) are facing three challenges: (a) the encapsulation issues, (b) limitations of PWSAS water solubility, and (c) burst drug release which can be pharmacologically dangerous and economically inefficient. The present study brings a novel strategy for encapsulation and controlled release of PWSAS—caffeine in concentrations which are higher than its maximal water solubility without the possibility of burst effect. The modification of hydrophilic carrier based on poly(methacylic acid) was done using casein and liposomes. To further increase the maximal caffeine loading inside the carrier nicotinamide was used. The release study of the encapsulated PWSAS was elaborated with respect to morphology of the carriers and interactions that could be established between its structural components. The carriers swelling and the release of caffeine and nicotinamide were also investigated depending on caffeine concentration, the presence of different liposomal formulations and the volume ratio of liposomal formulation, in three media with different pH simulating the path of the carrier through the human gastrointestinal tract. The synthesized carriers are promising candidates for encapsulation of PWSAS in concentrations which are higher than its maximal water solubility and for the targeted delivery of those dosages.     

Quantum Sensing in a Physiological‐Like Cell Niche Using Fluorescent Nanodiamonds Embedded in Electrospun Polymer Nanofibers

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (fNDs) containing nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers are promising candidates for quantum sensing in biological environments. This work describes the fabrication and implementation of electrospun poly lactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) nanofibers embedded with fNDs for optical quantum sensing in an environment, which recapitulates the nanoscale architecture and topography of the cell niche. A protocol that produces uniformly dispersed fNDs within electrospun nanofibers is demonstrated and the resulting fibers are characterized using fluorescent microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and longitudinal spin relaxometry results for fNDs and embedded fNDs are compared. A new approach for fast detection of time varying magnetic fields external to the fND embedded nanofibers is demonstrated. ODMR spectra are successfully acquired from a culture of live differentiated neural stem cells functioning as a connected neural network grown on fND embedded nanofibers. This work advances the current state of the art in quantum sensing by providing a versatile sensing platform that can be tailored to produce physiological‐like cell niches to replicate biologically relevant growth environments and fast measurement protocols for the detection of co‐ordinated endogenous signals from clinically relevant populations of electrically active neuronal circuits.     

荧光显示管直丝氧化物阴极有效逸出功的计算

阴极的逸出功是表征阴极发射能力的物理量，求定荧光显示管直丝氧化物阴极有效逸出功时，因其零场发射电流密度难于准确取值，温度无法直接测量，显得困难，须予解决，为此提出了一种计算阴极有产逸出功的办法，对某显示管的发射欠佳和“低温高效”的两种氧化物阴极的有效逸出功进行计算，有效逸出功率是靠测量相关物理量再同计算得出，精度不很高，文中所用办法也不例外，但所得结果能反映阴极发射能力，所需仪器少，是实用方法。     

纤维素的辐射裂解及其化学性质

纤维素经高能射线辐照,能产生一系列的化学和物理性质的变化。本文报道在不同剂量的~(60)Coγ射线辐照下,稻草中的水溶性糖、易水解糖、难水解糖,以及氨基酸、蛋白质等物质的化学变化;用辐射与加泡涨剂相结合的方法处理稻草,可以降低剂量、提高效应。     

Model for Nanoscopic Domain Formation in Dipalmitoyl-PC/Dilauroyl-PC/Cholesterol Mixture

We describe the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase transitions in the lipid mixture dipalmitoil-PC/dilauroy-PC/cholesterol by 3D spin-1 lattice model. The formation of nanoscale domains with the characteristic size about 300 nm was studied in experiments on confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) (G. V. Feigenson and J. T. Buboltz, Biophys. J. 80, 2775 (2001)). The structure parameters of the lamellar vesicle in dipalmitoil-PC-rich phase, corresponding to these regions, are verified by numerical Monte Carlo simulations on the lattice. We point its superconductivity analogy properties at the region of phase stability for composition-dependent nanoscopic region.     

尼龙6/马来酸酐-苯乙烯多单体接枝聚丙烯反应共混物

用双螺杆挤出机制备了聚丙烯(PP)与尼龙6(PA6)的共混物．先用多组分熔融接枝的方法将马来酸杆（MAH）和苯乙烯（St）共同接枝于聚丙烯（PP）上，制得多单体接枝聚丙烯PP-g-(MAH-St），该接枝物具有较高的MAH接枝率。利用MFR、SEM、TEM和力学性能测试等分析方法，研究了多组分熔融接枝聚丙烯PP-g-(MAH-St)对PA6/PP共混物的形态结构和力学性能等的影响。结果表明，PP-g-(MAH-St)中的酸酐基团与PA6末端的氨基发生化学反应，原位形成的PP-PA6共聚物能有效地改善PA6与PP的相容性，可以使PP均匀地分散在PA6基体中，相区尺寸明显减小，可至0.1μm，并使共混物的力学性能得到均衡的提高，冲击韧性的提高尤其显著，达到了橡胶改性所难以达到的效果。     

In-chain functionalization by alternating anionic copolymerization of styrene and 1-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-1-phenylethylene

Anionic copolymerizations of styrene (M₁) with excess 1-(4-dimethyl-aminophenyl)-1-phenylethylene (M₂) were conducted in benzene at 25°C for 24h, using sec-butyllithium as initiator. Narrow molecular weight distribution copolymers with M?;_n = 16.1 × 10³ g/mol (M?_w/M?_n = 1.04) and 38.2 × 10³g/mol (M?_w/M?_n = 1.05), and 24 and 38 moles of M₂ per macromolecule, respectively, were characterized by size exclusion chromatography, ¹H NMR spectroscopy and DSC. The monomer reactivity ratio, r₁ = 5.6, was obtained from the copolymer composition at complete consumption of M₁, assuming that the rate constant k₂₂ =0,i.e. r₂ =0. The polymers exhibited T_g values of 128 and 119°C, respectively, which correspond to an estimated T_g = 217°C for the hypothetical homopolymer of M₂.     

New method for measuring an optical property of a sample treated by FWA

In this article, a new method for measuring a total spectral radiance factor of a FWA‐treated sample illuminated by a specific standard illuminant is introduced. The method replaces an unstable real fluorescent standard by a bi‐spectral luminescent radiance factor data, which works as a virtual fluorescent standard (VFS) by knowing spectral intensity distributions of illuminations applied to the sample. The method utilizes two illuminations I₁ and I₂ whose relative spectral intensity distributions are different from each other and synthesizes a virtual illumination presenting the identical fluorescent spectral radiance factor to that presented by the standard illuminant with the VFS of the specific bi‐spectral luminescent radiance factor by linearly combining I₁ and I₂ with the suitable weighting factors. The applicability of the method is examined in principle by comparing ISO brightness and CIE whiteness index of fluorescent standard paper as a test sample obtained by this new method to the assigned values. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 32, 195–200, 2007     

Modeling of the bulk free radical polymerization up to high conversion—three stage polymerization model. II. Number-average molecular weight and apparent initiator efficiency

The equations for predicting the number-average molecular weight are derived on the basis of the three stage polymerization model (TSPM) in this paper. By applying the equations, a plotting approach is proposed to determine the apparent initiator efficiency defined as f[(α_td+1)/2] and the constant of chain transfer to monomer, where f is the initiator efficiency and α_td denotes the fraction of the termination rate constants by disproportionation. Using the approach to plot the experimental data in the literature, it is found that the chain transfer to monomer can be neglected for both methylmethacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) polymerizations, but it can exert a significant effect on ethylmethacrylate (EMA) polymerization. In addition, the apparent initiator efficiency is found to be independent of reaction temperature and initiator concentration at each stage. The values of f[(α_td+1)/2] at gel effect stage are slightly reduced as compared with that at low conversion stage for MMA and EMA polymerizations. However, it decreases significantly at gel effect stage for St polymerization. Using the equations derived and the apparent initiator efficiencies obtained from TSPM plots, the number-average molecular weights at different conversions can be predicted. Comparisons show that the agreement between predictions and experimental data is satisfactory.