Notes

Cryptogenic Fibrosing Pleuritis.
The potential therapeutic effect of nitric oxide (NO) for cancers has received considerable attention as a "killer" that causes damage to mitochondria and DNA by oxidation or nitrosation. However, the fabrication of an intelligent and controllable NO release system has remained elusive in the desired location to realize selective cancer therapy. Herein, an intelligent endogenous esterase-triggered nitric oxide (NO) generator for synergetic cancer therapy is fabricated by integrating NO prodrug and doxorubicin (DOX) into a single glutathione (GSH)-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MPND). When the MPND is internalized into the cancer cell, the rupture of -S-S- bridges and the degradation of MPND occur in the tumor microenvironment with a high level of GSH, inducing the on-demand release of DOX. Importantly, the high endogenic esterase concentration can activate the prodrug to generate abundant NO, which further enhances the release performance of DOX. In vitro results verify that the release profiles of NO and DOX show the stimuli-responsive dependence of endogenic esterase and GSH, respectively, demonstrating the potential for on-demand release in the cancer cells. Consequently, MPND shows a high antitumor efficiency in MCF-7 cancer cells. Furthermore, using multicellular tumor spheroids to mimic in vivo experiment, MPND can enhance the tumor penetration and therapeutic effect for killing the deep tumor tissue at the central location. Therefore, the endogenous esterase-triggered NO nanogenerators may provide a potential alternative strategy to develop NO-relevant platforms for synergistic cancer therapy.A N-doped carbon dot (NCD) has been synthesized via a simplistic one-step hydrothermal technique using l-aspartic acid and 3,6-diaminoacridine hydrochloride. The NCDs exhibit a high quantum yield (22.7%) and excellent optical stability in aqueous media. Additionally, NCDs display good solid-state yellowish-green emission and are suitable for security ink applications. The remarkable fluorescence (FL) properties of NCDs are further applied to develop a multifunctional sensor for bilirubin (BR) and vitamin B12 (VB12) via fluorescence quenching. We have systematically studied the FL quenching mechanisms of the two analytes. The primary quenching mechanism of BR is via the Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) pathway facilitated by the H-bonding network between the hydrophilic moieties existing at the surface of BR and NCDs. In contrast, the inner filter effect (IFE) is mainly responsible for the recognition of VB12. The practicability of the nanoprobe NCDs is further tested in real-sample analysis for BR (human serum and urine samples) and VB12 (VB12 tablets, human serum, and energy drink) with a satisfactory outcome. The in vitro competency is also verified in the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa cell) with negligible cytotoxicity and significant biocompatibility. This result facilitates the application of NCDs for bioimaging and recognition of VB12 in a living organism.Thin polymer fiber mats, in particular those made of nonwoven polypropylene (PP) fibers, are extensively used for medical and industrial filtration. The recent pandemic has increased the demand for the fabrication of protective masks. The nonwoven PP filter has limitations in filtration efficiency and lacks advanced functionalities. Here, we propose a simple, effective, and low-cost method to functionalize PP filters and endow antimicrobial and photothermal properties. Our approach is based on the deposition of an ultrathin hybrid coating composed of graphene oxide (GO) and polydopamine on the surface of PP filters by spray-coating. The complementary properties and synergic effects of GO and polydopamine in the ultrathin coating improved the filtration efficiency of the PP filter by 20% with little change in pressure drop. Single component coatings did not result in similar improvements in performance. The ultrathin coating also makes the surface of the filter more hydrophilic with negative charges. The photothermal property of GO enables a rapid temperature increase of the surface-coated filter upon light irradiation for easy sterilization. Furthermore, cationic polymer brushes can be grafted to the ultrathin hybrid coating, which adds the highly desired antimicrobial property to the PP filters for their more effective protection against microorganisms.Drying cellulose nanofibril (CNF) from aqueous suspensions often leads to aggregated fibril morphology, negatively affecting its performance in ensuing applications. In this work, we introduced a new solvent drying approach to acquire dry CNF from aqueous suspensions and subsequently pyrolyzed the CNF precursor to obtain carbonized CNF (CCNF) without loss of its fibrous morphology. The fibrous CCNF was dispersed homogeneously in polycaprolactone (PCL) thermoplastic resin, greatly enhancing PCL composite tensile performance. After being further mixed with carbon black (CB), the CCNF helped to minimize CB aggregation due to formation of interconnected three-dimensional (3D) structures. The CCNF/CB/PCL composite exhibited superior electrical conductivity ascribed to electrons transporting more efficiently among CB aggregates. The composite is also suitable for applications such as 3D printed electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and deformation sensing. Specifically, the 3D printed EMI shielding composite efficiently absorbed EM radiation in the frequency range of 4-26 GHz, and the 3D printed deformation sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, durability, and flexibility in monitoring mechanical distortions. Herein, this study sheds light on the development of multifunctional conductive composites embedded with fibrous CCNF from sustainable resources.Herein, we develop a facile, sensitive, and selective fluorescent nanosensor for the detection of glutathione (GSH). In this protocol, carbon dots (Cdots) with a fairly high quantum yield were synthesized by a microwave-assisted pyrolysis technique. Moreover, different shapes of the MnO2 nanostructure were also prepared by the hydrothermal technique. A comparative photophysical study of different morphology-dependent Cdots@MnO2 nanostructure-based biosensors was explored, which showed different results for the quenching values of ("turn-off") fluorescence intensity, quantum yields, electron transfer rate, and average lifetime. The structure, property, and performance of nanomaterials are interdependent. Therefore, the different shapes of MnO2, that is, nanoflowers (NFs), nanorods (NRs), and a mixture of NFs/NRs was prepared by the hydrothermal method owing to different specific surface areas (23-69 m2 g-1) which put the impact on their sensing activity. It was observed that the variation in the different photophysical parameters of fluorescent Cdots such as quantum yield (Φ), average lifetime values [τav (ns)], radiative (kr) rate constant, nonradiative (knr) rate constant, rate of electron transfer (kET), the efficiency of electron transfer (ΦEET), FRET efficiency (E), and Förster distance (R0) were dependent on the different shapes of the MnO2 nanostructure. These results indicate that the transfer of energy occurs between the Cdots and different shapes of MnO2 nanostructures based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer at different charge-transfer rates. The recovery rate ("turn-on") of fluorescence of Cdots with the addition of GSH was obtained best for the NF structure by conversion of MnO2 to Mn2+, and the limit of detection was obtained as ∼19 μM for GSH. The developed sensing probes were rapid, easy, cheap, and eco-friendly for the determination of GSH.Chickpea pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, displays resistance to chemical insecticides and transgenics. The potential nontransformative RNAi approach of specific gene silencing by mRNA breakdown through exogenous double-stranded (dsRNA) delivery to Helicoverpa faces problems of degradation by nucleases and insect gut pH. We demonstrate that chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) effectively mediate specific dsRNA delivery against Helicoverpa armigera juvenile hormone methyltransferase (JHAMT) and acetylcholine esterase (ACHE) target genes. Ionotropically synthesized cationic CNPs (100 nm size, +32 mV charge) loaded dsRNA efficiently and protected it effectively from degradation by nucleases and insect gut pH. Tagging CNPs with Calcofluor fluorescence illustrated its efficient uptake in columnar insect gut cells. The potential of CNPs-mediated dsRNA delivery was elucidated with effective silencing of green fluorescent protein transformed Sf9 cells. Furthermore, CNPs-dsRNA complexes were stable for 5 d on leaf surfaces, and their ingestion with leaf effectively silenced H. armigera JHAMT and ACHE genes to suppress related enzyme activities and caused 100% insect mortality. Further, in planta bioassay with CNPs-dsRNA spray confirmed the RNAi induced insect mortality. Moreover, CNPs-dsRNA fed nontarget insects Spodoptera litura and Drosophila melanogaster were unaffected, and no toxicity was observed for CNPs in cell line studies. Remarkably, only two low dose (0.028 g/ha) topical CNPs-ache-dsRNA sprays on chickpea displayed reduced pod damage with high yields on par with chemical control in the field, which was followed by CNPs-jhamt-dsRNA nanoformulation. These studies can pave the way for the development of topical application of CNPs-dsRNA spray as a safe, specific, innovative insecticide for sustainable crop protection.The present research work delineates the design and preparation of covalently tailored biotinylated Fe2+-doped carbon dots (FCDb). The FCDb was successfully used as a pro-drug activator, diagnostic probe, and target-specific delivery vehicle for anticancer drug paclitaxel in pro-drug-free drug combination therapy of cancer treatment. Fe2+-doped carbon dot was synthesized via the hydrothermal method (FCD). The surface of FCD was covalently modified with cancer cell targeting ligand biotin (FCDb). Microscopic and spectroscopic methods were used to characterize aqueous soluble FCD and FCDb. AP-III-a4 price Both FCD and FCDb emit blue fluorescence under UV light irradiation. FCD and FCDb can effectively sense H2O2 by fluorescence quenching as well as activate H2O2 (pro-drug), which oxidatively damage the DNA through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS superoxide (O2•-), hydroxyl radical (•OH), etc). Both FCD and FCDb were utilized as selective cellular markers for cancer cell B16F10 owing to their high H2O2 content, which was more distinct in the case of FCDb due to the overexpression of biotin receptor in cancer cell. Anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded FCDb (FCDb-PTX) was employed for the selective killing of B16F10 cancer cells. This pro-drug-free drug formulation (FCDb-PTX) exhibited ∼2.7- to 3.5-fold higher killing of B16F10 cells mostly via early as well as late apoptotic path in comparison to noncancer NIH3T3 cells through the synergistic action of ROS (generated from H2O2 in the presence of FCDb) and anticancer effect of PTX. Hence, this newly developed FCDb-PTX can act as a potential theranostic agent in the domain of combination therapy of cancer treatment.The dephosphorylation that involves the removal of a phosphate group from a substrate molecule plays a significant role in living organisms. An enzyme mimic (nanozyme) with phosphatase-like catalytic activity has recently received attention in terms of its capacity for dephosphorylation. In this study, three types of highly porous oxyhydroxide with remarkable triphosphatase-like catalytic activities, ZrOOH, GdOOH, and HfOOH, have been prepared through the transformation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) using a simple alkaline hydrolysis method. The triphosphatase mimetic activities of ZrOOH, GdOOH, and HfOOH were then thoroughly investigated and verified. In particular, an isotopic tracing experiment revealed that abundant surface hydroxyls could serve as nucleophilic agents to directly attack the electropositive phosphorus atom, causing the cleavage of the terminal phosphoester bonds of phosphoester substrate molecules. The kinetic analysis provided calculated values of Km of 105.7, 90.5, and 46.1 μM, while the Vmax values were 3.
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