Nanoscale Viscometry Reveals an Inherent Mucus Defect in Cystic Fibrosis.

The abnormally viscous and thick mucus is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). How the mutated CF gene causes abnormal mucus remains an unanswered question of paramount interest. Mucus is produced by the hydration of gel-forming mucin macromolecules that are stored in intracellular granules prior to release.

Understanding the synergistic interaction between a 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivative and amphotericin B using spectroscopic and theoretical studies.

We present a comprehensive spectroscopic study supported by theoretical quantum chemical calculations conducted on a molecular system (4-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)benzene-1,3-diol (C1) and the antibiotic Amphotericin B (AmB)) that exhibits highly synergistic properties. We previously reported the strong synergism of this molecular system and now wish to present related stationary measurements of UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence, and fluorescence anisotropy in a polar, aprotic solvent (DMSO and a PBS buffer), followed by time-resolved fluorescence intensity and anisotropy decay studies using different ratios of the selected 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivative to Amphotericin B. Absorption spectra measured for the system revealed discrepancies in terms of the shapes of absorption bands, particularly in PBS.

Spectral properties of 4-methylumbelliferone in PVA films; long-lived room temperature phosphorescence.

We studied absorption and fluorescence as well as room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU) in poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films. We focused our study on the long-wavelength basic form of 4MU with absorption centered at 375 nm. The strong fluorescence with a quantum yield of above 70% appears at ∼430 nm.

Room temperature luminescence of 1,N-etheno-2-aminopurine in poly (vinyl alcohol) films.

We studied spectral properties of 1,N-etheno-2-aminopurine after immobilization in poly (vinyl alcohol) films. The absorption spectrum of 1,N-ε2APu consists of two peaks centered at 300 and 370 nm, and the fluorescence spectrum has maximum at about 460 nm. The fluorescence quantum efficiency is 62%.

Fiber-optics based fluorescence detection. Part I: Basic concepts.

Continuous in-line detection and process monitoring are essential for industrial, analytical, and biomedical applications. Lightweight, highly flexible, and low-cost fiber optics enable the construction of compact and robust hand-held devices forchemical and biological species analysis in both industrial and biomedical/detection. Despite the broad range of fiber-optic based applications, we lack a good understanding of the parameters that govern the efficiency of light collection or the sensitivity of detection.