Polyureas Versatile Polymers for New Academic and Technological Applications.

Polyureas (PURs) are a competitive polymer to their analogs, polyurethanes (PUs). Whereas PUs' main functional group is carbamate (urethane), PURs contain urea. In this revision, a comprehensive overview of PUR properties, from synthesis to technical applications, is displayed.

Spectrophotometric studies of charge-transfer complexes formed with ions N,N'-alkyldiyl-bis(pyridinium) derivatives and iodide.

The charge-transfer complexes (CTC) between electron donor iodide and pyridinium dimers and monomers as acceptors have been studied spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile, DMSO and water. The dimers were: N,N'-alkyldiyl-bis(4-cyanopyridinium) and N,N'-alkyldiyl-bis(2-bromopyridinium), and the monomers were: N-alkyl-4-cyanopyridinium and N-alkyl-2-bromopyridinium, bridged by n methylene spacers. The formation constant (K), molar absorptivity (ε), fluorescence-quenching constant (K) were determined.

Synthesis of Novel Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas Containing 1,4,5,8-Naphthalenediimides within the Pore Walls and Their Reduction To Generate Wall-Embedded Free Radicals.

Novel periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) containing 1,4,5,8-Naphthalenediimide (NDI) chromophores as an integral part of the pore walls were synthesized in acidic conditions, in the presence of inorganic tetraethyl orthosilicate, using triblock copolymer surfactant Pluronic P-123 as a template. The NDI precursor, the bridged silsesquioxane N, N'-bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide, was synthesized by reaction of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with excess 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. A series of samples containing up to 19% (weight %) of NDI were prepared (the materials were labeled PMONDIs).

Nanostructured Polymeric Micelles Carrying Xanthene Dyes for Photodynamic Evaluation.

It was evaluated the properties of the xanthene dyes Erythrosin B, Eosin Y and theirs Methyl, Butyl and Decyl ester derivatives as possible photosensitizers (PS) for photodynamic treatments. The more hydrophobic dyes self-aggregate in water/ethanol solutions above 70% water (vol/vol) in the mixture. In buffered water, these PS were encapsulated in Pluronic polymeric surfactants of P-123 and F-127 by two methodologies: direct addition and the thin-film solid dispersion methods.

GFP-SCFV: expression and possible applications as a tool for experimental investigations of atherosclerosis.

Experimental studies on atherosclerosis are crucial for investigating its pathophysiology, defining new therapeutic targets, and developing new drugs and diagnostic tools. Thus, many imaging markers have been developed and introduced in experimental studies. The main advantage of these new tools is that they allow the noninvasive diagnosis of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

A novel role for an ECF sigma factor in fatty acid biosynthesis and membrane fluidity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are members of cell-surface signaling systems, abundant in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Twenty genes coding for ECF sigma factors are present in P. aeruginosa sequenced genomes, most of them being part of TonB systems related to iron uptake.

Photodynamic therapy for American cutaneous leishmaniasis: the efficacy of methylene blue in hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) using Methylene Blue (MB) as the photosensitizing compound and a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) in American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Hamsters were experimentally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. After the development of the lesions in the footpad, the animals were treated with MB three times a week for 3 months.

Optimization of the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of allyl 1-naphthyl ether using response surface methodology.

Allyl 1-naphthyl ethers are useful compounds for different purposes, but reported methods to synthesize them require long reaction times. In this work, we have obtained allyl 1-naphthyl ether in good yield using ultrasonic-assisted methodology in a 1-h reaction. A central composite design was used to obtain a statistical model and a response surface (p<0.

Poly-lactide-co-glycolide microparticle sizes: a rational factorial design and surface response analysis.

Microsphere size is a primary determinant of solute release velocity. We present here a rational way for producing PLGA microspheres with different and controlled sizes. The following process variables were studied: Stirring velocity during the second emulsion step, dispersed and continuous phases volume ratio, and poly(vinyl alcohol) concentration in the continuous phase.