Influence of Deposition Temperature on Cu-BDC Surface-Anchored Metal-Organic Framework Formation.

Surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (surMOFs) are crystalline, nanoporous, supramolecular materials mounted to substrates that have the potential for integration within device architectures relevant for a variety of electronic, photonic, sensing, and gas storage applications. This research investigates the thin film formation of the Cu-BDC (copper benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate) MOF system on a carboxylic acid-terminated self-assembled monolayer by alternating deposition of solution-phase inorganic and organic precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterization demonstrate that crystalline Cu-BDC thin films are formed via Volmer-Weber growth.

Safety testing of Ovaprene: An investigational nonhormonal monthly vaginal contraceptive.

Objectives: Evaluate the safety of Ovaprene, an investigational nonhormonal vaginal contraceptive designed for monthly use.

Study Design: Open-label, multicenter study enrolling heterosexually-active women with previous permanent contraception who underwent assessments during five menstrual cycles: baseline postcoital test cycle, diaphragm postcoital test cycle, Ovaprene safety cycle, and two Ovaprene postcoital test cycles. Safety outcomes included treatment-emergent adverse events, systemic laboratory findings, pelvic examinations, colposcopies, Nugent scores, determination of community state types of vaginal microbiota, and anti-Escherichia coli activity and inflammatory markers in cervicovaginal fluids.

Successful postcoital testing of Ovaprene: An investigational non-hormonal monthly vaginal contraceptive.

Objective: Evaluate reduction in progressively motile sperm per high power field (HPF) in midcycle cervical mucus after intercourse with Ovaprene: an investigational monthly non-hormonal vaginal contraceptive consisting of a vaginal ring and mechanical barrier, releasing spermiostatic ferrous gluconate.

Study Design: Open-label, multicenter study enrolling heterosexually-active women with previous permanent contraception. Participants underwent a baseline postcoital test cycle with no device to confirm the presence of sperm, followed by one diaphragm postcoital test cycle, one Ovaprene safety cycle, and two Ovaprene postcoital test cycles.

A phase 1/2, open-label, parallel group study to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and usability DARE-HRT1 (80 μg estradiol/4 mg progesterone and 160 μg estradiol/8 mg progesterone intravaginal RinGSM) over 12 weeks in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objectives: The exploratory objectives of this study were to evaluate the usability and acceptability and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of DARE-HRT1. DARE-HRT1 is an intravaginal ring (IVR) that releases 17β2-estradiol (E2) with progesterone (P4) over 28 days. It is the first combination E2 and P4 IVR being developed for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in healthy postmenopausal women with an intact uterus.

A phase 1/2, open-label, parallel group study to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of DARE-HRT1 (80 μg estradiol/4 mg progesterone and 160 μg estradiol/8 mg progesterone intravaginal rings) over 12 weeks in healthy postmenopausal women.

Objectives: Primary objectives were to evaluate the safety and systemic pharmacokinetics (PK) of DARE-HRT1, an intravaginal ring (IVR), which releases 17β2-Estradiol (E2) with progesterone (P4) for 28 days in healthy postmenopausal women.

Methods: This was a randomized, open-label, 2-arm, parallel group study in 21 healthy postmenopausal women with an intact uterus. Women were randomized (1:1) to either DARE-HRT1 IVR1 (E2 80 μg/d with P4 4 mg/d) or DARE-HRT1 IVR2 (E2 160 μg/d with P4 8 mg/d).

Pharmacokinetics, safety and preliminary pharmacodynamic evaluation of DARE-VVA1: a soft gelatin capsule containing tamoxifen for the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy.

Objective: This study aimed to measure safety, systemic pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of a vaginal tamoxifen capsule (DARE-VVA1) among postmenopausal women with moderate-to-severe vulvovaginal atrophy.

Methods: This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 1/2 study of DARE-VVA1, in four doses (1, 5, 10 and 20 mg).

Results: Seventeen women were enrolled and 14 completed the 8-week treatment.

Acceptability of Single-dose Clindamycin Gel for Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the acceptability of a single-dose bioadhesive 2% clindamycin vaginal gel for bacterial vaginosis (BV).

Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study compared a new clindamycin gel with placebo gel (2:1 ratio). The primary objective was efficacy; secondary objectives were safety and acceptability.

A Phase 1 pharmacokinetic study of a single-dose bioadhesive clindamycin 2% gel for bacterial vaginosis.

Objectives: To evaluate pharmacokinetics (PK) of a single dose of an investigational 2% clindamycin phosphate vaginal gel in healthy women by assessment of plasma and vaginal clindamycin concentrations over 7 days, and assess safety.

Methods: Single-centre, Phase 1, single-dose PK study. Blood and vaginal samples were collected daily and safety was evaluated through to Day 7.

Single-Dose, Bioadhesive Clindamycin 2% Gel for Bacterial Vaginosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To assess efficacy and safety of a single-dose vaginal clindamycin gel for bacterial vaginosis treatment.

Methods: We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study comparing clindamycin gel with placebo (2:1 ratio). Entry required clinical diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis, that is, all four Amsel's criteria, without other genital infections.

AquaScouts: ePROs Implemented as a Serious Game for Children With Cancer to Support Palliative Care.

MyPal is a European initiative focusing on the use of the electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO) measures to enhance patient engagement in palliative cancer care via digital self-reporting palliative care for patients with cancer. As a part of its approach, MyPal also focuses on pediatric patients, implementing a specific digital health platform including a serious game to facilitate the reporting of the symptoms and overall status regarding their quality of life (QoL). To this end, the reduction of psychological burden related to frequent reporting, a.

Wave-Driven Assembly of Quasiperiodic Patterns of Particles.

We theoretically show that a superposition of plane waves causes small (compared to the wavelength) particles dispersed in a fluid to assemble in quasiperiodic two or three-dimensional patterns. We experimentally demonstrate this theory by using ultrasound waves to assemble quasiperiodic patterns of carbon nanoparticles in water using an octagonal arrangement of ultrasound transducers, and we document good agreement between theory and experiments. The theory also applies to obtaining quasiperiodic patterns in other situations where particles move with linear waves, such as optical lattices.

The postcoital test in the development of new vaginal contraceptives†.

Postcoital tests (PCTs) have been used for over a century in the clinical evaluation of infertile couples, and for nearly 70 years in the evaluation of new vaginal contraceptive products. PCTs have been largely replaced by more modern methods in the study of infertility, but they remain the most useful way to obtain preliminary data on the effectiveness of vaginal contraceptive products. The World Health Organization has described important aspects of the procedure.

Tunable exciton binding energy in 2D hybrid layered perovskites through donor-acceptor interactions within the organic layer.

The strength of electrostatic interactions within semiconductors strongly affects their performance in optoelectronic devices. An important target is the tuning of a material's exciton binding energy-the energy binding an electron-hole pair through the electrostatic Coulomb force-independent of its electronic band gap. Here, we report on the doping of a family of two-dimensional hybrid perovskites, in which inorganic lead halide sheets alternate with naphthalene-based organic layers, with tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone (TCBQ).

Periodic particle arrangements using standing acoustic waves.

We determine crystal-like materials that can be fabricated by using a standing acoustic wave to arrange small particles in a non-viscous liquid resin, which is cured afterwards to keep the particles in the desired locations. For identical spherical particles with the same physical properties and small compared to the wavelength, the locations where the particles are trapped correspond to the minima of an acoustic radiation potential which describes the net forces that a particle is subject to. We show that the global minima of spatially periodic acoustic radiation potentials can be predicted by the eigenspace of a small real symmetric matrix corresponding to its smallest eigenvalue.

Comparison of self-reported female condom failure and biomarker-confirmed semen exposure.

Objective: To investigate whether rates of self-reported Woman's Condom (WC) clinical failure and semen exposure from a functionality study are comparable to results from a contraceptive efficacy substudy.

Study Design: We structured our comparative analysis to assess whether functionality studies might credibly supplant contraceptive efficacy studies when evaluating new female condom products. Couples not at risk of pregnancy in the functionality (breakage/slippage/invagination/penile misdirection) study and women in the contraceptive efficacy study completed condom self-reports and collected precoital and postcoital vaginal samples for up to four uses of the WC.

The Effect of Hormonal Contraception on Cervicovaginal Mucosal End Points Associated with HIV Acquisition.

Reproductive age women may choose to concurrently use topical antiretrovirals and hormonal contraceptives (HCs) to simultaneously prevent HIV-1 infection and unintended/mistimed pregnancy. There are conflicting data on the effect of HCs on mucosal susceptibility to HIV-1. The objective of this study was to evaluate cervicovaginal (CV) mucosal data from healthy women before and after initiation of either oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injection.

Use of contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate is associated with impaired cervicovaginal mucosal integrity.

Background: Injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is one of the most popular contraception methods in areas of high HIV seroprevalence. Evidence is accumulating that use of DMPA might be associated with an increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition by women; however, mechanisms of this association are not completely understood. The goal of this study was to gain insight into mechanisms underlying the possible link between use of DMPA and risk of HIV-1 acquisition, exploring transcription profiling of ectocervical tissues.

Effect of Hormonal Contraception on Pharmacokinetics of Vaginal Tenofovir in Healthy Women: Increased Tenofovir Diphosphate in Injectable Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Users.

Objective: Endogenous and exogenous contraceptive hormones may affect mucosal pharmacokinetics (PKs) of topical antiretrovirals such as tenofovir. We present PK data from healthy women using tenofovir vaginal gel, at baseline (follicular and luteal phases) and after oral contraceptive pill (OCP) or depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use.

Methods: CONRAD A10-114 was a prospective, interventional, open-label, parallel study.

Singlet Fission in Covalent Terrylenediimide Dimers: Probing the Nature of the Multiexciton State Using Femtosecond Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Singlet fission (SF) is a spin-allowed process that involves absorption of a photon by two electronically interacting chromophores to produce a singlet exciton state, (SS), followed by rapid formation of two triplet excitons if the singlet exciton energy is about twice that of the triplet exciton. The initial formation of the multiexciton correlated triplet pair state, (TT), is thought to involve the agency of charge transfer (CT) states. The dynamics of these electronic states were studied in a covalent slip-stacked terrylene-3,4:11,12-bis(dicarboximide) (TDI) dimer in which the conformation of two TDI molecules is determined by a xanthene spacer (XanTDI).

Probing Distance Dependent Charge-Transfer Character in Excimers of Extended Viologen Cyclophanes Using Femtosecond Vibrational Spectroscopy.

Facile exciton transport within ordered assemblies of π-stacked chromophores is essential for developing molecular photonic and electronic materials. Excimer states having variable charge transfer (CT) character are frequently implicated as promoting or inhibiting exciton mobility in such systems. However, determining the degree of CT character in excimers as a function of their structure has proven challenging.

A phase I randomized postcoital testing and safety study of the Caya diaphragm used with 3% Nonoxynol-9 gel, ContraGel or no gel.

Objectives: The Caya® Diaphragm is a newly approved single-size, nonlatex diaphragm. Contragel® is a personal lubricant containing lactic acid approved in Europe and other countries for use with vaginal barrier devices. This study assessed the effectiveness in preventing sperm from penetrating midcycle cervical mucus of Caya with Contragel, Caya with 3% nonoxynol-9 (N-9) and Caya alone.

Photoinduced electron transfer from rylenediimide radical anions and dianions to Re(bpy)(CO) using red and near-infrared light.

A major goal of artificial photosynthesis research is photosensitizing highly reducing metal centers using as much as possible of the solar spectrum reaching Earth's surface. The radical anions and dianions of rylenediimide (RDI) dyes, which absorb at wavelengths as long as 950 nm, are powerful photoreductants with excited state oxidation potentials that rival or exceed those of organometallic chromophores. These dyes have been previously incorporated into all-organic donor-acceptor systems, but have not yet been shown to reduce organometallic centers.

Spin Polarization Transfer from a Photogenerated Radical Ion Pair to a Stable Radical Controlled by Charge Recombination.

Photoexcitation of electron donor-acceptor molecules frequently produces radical ion pairs with well-defined initial spin-polarized states that have attracted significant interest for spintronics. Transfer of this initial spin polarization to a stable radical is predicted to depend on the rates of the radical ion pair recombination reactions, but this prediction has not been tested experimentally. In this study, a stable radical/electron donor/chromophore/electron acceptor molecule, BDPA-mPD-ANI-NDI, where BDPA is α,γ-bisdiphenylene-β-phenylallyl, mPD is m-phenylenediamine, ANI is 4-aminonaphthalene-1,8-dicarboximide, and NDI is naphthalene-1,4:5,8-bis(dicarboximide), was synthesized.