Competitive Electrochemical Apta-Assay Based on cDNA-Ferrocene and MXenes for Surface Protein A Detection.

() represents one of the most frequent worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality due to an infectious agent. It is a part of the infamous ESKAPE group, which is highly connected with increased rates of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. can cause a large variety of diseases.

Unlocking New Avenues: Solid-State Synthesis of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are established artificial molecular recognition platforms with tailored selectivity towards a target molecule, whose synthesis and functionality are highly influenced by the nature of the solvent employed in their synthesis. Steps towards the "greenification" of molecular imprinting technology (MIT) has already been initiated by the elaboration of green MIT principles; developing MIPs in a solvent-free environment may not only offer an eco-friendly alternative, but could also significantly influence the affinity and expected selectivity of the resulting binding sites. In the current study the first solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of MIPs via liquid-assisted grinding (LAG) is reported.

Decavanadate-Bearing Guanidine Derivatives Developed as Antimicrobial and Antitumor Species.

To obtain biologically active species, a series of decavanadates (Hpbg)[HVO]·6HO () (Htbg)[HVO]·6HO; () (Hgnd)(Hgnu)[VO]; () (Hgnu)[VO]·2HO; and () (pbg = 1-phenyl biguanide, tbg = 1-(-tolyl)biguanide, gnd = guanidine, and gnu = guanylurea) were synthesized and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV-Vis, and EPR) as well as by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound () crystallizes in space group -1 while () and () adopt the same centrosymmetric space group 21/n. The unusual signal identified by EPR spectroscopy was assigned to a charge-transfer π(O)→d(V) process.

The First Evidence of Gibberellic Acid's Ability to Modulate Target Species' Sensitivity to Honeysuckle () Allelochemicals.

Invasive species employ competitive strategies such as releasing allelopathic chemicals into the environment that negatively impact native species. Decomposing Amur honeysuckle () leaves leach various allelopathic phenolics into the soil, decreasing the vigor of several native species. Notable differences in the net negative impacts of metabolites on target species were argued to depend on soil properties, the microbiome, the proximity to the allelochemical source, the allelochemical concentration, or environmental conditions.

The Influence of Zn Substitution on Physical Properties of CoFeO Nanoparticles.

Co1−xZnxFe2O4 nanoparticles (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) have been synthesized via a green sol−gel combustion method. The prepared samples were studied using X-ray diffraction measurements (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman, and magnetic measurements. All samples were found to be single phases and have a cubic Fd-3m structure.

A Fast, Reliable Oil-In-Water Microemulsion Procedure for Silica Coating of Ferromagnetic Zn Ferrite Nanoparticles Capable of Inducing Cancer Cell Death In Vitro.

The applications of ferrimagnetic nanoparticles (F-MNPs) in magnetic hyperthermia (MH) are restricted by their stabilization in microscale aggregates due to magnetostatic interactions significantly reducing their heating performances. Coating the F-MNPs in a silica layer is expected to significantly reduce the magnetostatic interactions, thereby increasing their heating ability. A new fast, facile, and eco-friendly oil-in-water microemulsion-based method was used for coating ZnFeO F-MNPs in a silica layer within 30 min by using ultrasounds.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of CaO-PO-CaF:CuO Glasses with Antitumoral Effect on Skin Cancer Cells.

Copper is one of the most used therapeutic metallic elements in biomedicine, ranging from antibacterial approaches to developing new complexes in cancer therapy. In the present investigation, we developed a novel xCuO∙(100 - x) [CaF∙3PO∙CaO] glass system with 0 ≤ x ≤ 16 mol% in order to determine the influence of doping on the composition structure of glasses. The samples were characterized by dissolution tests, pH measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and afterward, their antitumor character was assessed.

Silica Coating of Ferromagnetic Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles Significantly Enhances Their Hyperthermia Performances for Efficiently Inducing Cancer Cells Death In Vitro.

Increasing the biocompatibility, cellular uptake, and magnetic heating performance of ferromagnetic iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles (F-MNPs) is clearly required to efficiently induce apoptosis of cancer cells by magnetic hyperthermia (MH). Thus, F-MNPs were coated with silica layers of different thicknesses via a reverse microemulsion method, and their morphological, structural, and magnetic properties were evaluated by multiple techniques. The presence of a SiO layer significantly increased the colloidal stability of F-MNPs, which also enhanced their heating performance in water with almost 1000 W/g as compared to bare F-MNPs.

Sequential aqueous two-phase system for simultaneous purification of cyanobacterial phycobiliproteins.

A logical framework was used for designing a top-down strategy for cyanobacterial phycobiliprotein purification. The purification scheme is based on the non-chromatographic technique, known as aqueous two-phase system. The scheme was optimized at every stage to enhance the recovery yield with the highest purity.

Multidrug Resistance (MDR) and Collateral Sensitivity in Bacteria, with Special Attention to Genetic and Evolutionary Aspects and to the Perspectives of Antimicrobial Peptides-A Review.

Antibiotic poly-resistance (multidrug-, extreme-, and pan-drug resistance) is controlled by adaptive evolution. Darwinian and Lamarckian interpretations of resistance evolution are discussed. Arguments for, and against, pessimistic forecasts on a fatal "post-antibiotic era" are evaluated.

Biomimetic electrochemical sensor for the highly selective detection of azithromycin in biological samples.

A highly selective and sensitive molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based electrochemical sensor was fabricated for the determination of azithromycin, a broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic, from various biological samples (urine, tears, plasma). The reversible boronate ester bond-mediated, thin (~75 nm) MIP-based biomimetic recognition layer was electrodeposited in non-aqueous media onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The surface morphology and the analytical performances of the developed sensor were assessed by scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV).

Morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects of salt tolerance of halophyte grown in natural habitat.

Salt tolerance mechanisms of halophyte growing in its natural habitat in Cluj County, Romania, were investigated biomass, growth parameters, water status, ion content, photosynthetic and antioxidative system efficiency, proline accumulation and lipid degradation. Two sampling sites with different soil electrical conductivities were selected: site 1: 3.14 dS m and site 2: 4.

Formulation buoyancy of nanoencapsulated gliclazide using primary, conjugated and deconjugated bile acids.

Recent studies suggest potential applications of endogenously produced human bile acids as formulation-excipient and drug tissue permeation enhancers in Type 1 diabetes. We aimed to examine the stability, tissue permeation and muscle-cell effects of microencapsulated gliclazide (G) incorporated with a primary (chenodeoxycholic acid [CDCA]), a secondary (ursodeoxycholic acid [UDCA]) or a tertiary (taurocholic acid [TCA]) bile acid. Four formulations made of sodium alginate, CDCA, UDCA and TCA were examined for buoyancy, tissue-enhancing effects () and local () viability effects.

Investigations on the adhesion of new composites for restoring cervical lesions using energy dispersive X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy.

Restoration of noncarious cervical lesions with resin composites is one of the treatment options, but the retention of the restorations located at the crown-root junction is still a cause of clinical concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adhesive properties of three experimental resin composites and two commercial materials used to restore cavities prepared on extracted teeth as well as to determine the relative elemental composition of these materials. We tested the null hypothesis, which considered that the adhesive behaviours of different resin composites did not differ.

Impedimetric aptasensor for the label-free and selective detection of Interleukin-6 for colorectal cancer screening.

Despite the fact that cancer research has experienced important advances and remarkable improvement in the curing processes during the last decades, this disease still occupies a leading position among the causes of death worldwide. It has been demonstrated that there is an interconnection between the overexpression of interleukin-6 cytokine and the tumor growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in several types of malignancies. Herein, a highly sensitive and selective aptasensor for quantitative detection of interleukin-6 was developed by using a glassy carbon electrode modified with p-aminobenzoic acid, p-aminothiophenol and gold nanoparticles.

Data on expression of lipoxygenases-5 and -12 in the normal and acetaminophen-damaged liver.

Here we present additional data on the expression of lipoxygenases -5 and -12 in the normal and acetaminophen-damaged liver, which are associated with our manuscript recently published in Chemico-Biological Interactions on lipid metabolism and eicosanoid signaling pathways involved in acetaminophen-induced liver damage in a mouse model (http://dx.doi.org/10.

Mesenchymal stromal cells support the viability and differentiation of thymocytes through direct contact in autologous co-cultures.

The development of thymocytes and generation of mature T cells is a complex process that requires spatio-temporal interactions of thymocytes with the other cells of the thymus microenvironment. Recently, mesenchymal stromal cells were isolated from the neonatal human thymus and differentiated into chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic lineages, just like their bone marrow counterparts. However, their function in thymocyte homeostasis is unknown.