Synthesis and characterization of flame retardant unsaturated polyester-allyloxysilane resin for wood coatings.

Fireproof coatings are the simplest, most efficient, and oldest method for protecting a wide range of flammable products, such as wood. Furthermore, surface ignition is the initial phase, so surface protection is essential to reduce fire propagation. Furthermore, delaying the spread of flames can help to save someone when a fire starts.

The serum metabolomic profiles of atrial fibrillation patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants or vitamin K antagonists.

Aims: Long-term oral anticoagulation is the primary therapy for preventing ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Different types of oral anticoagulant drugs can have specific effects on the metabolism of patients. Here we characterize, for the first time, the serum metabolomic and lipoproteomic profiles of AF patients treated with anticoagulants: vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).

A Promising Compound for Green Multiresponsive Materials Based on Acyl Carrier Protein.

A gel that exhibits intrinsically multiple-responsive behavior was prepared from an oligopeptide and studied. ACP(65-74) is an active decapeptide fragment of acyl carrier protein. We investigated 3% w/v ACP(65-74)-NH self-healing physical gels in water, glycerol carbonate (GC), and their mixtures.

Polyphenol-Rich Extracts from Agroindustrial Waste and Byproducts: Results and Perspectives According to the Green Chemistry and Circular Economy.

Polyphenols are natural secondary metabolites found in plants endowed with multiple biological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and anticancer). In view of these properties, they find many applications and are used as active ingredients in nutraceutical, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations. In accordance with green chemistry and circular economy strategies, they can also be recovered from agroindustrial waste and reused in various sectors, promoting sustainable processes.

Laser-induced 2D/0D graphene-nanoceria freestanding paper-based films for on-site hydrogen peroxide monitoring in no-touch disinfection treatments.

A one-shot CO laser-based strategy to generate conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with nanoceria (nCe) is proposed. The 2D/0D rGO-nCe films, integrated as catalytic sensing layers in paper-based sensors, were employed for on-site monitoring of indoor fogging treatments against Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), a ubiquitous pathogenic bacterium. The rGO-nCe laser-assisted synthesis was optimized to preserve the rGO film morphological and electron-transfer features and simultaneously integrate catalytic nCe.

On the Electrochemical Growth of a Crystalline p-n Junction From Aqueous Solutions.

Our society largely relies on inorganic semiconductor devices which are, so far, fabricated using expensive and complex processes requiring ultra-high vacuum equipment. Here we report on the possibility of growing a p-n junction taking advantage of electrochemical processes based on the use of aqueous solutions. The growth of the junction has been carried out using the Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD) technique, which allowed to sequentially deposit two different semiconductors, CdS and CuS, on an Ag(111) substrate, in a single procedure.

Strategies for the design of analogs of auranofin endowed with anticancer potential.

Introduction: Auranofin (AF) is a well-established, FDA-approved, antiarthritic gold drug that is currently being reevaluated for a variety of therapeutic indications through drug repurposing. AF has shown great promise as a potential anticancer agent and has been approved for a few clinical trials in cancer. The renewed interest in AF has led to extensive research into the design, preparation and biological evaluation of auranofin analogs, which may have an even better pharmacological profile than the parent drug.

Development of Oral Tablets of Nebivolol with Improved Dissolution Properties, Based on Its Combinations with Cyclodextrins.

New oral tablets of nebivolol have been developed aiming to improve, by cyclodextrin (CD) complexation, its low solubility/dissolution properties-the main reason behind its poor/variable oral bioavailability. Phase-solubility studies, performed using βCD and highly-soluble βCD-derivatives, indicated sulfobutylether-βCD (SBEβCD) as the best solubilizing/complexing agent. Solid drug-SBEβCD systems were prepared by different methods and characterized for solid-state and dissolution properties.

The Role of the Unbinding Cycle on the Coordination Abilities of the Bi-Cyclopeptides toward Cu(II) Ions.

Bicyclic peptides have attracted the interest of pharmaceutical companies because of their remarkable properties, putting them on a new path in medicine. Their conformational rigidity improves proteolytic stability and leads to rapid penetration into tissues via any possible route of administration. Moreover, elimination of renal metabolism is of great importance, for example, for people with a history of liver diseases.

Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies as Alternative Strategies to Antibiotics to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most critical threats to global public health in the 21st century, causing a large number of deaths every year in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries. Vaccines and monoclonal antibodies can be exploited to prevent and treat diseases caused by AMR pathogens, thereby reducing antibiotic use and decreasing selective pressure that favors the emergence of resistant strains. Here, differences in the mechanism of action and resistance of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies compared to antibiotics are discussed.

VDAC1-interacting molecules promote cell death in cancer organoids through mitochondrial-dependent metabolic interference.

The voltage-dependent anion-selective channel isoform 1 (VDAC1) is a pivotal component in cellular metabolism and apoptosis with a prominent role in many cancer types, offering a unique therapeutic intervention point. Through an -to- approach we identified a set of VA molecules (VDAC Antagonists) that selectively bind to VDAC1 and display specificity toward cancer cells. Biochemical characterization showed that VA molecules can directly interact with VDAC1 with micromolar affinity by competing with the endogenous ligand NADH for a partially shared binding site.

Host defence peptide plectasin targets bacterial cell wall precursor lipid II by a calcium-sensitive supramolecular mechanism.

Antimicrobial resistance is a leading cause of mortality, calling for the development of new antibiotics. The fungal antibiotic plectasin is a eukaryotic host defence peptide that blocks bacterial cell wall synthesis. Here, using a combination of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, atomic force microscopy and activity assays, we show that plectasin uses a calcium-sensitive supramolecular killing mechanism.

A new biphenol-dipicolylamine based ligand and its dinuclear Zn complex as fluorescent sensors for ibuprofen and ketoprofen in aqueous solution.

In this work, the study of the new ligand 3,3'-bis[,-bis(pyridine-2-ylmethyl)aminomethyl]-2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl (L) is reported, where a central 2,2'-biphenol (BPH) fluorophore was functionalized at 3,3'-positions with two dipicolylamine (DPA) side arms as receptor units. Following the synthesis and full chemical-physical characterization, the acid-base and Zn-coordination abilities of L were investigated through a combination of potentiometric, UV-Vis, fluorescence, NMR, XRD and DFT measurements. The optical properties of the ligand turned out to be strongly dependent on the pH, being straightforwardly associated with the protonation state of the BPH moiety, whereas its peculiar design allowed to form stable mono and dinuclear Zn complexes.

Polyphosphoester-stabilized cubosomes encapsulating a Ru(II) complex for the photodynamic treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

The clinical translation of photosensitizers based on ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) in photodynamic therapy of cancer faces several challenges. To address these limitations, we conducted an investigation to assess the potential of a cubosome formulation stabilized in water against coalescence utilizing a polyphosphoester analog of Pluronic F127 as a stabilizer and loaded with newly synthesized RPC-based photosensitizer [Ru(dppn)(bpy-morph)](PF) (bpy-morph = 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-diylbis(morpholinomethanone)), PS-Ru. The photophysical characterization of PS-Ru revealed its robust capacity to induce the formation of singlet oxygen (O).

Enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography combined with spectroscopic methods and theoretical calculations: A valid strategy to determine the absolute configuration of eugenol derivatives.

The absolute configuration of three chiral eugenol derivatives was assigned by a multi-step methodology based on enantioselective HPLC combined with spectroscopic and theoretical calculations. Milligram amounts of enantiopure forms used for stereochemical characterization were isolated by HPLC on the immobilized amylose-based chiral stationary phase Chiralpak IG using normal phase elution conditions. The absolute configuration was indirectly determined for one of the three compounds by H NMR via methoxy-α-trifluoromethyl-α-phenylacetic acid derivatization (Mosher's acid).

Picoplatin binding to proteins: X-ray structures and mass spectrometry data on the adducts with lysozyme and ribonuclease A.

The reactivity of the anticancer drug picoplatin (-amminedichlorido(2-methylpyridine)platinum(II) complex) with the model proteins hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) was investigated by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI MS) and X-ray crystallography. The data were compared with those previously obtained for the adducts of these proteins with cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin under the same experimental conditions. ESI-MS data show binding of Pt to both proteins, with fragments retaining the 2-methylpyridine ligand and, possibly, a chloride ion.

The Role of Lysozyme in the Formation of Bioinspired Silicon Dioxide.

Several organisms are able to polycondensate tetraoxosilicic(IV) acid to form silicon(IV) dioxide using polycationic molecules. According to an earlier mechanistic proposal, these molecules undergo a phase separation and recent experimental evidence appears to confirm this model. At the same time, polycationic proteins like lysozyme can also promote polycondensation of silicon(IV) dioxide, and they do so under conditions that are not compatible with liquid-liquid phase separation.

Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes with Benzoxazole Derivatives and Non-Innocent Ligands as Effective Antioxidants in Human Neuroblasts.

Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes continue to raise increasing interest for the encouraging results in several biomedical areas. Considering their vast chemical-physical repertoire, in particular the possibility to switch from the sensitization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to ROS-scavenging abilities by tuning the nature of their ligands, it is therefore surprising that their potential as antioxidants has not been largely investigated so far. Herein, we explored the antioxidant behaviour of the novel ruthenium compound [Ru(dbpy)(2,3-DAN)Cl]PF (Ru1), featuring a benzoxazole derivative (dpby=2,6-bis(4-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)pyridine) and the non-innocent 2,3-diamminonaftalene (2,3-DAN) ligand, along with the reference tpy-containing analogue [Ru(tpy)(2,3-DAN)Cl]PF (Ru2) (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine).

HS-SPME-GC-MS and Chemometrics for the Quality Control and Clustering of Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A 3-Year Study on Terpenes and Pentene Dimers of Italian Cultivars.

Terpenes and pentene dimers are less studied volatile organic compounds (VOCs) but are associated with specific features of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs). This study aimed to analyze mono- and sesquiterpenes and pentene dimers of Italian monovarietal EVOOs over 3 years (14 cultivars, 225 samples). A head space-solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method recently validated was used for terpene and pentene dimer quantitation.

Structural Investigations on 2-Amidobenzimidazole Derivatives as New Inhibitors of Protein Kinase CK1 Delta.

Protein kinase CK1δ (CK1δ) is a serine-threonine/kinase that modulates different physiological processes, including the cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis. CK1δ overexpression, and the consequent hyperphosphorylation of specific proteins, can lead to sleep disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. CK1δ inhibitors showed anticancer properties as well as neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

NMR Metabolomics of Primary Ovarian Cancer Cells in Comparison to Established Cisplatin-Resistant and -Sensitive Cell Lines.

Cancer cell lines are frequently used in metabolomics, such as in vitro tumor models. In particular, A2780 cells are commonly used as a model for ovarian cancer to evaluate the effects of drug treatment. Here, we compare the NMR metabolomics profiles of A2780 and cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells with those of cells derived from 10 patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (collected during primary cytoreduction before any chemotherapeutic treatment).

Optimization of peptide synthesis time and sustainability using novel eco-friendly binary solvent systems with induction heating on an automated peptide synthesizer.

On December 12th, 2023, the European Commission took regulatory action to amend Annex XVII of REACH, imposing restrictions on the use of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) within the EU market owing to its high toxicity. Historically, DMF has been widely considered the gold standard for solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Being urgent to propose alternative solvents, we tested the suitability of non-hazardous neat and mixed solvents.

Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering applied to lipid-based nanoparticles: Recent advancements across different length scales.

Lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), ranging from nanovesicles to non-lamellar assemblies, have gained significant attention in recent years, as versatile carriers for delivering drugs, vaccines, and nutrients. Small-angle scattering methods, employing X-rays (SAXS) or neutrons (SANS), represent unique tools to unveil structure, dynamics, and interactions of such particles on different length scales, spanning from the nano to the molecular scale. This review explores the state-of-the-art on scattering methods applied to unveil the structure of lipid-based nanoparticles and their interactions with drugs and bioactive molecules, to inform their rational design and formulation for medical applications.

Synthesis of dual models multivalent activatable aptamers based on HCR and RCA for ultrasensitive detection of Salmonella typhimurium.

Aptamers have superior structural properties and have been widely used in bacterial detection methods. However, the problem of low affinity still exists in complex sample detection. In contrast, hybridization chain reaction (HCR)-based model I and rolling circle amplification (RCA)-based model II multivalent activatable aptamers (multi-Apts) can fulfill the need for low-cost, rapid, highly sensitive and high affinity detection of S.