Comment on Naef, R.; Acree, W.E., Jr. Calculation of the Three Partition Coefficients logPow, logKoa and logKaw of Organic Molecules at Standard Conditions at Once by Means of a Generally Applicable Group Additivity Method. Preprints2023, 2023120275.

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Quantification of oxygen consumption in head and neck cancer using fluorescent sensor foil technology.

Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients suffer from frequent local recurrences that negatively impact on prognosis. Hence, distinguishing tumor and normal tissue is of clinical importance as it may improve the detection of residual tumor tissue in surgical resection margins and during imaging-based surgery planning. Differences in O2 consumption (OC) can be used to this aim, as they provide options for improved surgical, image-guided approaches. Methods: In the present study, the potential of a fluorescent sensor foil-based technology to quantify OC in HNSCC was evaluated in an in vitro 3D model and in situ in patients. Results: In vitro measurements of OC using hypopharyngeal and esophageal cell lines allowed a specific detection of tumor cell spheroids embedded together with cancer-associated fibroblasts in type I collagen extracellular matrix down to a diameter of 440 µm. Pre-surgery in situ measurements were conducted with a handheld recording device and sensor foils with an oxygen permeable membrane and immobilized O2-reactive fluorescent dyes. Lateral tongue carcinoma and carcinoma of the floor of the mouth were chosen for analysis owing to their facilitated accessibility. OC was evaluated over a time span of 60 seconds and was significantly higher in tumor tissue compared to healthy mucosa in the vicinity of the tumor. Discussion: Hence, OC quantification using fluorescent sensor foil-based technology is a relevant parameter for the differentiation of tumor tissue of the head and neck region and may support surgery planning.

Comment on Naef, R.; Acree, W.E., Jr. Revision and Extension of a Generally Applicable Group-Additivity Method for the Calculation of the Standard Heat of Combustion and Formation of Organic Molecules. Molecules 2021, 26, 6101.

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Comment on Tagliaferro et al. Introducing the Novel Mixed Gaussian-Lorentzian Lineshape in the Analysis of the Raman Signal of Biochar. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1748.

Despite the fact that this comment deals with a paper that was published two years ago [...].

Plant-Mediated Rhizosphere Oxygenation in the Native Invasive Salt Marsh Grass Elymus athericus.

In the last decades, the spread of Elymus athericus has caused significant changes to the plant community composition and ecosystem services of European marshes. The distribution of E. athericus was typically limited by soil conditions characteristic for high marshes, such as low flooding frequency and high soil aeration. However, recently the spread of E. athericus has begun to also include low-marsh environments. A high-marsh ecotype and a low-marsh ecotype of E. athericus have been described, where the latter possess habitat-specific phenotypic traits facilitating a better adaption for inhabiting low-marsh areas. In this study, planar optodes were applied to investigate plant-mediated sediment oxygenation in E. athericus, which is a characteristic trait for marsh plants inhabiting frequently flooded environments. Under waterlogged conditions, oxygen (O2) was translocated from aboveground sources to the roots, where it leaked out into the surrounding sediment generating oxic root zones below the sediment surface. Oxic root zones were clearly visible in the optode images, and no differences were found in the O2-leaking capacity between ecotypes. Concentration profiles measured perpendicular to the roots revealed that the radius of the oxic root zones ranged from 0.5 to 2.6 mm measured from the root surface to the bulk anoxic sediment. The variation of oxic root zones was monitored over three consecutive light-dark cycles (12 h/12 h). The O2 concentration of the oxic root zones was markedly reduced in darkness, yet the sediment still remained oxic in the immediate vicinity of the roots. Increased stomatal conductance improving the access to atmospheric O2 as well as photosynthetic O2 production are likely factors facilitating the improved rhizosphere oxygenation during light exposure of the aboveground biomass. E. athericus' capacity to oxygenate its rhizosphere is an inheritable trait that may facilitate its spread into low-marsh areas. Furthermore, this trait makes E. athericus a highly competitive species in marshes facing the effects of accelerated sea-level rise, where waterlogged sediment conditions could become increasingly pronounced.

A New Non-invasive Technique for Measuring 3D-Oxygen Gradients in Wells During Mammalian Cell Culture.

Oxygen tension plays an important role in overall cell function and fate, regulating gene expression, and cell differentiation. Although there is extensive literature available that supports the previous statement, little information is to be found about accurate O2 measurements during culture. In fact, O2 concentration at the cell layer during culture is commonly assumed to be equal to that of the incubator atmosphere. This assumption does not consider oxygen diffusion properties, cell type, cell density, media composition, time in culture nor height of the cell culture medium column. In this study, we developed a non-invasive, optical sensor foil-based technique suitable for measuring the 3D oxygen gradient that is formed during cell culture as a result of normal cell respiration. For this propose, we created a 3D printed ramp to which surface an oxygen optode sensor foil was attached. The ramps were positioned inside the culture wells of 24 well plate prior cell seeding. This set up in conjunction with the VisiSens TD camera system allows to investigate the oxygen gradient formation during culture. Cultivation was performed with three different initial cell densities of the cell line A549 that were seeded on the plate containing the ramps with the oxygen sensors. The O2 gradient obtained after 96 h of culture showed significantly lower O2 concentrations closer to the bottom of the well in high cell density cultures compared to that of lower cell density cultures. Furthermore, it was very interesting to observe that even with low cell density culture, oxygen concentration near the cell layer was lower than that of the incubator atmosphere. The obtained oxygen gradient after 96 h was used to calculate the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of the A549 cells, and the obtained value of ~100 fmol/h/cell matches the OCR value already reported in the literature for this cell line. Moreover, we found our set up to be unique in its ability to measure oxygen gradient formation in several wells of a cell culture plate simultaneously and in a non-invasive manner.

Imaging of pH and pO2 gives insight in molecular processes of irradiated cells.

One of the major challenges in radiation therapy is the interference with tissue repair processes due to hypoxic characteristics and pH dysregulation. In this study, we present dual imaging of pH and oxygenation in vitro based on luminescent biocompatible sensor foils that allow studying the effects of irradiation on different cell types in culture. Different sensitivities of fibroblast and oral squamous carcinoma cells were observed by complementing oxygen and pH differences with proliferation assays. This study highlights especially the distinct role of oxygen after irradiation and the difference in proliferation processes of irradiated normal dermal cells in contrast to irradiated tumor cells.

Oxygen-distribution within 3-D collagen I hydrogels for bone tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering (TE) approaches typically envisage the structural and functional reconstitution of previously damaged tissue in situ. An adequate three-dimensional environment is therefore of fundamental importance for the designated cells associated to the scaffold material. The sufficient supply with nutrients and oxygen in vitro and in vivo mark thereby critical challenges of TE. In this study, we intended to analyse the level of locally dissolved oxygen within 3-D cell-loaded collagen I gels in vitro. For the analysis of the oxygen levels in situ, we employed an optical fibre-based micro sensor setup, as well as a camera supported non-invasive optical sensor foil based technique. These complementary analytical tools enable the identification, localization, and temporal follow-up investigation of specified regions of interest within TE constructs. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAdMSCs) cultured in collagen I gels under normoxic conditions were analysed periodically and kinetically up to 70 days - thereby revealing dynamic changes of the level of dissolved oxygen inside the gel constructs. Dependent on the applied cell concentration, the in vitro oxygen concentration (cO2) within the gels reached physiological ranges (7-9%) after 21 days, or 35 days of culture. The minimal cO2 was measured after 35 days in vitro, featuring an oxygen level of 4.8 ±â€¯1.3%. Upon prolonged culture, a plateau-like status of the cO2 around 8-9% established, indicating a change in the physiological activity of the cells under investigation. The expression patterns of BCL2, CASP3 and MCM5 revealed significant differences among the proliferative and apoptotic stages of the cell-loaded samples at the investigated time points of 7 and 70 days in culture. In summary, these data show the temporary dynamic nature of the oxygen distribution in cell-loaded gel constructs. The applied technique is an ideal tool for the evaluation of multiple parameters affecting the oxygen distribution in vitro. We conclude that it takes 5 weeks for establishing an equilibrium of cO2. Levels reached in a 3-D gel construct are comparable with physiological oxygenation ranges in bone-associated tissues.

Plant-Sediment Interactions in Salt Marshes - An Optode Imaging Study of O2, pH, and CO 2 Gradients in the Rhizosphere.

In many wetland plants, belowground transport of O2 via aerenchyma tissue and subsequent O2 loss across root surfaces generates small oxic root zones at depth in the rhizosphere with important consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling. This study demonstrates how roots of the intertidal salt-marsh plant Spartina anglica affect not only O2, but also pH and CO2 dynamics, resulting in distinct gradients of O2, pH, and CO2 in the rhizosphere. A novel planar optode system (VisiSens TD®, PreSens GmbH) was used for taking high-resolution 2D-images of the O2, pH, and CO2 distribution around roots during alternating light-dark cycles. Belowground sediment oxygenation was detected in the immediate vicinity of the roots, resulting in oxic root zones with a 1.7 mm radius from the root surface. CO2 accumulated around the roots, reaching a concentration up to threefold higher than the background concentration, and generally affected a larger area within a radius of 12.6 mm from the root surface. This contributed to a lowering of pH by 0.6 units around the roots. The O2, pH, and CO2 distribution was recorded on the same individual roots over diurnal light cycles in order to investigate the interlinkage between sediment oxygenation and CO2 and pH patterns. In the rhizosphere, oxic root zones showed higher oxygen concentrations during illumination of the aboveground biomass. In darkness, intraspecific differences were observed, where some plants maintained oxic root zones in darkness, while others did not. However, the temporal variation in sediment oxygenation was not reflected in the temporal variations of pH and CO2 around the roots, which were unaffected by changing light conditions at all times. This demonstrates that plant-mediated sediment oxygenation fueling microbial decomposition and chemical oxidation has limited impact on the dynamics of pH and CO2 in S. anglica rhizospheres, which may in turn be controlled by other processes such as root respiration and root exudation.

The status of dermatoglyphics as a biomarker of Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome: a review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome is a rare disease and only a few cases have been reported. Dermatoglyphics potentially provide relevant phenotypic biomarkers that were initially noted as a vital clinical feature of this disease. Dermatoglyphics possibly can indicate growth disturbances that took place during early fetal development at the time when epidermal ridges were being formed into discernable patterns. Consequently, these intrauterine effects might well have occurred in association with the expression of the Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome. Therefore, this review was undertaken to provide, as far as we know, the first attempt to broadly assess dermatoglyphic features that are connected with the Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome. If a developmental association between dermatoglyphics and Tel Hashomer camptodactyly can be firmly established, this would probably document that Tel Hashomer camptodactyly disease has its origins during the early fetal period. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using articles from PubMed (Medline), POPLINE, Trip Database, Cochrane Library, and gray literature up to 31 March 2015. The review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. RESULTS: Fourteen relevant publications were included in the review. There were 23 cases of patients with Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome that were described in these published articles. We reviewed the dermatoglyphics of 21 available cases out of all of the published and electronically available cases of Tel Hashomer camptodactyly. Eight cases reported whorls to be the most common digital pattern with an expected rise of ridge count. Two cases show significantly high frequencies of arch patterns. Further, there were increased numbers of palmar creases, along with abnormal flexion creases or other palmar dermatoglyphic abnormalities reported in all cases. CONCLUSION: This review highlighted the desirability of thoroughly observing and recording dermatoglyphic features when reporting on future patients with Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome, in conjunction with carrying out modern molecular methods.

Dermatoglyphics in kidney diseases: a review.

Kidney diseases are becoming a major cause of global burden with high mortality and morbidity. The origins of most kidney diseases are known, but for some the exact aetiology is not yet understood. Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of epidermal ridge patterns and it has been used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to detect or predict different medical conditions that have foetal origin. However, there have been a limited number of studies that have evaluated a dermatoglyphic relationship in different kidney diseases. The aim of this review was to systematically identify, review and appraise available literature that evaluated an association of different dermatoglyphic variables with kidney diseases. This review is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. The PubMed(®) (Medline), POPLINE, Cochrane Library and Trip Database and grey literature sources such as OpenGrey, Google Scholar, and Google were searched to earliest date to 17 April 2014. Of the 36 relevant publications, 15 were included in the review. Of these studies, there are five case reports, seven case series and three comparative studies. Possible association of dermatoglyphics with Wilms tumor (WT) had been evaluated in two comparative studies and one case series that found fewer whorls and a lower mean total ridge count (TRC). Another study evaluated adult polycystic kidney disease (APCD) type III that revealed lower TRC means in all cases. All other case series and case reports describe dermatoglyphics in various kidney disease such as acro-renal-ocular syndrome, potter syndrome, kabuki makeup syndrome, neurofaciodigitorenal syndrome, syndactyly type V, ring chromosome 13 syndrome, trisomy 13 syndrome and sirenomelia. It is evident that whorl pattern frequency and TRC have been used widely to investigate the uncertainty related to the origin of several kidney diseases such as WT and APCD type III. However, small sample sizes, possibly methodological issues, and discrepancy in the make up between cases and control groups limits interpretation of any significant findings. Future studies with proper protocol, adequate cases, and control groups may provide stronger evidence to resolve uncertainty related to the aetiology of kidney diseases.

Dermatoglyphics in hypertension: a review.

Hypertension is a major contributor to the global burden of disease and mortality. A major medical advancement would be a better means to ascertain which persons are at higher risk for becoming hypertensive beforehand. To that end, there have been a number of studies showing that certain dermatoglyphic markers are associated with hypertension. This association could be explained if the risk toward developing hypertension later on in life is somehow connected with fetal development of dermatoglyphics. It would be highly valuable from a clinical standpoint if this conjecture could be substantiated since dermatoglyphic markers could then be used for screening out individuals who might be at an elevated risk of becoming hypertensive. The aim of this review was to search for and appraise available studies that pertain to the association between hypertension and dermatoglyphics.A systematic literature search conducted using articles from MEDLINE (PubMed), Trip, Cochran, Google scholar, and gray literature until December 2014. Of the 37 relevant publications, 17 were included in the review. The review performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement.This review showed a fairly consistent finding of an increased frequency of whorl patterns along with a higher mean total ridge count in digital dermatoglyphic results in hypertensive samples compared to controls. However, it was imperative to discuss several limitations found in the studies that could make this association as yet unsettled.

A FRET based pH probe with a broad working range applicable to referenced ratiometric dual wavelength and luminescence lifetime read out.

A luminescent probe for determination of pH was designed based on a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) system, combining a europium chelate as the donor and carboxynaphtho-fluorescein as a pH sensitive acceptor. The FRET system enables referenced pH detection in an exceptional broad dynamic range from pH 3 to 9.

Luminescent dual sensors reveal extracellular pH-gradients and hypoxia on chronic wounds that disrupt epidermal repair.

Wound repair is a quiescent mechanism to restore barriers in multicellular organisms upon injury. In chronic wounds, however, this program prematurely stalls. It is known that patterns of extracellular signals within the wound fluid are crucial to healing. Extracellular pH (pHe) is precisely regulated and potentially important in signaling within wounds due to its diverse cellular effects. Additionally, sufficient oxygenation is a prerequisite for cell proliferation and protein synthesis during tissue repair. It was, however, impossible to study these parameters in vivo due to the lack of imaging tools. Here, we present luminescent biocompatible sensor foils for dual imaging of pHe and oxygenation in vivo. To visualize pHe and oxygen, we used time-domain dual lifetime referencing (tdDLR) and luminescence lifetime imaging (LLI), respectively. With these dual sensors, we discovered centripetally increasing pHe-gradients on human chronic wound surfaces. In a therapeutic approach, we identify pHe-gradients as pivotal governors of cell proliferation and migration, and show that these pHe-gradients disrupt epidermal barrier repair, thus wound closure. Parallel oxygen imaging also revealed marked hypoxia, albeit with no correlating oxygen partial pressure (pO2)-gradient. This highlights the distinct role of pHe-gradients in perturbed healing. We also found that pHe-gradients on chronic wounds of humans are predominantly generated via centrifugally increasing pHe-regulatory Na+/H+-exchanger-1 (NHE1)-expression. We show that the modification of pHe on chronic wound surfaces poses a promising strategy to improve healing. The study has broad implications for cell science where spatial pHe-variations play key roles, e.g. in tumor growth. Furthermore, the novel dual sensors presented herein can be used to visualize pHe and oxygenation in various biomedical fields.

Background-free referenced luminescence sensing and imaging of pH using upconverting phosphors and color camera read-out.

Fluorescence background and problems with proper signal referencing severely disrupt the read-out of luminescence sensors and images. We present a pH sensor film in combination with a simple read-out technique that overcomes issues of background signals and autofluorescence. It consists of micrometer-sized upconversion phosphors (UCPs) and a pH indicator (Neutral Red) that absorbs their green emission. Both are embedded in a proton permeable hydrogel matrix. The UCPs generate green and red luminescence upon excitation with IR light of 980 nm wavelength. Solely the green light of the UCPs is affected by the pH indicator, while the red emission acts as inert reference signal for ratiometric measurements. The emission peaks of the UCPs match the red and green color channels of standard digital cameras. Thereby, the devised sensor film can be used for referenced ratiometric sensing and 2D imaging of pH using a color camera read-out. The sensor setup using common and hand-held devices is cheap and straightforward and allows for point-of-care measurements. Finally, pH measurements in human serum samples show the potential of this sensor for imaging free of interfering background signals.

Hypoxia in Leishmania major skin lesions impairs the NO-dependent leishmanicidal activity of macrophages.

Cure of infections with Leishmania major is critically dependent on the ability of macrophages to induce the type 2 nitic oxide (NO) synthase (NOS2) that produces high levels of NO in the presence of ample oxygen. Therefore, we analyzed the oxygen levels found in leishmanial skin lesions and their effect on the NOS2-dependent leishmanicidal activity of macrophages (MΦ). When L. major skin lesions of self-healing C57BL/6 mice reached their maximum size, the infected tissue displayed low oxygen levels (pO2∼21 Torr). MΦ activated under these oxygen tensions failed to produce sufficient amounts of NO to clear L. major. Nos2-deficient and hypoxic wild-type macrophages displayed a similar phenotype. Killing was restored when MΦ were reoxygenated or exposed to a NO donor. The resolution of the lesion in C57BL/6 mice was paralleled by an increase of lesional pO2. When mice were kept under normobaric hypoxia, this caused a persistent suppression of the lesional pO2 and a concurrent increase of the parasite load. In Nos2-deficient mice, there was no effect of atmospheric hypoxia. Low oxygen levels found at leishmanial skin lesions impaired the NOS2-dependent leishmanicidal activity of MΦ. Hence, tissue oxygenation represents an underestimated local milieu factor that participates in the persistence of Leishmania.

Filaggrin deficiency leads to impaired lipid profile and altered acidification pathways in a 3D skin construct.

Mutations in the filaggrin (FLG) gene are strongly associated with common dermatological disorders such as atopic dermatitis. However, the exact underlying pathomechanism is still ambiguous. Here, we investigated the impact of FLG on skin lipid composition, organization, and skin acidification using a FLG knockdown (FLG-) skin construct. Initially, sodium/hydrogen antiporter (NHE-1) activity was sufficient to maintain the acidic pH (5.5) of the reconstructed skin. At day 7, the FLG degradation products urocanic (UCA) and pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid (PCA) were significantly decreased in FLG- constructs, but the skin surface pH was still physiological owing to an upregulation of NHE-1. At day 14, secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) IIA, which converts phospholipids to fatty acids, was significantly more activated in FLG- than in FLG+. Although NHE-1 and sPLA2 were able to compensate the FLG deficiency, maintain the skin surface pH, and ensured ceramide processing (no differences detected), an accumulation of free fatty acids (2-fold increase) led to less ordered intercellular lipid lamellae and higher permeability of the FLG- constructs. The interplay of the UCA/PCA and the sPLA2/NHE-1 acidification pathways of the skin and the impact of FLG insufficiency on skin lipid composition and organization in reconstructed skin are described.

Unveiling photodeactivation pathways for a new iridium(III) cyclometalated complex.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a neutral heteroleptic Ir(III) complex bearing 6-fluoro-2-phenylbenzo[d]thiazole as cyclometalating ligand and (Z)-6-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-5-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylhex-4-en-3-one as ancillary ligand. The photodeactivation mechanisms have been elucidated through extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The active role of metal-centered ((3) MC) triplet excited states in the nonradiative deactivation pathways is, for first time, confirmed in such complexes.