Determination of ammonia by designing an optode based on immobilization of a Co(III)-Schiff base complex on a triacetylcelluose membrane.

A novel ammonia optode was designed using [4-methyl-N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine] tributylphosphincobalt(III) perchlorate monohydrate [Co(4-MeSaloph)(PBu)3]+ complex coated on a triacetylcellulose membrane. The sensor could be used at a wavelength of 378 nm to detect ammonia in the range of 8.3 x 10(-4) and -1.25 x 10(-2) M in borate buffer (pH 10). The LOD was found to be 9.5 x 10(-5) M. The response time of the optode was 2-3 min and depended on the concentration of ammonia. This optode was successfully applied for the determination of ammonia in drinking water.

Expanding the Biotherapeutics Realm via miR-34a: "Potent Clever Little" Agent in Breast Cancer Therapy.

BACKGROUND: One of the most prevalent cancers befell to women is considered to be breast cancer (BC). It is also the deadliest among the female population after lung cancer. Additionally, several studies have demonstrated that there is an association between microRNA34-a and breast cancer. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to December 2018. Those studies which have been studied miR-34a and its tumor-suppressing capabilities were considered as the most important topics. Moreover, we extracted articles which were solely focused on microRNA-34a in breast cancer therapy. Finally, 80 articles were included. RESULTS: In comparison with the normal tissues, down-regulation of miR-34a expression is shown considerably in tumor cells. Overexpression of miR-34a acts as a tumor suppressor by transcriptional regulating one of the signaling pathways (TP53), NOTCH, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß), Bcl- 2 and SIRT1genes, HDAC1 and HDAC7, Fra-1, TPD52, TLR Via CXCL10. Moreover, drug resistance declines which lead to the apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and senescence. As a result, the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of the tumor are suppressed. The Mrx34 drug contains miR-34a mimic and a lipid vector. MiR-34a as the active ingredient portrays the role of a tumor suppressor. This drug has recently entered the clinical trials studies. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a robust cause for developing miR-34a as a therapeutic agent to target BC. In that scenario, miR-34a is strongly useful to introduce new therapeutic goals for BC. Moreover, this review aims to confirm the signal pathways, therapeutic and diagnostic values of miR- 34a in BC and beyond.

Synthesis, characterization, and thermodynamics of some new unsymmetrical Schiff bases of salicylaldehyde with 3,4-diaminopyridine and their cobalt(III) complexes.

Some new Schiff bases derived from 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) and their new unsymmetrical Co(III) five coordinate complexes described as [Co(Chel)(L)]ClO4⋅H2O where (Chel) is the deprotonated form of a series of unsymmetric ligands containing 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) and substituted salicylaldehyde moieties and a new Co(III) six coordinate Co(III) complex, were synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, IR, UV-Vis, and elemental analysis. For the new synthesized five coordinate complexes, the formation constants of the interaction of the Co(III) Schiff bases with various donors were measured spectrophotometrically. The trend of the formation constants of the five coordinate Co(III) Schiff base complexes toward a given phosphine is as follow: 5-H>5-Br and the formation constants trend of these donors are as follow: PBu3>PPh2Me. Furthermore the adduct formation of the five coordinate [Co(3,4-Salpyr)(PBu3)] ClO4⋅H2O, with aromatic amines shows the following binding trend: Im>2-MeIm>2-EtIm>BzIm. The trend of the formation constants of Co(III) Schiff base complexes toward a given donor according to the phosphine axial ligand is as follow: PBu3>PPh2Me.

Synthesis, characterization and thermodynamics of complex formation of some new Schiff base ligands with some transition metal ions and the adduct formation of zinc Schiff base complexes with some organotin chlorides.

Four new complexes, [M(Salpyr)] where Salpyr=N,N'-bis(Salicylidene)-2,3- and 3,4-diiminopyridine and M=Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn were synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and UV-vis spectrophotometry. UV-vis spectrophotometric study of the adduct formation of the zinc(II) complexes, [Zn(2,3-Salpyr)] and [Zn(3,4-Salpyr)], as donor with R(2)SnCl(2) (R=methyl, phenyl, n-butyl), PhSnCl(3) and Bu(3)SnCl as acceptors has been investigated in methanol, as solvent. The formation constants and the thermodynamic free energies were measured using UV-vis spectrophotometry. Titration of the organotin chlorides with Zn(II) complexes at various temperatures (T=283-313K) leads to 1:1 adduct formation. The results show that the formation constants were decreased by increasing the temperature. The trend of the reaction of R(n)SnCl(4-n) as acceptors toward given zinc complexes was as follows: PhSnCl3 > Me2SnCl2 > Ph2SnCl2 > Bu2SnCl2 > Bu3SnCl. By considering the formation constants and the ΔG° of the complex formation for the Schiff base as donor and the M(II) as acceptor, the following conclusion was drawn: the formation constant for a given Schiff base changes according to the following trend: Ni > Cu > Co > Zn > Mn.