Identification and elimination of cancer cells by folate-conjugated CdTe/CdS Quantum Dots Chiral Nano-Sensors.

The specific identification and elimination of cancer cells has been a great challenge in the past few decades. In this study, the circular dichroism (CD) of cells was measured by a self-designed special system through the folate-conjugated chiral nano-sensor. A novel method was established to recognize cancer cells from normal cells according to the chirality of cells based on their CD signals. After a period of interaction between the nano-sensor and cells, the sharp weakening of CD signals was induced in cancer cells but normal cells remained unchanged. The biocompatibility of the nano-sensor was evaluated and the result showed that it exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against cancer cells while no obvious damage on normal cells. Notably, the research indicated that the nano-sensor may selectively cause apoptosis in cancer cells, and thus, have the potential to act as an antitumor agent.

Impact of light on anoxic/oxic reactors: performance, quorum sensing, and metagenomic characteristics.

The effect of light has raised attention on wastewater treatment. However, little research has concentrated on the influences of light on activated sludge. In this study, the influences of light on the performance, quorum sensing (QS) and metagenomic characteristics of anoxic/oxic reactors were investigated. The reactor without light (AO1) showed higher total nitrogen (TN) removal (79.15 ± 1.69%) than the reactor with light (AO2) (74.54 ± 1.30%), and significant differences were observed. It was observed that light facilitated the production of protein-like and tryptophan-like substances by employing parallel factor analysis for extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), resulting in more EPS production in AO2, indicating light was beneficial to EPS production. The concentrations of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) were various in the two reactors, so the AHLs-mediated QS behaviors in both reactors were also different. These results revealed that light significantly influenced nitrogen removal, EPS, and QS. Metagenomic analysis based on Tax4Fun demonstrated that light reduced the denitrification, stimulated the polysaccharide and protein biosynthesis pathways and down-regulated the AHLs synthesis pathway, resulting in lower TN removal, more EPS production, and lower AHLs concentrations. Based on the above, the likely mechanism was proposed for the influences of light on the reactor.

A large stokes-shifted fluorescent dye synthesized as a new probe for the determination of protein.

A novel fluorescent dye, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-((E)-2-(3-benzothiazol-2yl-9-ethyl-carbazole-3yl)vinyl) pyridinium bromide, was synthesized for determination of protein and its structure was characterized by (1)H NMR. Photophysics of the new probe in different solvents has been delineated in this paper, the new fluorescent molecular dye exhibited a large stokes-shifted and fluorescence quantum yields in organic solvent. The photostability and thermostability of the new dye were also studied and the results suggested the stable was excellent. The interactions of the dye with bovine serum albumin (BSA) , Human serumal bumin (HSA) and calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) were studied by fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. The binding constant for BSA, HSA and DNA were calculated to be 8.91 × 10(7), 1.86 × 10(6) and 2.9 × 10(4), respectively. The experimental results indicated a potential value of the new dye for biomarker.

Synthesis and characterization of the fluorescent probes for the labeling of Microthrix parvicella.

Although the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has been widely used to identify the Microthrix parvicella (M. parvicella), there are a few disadvantages and difficulties, such as complicated process, time consuming, etc. In this work, a series of fluorescent probes, which were modified by long-chain alkane with hydrophobic property and based on the property of M. parvicella utilizing long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), for the labeling of M. parvicella in bulking sludge were designed, synthesized, and characterized. The probes were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, (1)H NMR spectra, and mass spectra, and the photostability and hydrophobic property of probes were investigated. All the results showed that the probes were quite stable and suitable for the fluorescent labeling. The probes had a large stoke shift of 98-137 nm, which was benefit for the fluorescent labeling. In the fluorescent labeling of M. parvicella by the synthesized probes, the probes had excellent labeling effects. By comparison of the images and the Image Pro Plus 6.0 analysis, the optimal concentration of the probes in the activated sludge sample for labeling was 0.010 mmol/L and the probe 3d had the best labeling. In addition, the effect of the duration time of probes was also investigated, and the results showed that the fluorescent intensity of probes hardly changed in a long period of time and it was suitable for labeling.

Design and preparation of quantum dots fluorescent probes for in situ identification of Microthrix parvicella in bulking sludge.

A series of quantum dots (QDs) fluorescent probes for the in situ identification of Microthrix parvicella (M. parvicella) in bulking sludge were designed and prepared. In the preparation of CdTe/CdS QDs, the 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-acid) and 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (16-acid) were used as the stabilizer. The prepared QDs probes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the results showed that the CdTe/CdS QDs formed a core-shell structure and the long carbon chain was successfully grafted onto its surface. And the three QDs probes had different crystallinity and particle size, which was due to the inhibition effect of long carbon chain. The optical properties test results showed that although the formed core-shell structure and long carbon chain affected the fluorescent intensity, adsorption, and emission spectra of the QDs probes, the probes B and C had a large stokes-shift of 82 and 101 nm, which was a benefit for their fluorescent labeling property. In the fluorescent identification of M. parvicella, the probes B and C effectively adsorbed onto the surface of M. parvicella through a hydrophobic bond, and then identified M. parvicella by their unique fluorescence. In addition, it was found that a better hydrophobic property resulted in better identification efficiency.

Spectra, stability and labeling of 1-(5-carboxypentyl)-4-(2-(N-ethyl-carbazole-3-yl) vinyl) pyridinium bromide with a large Stokes shift.

Carbazole and its derivatives have been widely utilized as a functional building block in the fabrication of the organic medicine, pesticides, materials, etc., because of their excellent solubility, stability and biological activity. In this paper, 1-(5-carboxypentyl)-4-(2-(N-ethyl-carbazole-3-yl) vinyl) pyridinium bromide with a large Stokes shift was synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR and MS. The UV/vis absorption and fluorescence spectra in different solvents and at different pH values were investigated preliminarily. The photostability and thermostability were also studied and the results showed that the compound was stable. The compound was also used to label bovine serum albumin (BSA) and calf thymus (ct)DNA. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity is enhanced when labeling with BSA and the binding ability is stronger than ctDNA, making it may be used as a biological probe.

Properties, theoretical study and crystal structure of 3-benzothiazole-9-ethyl carbazole.

The title compound of 3-benzothiazole-9-ethyl carbazole was synthesized by the reaction of 3-aldehyde-9-ethyl carbazole and 2-aminothiophenol. The compound was characterized by (1) H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Its crystal structure was obtained and determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the crystal belongs to the orthorhombic crystal system and the cell parameters of space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) were a = 5.6626 (12) Å, b = 12.606 (3) Å, c = 22.639 (5) Å, α = 90°, ß = 90°, γ = 90°, V = 1616.0 (6) Å(3) , Z = 4, Dc = 1.350 mg/m(3) . The UV-vis and fluorescence spectra were also studied preliminarily. The fluorescence spectra of the title compound with bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed that BSA could be marked with the compound and the stability constant between them was 0.82 × 10(7)  M(-1) . Meanwhile, the crystal and molecule were theoretically surveyed by density functional tight-binding (DFTB). The results showed that there was an orbital overlap for lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) between the neighbouring molecules for the crystal, which is different from the molecule structure. It was also showed that the crystal structure is a non-conductor. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A benzindole substituted carbazole cyanine dye: a novel targeting fluorescent probe for parallel c-myc G-quadruplexes.

Many organic ligands were synthesized to recognize G-quadruplexes. However, different kinds of G-quadruplexes (G4s) possess different structures and functions. Therefore, selective recognition of certain types of G4s is important for the study of G4s. In this paper, a novel cyanine dye, 3-(2-(4-vinylpyridine))-6-(2-((1-(4-sulfobutyl))-3,3-dimethyl-2-vinylbenz[e]indole)-9-ethyl-carbazole (9E PBIC), composed of benzindole and carbazole was designed and synthesised. The studies on UV-vis and fluorescence properties of the dye with different DNA forms showed that the dye exhibits almost no fluorescence under aqueous buffer conditions, but it increased over 100 fold in the presence of c-myc G4 and 10-30 fold in the presence of other G4s, while little in the presence of single/double-stranded DNA, indicating that it has excellent selectivity to c-myc 2345 G4. For the binding studies the dye is interacted with the c-myc 2345 G-quadruplex by using the end-stack binding model. It can be said that the dye is an excellent targeting fluorescent probe for c-myc G-quadruplexes.

Spectra, Stability and Labeling of a Novel Carbazole Derivative as a Fluorescent Turn-on DNA Probe.

A novel fluorescent dye, 1-(6-carboxyhexyl)-4-(2-(9-ethyl-carbazole-3-yl) vinyl) quinolizinium bromide, was synthesized, and its structure was characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C-NMR, IR and HRMS. The spectra properties of this dye in different solvents and under different pH value were invest'igated preliminarily, and the results showed that its fluorescent properties was affected by the polarity and the dipole moment of the solvent. The photostability and thermostability test results showed that its photoreduction rate constant was 1.64 × 10(-5) mol/Min and its fluorescent intensity decreased little after heating at 80 °C for 6 h, suggesting the dye was quite stable. In the labeling experiment of BSA and DNA with the dye, the fluorescent all intensity increased with the addition of BSA and DNA. Specially, the dye showed an excellent turn-on effect upon binding with ctDNA.

A Novel Separation Method of Microthrix parvicella Filaments from Activated Sludge by a Hydrophobic Plate.

The aim of this paper is to develop a novel method to separate Microthrix parvicella (M. parvicella) filaments from activated sludge easily and quickly, as there are a few difficulties in the isolation of M. parvicella filaments, such as complicated isolation process, time consuming, etc. In this work, a series of hydrophobic plate with and without microchannels have been prepared for the separation of M. parvicella filaments. The results showed that the presence of microchannels and hydrophobic property of the hydrophobic plates affected the separation efficiency of M. parvicella significantly. The scanning electron microscope and Keyence Digital Microscope analysis results showed that the diameter of microchannels was similar to the width of M. parvicella filament, which was beneficial for the fastening of M. parvicella filaments on the plate. The hydrophobic property of the prepared plates was tested by contact angle of water droplets, and the results displayed that the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) plate possessed the highest contact angle compared with that of other plates, like polymethylmethacrylate, polystyrene plate, and PDMS plate with no hydrophobic microchannels. Thus, it was concluded that the high separation efficiency of PDMS plates to M. parvicella filaments was due to its best hydrophobic property.

Study on the Synthesis and Spectra of a Novel Kind of Carbozole Benzothiazole Indole Styryl Cyanine Dye with a Carbazole Bridged Chain.

Based on the frequently-used cyanine dye probe thiazole orange (TO) and Cy3, a novel kind of styryl cyanine dye was designed and synthesized. Carbazole was inserted into the structures of two cyanine dyes, TO and Cy3, to act as a bridge to link the benzothiazole and indole. This modification resulted in a novel kind of carbozole benzothiazole indole cyanine dye with a carbazole-bridged chain. The dyes were characterized by HNMR and MS. The spectra of the novel dyes were also studied and the results showed that the fluorescence wavelength of novel carbazole benzothiazole indole cyanine dye shifted red, the Stokes shift and Fluorescence quantum yields increased and the fluorescence intensity was enhanced compared to that of TO. These results indicated that the novel dye could be used as an excellent fluorescent probe in biological labeling.

Preparation of chitosan-hyaluronic acid microcapsules and its dynamic release behavior analysis in a 3D-printed microchannel system: Exploration and verification.

This research focuses on the challenges of efficiently constructing drug carriers and evaluating their dynamic release in vitro simulation. By using pickering emulsion and layer-by-layer self-assembly methods. The microcapsules had tea tree oil as the core material, SiO2 nanoparticles as stabilizers, and chitosan and hyaluronic acid as shell materials. The microencapsulation mechanism, as well as the effects of core-shell mass ratio and stirring, were discussed. Specifically, a dynamic circulation simulation microchannel system was designed and manufactured based on 3D printing technology. In this simulation system, the release rate of microcapsules is accelerated and the trend changes, with its behavior aligning with the Boltzmann model. The study demonstrates the advantages of self-assembled inorganic-organic drug-loaded microcapsules in terms of controllable fabrication and ease of functional modification, and shows the potential of 3D printed cyclic microchannel systems in terms of operability and simulation fidelity in drug and physiological analysis.

Self-assembly of anionic gemini surfactant: fluorescence resonance energy transfer and simulation study.

The interaction of dyes with a sulfonated Gemini surfactant was investigated in aqueous solution using Förster resonance energy transfer with acridine orange (AO) as a donor and rhodamine B (RhB) as an acceptor. Surface tension results showed that AO and RhB have different effects on the self-assembly of the Gemini surfactant, with AO giving a higher critical micelle concentration (cmc) and lower surface tension, while the opposite was observed for RhB. Energy transfer from AO to RhB was observed in the presence of the surfactant, and the energy transfer efficiency initially improved with increased surfactant concentration but then decreased significantly when the surfactant reached a higher concentration due to the formation of larger aggregates, which increased the average distance between AO and RhB. Dynamic light scattering demonstrated the existence of these large aggregates. Moreover, simulations using dissipative particle dynamics supported the experimental results.

Synthesis and spectra of a kind of novel longer-wavelength benzoxazole indole styryl cyanine dye with a carbazole-bridged chain.

Based on cyanine dye probe oxazole yellow (YO) and Cy(3), a series of novel styryl cyanine dyes were designed and synthesized. Carbazole was inserted into the structures of YO and Cy(3) to act as a bridge to link the benzoxazole and indole group. This modification resulted in a novel kind of benzoxazole indole styryl cyanine dye with a carbazole-bridged chain. The dyes were characterized by (1)HNMR and MS. The spectra of the novel dyes were also performed and the results showed that the maximum emission wavelength of the carbazole styryl cyanine dye was shifted red, the Stokes shift increased and the fluorescence intensity enhanced compared with those of YO and Cy(3). These results indicated that the novel dye could be used as an excellent fluorescent probe in biological labeling.

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of functionalized polystyrene particles.

In this paper we synthesized a series of carboxylate and amino functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles with controllable size and surface properties by conventional and seed emulsion polymerization methods. They are characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Additionally the content of carboxylate and amino groups on the surface of the particles are determined accurately by conductometric titration and fluorescamine technique respectively. Afterwards the toxicity of amino modified polystyrene particles was tested in 1321N1 astrocytoman cell line and the results showed the degree of the toxicity is proportional to the amino content of the particles, suggesting the amino group is responsible for the toxicity of the particles. Furthermore those particles were labeled by fluorescent dye and confocal fluorescent microscopy experiment showed that the particles can be well absorbed by cells.

Effects of silica fume powder modified by oleic acid on the settleability of bulking sludge.

Modified silica fume powder with oleic acid through coupling agent was prepared based on the in situ utilizing long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) properties of Microthrix parvicella (M. parvicella) in the activated sludge system. The modification was confirmed by XRD and infrared spectrum. The contact angle analysis showed that the modification gave the silica fume powder a hydrophobic surface. The modified silica fume powder had a good combination with M. parvicella from the SEM and Gram staining measurements. The addition of modified silica powder has a certain effect on the settling capacity of sludge, but has little effect on the sludge treatment capacity, while the SVI dropped from 400.1 to 100.0 mL/g. These suggested that the modified silica fume powder could be used as an excellent weight-increasing agent to inhibit sludge bulking.

Simulating CH4 emissions from MSW landfills in China from 2003 to 2042 using IPCC and LandGEM models.

Anaerobic landfills have long been the primary means of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in China. Landfills are the third largest emission source of methane (CH4), which is the second most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and has a high greenhouse effect. To date, there have been no reliable model predictions of long-term CH4 emissions from landfills in China. In this study, two general models, IPCC and LandGEM, were introduced to simulate CH4 emissions from all landfills in China. By comparing the results of the Shuangkou landfill in Tianjin with the default and local parameters, the local parameters were fixed to simulate landfill CH4 emissions in 31 regions over 40 years (2003-2042). The MSW landfills were obtained from statistical data for 18 years (2003-2020). The total emissions in China predicted by LandGEM and IPCC were 2.42 E+07 Mg and 2.36 E+07 Mg, respectively. These data provide a reliable reference for determining the long-term CH4 emissions from landfills in China.

Study on synthesis and spectrum of novel styryl cyanine dyes with a carbazole bridged chain.

Based on the frequently-used cyanine dye probe thiazole orange (TO), a novel kind of cyanine dye was designed and synthesized. Carbazole was inserted into the methylidyne structure of TO as a bridge to afford a kind of novel styryl cyanine dye with carbazole bridged chain. The dyes were characterized by HNMR and MS. The spectra of the novel dyes were also studied and the results showed that the fluorescent wavelength of novel carbzole dye shifted red for 100 nm, stock shift increased by 70 nm and the fluorescent intensity enhanced by 70 times compared to that of TO. When the novel dye was labeled by BSA, its fluorescent wavelength changed little and the intensity enhanced. It is indicated that it can be used as an excellent fluorescent probe in biological labeling.

Folate conjugated chitosan grafted thiazole orange derivative with high targeting for early breast cancer cells diagnosis.

The folate receptor (FR) is over-expressed on many solid tumors and has been exploited for targeted delivery of folic acid linked liposomes to cancer cells in vitro. In the present study, we developed a novel folic acid (FA) conjugated chitosan (CTS) grafted thiazole orange (TO) complex (FA-CTS-TO), and the formation can be used to label tumor cells. The structure of TO derivatives was confirmed by (1)H NMR and MS, and the fluorescence probe of FA-CTS-TO complex was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis and Differential thermal analysis. The in vitro and in vivo of FA-CTS-TO complex were tested in breast cancer cells and the results showed a high targeting specificity in tumor cells with FR over-expressed. Such prominent fluorescence properties demonstrate again that FA-CTS-TO complex as a tumor targeting fluorescence probe is appropriate for breast cancer cells.

Degradation of bromamine acid by nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) supported on sepiolite.

Sepiolite, a natural nano-material, was chosen as a carrier to prepare supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). The effects of preparation conditions, including mass ratio of nZVI and activated sepiolite and preparation pH value, on properties of the supported nZVI were investigated. The results showed that the optimal mass ratio of nZVI and sepiolite was 1.12:1 and the optimal pH value was 7. The supported nZVI was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and furthermore an analogy model of the supported nZVI was set up. Compared with the nZVI itself, the supported nZVI was more stable in air and possessed better water dispersibility, which were beneficial for the degradation of bromamine acid aqueous solution. The degradation characteristics, such as effects of supported nZVI dosage, initial concentration and initial pH value of the solution on the decolorization efficiency were also investigated. The results showed that in an acidic environment the supported nZVI with a dosage of 2 g/L showed high activity in the degradation of bromamine acid with an initial concentration of 1,000 mg/L, and the degree of decolorization could reach up to 98%.