Ratiometric Fluorescence and Chromogenic Probe for Trace Detection of Selected Transition Metals.

The design and development of a fluorescence sensor aimed at detecting and quantifying trace amounts of toxic transition metal ions within environmental, biological, and aquatic samples has garnered significant attention from diagnostic and testing laboratories, driven by the imperative to mitigate the health risks associated with these contaminants. In this context, we present the utilization of a heterocyclic symmetrical Schiff Base derivative for the purpose of fluorogenic and chromogenic detection of Co2+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions. The characterization of the ligand involved a comprehensive array of techniques, including physical assessments, optical analyses, NMR, FT-IR, and mass spectrometric examinations. The mechanism of ligand-metal complexation was elucidated through the utilization of photophysical parameters and FT-IR spectroscopic analysis, both before and after the interaction between the ligand and the metal salt solution. The pronounced alterations observed in absorption and fluorescence spectra, along with the distinctive chromogenic changes, following treatment with Co2+, Cu2+ and Hg2+, affirm the successful formation of complexes between the ligands and the treated metal ions. Notably, the receptor's complexation response exhibited selectivity towards Co(II), Cu(II), and Hg(II), with no observed chromogenic changes, spectral variations, or band shifts for the various tested metal ions, including Na+, Ag+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Pd2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Sn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Cr3+ and Al3+. This absence of interaction between these metal ions and the ligand could be attributed to their compact or inadequately conducive conduction bands for complexation with the ligand's structural composition. To quantify the sensor's efficacy, fluorescence titration spectra were employed to determine the detection limits for Co2+, Cu2+ and Hg2+, yielding values of 2.92 × 10-8, 8.91 × 10-8, and 4.39 × 10-3 M, respectively. The Benesi-Hildebrand plots provided association constant values for the ligand-cobalt, ligand-copper, and ligand-mercury complexes as 0.74, 2.52, and 13.89 M-1, respectively.

Symmetrical Ligand's Fabricated Porous Silicon Surface Based Photoluminescence Sensor for Metal Detection and Entrapment.

This study was based on the development of surface-based photoluminescence sensor for metal detection, quantification, and sample purification employing the solid sensory chip having the capability of metal entrapment. The Co(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) sensitive fluorescence sensor (TP) was first synthesized and characterized its sensing abilities towards tested metal ions by using fluorescence spectral investigation while the synthesis and complexation of the receptor was confirmed by the chromogenic, optical, spectroscopic and spectrometric analysis. Under optical investigation, the ligand solution exhibited substantial chromogenic changes as well as spectral variations upon reacting with copper, cobalt, and mercuric ions, while these behaviors were not seen for the rest of tested metallic ions i.e., Na+, Ag+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Pd2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Sn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Cr3+, and Al3+. These colorimetric alterations and spectral shifting could potentially be employed to detect and quantify these specific metal ions. After the establishment of the ligand's selective complexation ability towards selected metals, it was fabricated over the substituted porous silicon surface (FPS) keeping in view of the development of surface-based photoluminescence sensor (TP-FPS) for the selected metal sensation and entrapment to purify the sample just be putting off the metal entrapped sensory solid chip. Surface characterization and ligand fabrication was inspected by plan and cross sectional electron microscopic investigations, vibrational and electronic spectral analysis. The sensitivity of the ligand (TP) in the solution phase metal discrimination was determined by employing the fluorescence titration analysis of the ligand solution after progressive induction of Co2+, Cu2+, and Hg2+, which afford the detection limit values of 2.14 × 10- 8, 3.47 × 10- 8 and 3.13 × 10- 3, respectively. Concurrently, photoluminescence titration of the surface fabricated sensor (TP-FPS) revealed detection limit values of 3.14 × 10- 9, 7.43 × 10- 9, and 8.21 × 10- 4, respectively, for the selected metal ions.

Synthesis, Invitro Cytotoxic Activity and Optical Analysis of Substituted Schiff Base Derivatives.

Fluorescent cytotoxic compounds with readout delivery are crucial in chemotherapy. The growing demands of these treatment strategies require the novel heterocyclic molecules with better selectivity alongside fluorescence marker potential. In this context, a series of nine isatin Schiff base derivatives 4a-i were synthesized, characterized and evaluated for UV-visible, fluorescence, thermal and bioanalysis in order to explore the effect of structure on their bioprofiles. The analogue 4d exhibited maximum cytotoxic activity on Hella cells with percentage inhibition of 83% at 50 µM and 100% at 150 µM concentrations while 4c showed minimum cytotoxic activity with the value of 19% at 50 µM and 22% at 150 µM concentrations. Meanwhile, 4g was found to exhibit maximum inhibition potential towards Vero Cells with the percentage inhibition values of 83 at 50 µM concentration. The overall SAR study showed that the para-fluoro-substituted isatin moieties exhibited the appreciable percentage inhibition while the least activity was delivered by the isatin derivatives with para-bromo substitution.

The implementation of an image-guided system at a proton therapy center facility.

PURPOSE: Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) proton therapy has similar requirements on patient alignment to within 1 mm and 1-degree accuracy as photon radiosurgery. This study describes general workflow, acceptance, and commissioning test procedures and their respective results for an independent robotic arm used for Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) for a Proton Therapy System. METHODS: The system is equipped with kV-imaging techniques capable of orthogonal and Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) imaging modalities mounted on an independent robotic arm gantry attached to the ceiling. The imaging system is capable of 360-degree rotation around patients to produce CBCT and kilovoltage orthogonal images. The imaging hardware is controlled by Ehmet Health XIS software, and MIM Software handles the image fusion and registration to an acceptable accuracy of ≤1-mm shifts for patients' alignment. The system was tested according to the requirements outlined in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG) 142 and TG 179. The system tests included (1) safety, functionality, and connectivity, (2) mechanical testing, (3) image quality, (4) image registration, and (5) imaging dose. Additional tests included imaging gantry isocentricity with a laser tracker and collision-avoiding system checks. RESULTS: The orthogonal and volumetric imaging are comparable in quality to other commercially available On-Board Imagers (OBI) systems. The resulting spatial resolution values were 1.8-, 0.8-, and 0.5-Line Pairs per Millimeter (lp/mm) for orthogonal, full-fan CBCT, and half-fan CBCT, respectively. The image registration is accurate to within 1 mm and 1 degree. The data shows consistent imaging-guided system performance with standard deviations in x, y, and z of 0.7, 0.8, and 0.7 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The system provides excellent image quality and performance, which can be used for IGRT. The proven accuracy of the x-ray imaging and positioning system at McLaren Proton Therapy Center (MPTC) is 1 mm, making it suitable for proton therapy.

Effects of Age and Biological Age-Determining Factors on Telomere Length in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

Background and Objectives: Telomere length (TL) undergoes attrition over time, indicating the process of aging, and is linked to a higher risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2). This molecular epidemiological study investigated the correlation between leukocyte TL variations and determinants of molecular aging in 121 Pakistani DM-2 patients. Materials and Methods: The ratio of telomere repeats to the SCG copy number was calculated to estimate the TL in each sample through qPCR assays. Results: In this study, smaller mean TLs were observed in 48.8% of males (6.35 ± 0.82 kb), 3.3% of underweight patients (5.77 ± 1.14 kb), 61.2% of patients on regular medication (6.50 ± 0.79 kb), 9.1% with very high stress levels (5.94 ± 0.99 kb), 31.4% of smokers (5.83 ± 0.73 kb), 40.5% of patients with low physical activity (6.47 ± 0.69 kb), 47.9% of hypertensive patients (5.93 ± 0.64 kb), 10.7% of patients with DM-2 for more than 15 years, and 3.3% of patients with a delayed onset of DM-2 (6.00 ± 0.93 kb). Conclusion: This research indicated a significant negative correlation (R2 = 0.143) between TL and the age of DM-2 patients. This study demonstrated that the correlation of telomere length with age in DM-2 patients was also influenced by various age-determining factors, including hypertension and smoking habits, with significant strong (R2 = 0.526) and moderate (R2 = 0.299) correlations, respectively; sex, obesity, the stress level and age at the onset of diabetes with significant weak correlations (R2 = 0.043, 0.041, 0.037, and 0.065, respectively), and no significant correlations of medication routine, rate of physical activity, and the durations of DM-2 with age-adjusted telomere length. These results challenge TL as the sole marker of aging, thus highlighting the need for further research to understand underlying factors and mitigate the effect of aging or premature aging on diabetic patients.

Decision algorithm for picture fuzzy sets and Aczel Alsina aggregation operators based on unknown degree of wights.

Aggregation operators (AOs) are well-known and efficient mathematical tools that are utilized to overcome the impact of imprecise and vague information during the aggregation process. The theoretical concepts of Aczel Alsina aggregation expressions are an extension of triangular norms and become a hot research topic in the environment of the fuzzy framework. The power operators provide a smooth approximation and are used to mitigate the influence of redundant or insufficient information on the attributes or criteria. Some robust aggregation approaches are developed by combining two different theories, like power operators and Aczel Alsina aggregation tools. This article aims to explore the theory of picture fuzzy sets (PFSs), an extended version of fuzzy sets, and intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Some robust operations of Aczel Alsina aggregation tools are also present in light of the picture fuzzy environment. We established a class of new methodologies in the light of picture fuzzy information, including picture fuzzy Aczel Alsina power weighted average (PFAAPWA) and picture fuzzy Aczel Alsina power ordered weighted average (PFAAPOWA) operators. We also developed an appropriate approach like picture fuzzy Aczel Alsina power weighted geometric (PFAAPWG) and picture fuzzy Aczel Alsina power ordered weighted geometric (PFAAPOWG) operators. Notable properties and characteristics of proposed methodologies are also demonstrated. Our invented approaches not only aggregate complicated information but can clearly define interrelationships among several arguments. Moreover, we establish an algorithm for the multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problem to handle the impact of redundant and vague information on human opinions. Finally, we study an experimental case study to evaluate an appropriate optimal option from available options. To reveal consistency and effectiveness of developed approaches, influence study by changing various parametric values and comparative study by comparing results of existing approaches.

Decision algorithm for educational institute selection with spherical fuzzy heronian mean operators and Aczel-Alsina triangular norm.

This article presents a novel study of spherical fuzzy sets (SFSs), a more comprehensive framework of intuitionistic fuzzy sets and picture fuzzy sets. The SFS allows the decision-makers (DMs) to cope with complicated and insufficient information during the aggregation process. The Heronian mean (HrM) model theory is also utilized to express correlation among different input arguments or characteristics. Recently, the theory of Aczel Alsina triangular norms gained a lot of attention from various research scholars and has many capabilities to provide smooth approximations during decision analysis. In this article, we developed some appropriate operations of Aczel Alsina t-norms and t-conorms in light of spherical fuzzy (SF) information. We develop new mathematical ways to look at SF data to keep clarity and sufficient information. These are the SF Aczel Alsina Heronian mean (SFAAHrM) and SF Aczel Alsina weighted Heronian mean (SFAAWHrM) operators. Furthermore, we also present a list of new strategies based on Aczel Alsina operations, such as SF Aczel Alsina geometric Heronian mean (SFAAGHrM) and SF Aczel Alsina weighted geometric Heronian mean (SFAAWGHrM) operators. Some notable properties are also characterized to show the validity and effectiveness of our derived mathematical approaches. Considering our derived strategies, an algorithm for the multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) problem is established to resolve complicated real-life applications. A numerical example presents the compatibility of derived approaches and provides a solid mechanism to improve the performance of educational institutes. A comparison technique is also demonstrated to show the applicability and consistency of diagnosed approaches by contrasting the findings of pioneered approaches with existing methodologies.

Molecular Assessments of Antimicrobial Protein Enterocins and Quorum Sensing Genes and Their Role in Virulence of the Genus Enterococcus.

Enterococcus has emerged as an opportunistic pathogen because of its antibiotic resistance and virulence profile, which makes it a causative agent of several diseases like endocarditis, surgical site, and urinary tract infections. Currently, species of this genus are the 2nd most frequently isolated microorganisms from hospital-acquired infections. Significant association with hospitals and unhygienic conditions of the environments has made them resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. On the brighter side, enterococci have the ability to produce antimicrobial proteins (i.e., enterocins) that exhibit wide antagonistic activity, thus making them useful microbes in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Enterocins are also involved in niche control in gut microbiota which is regulated by the quorum sensing (QS) system. A bacterial communication system that is controlled by the fsr operon in enterococci consists of FsrABDC, ef1097, and GelE/SprE genes. Hence, the present study was conducted for molecular assessment of enterocins and quorum sensing genes, inter-environmental correlation, and species prevalence of enterococci isolated from different environmental niches of Karachi, Pakistan. Obtained results revealed the highest prevalence of E. faecium and E. faecalis in all environments. Bacterial antagonism and enterocin genes were observed significantly high in poultry environments. The inter-environmental correlation indicated a strong positive correlation of freshwater with sewage and soil environments. Similarly, the fsr regulatory system was mostly identified in poultry-related environments, and a significant correlation between QS system and biofilm formation was established. In conclusion, this study confirmed the high prevalence of E. faecium in all tested sources, high enterocin production in non-clinical environments, and more fsr regulatory genes in poultry-related environments.

Tuning the Magnetic Behavior of Zinc Ferrite via Cobalt Substitution: A Structural Analysis.

Cobalt-doped zinc ferrite is a contemporary material with significant structural and magnetic characteristics. Our study explores the magnetic properties of cobalt-substituted zinc ferrite (ZnxCo1-xFe2O4), synthesized via a simple sol-gel method. By varying the cobalt ratio from 0 to 0.5, we found that zinc substitution impacts both the magnetization and lattice parameters. FTIR analysis suggested the presence of functional groups, particularly depicting an M-O stretching band, within octahedral and tetrahedral clusters. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the phase purity and cubic structure. The synthesized materials exhibited an average particle size of 24-75 nm. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the morphological properties, confirming the formation of truncated octahedral particles. In order to determine the stability, mass loss (%), and thermal behavior, a thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA)) was performed. The magnetic properties of the synthesized ferrites were confirmed via a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Finally, the highest saturated magnetization and lowest coercivity values were observed with higher concentrations of the cobalt dopant substituting zinc. The synthesized nanomaterials have good stability as compared to other such materials and can be used for magnetization in the near future.