Gastroprotective mechanism of Talinum triangulare on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats via inflammatory, antioxidant, and H+/K+-ATPase inhibition-mediated pathways.

The increase in the incidence of gastric ulcer (GU) has posed major threat on public health. This research aimed to evaluate gastroprotective properties of the aqueous leaf extract of Talium triangulare (AETT) in ethanol-induced gastric ulceration. GU was induced via oral administration of single dose of 5 mLkg-1 of 90% ethanol in rats and protection of 200 mgkg-1 bw of AETT and 20 mgkg-1 bw of omeprazole was investigated for 14 d via oral treatment. Influence of AETT on anti-inflammatory, redox assays, ulcer index (UI), and gastric mucosa histological alterations were evaluated. Significant increase in myeloperoxidase (MPO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels compared to untreated group established gastric inflammation in rats induced by ethanol. Gastric ulcerated group exhibited heightened oxidative stress with concurrent decline in activities of antioxidant enzymes. Ethanol exposure to rats resulted in induction of lipid peroxidation, prominently elevating gastric malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. Nevertheless, treatment with AETT or omeprazole exhibited substantial anti-inflammatory effects within gastric mucosa by attenuating expression of markers associated with inflammation. AETT demonstrated reduction in concentrations of MDA and H2O2, thereby alleviating progression of lipid peroxidation cascades. Also, AETT exhibited mitigating effect on ethanol-induced oxidative harm by enhancing the functionality of protective enzymes and elevating glutathione (GSH) concentration. Overall, AETT exhibited enhancements in activities of cytoprotective antioxidant enzymes, mitigated impact of oxidative stress and inflammation, inhibited lipid peroxidation, and decreased UI score. These beneficial effects could be attributed to phytochemicals present in AETT including 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone and Phytol. Outcome of this study established the traditional herbal claims of AETT.

A novel scale for assessing the risk of low birthweight: Birthweight questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The birthweight of a newborn is critical to their health, development, and well-being. Previous studies that used maternal characteristics to predict birthweight did not employ a harmonised scale to assess the risk of low birthweight (LBW). OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to develop a new instrument that uses items on a uniform scale to assess the risk of an LBW in a pregnant woman. METHODS: Item response theory was employed to evaluate a similar existing scale, and some weaknesses were identified. RESULTS: Based on the observed weaknesses of the existing scale, a new uniform scale was developed, which is a 3-point Likert scale consisting of seven items. CONCLUSION: The scale, termed birthweight questionnaire, is a valuable tool for collecting data that could assist in assessing the risk of an LBW at every stage of pregnancy.

Few-emitter lasing in single ultra-small nanocavities.

Lasers are ubiquitous for information storage, processing, communications, sensing, biological research and medical applications. To decrease their energy and materials usage, a key quest is to miniaturise lasers down to nanocavities. Obtaining the smallest mode volumes demands plasmonic nanocavities, but for these, gain comes from only a single or few emitters. Until now, lasing in such devices was unobtainable due to low gain and high cavity losses. Here, we demonstrate a form of 'few emitter lasing' in a plasmonic nanocavity approaching the single-molecule emitter regime. The few-emitter lasing transition significantly broadens, and depends on the number of molecules and their individual locations. We show this non-standard few-emitter lasing can be understood by developing a theoretical approach extending previous weak-coupling theories. Our work paves the way for developing nanolaser applications as well as fundamental studies at the limit of few emitters.

Influence of Quadrupolar Molecular Transitions within Plasmonic Cavities.

Optical nanocavities have revolutionized the manipulation of radiative properties of molecular and semiconductor emitters. Here, we investigate the amplified photoluminescence arising from exciting a dark transition of ß-carotene molecules embedded within plasmonic nanocavities. Integrating a molecular monolayer into nanoparticle-on-mirror nanostructures unveils enhancements surpassing 4 orders of magnitude in the initially light-forbidden excitation. Such pronounced enhancements transcend conventional dipolar mechanisms, underscoring the presence of alternative enhancement pathways. Notably, Fourier-plane scattering spectroscopy shows that the photoluminescence excitation resonance aligns with a higher-order plasmonic cavity mode, which supports strong field gradients. Combining quantum chemistry calculations with electromagnetic simulations reveals an important interplay between the Franck-Condon quadrupole and Herzberg-Teller dipole contributions in governing the absorption characteristics of this dark transition. In contrast to free space, the quadrupole moment plays a significant role in photoluminescence enhancement within nanoparticle-on-mirror cavities. These findings provide an approach to access optically inactive transitions, promising advancements in spectroscopy and sensing applications.

Synthesis, crystal structure and in-silico evaluation of arylsulfonamide Schiff bases for potential activity against colon cancer.

This report presents a comprehensive investigation into the synthesis and characterization of Schiff base compounds derived from benzenesulfonamide. The synthesis process, involved the reaction between N-cycloamino-2-sulfanilamide and various substituted o-salicylaldehydes, resulted in a set of compounds that were subjected to rigorous characterization using advanced spectral techniques, including 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, an in-depth assessment of the synthesized compounds was conducted through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis, in conjunction with docking studies, to elucidate their pharmacokinetic profiles and potential. Impressively, the ADMET analysis showcased encouraging drug-likeness properties of the newly synthesized Schiff bases. These computational findings were substantiated by molecular properties derived from density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the B3LYP/6-31G* method within the Jaguar Module of Schrödinger 2023-2 from Maestro (Schrodinger LLC, New York, USA). The exploration of frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) enabled the computation of global reactivity descriptors (GRDs), encompassing charge separation (Egap) and global softness (S). Notably, within this analysis, one Schiff base, namely, 4-bromo-2-{N-[2-(pyrrolidine-1-sulfonyl)phenyl]carboximidoyl}phenol, 20, emerged with the smallest charge separation (ΔEgap = 3.5780 eV), signifying heightened potential for biological properties. Conversely, 4-bromo-2-{N-[2-(piperidine-1-sulfonyl)phenyl]carboximidoyl}phenol, 17, exhibited the largest charge separation (ΔEgap = 4.9242 eV), implying a relatively lower propensity for biological activity. Moreover, the synthesized Schiff bases displayed remarkeable inhibition of tankyrase poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase enzymes, integral in colon cancer, surpassing the efficacy of a standard drug used for the same purpose. Additionally, their bioavailability scores aligned closely with established medications such as trifluridine and 5-fluorouracil. The exploration of molecular electrostatic potential through colour mapping delved into the electronic behaviour and reactivity tendencies intrinsic to this diverse range of molecules.

Mono and di ortho-C-H acetoxylation of 2-aryloxyquinoline-3-carbaldehydes.

2-Aryloxyquinolines are well known for various biological activities. In this report, we have developed a novel protocol for introducing an acetoxy functional group on the aryl sp2 carbon of 2-aryloxyquinoline-3-carbaldehyde using a palladium catalyst for the first time. Interestingly, this C-H acetoxylation reaction is highly chemo- and site-selective. By modifying the reaction conditions, mono or di ortho-C-H acetoxylation products have been synthesized selectively with good yields and with good functional group tolerance.

Chromium contamination accentuates changes in the microbiome and heavy metal resistome of a tropical agricultural soil.

The impacts of hexavalent chromium (Cr) contamination on the microbiome, soil physicochemistry, and heavy metal resistome of a tropical agricultural soil were evaluated for 6 weeks in field-moist microcosms consisting of a Cr-inundated agricultural soil (SL9) and an untreated control (SL7). The physicochemistry of the two microcosms revealed a diminution in the total organic matter content and a significant dip in macronutrients phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen concentration in the SL9 microcosm. Heavy metals analysis revealed the detection of seven heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd, Se, Pb, Cr) in the agricultural soil (SL7), whose concentrations drastically reduced in the SL9 microcosm. Illumina shotgun sequencing of the DNA extracted from the two microcosms showed the preponderance of the phyla, classes, genera, and species of Actinobacteria (33.11%), Actinobacteria_class (38.20%), Candidatus Saccharimonas (11.67%), and Candidatus Saccharimonas aalborgensis (19.70%) in SL7, and Proteobacteria (47.52%), Betaproteobacteria (22.88%), Staphylococcus (16.18%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.76%) in SL9, respectively. Functional annotation of the two metagenomes for heavy metal resistance genes revealed diverse heavy metal resistomes involved in the uptake, transport, efflux, and detoxification of various heavy metals. It also revealed the exclusive detection in SL9 metagenome of resistance genes for chromium (chrB, chrF, chrR, nfsA, yieF), cadmium (czcB/czrB, czcD), and iron (fbpB, yqjH, rcnA, fetB, bfrA, fecE) not annotated in SL7 metagenome. The findings from this study revealed that Cr contamination induces significant shifts in the soil microbiome and heavy metal resistome, alters the soil physicochemistry, and facilitates the loss of prominent members of the microbiome not adapted to Cr stress.

Biomedical applications of biodegradable polycaprolactone-functionalized magnetic iron oxides nanoparticles and their polymer nanocomposites.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gained significant attention among several nanoscale materials during the last decade due to their unique properties. These properties make them successful nanofillers for drug delivery and a number of new biomedical applications. MNPs are more useful when combined with biodegradable polymers. In this review, we discussed the synthesis of polycaprolactones (PCL) and the various methods of synthesizing magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. Then, the synthesis of composites that is made of PCL and magnetic materials (with special focus on iron oxide nanoparticles) were highlighted. In addition, we comprehensively reviewed their application in drug delivery, cancer treatment, wound healing, hyperthermia, and bone tissue engineering. Other biomedical applications of the magnetic PCL such as mitochondria targeting are highlighted. Moreover, biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles incorporated into other synthetic polymers apart from PCL are also discussed. Thus, great progress and better outcome with functionalized MNPs enhanced with polycaprolactone has been recorded with the biomedical applications of drug delivery and recovery of bone tissues.

Plasmonic phenomena in molecular junctions: principles and applications.

Molecular junctions are building blocks for constructing future nanoelectronic devices that enable the investigation of a broad range of electronic transport properties within nanoscale regions. Crossing both the nanoscopic and mesoscopic length scales, plasmonics lies at the intersection of the macroscopic photonics and nanoelectronics, owing to their capability of confining light to dimensions far below the diffraction limit. Research activities on plasmonic phenomena in molecular electronics started around 2010, and feedback between plasmons and molecular junctions has increased over the past years. These efforts can provide new insights into the near-field interaction and the corresponding tunability in properties, as well as resultant plasmon-based molecular devices. This Review presents the latest advancements of plasmonic resonances in molecular junctions and details the progress in plasmon excitation and plasmon coupling. We also highlight emerging experimental approaches to unravel the mechanisms behind the various types of light-matter interactions at molecular length scales, where quantum effects come into play. Finally, we discuss the potential of these plasmonic-electronic hybrid systems across various future applications, including sensing, photocatalysis, molecular trapping and active control of molecular switches.

Microcavity-like exciton-polaritons can be the primary photoexcitation in bare organic semiconductors.

Strong-coupling between excitons and confined photonic modes can lead to the formation of new quasi-particles termed exciton-polaritons which can display a range of interesting properties such as super-fluidity, ultrafast transport and Bose-Einstein condensation. Strong-coupling typically occurs when an excitonic material is confided in a dielectric or plasmonic microcavity. Here, we show polaritons can form at room temperature in a range of chemically diverse, organic semiconductor thin films, despite the absence of an external cavity. We find evidence of strong light-matter coupling via angle-dependent peak splittings in the reflectivity spectra of the materials and emission from collective polariton states. We additionally show exciton-polaritons are the primary photoexcitation in these organic materials by directly imaging their ultrafast (5 × 106 m s-1), ultralong (~270 nm) transport. These results open-up new fundamental physics and could enable a new generation of organic optoelectronic and light harvesting devices based on cavity-free exciton-polaritons.

Aerobic degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol by Proteus sp. strain OSES2 obtained from an explosive contaminated tropical soil.

A 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) degrading bacterial strain isolated from a site polluted with explosives was identified as Proteus sp. strain OSES2 via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Metabolic investigation showed that the organism grew exponentially on 100 mg l-1 of TNP as a source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. In addition, the growth of the organism was sustainable on 3-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 4-nitrophenol, methyl-3-nitrobenzoate, 4-nitroaniline, aniline and nitrobenzene. Strain OSES2 was able to utilize TNP within a concentration range of 100 mg l-1 to 500 mg l-1. The specific growth rate and degradation rates on TNP were 0.01043 h-1 and 0.01766 mg l-1 h-1 respectively. Effective degradation of TNP in a chemically defined medium was evident with a gradual reduction in the concentration of TNP concomitant with an increase in cell density as well as the substantial release of ammonium (NH4+), nitrite (NO2-), and nitrate (NO3-) as metabolites in 96 h. Degradation competence of the organism was enhanced in the presence of starch and acetate. On starch-supplemented TNP, the highest specific growth rate and degradation rates were 0.02634 h-1 and 0.04458 mg l-1 h-1, respectively, while the corresponding values on acetate were 0.02341 h-1 and 0.02811 mg l-1 h-1. However, amendment with nitrogen sources yielded no substantial improvement in degradation. TNP was utilized optimally at pH 7 to 9 and within the temperature range of 30 °C to 37 °C. The enzyme hydride transferase II [HTII], encoded by the npdI gene which is the first step involved in the TNP degradation pathway, was readily expressed by the isolate thus suggesting that substrate was utilized through the classical metabolic pathway.

Plasmon-Induced Trap State Emission from Single Quantum Dots.

Charge carriers trapped at localized surface defects play a crucial role in quantum dot (QD) photophysics. Surface traps offer longer lifetimes than band-edge emission, expanding the potential of QDs as nanoscale light-emitting excitons and qubits. Here, we demonstrate that a nonradiative plasmon mode drives the transfer from two-photon-excited excitons to trap states. In plasmonic cavities, trap emission dominates while the band-edge recombination is completely suppressed. The induced pathways for excitonic recombination not only shed light on the fundamental interactions of excitonic spins, but also open new avenues in manipulating QD emission, for optoelectronics and nanophotonics applications.

Aerobic degradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene: Effect of raw organic wastes and nitrogen fortification.

2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), a principal derivative generated in the synthesis of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is widely used as a waterproofer, plasticizer, and gelatinizer in propellants and explosives. This compound has been documented as a priority pollutant because of its toxicity. Therefore, its removal from contaminated systems is a major focus of research and environmental attention. The presence of 2,4-DNT bacterial-degrading strains that could utilize 2,4-DNT as growth substrate in polluted sites in Ibadan, Nigeria, was determined using continual enrichment techniques on nitroaromatic mixtures. Proteus sp. strain OSES2 isolated in this study was characterized by phenotypic typing and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Growth of the strain on 2,4-DNT resulted in an exponential increase in biomass and complete substrate utilization within 72 h, accompanied by NO3 - elimination. Degradation competence was enhanced in the presence of corn steep liquor, molasses, and Tween 80 compared with incubation without amendment. Conversely, amendment with nitrogen sources yielded no significant improvement in degradation. Use of these organic wastes as candidates in a bioremediation strategy should be exploited. This would provide a less-expensive organic source supplement for cleanup purposes, with the ultimate aim of reducing the cost of bioremediation while reducing wastes intended for landfill.

Cascaded nanooptics to probe microsecond atomic-scale phenomena.

Plasmonic nanostructures can focus light far below the diffraction limit, and the nearly thousandfold field enhancements obtained routinely enable few- and single-molecule detection. However, for processes happening on the molecular scale to be tracked with any relevant time resolution, the emission strengths need to be well beyond what current plasmonic devices provide. Here, we develop hybrid nanostructures incorporating both refractive and plasmonic optics, by creating SiO2 nanospheres fused to plasmonic nanojunctions. Drastic improvements in Raman efficiencies are consistently achieved, with (single-wavelength) emissions reaching 107 counts⋅mW-1⋅s-1 and 5 × 105 counts∙mW-1∙s-1∙molecule-1, for enhancement factors >1011 We demonstrate that such high efficiencies indeed enable tracking of single gold atoms and molecules with 17-µs time resolution, more than a thousandfold improvement over conventional high-performance plasmonic devices. Moreover, the obtained (integrated) megahertz count rates rival (even exceed) those of luminescent sources such as single-dye molecules and quantum dots, without bleaching or blinking.

Efficient Generation of Two-Photon Excited Phosphorescence from Molecules in Plasmonic Nanocavities.

Nonlinear molecular interactions with optical fields produce intriguing optical phenomena and applications ranging from color generation to biomedical imaging and sensing. The nonlinear cross-section of dielectric materials is low and therefore for effective utilisation, the optical fields need to be amplified. Here, we demonstrate that two-photon absorption can be enhanced by 108 inside individual plasmonic nanocavities containing emitters sandwiched between a gold nanoparticle and a gold film. This enhancement results from the high field strengths confined in the nanogap, thus enhancing nonlinear interactions with the emitters. We further investigate the parameters that determine the enhancement including the cavity spectral position and excitation wavelength. Moreover, the Purcell effect drastically reduces the emission lifetime from 520 ns to <200 ps, turning inefficient phosphorescent emitters into an ultrafast light source. Our results provide an understanding of enhanced two-photon-excited emission, allowing for optimization of efficient nonlinear light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.

Nanoscopy through a plasmonic nanolens.

Plasmonics now delivers sensors capable of detecting single molecules. The emission enhancements and nanometer-scale optical confinement achieved by these metallic nanostructures vastly increase spectroscopic sensitivity, enabling real-time tracking. However, the interaction of light with such nanostructures typically loses all information about the spatial location of molecules within a plasmonic hot spot. Here, we show that ultrathin plasmonic nanogaps support complete mode sets which strongly influence the far-field emission patterns of embedded emitters and allow the reconstruction of dipole positions with 1-nm precision. Emitters in different locations radiate spots, rings, and askew halo images, arising from interference of 2 radiating antenna modes differently coupling light out of the nanogap, highlighting the imaging potential of these plasmonic "crystal balls." Emitters at the center are now found to live indefinitely, because they radiate so rapidly.

Assessment of Plasma Sodium to Potassium Ratio, Renal Function, Markers of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Endothelial Dysfunction in Nigerian Hypertensive Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated plasma sodium/potassium ratio, markers of oxidative stress, renal function, and endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive Nigerians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred forty-nine volunteers consisting of three hundred and twenty-four hypertensive and two hundred twenty-five controls participated in this study. Blood samples were collected from the participants and were analyzed for electrolytes, markers of oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, renal function, and inflammation, using ion-selective electrodes, spectrophotometric, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, respectively. RESULTS: The mean systolic blood pressure, mean diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly elevated among the hypertensive group when compared with control (p < 0.001). The mean sodium increased, while potassium and bicarbonate (HCO3 -) decreased (p < 0.001) in hypertensive volunteers. The sodium-potassium ratio (Na+/K+) and urea were raised (p < 0.001) in the hypertensive group when compared with the control. Glutathione, superoxide dismutase, nitric oxide (NO), and catalase were significantly reduced (p < 0.001) while malondialdehyde (MDA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and ferritin were raised significantly (p < 0.001) in hypertensive participants. The odds of hypertension and its complications increased (p < 0.001) with an increase in BMI, Na+/K+, hs-CRP, MDA, and ferritin and a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. CONCLUSION: An increase in Na+/K+, urea, hs-CRP, ferritin, MDA, and BMI and a decrease in eGFR, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase were associated with an increased risk of hypertension complication. Abnormal values of markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial function could impact deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system among hypertensive Nigerians. A decreased bicarbonate possibly suggests an occult acid-base imbalance among hypertensive volunteers.

Quantum electrodynamics at room temperature coupling a single vibrating molecule with a plasmonic nanocavity.

Interactions between a single emitter and cavity provide the archetypical system for fundamental quantum electrodynamics. Here we show that a single molecule of Atto647 aligned using DNA origami interacts coherently with a sub-wavelength plasmonic nanocavity, approaching the cooperative regime even at room temperature. Power-dependent pulsed excitation reveals Rabi oscillations, arising from the coupling of the oscillating electric field between the ground and excited states. The observed single-molecule fluorescent emission is split into two modes resulting from anti-crossing with the plasmonic mode, indicating the molecule is strongly coupled to the cavity. The second-order correlation function of the photon emission statistics is found to be pump wavelength dependent, varying from g(2)(0) = 0.4 to 1.45, highlighting the influence of vibrational relaxation on the Jaynes-Cummings ladder. Our results show that cavity quantum electrodynamic effects can be observed in molecular systems at ambient conditions, opening significant potential for device applications.

Method comparison for analyzing wound healing rates.

Wound healing scratch assay is a frequently used method to characterize cell migration, which is an important biological process in the course of development, tissue repair, and immune response for example. The measurement of wound healing rate, however, varies among different studies. Here we summarized these measurements into three types: (I) direct rate average; (II) regression rate average; and (III) average distance regression rate. Using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as a model, we compared the three types of analyses on quantifying the wound closing rate, and discovered that type I & III measurements are more resistant to outliers, and type II analysis is more sensitive to outliers. We hope this study can help researchers to better use this simple yet effective assay.

Mapping the energy density of shaped waves in scattering media onto a complete set of diffusion modes.

We study the energy density of shaped waves inside a quasi-1D disordered waveguide. We find that the spatial energy density of optimally shaped waves, when expanded in the complete set of eigenfunctions of the diffusion equation, is well described by considering only a few of the lowest eigenfunctions. Taking into account only the fundamental eigenfunction, the total internal energy inside the sample is underestimated by only 2%. The spatial distribution of the shaped energy density is very similar to the fundamental eigenfunction, up to a cosine distance of about 0.01. We obtain the energy density of transmission eigenchannels inside the sample by numerical simulation of the scattering matrix. Computing the transmission-averaged energy density over all transmission channels yields the ensemble averaged energy density of shaped waves. From the averaged energy density, we reconstruct its spatial distribution using the eigenfunctions of the diffusion equation. The results of our study have exciting applications in controlled biomedical imaging, efficient light harvesting in solar cells, enhanced energy conversion in solid-state lighting, and low threshold random lasers.