32 research outputs found
Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications
in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or
magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal
stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction
of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particlesâ
surface is essential. During this process, the original
coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded
ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the
silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more
than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In
this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces
ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically
accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove
the generic character, different functional groups were
introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol
chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their
colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as
well as human plasma and serum was investigated to
allow implementation in biomedical and sensing
applications.status: publishe
Aliphatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic)âsources and spatial and temporal distributions
Abundance, Dynamics, and Biogeographic Distribution of Seven Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Dioxygenase Gene Variants in Coastal Sediments of Patagonia
Hydrocarbons characterization in coastal sediments of the Argentine Patagonia using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
Nutritive and Xenobiotic Compounds in the Alien Algae Undaria pinnatifida From Argentine Patagonia
Spatial and Seasonal Variations of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in Surface Water and Sediment in Pearl River Delta
Population structure and connectivity in the Mediterranean sponge Ircinia fasciculata are affected by mass mortalities and hybridization
Este artĂculo contiene 13 pĂĄginas, 6 figuras, 4 tablas.Recent episodes of mass mortalities in the Mediterranean Sea have been reported for the closely related marine sponges Ircinia
fasciculata and Ircinia variabilis that live in sympatry. In this context, the assessment of the genetic diversity, bottlenecks and
connectivity of these sponges has become urgent in order to evaluate the potential effects of mass mortalities on their latitudinal
range. Our study aims to establish (1) the genetic structure, connectivity and signs of bottlenecks across the populations of
I. fasciculata and (2) the hybridization levels between I. fasciculata and I. variabilis. To accomplish the first objective, 194
individuals of I. fasciculata from 12 locations across the Mediterranean were genotyped at 14 microsatellite loci. For the second
objective, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences of 16 individuals from both species were analyzed along with
genotypes at 12 microsatellite loci of 40 individuals coexisting in 3 Mediterranean populations. We detected strong genetic
structure along the Mediterranean for I. fasciculata, with high levels of inbreeding in all locations and bottleneck signs in most
locations. Oceanographic barriers like the Almeria-Oran front, North-Balearic front and the Ligurian-Thyrrenian barrier seem to be
impeding gene flow for I. fasciculata, adding population divergence to the pattern of isolation by distance derived from the low
dispersal abilities of sponge larvae. Hybridization between both species occurred in some populations that might be increasing
genetic diversity and somewhat palliating the genetic loss caused by population decimation in I. fasciculata.This research was funded by the
Spanish Government project MARSYMBIOMICS CTM2013-43287-P and the
Catalan Government Grant 2014SGR-336 for Consolidated Research Groups.Peer reviewe