Heterocyclic ligated Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes for efficient photocatalytic and biological applications

263-277We report the synthesis and characterization techniques of mononuclear, heterocyclic ligated Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes. These heterocyclic derivatives, Schiff base (indal-2-abu), are obtained from the reaction between indole- 3-carboxaldehyde (indal) and 2-aminobutyric acid (2-abu). From the fundamental analysis, it has been found that the Schiff base with the aforementioned metal ions forms four coordinated mononuclear complexes on 1:2 (metal:ligand) stoichiometry. The structural changes of the complexes are analyzed by FT-IR, electronic and magnetic analysis. The photocatalytic dye degradation activity study of the compounds is performed under UV-light using methylene blue (MB) dye. All the complexes are found to be excellent catalysts for the degradation of MB. Molecular docking is used to recognize the energetic site of the receptor, and attain the finest geometry of the ligand-receptor complex. Furthermore, antimicrobial investigations of Schiff base and its complexes are tested and the results are discussed in detail

Adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solution using alkaline-treated natural zeolite: Process optimization analysis

Alkaline-treated natural zeolite was prepared by sodium hydroxide treatment of natural zeolite and applied in the adsorption of Pb(II). The response surface methodology (RSM) analysis was conducted under manipulated variables of initial concentration (X1 = 50–400 mg/L), pH (X2 = 2–10), and adsorbent dosage (X3 = 0.5–5.0 g/L). The optimal condition was attained at X1 = 240 mg/L, X2 = 6, and X3 = 1.07 g/L, with Pb(II) removal of 60.75 %. The characterization of alkaline-treated natural zeolite of fresh and spent confirmed the adsorption of Pb(II) onto alkaline-treated natural zeolite. The reusability and regeneration experiments revealed the ability of the alkaline-treated natural zeolite in multiple cycles of the adsorption process. This study proved that alkaline-treated natural zeolite could be an alternative low-cost adsorbent for wastewater treatment containing Pb(II)

Vatica rassak wood waste-derived activated carbon for effective Pb(II) adsorption : Kinetic, isotherm and reusability studies

Vatica Rassak wood waste-derived activated carbon (ACVRW) was employed for lead (Pb(II)) adsorption. Batch adsorption tests were executed to investigate the influences of contact time (t = 0-60 min), ACVRWdosage (m = 0-5 g L-1), initial pH (pH = 2-10), and initial Pb(II) concentration (Co= 10-200 mg L-1) towards Pb(II) elimination. The best adsorption conditions were found at t = 55 min, pH = 6, and m = 2 g L-1, with optimal Pb(II) uptake of 149.25 mg g-1. The equilibrium data demonstrated high linearity with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model as well as the Langmuir isotherm model. The characterization results showed the vital role of ACVRW's physicochemical properties in the Pb(II) adsorption process. It is observed that the surface of the adsorbent after adsorption became ruptured and many fine particles attached on it. Moreover, the pore size of the adsorbent also decreased after adsorption. The practicability of ACVRWwas verified by its excellent performance in the reusability study with slight reduction in Pb(II) removal of 10.72% after five cycles. This study proved that ACVRWpossessed significant features to be employed as a low-cost activated carbon for the elimination of Pb(II)

The Role of Regulated mRNA Stability in Establishing Bicoid Morphogen Gradient in Drosophila Embryonic Development

The Bicoid morphogen is amongst the earliest triggers of differential spatial pattern of gene expression and subsequent cell fate determination in the embryonic development of Drosophila. This maternally deposited morphogen is thought to diffuse in the embryo, establishing a concentration gradient which is sensed by downstream genes. In most model based analyses of this process, the translation of the bicoid mRNA is thought to take place at a fixed rate from the anterior pole of the embryo and a supply of the resulting protein at a constant rate is assumed. Is this process of morphogen generation a passive one as assumed in the modelling literature so far, or would available data support an alternate hypothesis that the stability of the mRNA is regulated by active processes? We introduce a model in which the stability of the maternal mRNA is regulated by being held constant for a length of time, followed by rapid degradation. With this more realistic model of the source, we have analysed three computational models of spatial morphogen propagation along the anterior-posterior axis: (a) passive diffusion modelled as a deterministic differential equation, (b) diffusion enhanced by a cytoplasmic flow term; and (c) diffusion modelled by stochastic simulation of the corresponding chemical reactions. Parameter estimation on these models by matching to publicly available data on spatio-temporal Bicoid profiles suggests strong support for regulated stability over either a constant supply rate or one where the maternal mRNA is permitted to degrade in a passive manner

Phagocytosis depends on TRPV2-mediated calcium influx and requires TRPV2 in lipids rafts: alteration in macrophages from patients with cystic fibrosis.

Whereas many phagocytosis steps involve ionic fluxes, the underlying ion channels remain poorly defined. As reported in mice, the calcium conducting TRPV2 channel impacts the phagocytic process. Macrophage phagocytosis is critical for defense against pathogens. In cystic fibrosis (CF), macrophages have lost their capacity to act as suppressor cells and thus play a significant role in the initiating stages leading to chronic inflammation/infection. In a previous study, we demonstrated that impaired function of CF macrophages is due to a deficient phagocytosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate TRPV2 role in the phagocytosis capacity of healthy primary human macrophage by studying its activity, its membrane localization and its recruitment in lipid rafts. In primary human macrophages, we showed that P. aeruginosa recruits TRPV2 channels at the cell surface and induced a calcium influx required for bacterial phagocytosis. We presently demonstrate that to be functional and play a role in phagocytosis, TRPV2 might require a preferential localization in lipid rafts. Furthermore, CF macrophage displays a perturbed calcium homeostasis due to a defect in TRPV2. In this context, deregulated TRPV2-signaling in CF macrophages could explain their defective phagocytosis capacity that contribute to the maintenance of chronic infection

Bayesian Model Selection Applied to the Analysis of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Data of Fluorescent Proteins in Vitro and in Vivo

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a powerful technique to investigate molecular dynamics with single molecule sensitivity. In particular, in the life sciences it has found widespread application using fluorescent proteins as molecularly specific labels. However, FCS data analysis and interpretation using fluorescent proteins remains challenging due to typically low signal-to-noise ratio of FCS data and correlated noise in autocorrelated data sets. As a result, naive fitting procedures that ignore these important issues typically provide similarly good fits for multiple competing models without clear distinction of which model is preferred given the signal-to-noise ratio present in the data. Recently, we introduced a Bayesian model selection procedure to overcome this issue with FCS data analysis. The method accounts for the highly correlated noise that is present in FCS data sets and additionally penalizes model complexity to prevent over interpretation of FCS data. Here, we apply this procedure to evaluate FCS data from fluorescent proteins assayed in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with previous work, we demonstrate that model selection is strongly dependent on the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement, namely, excitation intensity and measurement time, and is sensitive to saturation artifacts. Under fixed, low intensity excitation conditions, physical transport models can unambiguously be identified. However, at excitation intensities that are considered moderate in many studies, unwanted artifacts are introduced that result in nonphysical models to be preferred. We also determined the appropriate fitting models of a GFP tagged secreted signaling protein, Wnt3, in live zebrafish embryos, which is necessary for the investigation of Wnt3 expression and secretion in development. Bayes model selection therefore provides a robust procedure to determine appropriate transport and photophysical models for fluorescent proteins when appropriate models are provided, to help detect and eliminate experimental artifacts in solution, cells, and in living organisms.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Physics of Living Systems ProgramNational Institute of Mental Health (U.S.) (Award U01MH106011

The Formation of the Bicoid Morphogen Gradient Requires Protein Movement from Anteriorly Localized mRNA

New quantitative data show that the Bicoid morphogen gradient is generated from a dynamic localized source and that protein gradient formation requires protein movement along the anterior-posterior axis

Characterization of the Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein SsbB Encoded in the Gonoccocal Genetic Island

Background: Most strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae carry a Gonococcal Genetic Island which encodes a type IV secretion system involved in the secretion of ssDNA. We characterize the GGI-encoded ssDNA binding protein, SsbB. Close homologs of SsbB are located within a conserved genetic cluster found in genetic islands of different proteobacteria. This cluster encodes DNA-processing enzymes such as the ParA and ParB partitioning proteins, the TopB topoisomerase, and four conserved hypothetical proteins. The SsbB homologs found in these clusters form a family separated from other ssDNA binding proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: In contrast to most other SSBs, SsbB did not complement the Escherichia coli ssb deletion mutant. Purified SsbB forms a stable tetramer. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and fluorescence titration assays, as well as atomic force microscopy demonstrate that SsbB binds ssDNA specifically with high affinity. SsbB binds single-stranded DNA with minimal binding frames for one or two SsbB tetramers of 15 and 70 nucleotides. The binding mode was independent of increasing Mg 2+ or NaCl concentrations. No role of SsbB in ssDNA secretion or DNA uptake could be identified, but SsbB strongly stimulated Topoisomerase I activity

Mathematics and biology: a Kantian view on the history of pattern formation theory

Driesch’s statement, made around 1900, that the physics and chemistry of his day were unable to explain self-regulation during embryogenesis was correct and could be extended until the year 1972. The emergence of theories of self-organisation required progress in several areas including chemistry, physics, computing and cybernetics. Two parallel lines of development can be distinguished which both culminated in the early 1970s. Firstly, physicochemical theories of self-organisation arose from theoretical (Lotka 1910–1920) and experimental work (Bray 1920; Belousov 1951) on chemical oscillations. However, this research area gained broader acceptance only after thermodynamics was extended to systems far from equilibrium (1922–1967) and the mechanism of the prime example for a chemical oscillator, the Belousov–Zhabotinski reaction, was deciphered in the early 1970s. Secondly, biological theories of self-organisation were rooted in the intellectual environment of artificial intelligence and cybernetics. Turing wrote his The chemical basis of morphogenesis (1952) after working on the construction of one of the first electronic computers. Likewise, Gierer and Meinhardt’s theory of local activation and lateral inhibition (1972) was influenced by ideas from cybernetics. The Gierer–Meinhardt theory provided an explanation for the first time of both spontaneous formation of spatial order and of self-regulation that proved to be extremely successful in elucidating a wide range of patterning processes. With the advent of developmental genetics in the 1980s, detailed molecular and functional data became available for complex developmental processes, allowing a new generation of data-driven theoretical approaches. Three examples of such approaches will be discussed. The successes and limitations of mathematical pattern formation theory throughout its history suggest a picture of the organism, which has structural similarity to views of the organic world held by the philosopher Immanuel Kant at the end of the eighteenth century

Global disparities in surgeons’ workloads, academic engagement and rest periods: the on-calL shIft fOr geNEral SurgeonS (LIONESS) study

: The workload of general surgeons is multifaceted, encompassing not only surgical procedures but also a myriad of other responsibilities. From April to May 2023, we conducted a CHERRIES-compliant internet-based survey analyzing clinical practice, academic engagement, and post-on-call rest. The questionnaire featured six sections with 35 questions. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression (SPSS® v. 28). The survey received a total of 1.046 responses (65.4%). Over 78.0% of responders came from Europe, 65.1% came from a general surgery unit; 92.8% of European and 87.5% of North American respondents were involved in research, compared to 71.7% in Africa. Europe led in publishing research studies (6.6 ± 8.6 yearly). Teaching involvement was high in North America (100%) and Africa (91.7%). Surgeons reported an average of 6.7 ± 4.9 on-call shifts per month, with European and North American surgeons experiencing 6.5 ± 4.9 and 7.8 ± 4.1 on-calls monthly, respectively. African surgeons had the highest on-call frequency (8.7 ± 6.1). Post-on-call, only 35.1% of respondents received a day off. Europeans were most likely (40%) to have a day off, while African surgeons were least likely (6.7%). On the adjusted multivariable analysis HDI (Human Development Index) (aOR 1.993) hospital capacity > 400 beds (aOR 2.423), working in a specialty surgery unit (aOR 2.087), and making the on-call in-house (aOR 5.446), significantly predicted the likelihood of having a day off after an on-call shift. Our study revealed critical insights into the disparities in workload, access to research, and professional opportunities for surgeons across different continents, underscored by the HDI