EuroTracker (R) dyes: design, synthesis, structure and photophysical properties of very bright europium complexes and their use in bioassays and cellular optical imaging

The development of the brightest luminescent europium(III) complexes is traced, including analysis of the C3-symmetric core complex based on a functionalized triazacyclononane and identification of the most suitable strongly absorbing chromophore. Strategies for the synthesis of the complexes, including enantiopure analogues, are outlined and opportunities for applications in time-resolved microscopy and spectral imaging emphasised. Practicable examples are introduced, including selective organelle staining for cellular optical imaging at 65 nm resolution and the development of new bioassays using time resolved FRET methods

Anion binding in water at lanthanide centres: from structure and selectivity to signalling and sensing

Reversible anion binding at lanthanide centres in aqueous media has emerged as an effective means of signalling and sensing the presence of selected anions. The constitution and configuration of a wide range of anion adducts has been defined by X-ray analyses and NMR methods, and both chelating and monodentate binding modes characterised. Variation of the lanthanide ion modulates charge density, and ligand modification allows alteration of both the peripheral electrostatic gradient and the local steric demand at the metal centre. Thus, selectivity for a target anion can be engineered, and the affinity constant modulated to target the desired concentration range. Changes in anion concentration can be monitored rapidly, accurately and with high spatial resolution using optical emission spectroscopy and microscopy, facilitating the measurement of anions such as bicarbonate, lactate, citrate and urate in a variety of bio-fluids

EuroTracker dyes: highly emissive europium complexes as alternative organelle stains for live cell imaging

Nine very bright europium(III) complexes with different macrocyclic ligands have been prepared that exhibit excellent cell uptake behaviour and distinctive sub-cellular localisation profiles, allowing the use of fluorescence microscopy and time-gated spectral imaging to track their fate in cellulo. Their use as cellular imaging stains is described for the selective illumination of mitochondria, lysosomes or the endoplasmic reticulum of various mammalian cell types

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of DATATOC: a novel conjugate for kit-type 68Ga labelling of TOC at ambient temperature

RadioTLC for kit-type 68Ga-labelling of DATATOC at 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 min. Figure S2: Radioactive (gamma) and UV traces for the kit-type labelling of DATATOC with 68Ga. The unlabelled ligand is evident at 9.1 min (confirmed by injection of the free ligand only) and the 68Ga-labelled complex at 13.0 min. Figure S3: Illustrative example of RadioTLC for stability study of 68Ga-DATATOC 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after exposure to human serum. (DOCX 107 kb

Intracellular and Extracellular Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in the Sludge of Livestock Waste Management Structures

The sludge compartment in livestock waste management structures is a potential hotbed for the emergence and proliferation of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria. Little is known about the distribution of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) between the intracellular and extracellular DNA pools in the sludge. The overall objective of this study was to assess the significance of extracellular ARGs to the total ARGs in the sludge of livestock waste management structures. In this study, sludge samples were collected from four cattle manure storage ponds and three swine waste treatment lagoons and analyzed for genetic indicators of resistance. Intracellular DNA (iDNA) and extracellular DNA (eDNA) in the sludge were separately extracted using an optimized protocol. ARGs [<i>sul</i>(I), <i>sul</i>(II), <i>tet</i>(O), <i>tet</i>(Q), and <i>tet</i>(X)] in both the iDNA and eDNA extracts were quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and antimicrobials, including sulfonamides and tetracyclines, were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed that eDNA constituted less than 1.5% of the total DNA in sludge. All ARGs tested were detected in nearly all eDNA and iDNA samples. Furthermore, every gram of dry sludge contained from 1.7 × 10³ to 4.2 × 10⁸ copies of extracellular ARG and from 3.2 × 10⁷ to 3.2 × 10¹⁰ copies of intracellular ARG. Chlortetracycline concentrations ranged between 187 and 2674 μg/g of sludge wet weight (ww), while sulfonamide concentrations were lower than 6.3 μg/g of sludge ww. The detection of ARGs in eDNA extracts suggests that transformation is a potential mechanism in ARG proliferation in the sludge of livestock waste management structures

Development of the Detection Threshold Concept from a Close Look at Sorption Occurrence Inside a Glass Vial Based on the In-Vial Vaporization of Semivolatile Fatty Acids

Headspace (HS) analysis has been recommended as one of the most optimal methods for extracting and analyzing volatile organic compounds from samples in diverse media such as soil and water. Short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFA, C₃–C₇) with strong adsorptivity were selected as the target compounds to assess the basic characteristics of the HS analysis through simulation of HS conditions by in-vial vaporization of liquid-phase standards (VL) in 25 mL glass vials. The reliability of the VL approach was assessed by apportioning the in-vial VFA mass into three classes: (1) vaporized fraction, (2) dynamic adsorption on the vial walls (intermediate stage between vaporization and irreversible absorption), and (3) irreversible absorptive loss (on the vial wall). The dynamic adsorption partitioning inside the vial increased with n-VFA carbon number, e.g., 43% (C₂: acetic acid, extrapolated value), 65% (C₃: propanoic acid), and 98% (C₇: heptanoic acid). The maximum irreversible losses for the studied n-VFAs exhibited a quadratic relationship with carbon number. If the detection threshold limit (DTL: the onset of mass detection after attaining the maximum irreversible loss) is estimated, the DTL values for target VFAs were in the range of 101 ng for i-valeric acid to 616 ng for propionic acid, which are larger than the method detection limit by about 3 orders of magnitude. Consequently, quantitation of VFAs using the VL approach should be critically assessed by simultaneously considering the DTL criterion and the initial VFA masses loaded into the vial

Structure and Band Edge Energy of Highly Luminescent CdSe_1–<i>x</i>Te_<i>x</i> Alloyed Quantum Dots

CdSe_1–<i>x</i>Te_<i>x</i> quantum dot (QD) alloys are characterized by high luminescence quantum yields and a strong band gap bowing as a function of the Se:Te ratio, featuring longer emission wavelengths than CdTe or CdSe dots of identical size. In this contribution, these properties are rationalized by examining the structure and band edge energy of CdSe_1–<i>x</i>Te_<i>x</i> as functions of <i>x</i>. The QDs were synthesized employing the “hot-injection” method, in the presence of either trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) or octadecene (ODE) as the Cd precursor solvent. Elementary analysis of the QDs indicated that TOPO plays a crucial role in tuning the content of Se in the alloys, as only traces of this element were found when using ODE. Detailed studies based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) revealed a high degree of complexity in the structure of the alloyed dots. The analysis concluded that the structure of the QDs was essentially wurtzite, although features associated with zinc blende can be seen due to the presence of stacking faults and to a small population of nanocrystals with cubic structure. More importantly, these studies reveal a nonlinear expansion of the effective lattice constant with increasing Te content. The valence band edge energy of the alloys in solution was estimated from the first oxidation potential measured by linear sweep voltammetry at Au microelectrodes. The results show that the valence band edge exhibits a very weak dependence on <i>x</i> for values below 0.5, indicating that the decrease in the optical band gap is mainly linked to a decrease in the conduction band edge energy. For <i>x</i> > 0.5, the conduction and valence band edges shift to higher values with an overall increase in the band gap. The experimental trends show, for the first time, that the characteristic red shift of the band gap with low to intermediate Te content is determined by relaxation of the lattice constant, whereas the contribution arising from the change in anion electronegativity becomes predominant for <i>x</i> > 0.5

Microscopic Visualization of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors on the Surface of Living Cells Using Bifunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Probes

A series of bimodal metabotropic glutamate-receptor targeted MRI contrast agents has been developed and evaluated, based on established competitive metabotropic Glu receptor subtype 5 (mGluR₅) antagonists. In order to directly visualize mGluR₅ binding of these agents on the surface of live astrocytes, variations in the core structure were made. A set of gadolinium conjugates containing either a cyanine dye or a fluorescein moiety was accordingly prepared, to allow visualization by optical microscopy <i>in cellulo</i>. In each case, surface receptor binding was compromised and cell internalization observed. Another approach, examining the location of a terbium analogue via sensitized emission, also exhibited nonspecific cell uptake in neuronal cell line models. Finally, biotin derivatives of two lead compounds were prepared, and the specificity of binding to the mGluR₅ cell surface receptors was demonstrated with the aid of their fluorescently labeled avidin conjugates, using both total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and confocal microscopy

Tables – Supplemental material for Prevalence and determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour before and up to 12 months after total knee replacement: a longitudinal cohort study

<p>Supplemental material, Tables for Prevalence and determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour before and up to 12 months after total knee replacement: a longitudinal cohort study by Alison Hodges, Alison R Harmer, Sarah Dennis, Lillias Nairn, Lyn March, Ross Crawford, David Parker and Marlene Fransen in Clinical Rehabilitation</p

Anionic Surfactant Ionic Liquids with 1-Butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium Cations: Characterization and Application

For the first time a series of anionic surfactant ionic liquids (SAILs) has been synthesized based on organic surfactant anions and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cations. These compounds are more environmentally friendly and chemically tunable as compared to other common ionic liquids. A detailed investigation of physicochemical properties highlights potential applications from battery design to reaction control, and studies into aqueous aggregation behavior, as well as structuring in pure ILs, point to possible uses in electrochemistry