410 research outputs found
Micellar Catalysis and Concept in Apolar Media
The active interest aroused by catalytically affected reactions
in apolar surfactant solutions requires one to look for a relation to
micelle formation and solubilization in an effort to attain a more
unified description of phenomena peculiar to apolar surfactant
systems.
Since these catalytic phenomena are usually summarized by
the notion »micellar catalysis« the present paper wants to contribute
towards a sound abstraction of this concept. This was done by
analyzing a particular catalyzed reaction (the catalyzed hydrolysis
of p-nitrophenylacetate in the presence of dodecylammoniumpropionate
in cyclohexane) in the frequently investigated apolar solutions
of cationic surfactants. A quantitative description of the
overall reaction was obtained which was found in satisfactory agreement
with experimental details. It was concluded that micellar and
multiple association patterns are reflected also in the relationships
obtained by examining catalytically influenced reactions in these
systems
Immediate and long-term consequences of COVID-19 infections for the development of neurological disease
Increasing evidence suggests that infection with Sars-CoV-2 causes neurological deficits in a substantial proportion of affected patients. While these symptoms arise acutely during the course of infection, less is known about the possible long-term consequences for the brain. Severely affected COVID-19 cases experience high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and acute respiratory dysfunction and often require assisted ventilation. All these factors have been suggested to cause cognitive decline. Pathogenetically, this may result from direct negative effects of the immune reaction, acceleration or aggravation of pre-existing cognitive deficits, or de novo induction of a neurodegenerative disease. This article summarizes the current understanding of neurological symptoms of COVID-19 and hypothesizes that affected patients may be at higher risk of developing cognitive decline after overcoming the primary COVID-19 infection. A structured prospective evaluation should analyze the likelihood, time course, and severity of cognitive impairment following the COVID-19 pandemic
Depth profile analyses of films grown at different temperatures
Cu(In,Ga)Se2films are used as absorber layers in chalcopyrite thin filmsolar
cells. As the gallium concentration in the absorber can be used to control the
band gap, there have been many efforts to vary the gallium concentration in
depth to gain an optimum balance of light absorption, carrier collection, and
recombination at different depths of the absorber film, leading to improved
quantum efficiency. In this study, we investigate the effect of the maximum
substrate temperature during film growth on the depth dependent gallium
concentration. For the in-depth gallium concentration analyses, we use two
techniques, covering complementary depth ranges. Angle dependent soft x-ray
emission spectroscopy provides access to information depths between 20 and 470
nm, which covers the depth range of the space charge region, where most of the
photoexcited carriers are generated. Therefore, this depth range is of
particular interest. To complement this investigation we use secondary neutral
mass spectrometry, which destructively probes the whole thickness of the
absorber (≈2 μm). The two methods show increasingly pronounced gallium and
indium gradients with decreasing maximum substrate temperature. The probing of
the complementary depth ranges of the absorbers gives a consistent picture of
the in-depth gallium distribution, which provides a solid basis for a
comprehensive discussion about the effect of a reduced substrate temperature
on the formation of gallium gradients in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and the device
performance of the corresponding reference solar cells
Gallium gradients in chalcopyrite thin films: Depth profile analyses of films grown at different temperatures
The following article appeared in Journal of Applied Physics 110.9 (2011): 093509 and may be found at http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/110/9/10.1063/1.3656986Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films are used as absorber layers in chalcopyrite thin film solar cells. As the gallium concentration in the absorber can be used to control the band gap, there have been many efforts to vary the gallium concentration in depth to gain an optimum balance of light absorption, carrier collection, and recombination at different depths of the absorber film, leading to improved quantum efficiency. In this study, we investigate the effect of the maximum substrate temperature during film growth on the depth dependent gallium concentration. For the in-depth gallium concentration analyses, we use two techniques, covering complementary depth ranges. Angle dependent soft x-ray emission spectroscopy provides access to information depths between 20 and 470 nm, which covers the depth range of the space charge region, where most of the photoexcited carriers are generated. Therefore, this depth range is of particular interest. To complement this investigation we use secondary neutral mass spectrometry, which destructively probes the whole thickness of the absorber (≈2 µm). The two methods show increasingly pronounced gallium and indium gradients with decreasing maximum substrate temperature. The probing of the complementary depth ranges of the absorbers gives a consistent picture of the in-depth gallium distribution, which provides a solid basis for a comprehensive discussion about the effect of a reduced substrate temperature on the formation of gallium gradients in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and the device performance of the corresponding reference solar cells.The authors acknowledge the support of the European Commission in the framework of the ATHLET-project (Project No. 019670)
Resolution of Racemic Guaifenesin Applying a Coupled Preferential Crystallization-Selective Dissolution Process: Rational Process Development
Preferential
crystallization is a cost efficient method to provide
pure enantiomers from a racemic mixture of a conglomerate forming
system. Exploiting small amounts of pure crystals of both enantiomers,
several batch or continuous processes were developed, capable of providing
both species. However, an intermediate production step has to be used
when pure enantiomers are not available. In such cases, partially
selective synthesis, chromatography, or crystallization processes
utilizing chiral auxiliaries have to be used to provide the initial
seed material. Recently, it was shown that a coupled Preferential
Crystallization-selective Dissolution process (CPCD) in two coupled
crystallizers can be applied if at least one pure enantiomer is available
to produce both antipodes within one batch. The corresponding process
is carried out in one reactor (crystallization tank) by seeding a
racemic supersaturated solution with the available enantiomer at a
certain temperature. The second reactor (dissolution tank) contains
a saturated racemic suspension at a higher temperature. Both reactors
are coupled via the fluid phase, allowing for a selective dissolution
of the preferentially crystallizing enantiomer from the solid racemic
feed provided in the dissolution vessel. The dissolution and crystallization
processes continue until the solid racemic material is completely
resolved and becomes enantiopure. At this point, both enantiomers
can be harvested in their pure crystalline form. For a specific pharmaceutically
relevant case study, a rational process design and the applied empirical
optimization procedure will be described. The achieved productivities
after optimization show the great potential of this approach also
for industrial applications. Also, a strategy to control this process
based on inline turbidity measurement will be presented
Sequence-dependent off-target inhibition of TLR7/8 sensing by synthetic microRNA inhibitors
Anti-microRNA (miRNA) oligonucleotides (AMOs) with 2\u27-O-Methyl (2\u27OMe) residues are commonly used to study miRNA function and can achieve high potency, with low cytotoxicity. Not withstanding this, we demonstrate the sequence-dependent capacity of 2\u27OMe AMOs to inhibit Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 8 sensing of immunostimulatory RNA, independent of their miRNA-targeting function. Through a screen of 29 AMOs targeting common miRNAs, we found a subset of sequences highly inhibitory to TLR7 sensing in mouse macrophages. Interspecies conservation of this inhibitory activity was confirmed on TLR7/8 activity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Significantly, we identified a core motif governing the inhibitory activity of these AMOs, which is present in more than 50 AMOs targeted to human miRNAs in miRBaseV20. DNA/locked nucleic acids (LNA) AMOs synthesized with a phosphorothioate backbone also inhibited TLR7 sensing in a sequence-dependent manner, demonstrating that the off-target effects of AMOs are not restricted to 2\u27OMe modification. Taken together, our work establishes the potential for off-target effects of AMOs on TLR7/8 function, which should be taken into account in their therapeutic development and in vivo application
Imbalanced gut microbiota fuels hepatocellular carcinoma development by shaping the hepatic inflammatory microenvironment
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and therapeutic options for advanced HCC are limited. Here, we observe that intestinal dysbiosis affects antitumor immune surveillance and drives liver disease progression towards cancer. Dysbiotic microbiota, as seen in Nlrp6(-/-) mice, induces a Toll-like receptor 4 dependent expansion of hepatic monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (mMDSC) and suppression of T-cell abundance. This phenotype is transmissible via fecal microbiota transfer and reversible upon antibiotic treatment, pointing to the high plasticity of the tumor microenvironment. While loss of Akkermansia muciniphila correlates with mMDSC abundance, its reintroduction restores intestinal barrier function and strongly reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis. Cirrhosis patients display increased bacterial abundance in hepatic tissue, which induces pronounced transcriptional changes, including activation of fibro-inflammatory pathways as well as circuits mediating cancer immunosuppression. This study demonstrates that gut microbiota closely shapes the hepatic inflammatory microenvironment opening approaches for cancer prevention and therapy. Steatohepatitis is a chronic hepatic inflammation associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Here the authors show that intestinal dysbiosis in mice lacking the inflammasome sensor molecule NLRP6 aggravates steatohepatitis and accelerates liver cancer progression, a process that can be delayed by antibiotic treatment.Peer reviewe
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