Deleterious effects in reproduction and developmental immunity elicited by pulmonary iron oxide nanoparticles

With the extensive application of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs), attention about their potential risks to human health is also rapidly raising, particularly in sensitive subgroups such as pregnant women and babies. In this study, we a single instilled intratracheally FeNPs (1, 2, and 4 mg/kg) to the male and female parent mice, mated, then assessed reproductive toxicity according to the modified OECD TG 421. During the pre-mating period (14 days), two female parent mice died at 4 mg/kg dose, and the body weight gain dose-dependently decreased in male and female parent mice exposed to FeNPs. Additionally, iron accumulation and the enhanced expression of MHC class II molecules were observed in the ovary and the testis of parent mice exposed to the highest dose of FeNPs, and the total sex ratio (male/female) of the offspring mice increased in the groups exposed to FeNPs. Following, we a single instilled intratracheally to their offspring mice with the same doses and evaluated the immunotoxic response on day 28. The increased mortality and significant hematological- and biochemical- changes were observed in offspring mice exposed at 4 mg/kg dose, especially in female mice. More interestingly, balance of the immune response was shifted to a different direction in male and female offspring mice. Taken together, we conclude that the NOAEL for reproductive and developmental toxicity of FeNPs may be lower than 2 mg/kg, and that female mice may show more sensitive response to FeNPs exposure than male mice. Furthermore, we suggest that further studies are necessary to identify causes of both the alteration in sex ratio of offspring mice and different immune response in male and female offspring mice.

A Simple Surfactant-Free Solution Phase Synthesis of Flower-like In2S3 Hierarchitectures and their Photocatalytic Activities

Flower-like In2S3 hierarchical nanostructures were successfully prepared via a facile solution-phase route, using thiacetamide as both sulfur source and capping agent. Our experimental results demonstrated that the morphology of these In2S3 nanostructures can be easily modified by changing the ratio of In(NO3)3/thiacetamide. With the ratio increasing from 1:1.5 to 1:6, the In2S3 crystals exhibited flower-like morphology of varying size. XRD and HRTEM of the flowers revealed the cubic structure of In2S3; morphological studies examined by SEM and TEM showed that the synthesized In2S3 nanostructure was a flower-like hierarchitecture assembled from nanoscale flakes. XPS and EDX analysis confirmed the stoichiometry of In2S3 nanoflowers. The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis DRS, which indicated that the In2S3 nanoflower samples possess a band gap from 1.90 to 1.97 eV. Furthermore, photocatalytic activity studies revealed that the prepared In2S3 nanoflowers exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance, degrading rapidly the aqueous methylene blue dye solution under visible light irradiation. These results suggest that In2S3 nanoflowers will be a promising candidate for a photocatalyst working under the visible light range

Monolithic 1 × 8 DWDM Silicon Optical Transmitter Using an Arrayed-Waveguide Grating and Electro-Absorption Modulators for Switch Fabrics in Intra-Data-Center Interconnects

In this study, we propose an eight-channel monolithic optical transmitter using silicon electro-absorption modulators (EAMs) based on free-carrier injection by Schottky junctions. The transmitter consists of a 1 × 8 silicon arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) and eight 500-μm-long EAMs on a 5.41 × 2.84 mm2 footprint. It generates eight-channel dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) outputs with 1.33 nm channel spacing (Δλ) in the C-band from a single broadband light source and modulates each channel with over 3 dB modulation depth at 6 V peak-to-peak. The experimental results showed that the feasibility of a homogeneous silicon DWDM transmitter with a single light source for switch fabrics in intra-data-center interconnects over heterogeneous integration with regards to more complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility

Comparison of Optical and Electrical Sensor Characteristics for Efficient Analysis of Attachment and Detachment of Aptamer

Nucleic acid aptamer-based research has focused on achieving the highest performance for bioassays. However, there are limitations in evaluating the affinity for the target analytes in these nucleic acid aptamer-based bioassays. In this study, we mainly propose graphene oxide (GO)-based electrical and optical analyses to efficiently evaluate the affinity between an aptamer and its target. We found that an aptamer-coupled GO-based chip with an electrical resistance induced by a field-effect transistor, with aptamers as low as 100 pM, can detect the target, thrombin, at yields as low as 250 pM within five minutes. In the optical approach, the fluorescent dye-linked aptamer, as low as 100 nM, was efficiently used with GO, enabling the sensitive detection of thrombin at yields as low as 5 nM. The cantilever type of mechanical analysis also demonstrated the intuitive aptamer–thrombin reaction in the signal using dBm units. Finally, a comparison of electrical and optical sensors’ characteristics was introduced in the attachment and detachment of aptamer to propose an efficient analysis that can be utilized for various aptamer-based research fields

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Norwegian skates (Raja brachyuran Lafont, 1871) imported to Korea

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Norwegian skates imported to Korea was sequenced with a circular molecule of 17,121 bp, which consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region (D-loop). And among these sequences, 193 bp sequence in the D-loop of the genus Raja suggested the possibility of being used as a genetic marker for classification of Raja and Dipturus species. The BI phylogenetic tree by using the nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs from 15 available mitogenomes of family Rajidae confirmed also that Norwegian skates imported to Korea form a group with Raja brachyura species with high branch value, and that this was a species of Raja brachyura. As above, these results would be expected to provide for the further understanding on the phylogenetic relationship, taxonomic classification and phylogeography of the family Rajidae

The complete mitochondrial genome of Sardinella zunasi (Clupeiformes: Clupeidae)

The complete mitogenome of Sardinella zunasi was determined by next-generation sequencing. The S. zunasi mitogenome was a circular 16,307 bp molecule that contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and one control region (D-loop). The gene arrangement was consistent with other Sardinella mitogenomes. The phylogenetic relationships of 29 Clupeoidei species based on 13 protein-coding genes from the available mitogenomes were analyzed. Sardinella zunasi clustered with Sardinella among Clupeidae, suggesting a closer relationship with this genus. These results will be useful for understanding the phylogenetic relationships, taxonomic classification, and phylogeography of the genus Sardinella relative to other genera of Clupeoidei

A Simple Surfactant-Free Solution Phase Synthesis of Flower-like In2S3 Hierarchitectures and their Photocatalytic Activities

Flower-like In2S3 hierarchical nanostructures were successfully prepared via a facile solution-phase route, using thiacetamide as both sulfur source and capping agent. Our experimental results demonstrated that the morphology of these In2S3 nanostructures can be easily modified by changing the ratio of In(NO3)3/thiacetamide. With the ratio increasing from 1:1.5 to 1:6, the In2S3 crystals exhibited flower-like morphology of varying size. XRD and HRTEM of the flowers revealed the cubic structure of In2S3; morphological studies examined by SEM and TEM showed that the synthesized In2S3 nanostructure was a flower-like hierarchitecture assembled from nanoscale flakes. XPS and EDX analysis confirmed the stoichiometry of In2S3 nanoflowers. The optical properties were investigated by UV-vis DRS, which indicated that the In2S3 nanoflower samples possess a band gap from 1.90 to 1.97 eV. Furthermore, photocatalytic activity studies revealed that the prepared In2S3 nanoflowers exhibit an excellent photocatalytic performance, degrading rapidly the aqueous methylene blue dye solution under visible light irradiation. These results suggest that In2S3 nanoflowers will be a promising candidate for a photocatalyst working under the visible light range

Biodistribution and toxicity of spherical aluminum oxide nanoparticles

With the rapid development of the nano-industry, concerns about their potential adverse health effects have been raised. Thus, ranking accurately their toxicity and prioritizing for in vivo testing through in vitro toxicity test is needed. In this study, we used three types of synthesized aluminum oxide nanoparticles (AlONPs): gamma-aluminum oxide hydroxide nanoparticles (gamma-AlOHNPs), gamma- and alpha-AlONPs. All three AlONPs were spherical, and the surface area was the greatest for gamma-AlONPs, followed by the alpha-AlONPs and gamma-AlOHNPs. In mice, gamma-AlOHNPs accumulated the most 24 h after a single oral dose. Additionally, the decreased number of white blood cells (WBC), the increased ratio of neutrophils and the enhanced secretion of interleukin (IL)-8 were observed in the blood of mice dosed with gamma-AlOHNPs (10 mg kg(-1)). We also compared their toxicity using four different in vitro test methods using six cell lines, which were derived from their potential target organs, BEAS-2B (lung), Chang (liver), HACAT (skin), H9C2 (heart), T98G (brain) and HEK-293 (kidney). The results showed gamma-AlOHNPs induced the greatest toxicity. Moreover, separation of particles was observed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) image of cells treated with gamma-AlOHNPs, but not gamma-AlONPs or alpha-AlONPs. In conclusion, our results suggest that the accumulation and toxicity of AlONPs are stronger in gamma-AlOHNPs compared with gamma-AlONPs and alpha-AlONPs owing their low stability within biological system, and the presence of hydroxyl group may be an important factor in determining the distribution and toxicity of spherical AlONPs. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Rapid Access to Ordered Mesoporous Carbons for Chemical Hydrogen Storage

Funding Information: C.T.Y. acknowledges funds provided by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). E.S.C. acknowledges the support by the International Energy Joint R&D Program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), granted financial resource from the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, Republic of Korea. (No. 20188520000570) and also by National R&D Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by Ministry of Science and ICT (2021R1A2C2010017). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbHOrdered mesoporous carbon materials offer robust network of organized pores for energy storage and catalysis applications, but suffer from time-consuming and intricate preparations hindering their widespread use. Here we report a new and rapid synthetic route for a N-doped ordered mesoporous carbon structure through a preferential heating of iron oxide nanoparticles by microwaves. A nanoporous covalent organic polymer is first formed in situ covering the hard templates of assembled nanoparticles, paving the way for a long-range order in a carbonaceous nanocomposite precursor. Upon removal of the template, a well-defined cubic mesoporous carbon structure was revealed. The ordered mesoporous carbon was used in solid state hydrogen storage as a host scaffold for NaAlH4, where remarkable improvement in hydrogen desorption kinetics was observed. The state-of-the-art lowest activation energy of dehydrogenation as a single step was attributed to their ordered pore structure and N-doping effect.Peer reviewe