Octahedral molybdenum cluster as a photoactive antimicrobial additive to a fluoroplastic

Finding methods that fight bacterial infection or contamination, while minimising our reliance on antibiotics is one of the most pressing needs of this century. Although the utilisation of UV-C light and strong oxidising agents, such as bleach, are still efficacious methods for eliminating bacterial surface contamination, both methods present severe health and/or environmental hazards. Materials with intrinsic photodynamic activity (i.e. a material's ability upon photoexcitation to convert molecular oxygen into reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen), which work with light within the visible photomagnetic spectrum could offer a significantly safer alternative. Here we present a new, bespoke molybdenum cluster (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(n-C7F15COO)6], which is both efficient in the generation of singlet oxygen upon photoirradiation and compatible with the fluoropolymer (F23-L) known for its good oxygen permeability. Thus, (Bu4N)2[Mo6I8(n-C7F15COO)6]/F23-L mixtures have been solution-processed to give homogenous films of smooth and fibrous morphologies and which displayed high photoinduced antibacterial activity against four common pathogens under visible light irradiation. These materials thus have potential in applications ranging from antibacterial coatings to filtration membranes and air conditioners to prevent spread of bacterial infections

From photoinduced to dark cytotoxicity via an octahedral cluster hydrolysis

Octahedral molybdenum and tungsten clusters have potential biological applications in photodynamic therapy and bioimaging. However, poor solubility and hydrolysis stability of these compounds hinder their application. The first water-soluble photoluminescent octahedral tungsten cluster [{W6I8}(DMSO)6](NO3)4 was synthesised and demonstrated to be at least one order of magnitude more stable towards hydrolysis than its molybdenum analogue. Biological studies of the compound on larynx carcinoma cells suggest that it has a significant photoinduced toxicity, while the dark toxicity increases with the increase of the degree of hydrolysis. The increase of the dark toxicity is associated with the in situ generation of nanoparticles that clog up the cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum

Poverty and psychology

This paper presents a study on the association between dimensions of poverty (income, subjective socioeconomic status, deprivation, and socioeconomic status in childhood) and individual psychological characteristics. In this study, our goal was to determine: 1) the differences in individual psychological characteristics between poor and non-poor people; 2) the effect of each dimension, or indicator, of poverty on individual psychological characteristics (self-esteem, life satisfaction, trust, self-efficacy, self-control, dispositional greed, and individual values); and 3) the relationship between each indicator of poverty and each individual psychological characteristic. We collected data from 157 poor (those whose incomes fall below the poverty threshold) and 140 nonpoor (those whose incomes exceed the poverty threshold) participants from Moscow and the greater Moscow region by administering questionnaires containing measures of individual psychological characteristics and poverty. We analyzed the data using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and part and partial correlation analysis. The results obtained revealed that poverty had significant multivariate effects on individual psychological characteristics (univariate effects were significant for self-esteem, life satisfaction, Self-Transcendence values, and trust); in addition, all indicators of poverty except income had significant multivariate effects on individual psychological characteristics. Furthermore, subjective socioeconomic status was positively associated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, self-transcendence values, and trust; deprivation was positively associated with greed and self-enhancement values, and negatively associated with life satisfaction and self-esteem; socioeconomic status in childhood was positively associated with greed, self-enhancement values, life satisfaction and self-efficacy

Psychological patterns of poverty in Russia:Relationships among socioeconomic conditions, motivation, self-regulation and well-being

This paper aims to extend our understanding of the link between socioeconomic conditions and psychological variables. It focuses on the effects of five distinct socioeconomic indicators on a range of psychological variables in samples of 162 individuals living below the poverty line and 188 of their more well-off counterparts in Russia. Participants completed a questionnaire containing measures of socioeconomic indicators (i.e., income, education, perceived deprivation, subjective socioeconomic status, and childhood socioeconomic status) and psychological variables representing self-regulation, motivation and well-being. Our main findings include: (1) significant effects of socioeconomic status on all psychological variables, which are in line with other studies seeking to answer similar questions, (2) varying importance of different socioeconomic indicators for different psychological variables, and (3) centrality of all socioeconomic indicators except childhood socioeconomic status, and of values of openness to change and self-transcendence, satisfaction with life and self-esteem in the network of relationships between socioeconomic indicators and psychological variables

Psychological patterns of poverty in Russia: Relationships among socioeconomic conditions, motivation, self-regulation and well-being

This paper aims to extend our understanding of the link between socioeconomic conditions and psychological variables. It focuses on the effects of five distinct socioeconomic indicators on a range of psychological variables in samples of 162 individuals living below the poverty line and 188 of their more well-off counterparts in Russia. Participants completed a questionnaire containing measures of socioeconomic indicators (i.e., income, education, perceived deprivation, subjective socioeconomic status, and childhood socioeconomic status) and psychological variables representing self-regulation, motivation and well-being. Our main findings include: (1) significant effects of socioeconomic status on all psychological variables, which are in line with other studies seeking to answer similar questions, (2) varying importance of different socioeconomic indicators for different psychological variables, and (3) centrality of all socioeconomic indicators except childhood socioeconomic status, and of values of openness to change and self-transcendence, satisfaction with life and self-esteem in the network of relationships between socioeconomic indicators and psychological variables

Facile synthesis of vanadia aerogels with controlled V3+/V4+ ratio

Vanadium oxide aerogels containing vanadium in low oxidation states (V3+, V4+) were synthesized by a supercritical drying technique, using mixtures of acetone and ethanol as supercritical solvents. The V3+/V4+ ratio in aerogels was shown to be easily tuned by changing the composition of supercritical solvents. The microstructure of the aerogels was notably affected by the choice of precursors

Facile synthesis of vanadia aerogels with controlled V3+/V4+ ratio

Vanadium oxide aerogels containing vanadium in low oxidation states (V3+, V4+) were synthesized by a supercritical drying technique, using mixtures of acetone and ethanol as supercritical solvents. The V3+/V4+ ratio in aerogels was shown to be easily tuned by changing the composition of supercritical solvents. The microstructure of the aerogels was notably affected by the choice of precursors

Up- and Down-Regulation of Enzyme Activity in Aggregates with Gold-Covered Magnetic Nanoparticles Triggered by Low-Frequency Magnetic Field

The modern global trend toward sustainable processes that meet the requirements of “green chemistry” provides new opportunities for the broad application of highly active, selective, and specific enzymatic reactions. However, the effective application of enzymes in industrial processes requires the development of systems for the remote regulation of their activity triggered by external physical stimuli, one of which is a low-frequency magnetic field (LFMF). Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) transform the energy of an LFMF into mechanical forces and deformations applied to enzyme molecules on the surfaces of MNPs. Here, we demonstrate the up- and down-regulation of two biotechnologically important enzymes, yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) and soybean formate dehydrogenase (FDH), in aggregates with gold-covered magnetic nanoparticles (GCMNPs) triggered by an LFMF. Two types of aggregates, “dimeric” (with the enzyme attached to several GCMNPs simultaneously), with YADH or FDH, and “monomeric” (the enzyme attached to only one GCMNP), with FDH, were synthesized. Depending on the aggregate type (“dimeric” or “monomeric”), LFMF treatment led to a decrease (down-regulation) or an increase (up-regulation) in enzyme activity. For “dimeric” aggregates, we observed 67 ± 9% and 47 ± 7% decreases in enzyme activity under LFMF exposure for YADH and FDH, respectively. Moreover, in the case of YADH, varying the enzyme or the cross-linking agent concentration led to different magnitudes of the LFMF effect, which was more significant at lower enzyme and higher cross-linking agent concentrations. Different responses to LFMF exposure depending on cofactor presence were also demonstrated. This effect might result from a varying cofactor binding efficiency to enzymes. For the “monomeric” aggregates with FDH, the LFMF treatment caused a significant increase in enzyme activity; the magnitude of this effect depended on the cofactor type: we observed up to 40% enzyme up-regulation in the case of NADP+, while almost no effect was observed in the case of NAD+

Encapsulins—Bacterial Protein Nanocompartments: Structure, Properties, and Application

Recently, a new class of prokaryotic compartments, collectively called encapsulins or protein nanocompartments, has been discovered. The shell proteins of these structures self-organize to form icosahedral compartments with a diameter of 25–42 nm, while one or more cargo proteins with various functions can be encapsulated in the nanocompartment. Non-native cargo proteins can be loaded into nanocompartments and the surface of the shells can be further functionalized, which allows for developing targeted drug delivery systems or using encapsulins as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Since the genes encoding encapsulins can be integrated into the cell genome, encapsulins are attractive for investigation in various scientific fields, including biomedicine and nanotechnology

New Approach to Non-Invasive Tumor Model Monitoring via Self-Assemble Iron Containing Protein Nanocompartments

According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common oncological disease worldwide. There are multiple animal models for different types of breast carcinoma, allowing the research of tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. When studying these processes, it is crucial to visualize cancer cells for a prolonged time via a non-invasive method, for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we establish a new genetically encoded material based on Quasibacillus thermotolerans (Q.thermotolerans, Qt) encapsulin, stably expressed in mouse 4T1 breast carcinoma cells. The label consists of a protein shell containing an enzyme called ferroxidase. When adding Fe2+, a ferroxidase oxidizes Fe2+ to Fe3+, followed by iron oxide nanoparticles formation. Additionally, genes encoding mZip14 metal transporter, enhancing the iron transport, were inserted into the cells via lentiviral transduction. The expression of transgenic sequences does not affect cell viability, and the presence of magnetic nanoparticles formed inside encapsulins results in an increase in T2 relaxivity