ZnO nanowire sensitization with Ru polypyridyl complexes: charge-transfer probed by spectral and relaxation photocurrent measurements

Dye-sensitized ZnO nanowire (NW) electrodes were fabricated using Ru polypyridyl complexes that use nitrile instead of carboxylic group as anchoring unit to the NW surfaces. The complexes formula is [Ru(bpy)3−x(Mebpy-CN)x]2+ (x = 1−3, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, Mebpy-CN = 4-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine-4'-carbonitrile). The ZnO NWs were grown by a vapor transport method on insulating SiO2/Si substrates. The sensitized ZnO NW electrodes were studied by electron microscopy, Raman and PL spectroscopies, and spectral and relaxation photocurrent measurements. The Raman spectra confirm that the complexes were effectively anchored to the ZnO NWs through one of the pendant nitrile groups of the bipyridyl ligands. The nanostructured morphology of the NW electrodes was maintained so that their light trapping characteristics were preserved. The Ru complexes were found to be excellent sensitizers of the ZnO NWs, improving by orders of magnitude their photocurrent in the visible region. The Fe-based complex of formula [Fe(Mebpy-CN)3](PF6)2 was also tested; however it did not show any sensitizing effect. An order of magnitude shortening of the persistent photocurrent relaxation times (after the illumination is interrupted) was found to occur upon successful sensitization of the ZnO NWs with the Ru complexes. This effect is interpreted in terms of hole traps at ~1 eV above the ZnO valence band edge, which are lowered by ~50–60 meV in the soaked samples due to screening of the trap centers provided by the extra photoexcited charge carriers transferred from the sensitizing complex to the NWs.Fil: Vega, Nadia Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Instituto de Física del Noroeste Argentino, INFINOA. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología, Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Mecchia Ortiz, Juan Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Tirado, Monica Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Instituto de Física del Noroeste Argentino, INFINOA. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología, Argentina; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Katz, Néstor Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Comedi, David Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Instituto de Física del Noroeste Argentino, INFINOA. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología, Argentina; Argentina; Argentin

Delayed diagnosis of coeliac disease increases cancer risk

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

What could we learn from the sub-analysis of a single nation cohort in a worldwide study? Lessons from the results observed in the Italian cohort of the GO-MORE trial

Objective GO-MORE Trial investigated the use of Golimumab (GLM) in 3280 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients worldwide. At present, the burden of arthritis is greater in poorer countries than in developed countries due to socioeconomic disparities, thus suggesting the usefulness of subgroup investigations. We aimed to evaluate GLM as add-on therapy for RA patients in the Italian cohort of GO-MORE trial and compared the clinical characteristics between Italian patients and the enrolled patients worldwide. Methods Ninety-eight Italian patients with active RA, fulfilling the 1987 ACR criteria were enrolled. Statistical analyses were performed to assess: i. the differences in baseline characteristics; ii. the efficacy after 6 months; between Italian and Rest of the World GO-MORE populations. Results Compared to the worldwide population, Italian patients showed a lower value of disease activity and a significantly short disease duration. Unlike the worldwide patients, the large majority of Italian patients received biologic therapy after the failure of the first synthetic DMARD and were not treated by high methotrexate dosage. After 6 months of GLM treatment, no differences were observed in the therapeutic response. Italian patients reported a positive autoinjection experience mirroring the worldwide results. Conclusion The analysis of the Italian GO-MORE subset confirms that differences among patients may be shown, depending on different approaches in different health systems. GLM in the Italian patients showed a favourable benefit/risk profile and the positive autoinjection experience may help with patient's compliance and survival of the treatment

Role of cytokines in GVL (ESb lymphoma) and GVHD after adoptive transfer of allogeneic T lymphocytes in mice

ESb lymphoma cells injected i,v, into DBA/2 (H-2(d)) mice multiply rapidly in the liver and kill ail mice in a few days. Adoptive transfer of allogeneic C57Bl/6 (H-2(b)) tumor-immune or normal splenic lymphocytes to sublethally irradiated DBA/2 mice induced a marked antitumor state, graft-versus-leukemia (GVL), increasing the mean survival time 2-3-fold, but also induced an acute and lethal graft-versus host disease (GVHD), We have undertaken experiments to try to dissociate GVL from GVHD. Transfer of immune spleen cells induced a greater GVL than transfer of normal spleen cells with an equivalent to GVHD, Three to five million immune or normal CD8(+) T lymphocytes were sufficient to induce both GVL and GVHD. Individual DBA/2 mice were labeled and followed. In mice undergoing GVHD, the spleens were repopulated by donor (H-2(b)) lymphocytes, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were present in the sera of 26 of 27 and 18 of 20 mice, respectively, together with increased amounts of TNF-alpha and IL-6 mRNA in their spleens. This was in contrast to DBA/2 mice receiving allogeneic cells but not developing GVHD, Both interferon-alpha/beta (IFN-alpha/beta) and IL-12, which had proven very effective in association with adoptive transfer of syngeneic immune T lymphocytes in inhibiting ESb metastases, enhanced GVHD when administered with allogeneic immune or normal spleen cells, and >90% of mice died. Intensive IL-2 treatment inhibited GVHD while maintaining GVL

Spectroscopic, electrochemical and photophysical properties of the novel complex tetracyano-1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione-ruthenate(II) and its application as a sensitizer in solar cells

The new complex tetracyano-1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione-ruthenate(II) was synthesized as potassium and bis (triphenylphosphine)iminium salts and characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical and photophysical techniques, with experimental results in agreement with quantum–mechanical calculations by Density Functional Theory. The structure of this anion was determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Although it emits weakly at room temperature in water with a lifetime in the nanosecond regime, the quinone moiety of the coordinated phenanthroline ligand allows its anchoring to mesoporous titanium dioxide films, thus leading to its application as a sensitizer in solar cells. Irradiated with a solar simulator, cells assembled with these dye-sensitized films, platinum as counter-electrodes and iodine/iodide redox mediators dissolved in acetonitrile or dimethylformamide, exhibit increasing efficiency of conversion of light into electrical energy with decreasing acceptor number of the solvent.Fil: Abate, Pedro Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: García Posse, Mónica Ema. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Vergara, Monica Mercedes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Fagalde, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Mecchia Ortiz, Juan Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Moran Vieyra, Faustino Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del Noa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del Noa; ArgentinaFil: Borsarelli, Claudio Darío. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del Noa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Bionanotecnología del Noa; ArgentinaFil: Longo, Claudia. Universidade Estadual Do Campinas. Instituto de Química.; BrasilFil: Katz, Néstor Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; Argentin

Improving the photosensitizing properties of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes using 4-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine-4′-carbonitrile as an auxiliary ligand

We report in this work the synthesis and spectroscopic, electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and photophysical characterization of a novel series of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes with 4-methyl-2,2′-bipyridine-4′- carbonitrile (Mebpy-CN) as an auxiliary ligand of general formula [Ru(bpy) 3-x(Mebpy-CN)x](PF6)2 (x = 1-3) (with bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine). A significant increase in the lifetime and quantum yield of emission of the lowest 3MLCT excited state is disclosed when going from x = 1 to x = 3, evidencing an improvement of the photosensitizing properties with respect to [Ru(bpy)3](PF 6)2. Furthermore, quenching by molecular oxygen of 3MLCT excited states of the three complexes produced singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) with quantum yield values higher than that of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ in CH3CN. The structure of the complex with x = 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The photoconductivity of ZnO nanowires covered with this same complex is increased by an order of magnitude, pointing to its feasibility as a component of a DSSC. A new dinuclear complex with Mebpy-CN as a bridging ligand has also been prepared and characterized by physicochemical techniques. The derived mixed-valent species of formula [(bpy)2RuII(Mebpy-CN) RuIII(NH3)5]5+ displays a considerable metal-metal electronic coupling due to the delocalization effect of a nitrile group in the 4′ position of the bpy ring. © 2013 American Chemical Society.Fil: Mecchia Ortiz, Juan Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Vega, Nadia Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Comedi, David Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Tirado, Monica Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Isabel. Universidad de Girona; EspañaFil: Fontrodona, Xavier. Universidad de Girona; EspañaFil: Parella, Teodor. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Moran Vieyra, Faustino Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Borsarelli, Claudio Darío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero. Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero. Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia de Santiago del Estero; ArgentinaFil: Katz, Néstor Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; Argentin

A novel and atypical NF-KB pro-inflammatory program regulated by a CamKII-proteasome axis is involved in the early activation of Muller glia by high glucose

Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes with a heavy impact on the quality of life of subjects and with a dramatic burden for health and economic systems on a global scale. Although the pathogenesis of DR is largely unknown, several preclinical data have pointed out to a main role of Muller glia (MG), a cell type which spans across the retina layers providing nourishment and support for Retina Ganglion Cells (RGCs), in sensing hyper-glycemia and in acquiring a pro-inflammatory polarization in response to this insult. Results By using a validated experimental model of DR in vitro, rMC1 cells challenged with high glucose, we uncovered the induction of an early (within minutes) and atypical Nuclear Factor-kB (NF-kB) signalling pathway regulated by a calcium-dependent calmodulin kinase II (CamKII)-proteasome axis. Phosphorylation of proteasome subunit Rpt6 (at Serine 120) by CamKII stimulated the accelerated turnover of IkB alpha (i.e., the natural inhibitor of p65-50 transcription factor), regardless of the phosphorylation at Serine 32 which labels canonical NF-kB signalling. This event allowed the p65-p50 heterodimer to migrate into the nucleus and to induce transcription of IL-8, Il-1 beta and MCP-1. Pharmacological inhibition of CamKII as well as proteasome inhibition stopped this pro-inflammatory program, whereas introduction of a Rpt6 phospho-dead mutant (Rpt6-S120A) stimulated a paradoxical effect on NF-kB probably through the activation of a compensatory mechanism which may involve phosphorylation of 20S alpha 4 subunit. Conclusions This study introduces a novel pathway of MG activation by high glucose and casts some light on the biological relevance of proteasome post-translational modifications in modulating pathways regulated through targeted proteolysis