On the selection and design of proteins and peptide derivatives for the production of photoluminescent, red-emitting gold quantum clusters

Novel pathways of the synthesis of photoluminescent gold quantum clusters (AuQCs) using biomolecules as reactants provide biocompatible products for biological imaging techniques. In order to rationalize the rules for the preparation of red-emitting AuQCs in aqueous phase using proteins or peptides, the role of different organic structural units was investigated. Three systems were studied: proteins, peptides, and amino acid mixtures, respectively. We have found that cysteine and tyrosine are indispensable residues. The SH/S-S ratio in a single molecule is not a critical factor in the synthesis, but on the other hand, the stoichiometry of cysteine residues and the gold precursor is crucial. These observations indicate the importance of proper chemical behavior of all species in a wide size range extending from the atomic distances (in the AuI-S semi ring) to nanometer distances covering the larger sizes of proteins assuring the hierarchical structure of the whole self-assembled system

Catharanthus roseus flower extract has wound-healing activity in Sprague Dawley rats

BACKGROUND: Catharanthus roseus L (C. roseus) has been used to treat a wide assortment of diseases including diabetes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the flower extract of Catharanthus in rats. METHODS: Wound healing activity was determined in rats, after administration (100 mg kg(-1 )day(-1)) of the ethanol extract of C. roseus flower, using excision, incision and dead space wounds models. The animals were divided into two groups of 6 each in all the models. In the excision model, group 1 animals were topically treated with carboxymethyl cellulose as placebo control and group 2 received topical application of the ethanol extract of C. roseus at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day. In an incision and dead space model group 1 animals were given normal saline and group 2 received the extract orally at a dose of 100 mg kg(-1 )day(-1). Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelization, tensile strength (skin breaking strength), granulation tissue weight, and hydoxyproline content. Antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against four microorganisms was also assessed RESULTS: The extract of C. roseus significantly increased the wound breaking strength in the incision wound model compared with controls (P < 0.001). The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased in comparison to control wounds (P < 0.001), Wet and dry granulation tissue weights, and hydroxyproline content in a dead space wound model increased significantly (p < 0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated sensitivity to C. roseus CONCLUSION: Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline content along with antimicrobial activity support the use of C. roseus in the topical management of wound healing

Primate-specific evolution of noncoding element insertion into PLA2G4C and human preterm birth

Background The onset of birth in humans, like other apes, differs from non-primate mammals in its endocrine physiology. We hypothesize that higher primate-specific gene evolution may lead to these differences and target genes involved in human preterm birth, an area of global health significance. Methods We performed a comparative genomics screen of highly conserved noncoding elements and identified PLA2G4C, a phospholipase A isoform involved in prostaglandin biosynthesis as human accelerated. To examine whether this gene demonstrating primate-specific evolution was associated with birth timing, we genotyped and analyzed 8 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PLA2G4C in US Hispanic (n = 73 preterm, 292 control), US White (n = 147 preterm, 157 control) and US Black (n = 79 preterm, 166 control) mothers. Results Detailed structural and phylogenic analysis of PLA2G4C suggested a short genomic element within the gene duplicated from a paralogous highly conserved element on chromosome 1 specifically in primates. SNPs rs8110925 and rs2307276 in US Hispanics and rs11564620 in US Whites were significant after correcting for multiple tests (p < 0.006). Additionally, rs11564620 (Thr360Pro) was associated with increased metabolite levels of the prostaglandin thromboxane in healthy individuals (p = 0.02), suggesting this variant may affect PLA2G4C activity. Conclusions Our findings suggest that variation in PLA2G4C may influence preterm birth risk by increasing levels of prostaglandins, which are known to regulate labor.Children’s Discovery InstituteMarch of Dimes Birth Defects FoundationNational Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (grant T32 GM081739)Washington University (Saint Louis, Mo.) (Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowship for Women in Graduate Study)Sigrid Jusélius FoundationSigne and Anne Gyllenberg FoundationAcademy of FinlandVanderbilt University (Turner-Hazinski grant award

Post-neonatal Mortality, Morbidity, and Developmental Outcome after Ultrasound-Dated Preterm Birth in Rural Malawi: A Community-Based Cohort Study

Using data collected as a follow-up to a randomized trial, Melissa Gladstone and colleagues show that during the first two years of life, infants born preterm in southern Malawi are disadvantaged in terms of mortality, growth, and development

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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Structures and orientation-dependent interaction forces of titania nanowires using molecular dynamics simulations

Engineering nano wires to develop new products and processes is highly topical due to their ability to provide highly enhanced physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we report fundamental information, about the structural and thermodynamic properties of individual anatase titania (TiO2) nanowires with cross-sectional diameters between 2 and 6 nm, and aspect ratio (Length: Diameter) of 6:1 at temperatures ranging from 300 to 3000 K. Estimates of the melting-transition temperature of the nanowires are between 2000 and 2500 K. The melting transition temperature predicted from the radial distribution functions (RDFs) shows strong agreement with those predicted from the total energy profiles. Overall, the transition temperature is in reasonable agreement with melting points predicted from experiments and simulations reported in the literature for spherical nanoparticles of similar sizes. Hence, the melting-transition temperature of TiO2 nanowires modelled here can be considered as shape independent. Furthermore, for the first time based on MD simulations, interaction forces between two nanowires are reported at ambient temperature (300 K) for different orientations: parallel, perpendicular, and end-to-end. It is observed that end-to-end orientations manifested the strongest attraction forces, while the parallel and perpendicular orientations, displayed weaker attractions. The results reported here could form a foundation in future multiscale modelling studies of the structured titania nanowire assemblies, depending on the inter-wire interaction forces

Improving filtrate quality using agrobased materials as coagulant aid

In the present study, an evaluation of agrobased materials (ABM) as a coagulant aid in conjunction with alum has been conducted to determine their efficacy in water treatment. The agrobased materials evaluated are Surjana seed (Moringa oleifera), Nirmali seed (Strychnos potatorum) and maize (Zeemays). Experiments have been conducted simulating a conventional water treatment train consisting of coagulation-flocculation-settling and granular media filtration. Emphasis has been given to the filtration aspect of the treatment train using synthetic turbid water. The filter performance was defined by water quality and head loss development across the filter bed. When Nirmali seed or maize was used as a coagulant aid, the alum dose required was 25 and 15 mg/L, respectively, and the filtrate turbidity achieved was less than 0.2 NTU, whereas alum alone with a dose of 45 mg/L achieved filtrate turbidity levels higher than 1 NTU. Thus, the use of ABM improved the filtrate quality. Head loss in filter with Surjana seed and Maize as coagulant aids was comparable to that of alum alone, whereas it was higher when Nirmali seed was used as a coagulant aid