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Analytical Chemistry Jun 2024Dental caries is one of the most common diseases affecting more than 2 billion people's health worldwide. In a clinical setting, it is challenging to predict and...
Dental caries is one of the most common diseases affecting more than 2 billion people's health worldwide. In a clinical setting, it is challenging to predict and proactively guard against dental cavities prior to receiving a confirmed diagnosis. () in saliva has been recognized as the main causative bacterial agent that causes dental caries. High sensitivity, good selectivity, and a wide detection range are incredibly important factors to affect detection in practical applications. In this study, we present a portable saliva biosensor designed for the early detection of with the potential to predict the occurrence of dental cavities. The biosensor was fabricated using a -specific DNA aptamer and -imprinted polymers. Methylene blue was utilized as a redox probe in the sensor to generate current signals for analysis. When enters complementarily cavities, it blocks electron transfer between methylene blue and the electrode, resulting in decreases in the reduction current signal. The signal variations are associated with concentrations that are useful for quantitative analysis. The linear detection range of is 10-10 cfu mL, which covers the critical concentration of high caries risk. The biosensor exhibited excellent selectivity toward in the presence of other common oral bacteria. The biosensor's wide detection range, excellent selectivity, and low limit of detection (2.6 cfu mL) are attributed to the synergistic effect of aptamer and -imprinted polymers. The sensor demonstrates the potential to prevent dental caries.
Topics: Saliva; Streptococcus mutans; Biosensing Techniques; Dental Caries; Aptamers, Nucleotide; Humans; Methylene Blue; Electrochemical Techniques
PubMed: 38848497
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c05112 -
Chemical Science Jun 2024The capability of organic emitters to harvest triplet excitons a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) process has opened a new era in organic...
The capability of organic emitters to harvest triplet excitons a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) process has opened a new era in organic optoelectronics. Nevertheless, low brightness, and consequently an insufficient roll-off ratio, constitutes a bottleneck for their practical applications in the domain of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). To address this formidable challenge, we developed a new design of desymmetrized naphthalimide (NMI) featuring an annulated indole with a set of auxiliary donors on its periphery. Their perpendicular arrangement led to minimized HOMO-LUMO overlap, resulting in a low energy gap (Δ = 0.05-0.015 eV) and efficient TADF emission with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) ranging from 82.8% to 95.3%. Notably, the entire set of dyes (NMI-Ind-TBCBz, NMI-Ind-DMAc, NMI-Ind-PXZ, and NMI-Ind-PTZ) was utilized to fabricate TADF OLED devices, exhibiting yellow to red electroluminescence. Among them, red-emissive NMI-Ind-PTZ, containing phenothiazine as an electron-rich component, revealed predominant performance with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 23.6%, accompanied by a persistent luminance of 38 000 cd m. This results in a unique roll-off ratio (EQE = 21.6%), delineating a straightforward path for their commercial use in lighting and display technologies.
PubMed: 38846379
DOI: 10.1039/d4sc01391c -
Chemosphere Aug 2024The catalytic performance of modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, CaFeW(PO)(OH), was applied for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), fast green FCF (FG) and...
Monitoring Photo-Fenton and Photo-Electro-Fenton process of contaminants emerging concern by a gas diffusion electrode using CaFeW(PO)(OH) nanoparticles as heterogeneous catalyst.
The catalytic performance of modified hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, CaFeW(PO)(OH), was applied for the degradation of methylene blue (MB), fast green FCF (FG) and norfloxacin (NOR). XPS analysis pointed to the successful partial replacement of Ca by Fe. Under photo-electro-Fenton process, the catalyst CaFeWFe(PO)(OH) was combined with UVC radiation and electrogenerated HO in a Printex L6 carbon-based gas diffusion electrode. The application of only 10 mA cm resulted in 100% discoloration of MB and FG dyes in 50 min of treatment at pH 2.5, 7.0 and 9.0. The proposed treatment mechanism yielded maximum TOC removal of ∼80% and high mineralization current efficiency of ∼64%. Complete degradation of NOR was obtained in 40 min, and high mineralization of ∼86% was recorded after 240 min of treatment. Responses obtained from LC-ESI-MS/MS are in line with the theoretical Fukui indices and the ECOSAR data. The study enabled us to predict the main degradation route and the acute and chronic toxicity of the by-products formed during the contaminants degradation.
Topics: Catalysis; Hydrogen Peroxide; Iron; Electrodes; Methylene Blue; Nanoparticles; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Norfloxacin; Durapatite; Coloring Agents; Photochemical Processes; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 38830460
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142515 -
The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La... Jun 2024As a major animal control service provider in the city of Guelph and Wellington County in Ontario, the Guelph Humane Society transports and presents injured or ill...
BACKGROUND
As a major animal control service provider in the city of Guelph and Wellington County in Ontario, the Guelph Humane Society transports and presents injured or ill raccoons requiring humane euthanasia to the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre (OVC-HSC). Issues around handling, transportation, and delays before euthanasia have recently raised some concerns for welfare and the need for means of improving this process.
OBJECTIVE
Investigation of a noncontrolled sedation and analgesia protocol for injured or ill raccoons intended to improve animal welfare by allowing humane handling, transport, and euthanasia following administration by an animal protection officer (APO).
ANIMALS AND PROCEDURE
Twenty-seven injured or ill raccoons requiring transport and euthanasia, as determined by the Guelph Humane Society APOs, were included in the study. Each raccoon was administered acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg), alfaxalone (4 mg/kg), and medetomidine (0.15 mg/kg), intramuscularly, before being transported to the OVC-HSC for humane euthanasia.
RESULTS
The combination of acepromazine, alfaxalone, and medetomidine was suitable for administration by APOs and provided the desired sedation depth to allow transport and humane euthanasia. Transit time was the only predictor of sedation depth upon arrival at the OVC-HSC. Two raccoons showed mild physical response to intracardiac injection for euthanasia. Numerical cutoff points of an in-hospital visual analog score of sedation of ≥ 70/100 and duration of sedation of < 62 min showed zero probability of response to euthanasia.
CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Administration of acepromazine, alfaxalone, and medetomidine at the stated doses provided acceptable sedation and analgesia to improve animal welfare during transport and eventual euthanasia of raccoons.
Topics: Animals; Medetomidine; Pregnanediones; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Acepromazine; Male; Raccoons; Female; Euthanasia, Animal; Injections, Intramuscular; Animal Welfare
PubMed: 38827599
DOI: No ID Found -
Chemistry (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Jun 2024The photocatalytic C-N borylation and C-H arylation mostly depend on the ruthenium and iridium complexes or eosin Y and the use of porphyrin catalysts is still in...
The photocatalytic C-N borylation and C-H arylation mostly depend on the ruthenium and iridium complexes or eosin Y and the use of porphyrin catalysts is still in infancy. A series of novel 21-thiaporphyrins (A2B2 and A3B type) were synthesized having carbazole/phenothiazine moieties at their meso-positions and screened as catalysts for C-N borylation and C-H arylation. This paper demonstrates the 21-thiaporphyrin catalyzed C-N borylation and het-arylation of anilines under visible light. The method utilizes only 0.1 mol% of 21-thiaporphyrin catalyst under blue light for the direct C-N borylation and het-arylation reactions. A variety of substituted anilines were used as source for expensive and unstable aryl diazonium salts in the reactions. The heterobiaryls and aryl boronic esters were obtained in decent yields (up to 88%). Versatility of the 21-thiaporphyrin catalyst was tested by thiolation and selenylation of anilines under similar conditions. Mechanistic insight was obtained from DFT studies, suggesting that 21-thiaporphyrin undergo an oxidative quenching pathway. The photoredox process catalyzed by 21-thiaporphyrins offers a mild, efficient and metal-free alternative for the formation of C-C, C-S, and C-Se bonds in aryl compounds; it can also be extended to borylation reaction.
PubMed: 38825798
DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401623 -
Scientific Reports May 2024Voriconazole is a second-generation azole used to treat serious fungal infections. Visual hallucinations constitute a representative adverse event caused by...
Association between voriconazole-induced visual hallucination and dopamine in an analysis of the food and drug administration (FDA) adverse event reporting system database.
Voriconazole is a second-generation azole used to treat serious fungal infections. Visual hallucinations constitute a representative adverse event caused by voriconazole. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In patients with schizophrenia or Parkinson's disease, the frequency of visual hallucinations is associated with brain dopamine levels. This study investigated the frequency of visual hallucinations in patients treated with voriconazole alone or in combination with dopaminergic medicines or dopamine antagonists, using data collected from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse event Reporting System (FAERS). The frequency of visual hallucinations with voriconazole alone and in combination with a dopaminergic medicine (levodopa) or dopamine antagonists (risperidone and chlorpromazine) was compared using data from the FAERS between 2004 and 2023, using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) with relevant 95% confidence intervals (CI). The reference group comprised patients who had been administered voriconazole without dopaminergic medication or dopamine antagonists. Of the patients, 22,839, 90,810, 109,757, 6,435, 20, 83, and 26, respectively were treated with voriconazole, levodopa, risperidone, chlorpromazine, voriconazole plus levodopa, voriconazole plus risperidone, and voriconazole plus chlorpromazine. The occurrence of visual hallucinations increased when used in combination with levodopa (ROR = 12.302, 95% CI = 3.587-42.183). No increase in incidence was associated with the concomitant use of dopamine antagonists (risperidone, ROR = 1.721, 95% CI = 0.421-7.030; chlorpromazine, ROR = none, 95% CI = none). Dopaminergic medicine may increase the risk of visual hallucinations in patients treated with voriconazole. Whether voriconazole positively modulates dopamine production warrants further investigation using a translational research approach.
Topics: Humans; Voriconazole; Hallucinations; United States; United States Food and Drug Administration; Male; Female; Aged; Middle Aged; Dopamine; Levodopa; Adult; Antifungal Agents; Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems; Chlorpromazine; Risperidone; Dopamine Antagonists; Parkinson Disease; Young Adult; Adolescent; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 38822123
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63504-y -
Scientific Reports May 2024Photocatalysts of TiO-CuO coupled with 30% graphene oxide (GO) were hydrothermally fabricated, which varied the TiO to CuO weight ratios to 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1...
Photocatalysts of TiO-CuO coupled with 30% graphene oxide (GO) were hydrothermally fabricated, which varied the TiO to CuO weight ratios to 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1 and reduced to form TiO-CuO/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) photocatalysts. They were characterized using XRD, TEM, SEM, XPS, Raman, and DRS technologies. TiO-CuO composites and TiO-CuO/GO degrade methylene blue when persulfate ions are present. Persulfate concentration ranged from 1, 2, 4 to 8 mmol/dm in which the highest activity of 4.4 × 10 and 7.35 × 10 min was obtained with 4 mmol/dm for TiO-CuO (1:4) and TiO-CuO/GO (1:1), respectively. The presence of EDTA and isopropyl alcohol reduced the photodegradation. TiO-CuO coupled with rGO coagulates methylene blue in the presence of persulfate ions and such coagulation is independent of light. The catalyst dosage and the concentration of the dye were varied for the best-performing samples. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized samples was evaluated against the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia. Ti:Cu (1:2)-GO and Ti:Cu (1:4)-GO had the highest antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae (16.08 ± 0.14 mm), P. aeruginosa (22.33 ± 0.58 mm), E. coli (16.17 ± 0.29 mm) and S. aureus (16.08 ± 0.88).
Topics: Graphite; Titanium; Copper; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Catalysis; Methylene Blue; Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus; Photolysis; Sulfates
PubMed: 38822052
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63452-7 -
Drugs & Aging Jun 2024Most drugs have not been evaluated in the older population. Recognizing physiological alterations associated with changes in drug disposition and with the ultimate... (Review)
Review
Most drugs have not been evaluated in the older population. Recognizing physiological alterations associated with changes in drug disposition and with the ultimate effect, especially in central nervous system-acting drugs, is fundamental. While considering pharmacokinetics, it should be noted that the absorption of most drugs from the gastrointestinal tract does not change in advanced age. There are only few data about the effect of age on the transdermal absorption of medications such as fentanyl. Absorption from an intramuscular injection may be similar in older adults as in younger patients. The distribution of lipophilic drugs (such as diazepam) is increased owing to a relative increase in the percentage of body fat, causing drug accumulation and prolonged drug elimination following cessation. Phase I drug biotransformation is variably decreased in aging, impacting elimination, and hepatic drug clearance has been shown to decrease in older individuals by 10-40% for most drugs studied. Lower doses of phenothiazines, butyrophenones, atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants (citalopram, mirtazapine, and tricyclic antidepressants), and benzodiazepines (such as diazepam) achieve the same extent of exposure. For renally cleared drugs with no prior metabolism (such as gabapentin), the glomerular filtration rate appropriately estimates drug clearance. Important pharmacodynamic changes in older adults include an increased sedative effect of benzodiazepines at a given drug exposure, and a higher sensitivity to mu opiate receptor agonists and to opioid adverse effects. Artificial intelligence, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation, and concentration-effect modeling enabling a differentiation between the pharmacokinetic and the pharmacodynamic effects of aging might help to close some of the gaps in knowledge.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Central Nervous System Agents; Aging
PubMed: 38814377
DOI: 10.1007/s40266-024-01117-w -
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces Aug 2024Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective method for bacterial infection control in root canals of teeth with a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. However, its...
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective method for bacterial infection control in root canals of teeth with a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. However, its application in root canal treatment is limited due to its inefficiency under hypoxic conditions and dentin staining. Triton X-100 (TX) shows great potential in enhancing the efficiency of antimicrobial agents through improving bacterial membrane permeability. The present study employed a combination of toluidine blue O (TB)-mediated PDT with TX to target the Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), a bacterium with strong resistance to various antibacterial agents and mostly detected in infected root canals. PDT combined with TX showed enhanced antibacterial efficiency against both planktonic cells and biofilms of E. faecalis. At the same time, TX enhanced the antibacterial effect in dentinal tubules and reduced the incubation time. Mechanism studies revealed that TX improved reactive oxygen species (ROS) production through increasing the proportion of TB monomers. Additionally, increased membrane permeability and wettability were also observed. The findings demonstrated the PDT combined with TX could be used as a highly effective method for the root canal disinfection of teeth.
Topics: Enterococcus faecalis; Photochemotherapy; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Octoxynol; Reactive Oxygen Species; Tolonium Chloride; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Dental Pulp Cavity; Photosensitizing Agents
PubMed: 38810466
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113978 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Jun 2024We introduce thiazolo[5,4-]thiazole (TT)-based derivatives featuring carbazole, phenothiazine, or triphenylamine donor units as hole-selective materials to enhance the...
We introduce thiazolo[5,4-]thiazole (TT)-based derivatives featuring carbazole, phenothiazine, or triphenylamine donor units as hole-selective materials to enhance the performance of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The optoelectronic properties of the materials underwent thorough evaluation and were substantially fine-tuned through deliberate molecular design. Time-of-flight hole mobility TTs ranged from 4.33 × 10 to 1.63 × 10 cm V s (at an electric field of 1.6 × 10 V cm). Their ionization potentials ranged from -4.93 to -5.59 eV. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it has been demonstrated that S0 → S1 transitions in TTs with carbazolyl or -butyl-phenothiazinyl substituents are characterized by local excitation (LE). Mixed intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and LE occurred for compounds containing -butyl carbazolyl-, dimethoxy carbazolyl-, or alkoxy-substituted triphenylamino donor moieties. The selected derivatives of TT were used for the preparation of hole-selective layers (HSL) in PSC with the structure of glass/ITO/HSLs/CsFAPb(IBr)/PEAI/PCBM/BCP/Ag. The alkoxy-substituted triphenylamino containing TT () has been demonstrated to be an effective material for HSL. Its layer also functioned well as an interlayer, improving the surface of control HSL_2PACz (i.e., reducing the surface energy of 2PACz from 66.9 to 52.4 mN m), thus enabling precise control over perovskite growth energy level alignment and carrier extraction/transportation at the hole-selecting contact of PSCs. 2PACz/based devices showed an optimized performance of 19.1 and 37.0% under 1-sun and 3000 K LED (1000 lx) illuminations, respectively. These values represent improvements over those achieved by bare 2PACz-based devices, which attained efficiencies of 17.4 and 32.2%, respectively. These findings highlight the promising potential of TTs for the enhancement of the efficiencies of PSCs.
PubMed: 38808540
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04105