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Optics Express May 2024We report the femtosecond laser writing of meter-long optical waveguides inscribed through the coating of specifically designed optical fibers. In order to improve the...
We report the femtosecond laser writing of meter-long optical waveguides inscribed through the coating of specifically designed optical fibers. In order to improve the material photosensitivity and to ensure non-guiding optical fibers for subsequent laser processing of the waveguiding core, a depressed refractive index core design is implemented by co-doping a large portion of the optical fiber with germanium oxide and fluorine. The enhanced photosensitivity provided by further deuterium loading these fibers allows laser-writing of large refractive index contrast waveguides over wide cross sections. To mitigate the formation of photoinduced color centers causing high propagation losses in the photo-written waveguides, thermal annealing up to 400°C is performed on polyimide-coated laser-written fibers. Although the refractive index contrast decreases, the propagation losses are drastically reduced down to 0.08 dB/cm at 900nm allowing a robust single-mode guiding from visible to near infrared. Our results pave the way towards the development of a new generation of optical fibers and photonic components with arbitrarily complex designs.
PubMed: 38859101
DOI: 10.1364/OE.521714 -
Analytical Chemistry Jun 2024It is well-known in biochemistry that structure confers function, meaning that chemical structural elucidation is critical to truly understanding the function of a given...
It is well-known in biochemistry that structure confers function, meaning that chemical structural elucidation is critical to truly understanding the function of a given metabolite. Indole-3-pyruvate (IPyA) exists in an equilibrium between the keto and enol tautomeric forms. IPyA is suggested to play a role in immune function; however, determining whether the tautomeric forms function differently can only be studied if an analytical method is capable of distinguishing between the two forms. Herein, we describe the use of UHPLC-HRMS to gain insight into the physical variables that govern IPyA tautomer equilibrium, reactivity, and detection limit. We use hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) to identify enol and keto peaks, and we show that tautomers exhibit a valley of fronting followed by a tailing peak shape (though separation is still attainable) and identical MS/MS spectra. We observed drastically different ratios of keto and enol forms in different solvents, which is an important consideration for in vitro studies. IPyA was found to be highly unstable with accelerated reactivity in peroxides. Through in vitro reactivity studies, IPyA produced a myriad of known and unknown metabolites via nonenzymatic processes, many of which were mapped in vivo via the analysis of human plasma. Finally, we show that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can slow this reactivity and enable sensitive detection in whole blood.
Topics: Indoles; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Humans; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Isomerism
PubMed: 38858849
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01584 -
Journal of Prosthodontics : Official... Jun 2024Denture fabrication has shifted from traditional heat-processed and auto-polymerizing materials to computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)...
PURPOSE
Denture fabrication has shifted from traditional heat-processed and auto-polymerizing materials to computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) milled and printed materials. The monomer in traditional materials can induce an allergic reaction in some patients. With the rise in the edentulous population and increasing demand for the fabrication of dentures, these newer materials should be studied for monomer leaching. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ratio of residual monomer in materials being used for denture bases: CAD-milled polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), printed denture base resin, heat-processed PMMA, and auto-polymerizing PMMA comparatively.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Milled, printed, heat-activated, and auto-polymerizing denture base specimens (n = 3 for each group, each test run three times) were fabricated according to manufacturer recommendations. Specimens were first immersed in deuterated chloroform (CDCl), a deuterated organic solvent, to evaluate monomer leaching and to observe physical properties of the materials. NMR spectroscopy was used to evaluate the dissolution of materials and residual monomer to crosslinked polymer ratios at 1, 4, and 9 days. A second group of specimens was then immersed in deuterium oxide (DO) to evaluate if the residual monomers would leach out of the system. The solution was then analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for 1 month. The deuterated forms of chloroform (CDCl) and water (DO) were used to enable sample characterization by NMR.
RESULTS
While the heat-processed, auto-polymerizing, and milled specimens possessed residual monomers, no significant monomer leaching was noted in the printed specimen, while immersed in CDCl. Similarly, the printed specimen was most resistant to dissolution, as compared to the rest; dissolution of the specimen is indicative of little to no cross-linking. No detectable dissolution of monomer was seen when all specimens were immersed in DO for up to 1 month.
CONCLUSIONS
Residual monomers were not found in the printed denture material in this study in either CDCl or DO, whereas CAD-milled and traditionally processed denture bases still have residual monomers within their respective systems when immersed in organic solvent. None of the specimens tested leached monomers into DO.
PubMed: 38858223
DOI: 10.1111/jopr.13874 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jun 2024Dichloromethane, as a readily available and inexpensive C1 synthon is proposed as a powerful building block for cyclopropanation of alkenes under mild conditions....
Dichloromethane, as a readily available and inexpensive C1 synthon is proposed as a powerful building block for cyclopropanation of alkenes under mild conditions. Herein, we report a highly efficient and versatile dual photoredox system, involving a nickel aminopyridine coordination complex and a photocatalyst, for the cyclopropanation of aromatic olefins using dichloromethane, under visible-light irradiation. The cyclopropanation protocol has been successfully applied at gram scale. Mechanistic studies suggest a Ni(II) pyridyl radical complex as the key intermediate for the homolytic cleavage of the Csp3-Cl bond, generating a chloromethyl radical that is captured by the olefin coupling partner. Our findings also highlight the versatility of this methodology. By directing the radical/polar crossover process, we were able to selectively drive the reaction towards either the formation of cyclopropyl derivatives or the corresponding non-cyclic alkyl chloride products. The methodology also successfully apply to geminal dichloroalkanes, including the formation of spiro[2,2] compounds. Moreover, our methodology extends to the synthesis of deuterium-labelled cyclopropanes, demonstrating its utility in isotopic labelling and broadening its applicability in chemical synthesis and drug development.
PubMed: 38858168
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202405580 -
Journal of Biomolecular NMR Jun 2024Deuterium (H) spin relaxation of CHD methyl groups has been widely applied to investigate picosecond-to-nanosecond conformational dynamics in proteins by solution-state...
Deuterium (H) spin relaxation of CHD methyl groups has been widely applied to investigate picosecond-to-nanosecond conformational dynamics in proteins by solution-state NMR spectroscopy. The B dependence of the H spin relaxation rates is represented by a linear relationship between the spectral density function at three discrete frequencies J(0), J(ω) and J(2ω). In this study, the linear relation between H relaxation rates at B fields separated by a factor of two and the interpolation of rates at intermediate frequencies are combined for a more robust approach for spectral density mapping. The general usefulness of the approach is demonstrated on a fractionally deuterated (55%) and alternate C-C labeled sample of E. coli RNase H. Deuterium relaxation rate constants (R, R, R, R) were measured for 57 well-resolved CHD moieties in RNase H at H frequencies of 475 MHz, 500 MHz, 900 MHz, and 950 MHz. The spectral density mapping of the 475/950 MHz data combination was performed independently and jointly to validate the expected relationship between data recorded at B fields separated by a factor of two. The final analysis was performed by jointly analyzing 475/950 MHz rates with 700 MHz rates interpolated from 500/900 MHz data to yield six J(ω) values for each methyl peak. The J(ω) profile for each peak was fit to the original (τ, S, τ) or extended model-free function (τ, S, S, τ, τ) to obtain optimized dynamic parameters.
PubMed: 38856928
DOI: 10.1007/s10858-024-00443-w -
The Journal of Organic Chemistry Jun 2024Aromatic sulfones are the prevailing scaffolds in pharmaceutical and material sciences. However, compared to their widespread application, the selective deuterium...
Aromatic sulfones are the prevailing scaffolds in pharmaceutical and material sciences. However, compared to their widespread application, the selective deuterium labeling of these structures is restricted due to their electron-deficient properties. This study presents two comprehensive strategies for the deuteration of aromatic sulfones. The base-promoted deuteration uses DMSO- as the deuterium source, resulting in a rapid H/D exchange within 2 h. Meanwhile, a silver-catalyzed protocol offers a much milder option by using economical DO to furnish the labeled sulfones.
PubMed: 38856238
DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c00352 -
International Journal of Mass... May 2024Capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (cVSSI) combined with hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) has been utilized to characterize different...
Capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (cVSSI) combined with hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) has been utilized to characterize different solution-phase DNA conformers including DNA G-quadruplex topologies as well as triplex DNA and duplex DNA. In general, G-quadruplex DNA shows a wide range of protection of hydrogens extending from ~12% to ~21% deuterium incorporation. Additionally, the DNA sequences selected to represent parallel, antiparallel, and hybrid G-quadruplex topologies exhibit slight differences in deuterium uptake levels which appear to loosely relate to overall conformer stability. Notably, the exchange level for one of the hybrid sequence sub topologies of G-quadruplex DNA (24 TTG) is significantly different (compared with the others studied here) despite the DNA sequences being highly comparable. For the quadruplex-forming sequences, correlation analysis suggests protection of base hydrogens involved in tetrad hydrogen bonding. For duplex DNA ~19% deuterium incorporation is observed while only ~16% is observed for triplex DNA. This increased protection of hydrogens may be due to the added backbone scaffolding and Hoogsteen base pairing of the latter species. These experiments lay the groundwork for future studies aimed at determining the structural source of this protection as well as the applicability of the approach for ascertaining different oligonucleotide folds, co-existing conformations, and/or overall conformer flexibility.
PubMed: 38854816
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijms.2024.117231 -
ACS Omega Jun 2024The mode of action of antibiotics can be broadly classified as bacteriostatic and bactericidal. The bacteriostatic mode leads to the arrested growth of the cells, while...
The mode of action of antibiotics can be broadly classified as bacteriostatic and bactericidal. The bacteriostatic mode leads to the arrested growth of the cells, while the bacteriocidal mode causes cell death. In this work, we report the applicability of deuterium stable isotope probing (DSIP) in combination with Raman spectroscopy (Raman DSIP) for discriminating the mode of action of antibiotics at the community level. a well-known model microbe, was used as an organism for the study. We optimized the concentration of deuterium oxide required for metabolic activity monitoring without compromising the microbial growth. Our findings suggest that changes in the intensity of the C-D band in the high-wavenumber region could serve as a quantifiable marker for determining the antibiotic mode of action. This can be used for early identification of the antibiotic's mode of action. Our results explore the new perspective that supports the utility of deuterium-based vibrational tags in the field of clinical spectroscopy. Understanding the antibiotic's mode of action on bacterial cells in a short and objective manner can significantly enhance the clinical management abilities of infectious diseases and may also help in personalized antimicrobial therapy.
PubMed: 38854576
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01666 -
Chemosphere Jun 2024Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in oceans poses a significant threat to human health through the seafood supply chain. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are important...
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in oceans poses a significant threat to human health through the seafood supply chain. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are important marine microorganisms and play a key role in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle around the world. However, the AMR of marine AOA to aquicultural antibiotics is poorly explored. Here, Raman-deuterium isotope probing (Raman-DIP), a single-cell tool, was developed to reveal the AMR of a typical marine species of AOA, Nitrosopumilus maritimus (designated SCM1), against six antibiotics, including erythromycin, tetracycline, novobiocin, neomycin, bacitracin, and vancomycin. The DO concentration (30% v/v) and culture period (9 days) were optimized for the precise detection of metabolic activity in SCM1 cells through Raman-DIP. The relative metabolic activity of SCM1 upon exposure to antibiotics was semi-quantitatively calculated based on single-cell Raman spectra. SCM1 exhibited high resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, novobiocin, neomycin, and vancomycin, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 100 and 400 mg/L while SCM1 is very sensitive to bacitracin (MIC: 0.8 mg/L). Notably, SCM1 cells were completely inactive under the metabolic activity minimum inhibitory concentration conditions (MA-MIC: 1.6∼800 mg/L) for the six antibiotics. Further genomic analysis revealed the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of SCM1 including 14 types categorized into 33 subtypes. This work increases our knowledge of the AMR of marine AOA by linking the resistant phenome to the genome, contributing to the risk assessment of AMR in the underexplored ocean environment. As antibiotic resistance in marine microorganisms is significantly affected by the concentration of antibiotics in coastal environments, we encourage more studies concentrating on both the phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance of marine archaea. This may facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the capacity of marine microorganisms to spread AMR and the implementation of suitable control measures to protect environmental safety and human health.
PubMed: 38852635
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142500 -
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science May 2024The solubilization of sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC) in a glycerol monooleate-based emulsion triggers series of structural changes. Incorporation of Na-DFC, leads to...
The solubilization of sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC) in a glycerol monooleate-based emulsion triggers series of structural changes. Incorporation of Na-DFC, leads to formation of a reverse hexagonal mesophase between 2 and 5 wt% Na-DFC. Between 6 and 9 wt% Na-DFC, the hexagonal symmetry gradually transitions to a disordered lamellar mesophase. These structural shifts impact the system's storage modulus, structuring enthalpy, and structural diffusivity. Despite these transitions, the driving force for Na-DFC release remains consistent, leading to hypothesize that the interfacial structure remains unchanged during Na-DFC release. The nano-structural modifications imposed by the Na-DFC load and release were assessed by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD), spin-probe electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR). The selective solubilization of Na-DFC was demonstrated by SAXD peak fittings, revealing an increase of hexagonally oriented rods at the expense of non-oriented micelles, rather than gradual micellar elongation. Computation of the EPR spectra also showcased the selective solubilization of Na-DFC at an enhanced free energy interface (γ), evidenced by step-wise variations in polarity, microviscosity, and order parameters. Additionally, NQR analysis highlighted a higher anisotropy for sodium compared to deuterium, linking the selective solubilization of Na-DFC to heterogeneous structural transformations. These findings underscore the heterogeneous nature of solubilization-release processes, driven by locally increased micellar free energy. Consequently, the loaded Na-DFC interfaces maintain a constant γ, ensuring a consistent release driving force despite the structural transitions affecting the matrix. The ability to selectively solubilize guest molecules may herald a new era in the utilization of selective molecular interfacial loading.
PubMed: 38852356
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.05.096