Bicontinuous Nanophasic Conetworks of Polystyrene with Poly(dimethylsiloxane) and Divinylbenzene: From Macrocrosslinked to Hypercrosslinked Double-Hydrophobic Conetworks and Their Organogels with Solvent-Selective Swelling.

Polymer conetworks, which consist of two or more covalently crosslinked polymer chains, not only combine the individual characteristics of their components, but possess various unique structural features and properties as well. In this study, we report on the successful synthesis of a library of polystyrene--poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PSt--PDMS) ("" stands for "") and polystyrene--poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PSt--PDMS/DVB) polymer conetworks. These conetworks were prepared via free radical copolymerization of styrene (St) with methacryloxypropyl-telechelic poly(dimethylsiloxane) (MA-PDMS-MA) as macromolecular crosslinker in the absence and presence of DVB with 36:1 and 5:1 St/DVB ratios (/), the latter leading to hypercrosslinked conetworks.

Preparation, and ex vivo and in vivo Characterization of Favipiravir-Loaded Aspasomes and Niosomes for Nose-to-Brain Administration.

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop and compare the intranasal applicability of favipiravir-loaded aspasomes (FAV-ASPs) using film hydration method, and favipiravir-loaded niosomes (FAV-NIOs) using ethanol injection method.

Methods: The FAV-ASP and FAV-NIO formulations were characterized according to nanoparticulate characteristics (DLS, drug loading, drug encapsulation efficacy, droplet size distribution), drug release and permeability behavior.

Results: The optimized FAV-ASP formulation (FAV-ASP8) consisted of FAV, ascorbyl palmitate, Span® 60 and cholesterol (30:25:25:50 w/w) with nano-scale size range (292.

Unveiling the True Identity of Carborane-Fused Phosphorus Heterocycles.

In recent years, the possible global 2D/3D aromaticity of carborane-fused cycles has been widely debated. While phosphorus heterocycles fused with carboranes are known, the 2D aromatic character in carborane-fused phospholes was only recently reported. However, our computational study found that these compounds lack 2D aromaticity.

Telecom Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Nanoconfined Self-Assembled Silicon-Based Color Centers.

Silicon color centers (SiCCs) have recently emerged as potential building blocks for light emitters in Si photonics, quantum emitters with spin storage capabilities, and Si-based quantum repeaters. We have recently developed a noninvasive method to engineer carbon-related SiCCs confined to ultrathin nanolayers within a pristine crystalline environment, which is of utmost importance for the photostability of SiCCs. Here, we demonstrate embedding these C-doping-based SiCCs into the only 9 nm wide intrinsic region of a p-i-n diode using the epitaxial self-assembly of color centers.

Insights into suspended sediment and microplastic budget of a lowland river: integrating in-situ measurements, Sentinel-2 imagery, and machine learning.

The calculations on fluvial microplastic load (MPL) provide dynamic and actionable metrics for understanding microplastic (MP) particle emissions to the downstream environment. However, most of the concentration data reported in the literature do not reflect the total amount of transported MPs. This study aims to quantify the MPLs in the Middle and Lower Tisza River, Hungary by combining multiscale, frequent in-situ measurements of MP concentration (MPC) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the river with Sentinel-2 and ANN-based models.

Mono-(6-sulfinic acid)-Sugammadex: A newly identified cyclodextrin-based oxidative impurity in industrial production.

Sugammadex is the first cyclodextrin-based API with a well-known mechanism of action, result of a rational drug design and development. It is a γ-cyclodextrin derivative, substituted only on the primary hydroxyl groups, resulting a single isomer and a symmetric molecule. Due to the complex synthetic and purification procedures, currently there are more than a dozen of identified and characterized process related impurities.

Androgen Receptor Pathway Inhibitor Monotherapy in Prostate Cancer: Safety, Oncologic Outcomes, and Quality of Life-A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) as monotherapy are studied increasingly across prostate cancer disease states. We aimed to evaluate the safety, oncologic efficacy, and quality of life (QoL) of ARPI monotherapy as compared with ARPI + androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and ADT alone.

Methods: PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane/Central were queried through June 2024 for clinical trials.

Single V2 defect in 4H silicon carbide Schottky diode at low temperature.

Nanoelectrical and photonic integration of quantum optical components is crucial for scalable solid-state quantum technologies. Silicon carbide stands out as a material with mature quantum defects and a wide variety of applications in semiconductor industry. Here, we study the behaviour of single silicon vacancy (V2) colour centres in a metal-semiconductor (Au/Ti/4H-SiC) epitaxial wafer device, operating in a Schottky diode configuration.

LC-MS/MS Fingerprinting Analysis of Extracts: Process-Related Artifacts in Anabolic Food Supplements.

We report the isolation and complete NMR characterization of four new ecdysteroids and LC-MS/MS fingerprinting of ecdysteroids in two native and two industrially processed extracts along with an autoxidized product mixture of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). The autoxidation of 20-hydroxyecdysone leads to the formation of various unknown or uncharacterized ecdysteroid compounds, which can significantly impact the quality and efficacy of commercial ecdysteroid-containing supplements, potentially affecting their regulatory status and consumer safety. A total of 146 ecdysteroids were detected.

Drug content determination of amorphous solid dispersion containing tablets using a non-destructive and rapid UV imaging method.

This study investigates UV imaging as a rapid and cost-effective process analytical technology (PAT) tool for quantifying drug content in tablets containing amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) fibers. ASD fibers produced via high-speed electrospinning were blended with excipients using batch and continuous methods, and then subsequently compressed into tablets. UV imaging enabled the non-destructive quantification of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) solely based on the captured images by taking advantage of the fluorescence phenomenon of the drug under UV illumination.

Evaluation of insulin sensitivity temporal prediction by using quantile regression combined with neural network model.

Background: Stress-induced hyperglycemia, a pathologically high blood glucose level, is a frequent complication in intensive care units. Blood glucose (BG) level control is crucial but challenging due to patient variability. The Stochastic TARgeted (STAR) protocol is clinically used for blood glucose control, which uses the current and predicted future patient insulin sensitivity (SI) parameter to assess BG outcomes of alternative treatment options.

A data-driven journey using results from target-based drug discovery for target deconvolution in phenotypic screening.

In drug discovery, various approaches exist to find compounds that alter the different states in living organisms. There are two fundamental discovery strategies regarding the mechanism of action: target-based and phenotypic methods. Both have strengths and weaknesses in assay development, target selection, target validation and structure optimization.

Static Precision of Instrumented Pointers for Anatomical Landmark Calibration in CAST-Like Motion Analysis Measurements.

Purpose: The Calibrated Anatomical Systems Technique is an integral part of modern motion analysis systems. However, the calibration of anatomical landmarks is shown to have large variations in intra- and inter-examiner accuracy, which can result in both offset type errors or changes in the characteristics of joint angles and other parameters. This paper is the first instalment in a series of articles aiming to characterize and minimize all of the different factors contributing to these inconsistent calibrations by examining and optimizing the performance of the instrumented pointers used for landmark calibration.

An innovative method to determine the stress-dependency of Poisson's ratio of granitic rocks.

Uniaxial Compressive test (UCS) results are essential in evaluation the values of Poisson's ratio. However, according to the suggestion of the International Society for Rock Mechanics, Poisson's ratio can be determined using three alternative methods: the secant, average and tangent. Applying these methods causes discrepancies in the results; according to our experiences, the differences can be threefold or more.

Characterization of digital camera-based UV illumination fluorescent imaging for concentration measurement with limit of detection, specificity and precision.

Nowadays the increased need for pharmaceutics requires fast, cheap and reliable quality control systems to investigate the final product's quality. The generally used methods like high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other coupled techniques are not just time-consuming but also expensive and often destructive. To facilitate real-time measurement of active ingredient concentration, an alternative non-destructive machine vision and artificial intelligence-based system was tested, that implements ultraviolet (UV) illumination.

The Polymorphism of Orlyum White 520T, an Ultraviolet Luminescent Security Ink.

The polymorphism of the ultraviolet luminescent security ink Orlyum White 520T (-(2-(4-oxo-4-benzo[d][3,1]-oxazin-2-yl)phenyl)naphthalene-2-sulfonamide) is revealed, obtaining two new polymorphic forms with enhanced stability. Beyond the known form (lit. mp.

Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of the Anticancer Effect of Novel Phosphonium Vindoline Derivatives.

The alkaloid vindoline was coupled at position 17 with several trisubstituted phosphine derivatives and their in vitro anticancer activities on 60 human tumor cell lines (NCI60) were investigated. This phosphonium-type ionic side chain is beneficial because it allows therapeutic molecules to pass through the cell membrane. Thus, the candidates coupled to it can exert their activities in the mitochondria.

New Insights into the French Paradox: Free Radical Scavenging by Resveratrol Yields Cardiovascular Protective Metabolites.

Resveratrol was subjected to a diversity-oriented synthesis using oxidative transformations by various biorelevant, biomimetic, or biomimetic-related chemical reagents. Using a combined strategy of ultrahigh-resolution profiling, bioactivity screening, and bioactivity-guided isolation, 19 metabolites were obtained. The compounds were tested for their enzyme inhibitory activity on angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE), cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and 15-lipoxygenase (LOX), and evaluated for their relevant drug-like properties .

3,3-Bis(hydroxyaryl)oxindoles and Spirooxindoles Bearing a Xanthene Moiety: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Biological Activity.

A facile and efficient methanesulfonic acid-catalyzed, solvent-free, microwave-assisted method was developed for the synthesis of biologically active 3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)oxindoles and spirooxindoles bearing a xanthene moiety. The scope of the procedure was investigated with a wide range of isatin and phenol derivatives; moreover, the reaction mechanism was studied by density functional theory calculations. Both 3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)oxindoles and spirooxindoles bearing a xanthene moiety synthesized were evaluated for their anticancer and antimicrobial activity, and most of them showed promising or significant activity on six cancer cell lines and against Gram-positive bacteria.

Stereodynamism in Chiral Polyaromatic Phosphepines.

In the present experimental-computational study, we demonstrate that the stereodynamism of phosphahelicenoids can be used to afford diastereoisomers of chirally perturbed polyaromatics fused with a phosphepine ring (seven-membered P-cycle). The phosphahelicenoids have been synthesized through a stereospecific approach from commercially available BINAPs. In particular, using the combination of NMR, X-ray diffraction, and chiral HPLC experimental techniques with DFT and higher level ab initio calculations, we highlight a complex interplay between the inversion at the phosphorus stereocenter and the epimerization of the helicenoid framework, as well as a competition with a rearomatization reaction through P-extrusion.

Thermoanalytical approach to assess riverine PET litter and its recycling potential.

In this proof-of-concept study, a thermoanalytical method based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is proposed to quantitatively link the crystallisation dynamics of bottle-grade poly(ethylene-terephthalate) (PET) with its degradation state. The study uniquely simulates long-term sunlight exposure through controlled artificial ageing of PET bottles in a Xenon chamber, with degradation levels accurately determined via intrinsic viscosity (IV) measurements. Following degradation, DSC analysis was conducted, and the complex melting endotherms observed during the post-isothermal crystallisation heating phase were deconvoluted into sub-peaks using the Fraser-Suzuki function.

Bioreduction of N-(3-oxobutyl)heterocycles with flexible ring by yeast whole-cell biocatalysts.

This study explored the bioreduction of N-(3-oxobutyl)heterocycles with (partially) saturated heterocyclic moieties using whole-cell forms of wild-type yeast strains and commercially available baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Eleven wild-type yeast strains and baker's yeast were screened for ketoreductase activity on a series of five flexible N-heterocycles with prochiral carbonyl group in the N-(3-oxobutyl) substituent. Among the yeast strains tested, Candida parapsilosis (WY12) proved to be the most efficient biocatalyst in the bioreductions, resulting in the corresponding enantiopure alcohols-being promising chiral fragments with high level of drug-likeness-with good to excellent conversions (83-99%) and high enantiomeric excess (ee > 99%).

ATR-Infrared Spectroscopy and Acoustic Sensing in Characterization of Blood and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are phospholipid bilayer-enclosed nanoparticles secreted by most cells into the biofluids. They have an important role in intercellular communication by carrying bioactive components (e.g.

Biophysical Profiling of Protein Corona on Red Blood Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (REVs): Linear Dichroism and Microfluidic Resistive Pulse Sensing Separate Surface Clearing from Vesicle Disruption.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted significant scientific attention due to their critical functions in intercellular communication and their possible uses in diverse fields such as immunology, therapeutics, reproductive biology, biotechnology, and medicine. EVs are engulfed in a layer of proteins, also known as protein corona, which is speculated to play roles in several areas, from intercellular communication through immune recognition to cargo delivery. The composition of the protein corona strongly depends on the origin and the biological environment of EVs.