A Study of Hyaluronic Acid's Theoretical Reactivity and of Magnetic Nanoparticles Capped with Hyaluronic Acid.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has attracted much attention in tumor-targeted drug delivery due to its ability to specifically bind to the CD44 cellular receptor, which is widely expressed on cancer cells. We present HA-capped magnetic nanoparticles (HA-MNPs) obtained via the co-precipitation method, followed by the electrostatic adsorption of HA onto the nanoparticles' surfaces. A theoretical study carried out with the PM3 method evidenced a dipole moment of 3.34 D and negatively charged atom groups able to participate in interactions with nanoparticle surface cations and surrounding water molecules. The ATR-FTIR spectrum evidenced the hyaluronic acid binding to the surface of the ferrophase, ensuring colloidal stability in the water dispersion. To verify the success of the synthesis and stabilization, HA-MNPs were also characterized using other investigation techniques: TEM, EDS, XRD, DSC, TG, NTA, and VSM. The results showed that the HA-MNPs had a mean physical size of 9.05 nm (TEM investigation), a crystallite dimension of about 8.35 nm (XRD investigation), and a magnetic core diameter of about 8.31 nm (VSM investigation). The HA-MNPs exhibited superparamagnetic behavior, with the magnetization curve showing saturation at a high magnetic field and a very small coercive field, corresponding to the net dominance of single-domain magnetic nanoparticles that were not aggregated with reversible magnetizability. These features satisfy the requirement for magnetic nanoparticles with a small size and good dispersibility for long-term stability. We performed some preliminary tests regarding the nanotoxicity in the environment, and some chromosomal aberrations were found to be induced in corn root meristems, especially in the anaphase and metaphase of mitotic cells. Due to their properties, HA-MNPs also seem to be suitable for use in the biomedical field.

Cytogenetic and Biochemical Responses of Wheat Seeds to Proton Irradiation at the Bragg Peak.

The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological, cytogenetic and biochemical changes in wheat seedlings as affected by seed exposure to a proton beam at the Bragg peak. The average energy of the proton beam was of 171 MeV at the entrance into the irradiator room while at the point of sample irradiation the beam energy was of 150 MeV, with the average value of the Linear Energy Transfer of 0.539 keV/µm and the dose rate of 0.55 Gy/min, the radiation doses being of the order of tens of Gy. Cytogenetic investigation has revealed the remarkable diminution of the mitotic index as linear dose-response curve as well as the spectacular linear increase of the aberration index. Analyzing some biometric parameters, it was found that neither dry matter nor water content of wheat seedlings was influenced by proton beam exposure. Studying the biochemical parameters related to the antioxidant defense system, we found that the irradiation caused the slight increasing tendency of peroxidase activity as well as the decreasing trend in the activity of superoxidedismutase in the seedlings grown from the irradiated seeds. The level of malonedialdehyde (MDA) and total polyphenols showed an increasing tendency in all seedling variants corresponding to irradiated seeds, compared to the control. We conclude that the irradiation clearly induced dose-response curves at the level of cytogenetic parameters together with relatively slight variation tendency of some biochemical parameters related to the antioxidant defense system while imperceptible changes could be noticed in the biometric parameters.

Aspartic Acid Stabilized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications.

Aspartic acid stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (A-IONPs) with globular shape and narrow size distribution were prepared by the co-precipitation method in aqueous medium. A quantum-mechanical approach to aspartic acid optimized structure displayed negative charged sites, relatively high dipole moment, and hydrophilicity, which recommended it for interaction with iron cations and surrounding water electrical dipoles. A-IONPs were characterized by TEM, XRD, ATR-FTIR, EDS, DSC, TG, DLS, NTA, and VSM techniques. Theoretical study carried out by applying Hartree-Fock and density functional algorithms suggested that some aspartic acid properties related to the interaction can develop with nanoparticles and water molecules. The results of experimental investigation showed that the mean value of particle physical diameters was 9.17 ± 2.2 nm according to TEM image analysis, the crystallite size was about 8.9 nm according to XRD data, while the magnetic diameter was about 8.8 nm, as was determined from VSM data interpretation with Langevin's theory. The A-IONP suspension was characterized by zeta-potential of about -11.7 mV, while the NTA investigation revealed a hydrodynamic diameter of 153.9 nm. These results recommend the A-IONP suspension for biomedical applications.

Citrate-silver nanoparticles and their impact on some environmental beneficial fungi.

Colloidal suspensions of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with surface modified by capping with citrate ions were synthesized by chemical reduction method. Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopy as well as darkfield Optical Microscopy provided information on the nanoparticle morphology, with fine symmetrical grains and log-normal fitted size distribution. Small Angle X-ray Scattering method allowed theoretical confirmation of colloidal silver nanoparticle fine granularity, based on measurements in the native fluid sample. UV-Vis spectrophotometry allowed studying the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance band versus the stability of the citrate-AgNP sample after storage and after UV-C exposure. The colloidal AgNP impact on Phanerochaete chrysosporium environmental microorganisms was studied by specific biochemical investigations. Silver released from the colloidal suspension of AgNPs was supposed to induce changes in some antioxidant enzymes and in some enzymes of Krebs' cycle. Catalase activity was moderately changed (an increase with over 50%) as well as superoxide dismutase activity, while the diminution of the activities of four dehydrogenases synthesized in the fungus mycelium was emphasized also: a decrease with about 60% for malate dehydrogenase, with over 50% for isocitrate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase and with about 40% for alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. These findings suggested the nano-toxicological issues of citrate-AgNPs impact on the environmental beneficial microorganisms.

Computational and solvatochromic study of pyridinium-acetyl-benzoyl-methylid (PABM).

Pyridinium-acetyl-benzoyl-methylid is a cycloimmonium ylid studied here from structural and spectral point of view. Quantum mechanical analysis offers information about the most stable spatial structure, the electro-optical properties in the ground electronic state as well as the QSAR parameters of PABM. The solvatochromic study of the visible absorption band of PABM was made in order to establish the electro-optical features of the ylid in the excited electronic state and also to approximate the contribution of different types of intermolecular interactions in solutions with different solvents. The ternary solutions of PABM were used to estimate the difference between the interaction energies in molecular pairs of the types: ylid-inactive solvent and ylid-active solvent from interaction point of view.

The effect of visible light on gold nanoparticles and some bioeffects on environmental fungi.

The oxidative stress induced by light exposed gold nanoparticles in some microorganism cells was investigated. Gold nanoparticles are currently used in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. For this study citrate-gold nanoparticles were synthesized in alkaline conditions at constant temperature of 85°C under magnetic stirring. Equal volumes of such prepared colloidal solution, were exposed to visible light at different wavelengths for 90min at room temperature. The spectra in the visible and ultraviolet range have revealed an increase in the intensity of the absorption band for gold nanoparticles exposed to light, due to the effect of surface plasmon resonance. Versatility of gold nanoparticles photocatalytic action was shown by means of manipulating wavelengths of incident light, which evidenced differences in the bioeffects induced in cellulolytic fungi - known for their environmental role but also for other applications such as in cosmetics industry. The comparative analysis of fungal response to gold nanoparticle stressors has revealed different enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation when fungi were supplied with gold nanoparticles exposed to different wavelength lights. The activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase were remarkably increased for green light exposure of gold nanoparticles suggesting fungi adaption to increased oxidative stress induced by irradiated particles; increased level of lipid peroxidation was showed by high concentration of malondialdehyde for white light exposed gold particles since antioxidant enzymes were less active.

Micronuclei versus Chromosomal Aberrations Induced by X-Ray in Radiosensitive Mammalian Cells.

BACKGROUND: An experimental study was accomplished to compare estimation methods of ionizing radiations genotoxicity in mammalian cell cultures by means of two cytogenetic parameters with focus on aberrant cells characterized by multiple chromosomal damages. METHODS: In vitro study was carried out on the genotoxicity of low-medium doses of 190 kV X-rays absorbed in Chinese hamster ovary cell cultures. Micronuclei and ten types of chromosomal aberrations were identified with Giemsa dying and optical microscope screening. RESULTS: The first parameter consisting in micronuclei relative frequency has led to higher linear correlation coefficient than the second one consistent with chromosomal aberrations relative frequency. However, the latter parameter estimated as the sum of all chromosomal aberrations appeared to be more sensitive to radiation dose increasing in the studied dose range, from 0 to 3 Gy. The number of micronuclei occurring simultaneously in a single cell was not higher than 3, while the number of chromosomal aberrations observed in the same cell reached the value of 5 for doses over 1 Gy. CONCLUSION: Polynomial dose-response curves were evidenced for cells with Ni micronuclei (i=1,3) while non-monotonic curves were evidenced through detailed analysis of aberrant cells with Ni chromosomal changes [Formula: see text] - in concordance with in vitro studies from literature. The investigation could be important for public health issues where micronucleus screening is routinely applied but also for research purposes where various chromosomal aberrations could be of particular interest.

Action and perception are temporally coupled by a common mechanism that leads to a timing misperception.

We move our eyes to explore the world, but visual areas determining where to look next (action) are different from those determining what we are seeing (perception). Whether, or how, action and perception are temporally coordinated is not known. The preparation time course of an action (e.g., a saccade) has been widely studied with the gap/overlap paradigm with temporal asynchronies (TA) between peripheral target onset and fixation point offset (gap, synchronous, or overlap). However, whether the subjects perceive the gap or overlap, and when they perceive it, has not been studied. We adapted the gap/overlap paradigm to study the temporal coupling of action and perception. Human subjects made saccades to targets with different TAs with respect to fixation point offset and reported whether they perceived the stimuli as separated by a gap or overlapped in time. Both saccadic and perceptual report reaction times changed in the same way as a function of TA. The TA dependencies of the time change for action and perception were very similar, suggesting a common neural substrate. Unexpectedly, in the perceptual task, subjects misperceived lights overlapping by less than ∼100 ms as separated in time (overlap seen as gap). We present an attention-perception model with a map of prominence in the superior colliculus that modulates the stimulus signal's effectiveness in the action and perception pathways. This common source of modulation determines how competition between stimuli is resolved, causes the TA dependence of action and perception to be the same, and causes the misperception.

Chemically modified nanoparticles surface for sensing bacterial loading--experimental study based on fluorescence stimulation by iron ions.

The influence of iron ions supplied from magnetite nanoparticles with chemically modified surface on Pseudomonas aeruginosa germ was aimed--with experimental and theoretical approach of the intensity of the fluorescent signal emitted by the pyoverdine like siderophores. As the coated magnetic nanoparticles could function as probes, the possibility of designing a chemical device was considered based on the sensing of iron reduction from Fe(3+) into the more soluble Fe(2+), for detecting various levels of contamination (10 ÷ 10(8) cell/ml) of biological specimens and environmental samples. The proposed mathematical model estimated the fluorescence intensity due to siderophore synthesized by Pseudomonas, considering that the parameter describing the ion-bacteria interaction depends differently on the cell density for different magnetite nanoparticle coatings: linear dependence was found in the case of sodium oleate coating while power function was revealed for tetramethyl ammonium coating of magnetite nanocores, in both cases magnetite suspension being supplied in the same concentration (0.1 µl/ml). The calculated values of fluorescence intensity fitted the experimental data corresponding to magnetite supplied bacteria with graph slopes close to the unit and correlation coefficients of 0.999 and 0.996, while for the control samples, where that parameter was zeroed, correlation coefficient was found of 0.999.

EYE MOVEMENT RECORDING AND NONLINEAR DYNAMICS ANALYSIS - THE CASE OF SACCADES.

Evidence of a chaotic behavioral trend in eye movement dynamics was examined in the case of a saccadic temporal series collected from a healthy human subject. Saccades are highvelocity eye movements of very short duration, their recording being relatively accessible, so that the resulting data series could be studied computationally for understanding the neural processing in a motor system. The aim of this study was to assess the complexity degree in the eye movement dynamics. To do this we analyzed the saccadic temporal series recorded with an infrared camera eye tracker from a healthy human subject in a special experimental arrangement which provides continuous records of eye position, both saccades (eye shifting movements) and fixations (focusing over regions of interest, with rapid, small fluctuations). The semi-quantitative approach used in this paper in studying the eye functioning from the viewpoint of non-linear dynamics was accomplished by some computational tests (power spectrum, portrait in the state space and its fractal dimension, Hurst exponent and largest Lyapunov exponent) derived from chaos theory. A high complexity dynamical trend was found. Lyapunov largest exponent test suggested bi-stability of cellular membrane resting potential during saccadic experiment.

A preliminary study on ultra high frequency electromagnetic fields effect on black locust chlorophylls.

Chlorophylls were quantitatively studied in the leaves of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) seedlings exposed to electromagnetic fields of high frequency. Exposure system was designed and built up to make possible simultaneous exposure of seedling lots (3 months old) to low power density electromagnetic fields corresponding to a frequency of 400 MHz. After three weeks of daily exposures (1, 2, 3 and 8 hours), chlorophyll levels were measured using adequate spectral device. Statistical analysis of experimental results was performed by means of t-test to identify significant modifications induced by electromagnetic treatment in exposed samples in comparison to the control. Chlorophyll-a as well as chlorophyll-b level was found to decrease except the exposure time of two hours, where a considerable enhancement was noticed. It was revealed that the ratio of the two main types of chlorophyll was decreasing logarithmically to the increase of daily exposure time.