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Metal oxide semiconductors have emerged as promising candidates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to replace conventional noble metal substrates. Here, we demonstrate an insulator to quasi-metallic phase transition in electron-rich WO3 doped with group 1 elements (H, Li, Na, and K) to amplify the Raman response of adsorbed probe molecules. In this category, the lithium-doped WO3 (LWO) exhibited excellent balance between SERS sensitivity and photostability, with enhancement factors (EFs) up to 4.3 × 106 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 10−8 M. Based on theoretical simulations and advanced experimental characterizations, we identified its non-discrete band arrangement and high free carrier concentration (1.3 × 1021 cm3), which create not only efficient migration channels for interfacial charge-transfer (CT) enhancement, but also a surface localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect-induced strong electromagnetic field that further amplified the Raman response via an electromagnetic (EM) mechanism. Our strategy greatly refines and expands the scope of existing metal oxide materials, offering new insights for designing efficient and robust non-noble metal-based SERS substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial meningitis, an infection of the membranes (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and spinal cord, is one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide. Higher case-fatality rates and short survival times have been reported in developing countries. Hence, a quick, straightforward, and low-cost approach is in great demand for the diagnosis of meningitis. In this research, a microfluidic fully paper-based analytical device (μFPAD) integrated with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and ssDNA-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nano-biosensors was developed for the first time for a simple, rapid, low-cost, and quantitative detection of the main meningitis-causing bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis). The results can be successfully read within 1 hour with the limit of detection (LOD) of 6 DNA copies per detection zone. This paper device also offers versatile functions by providing a qualitative diagnostic analysis (i.e., a yes or no answer), confirmatory testing, and quantitative analysis. These features make the presented μFPAD capable of a simple, highly sensitive, and specific diagnosis of N. meningitis. Furthermore, this microfluidic approach has great potential in the rapid detection of a wide variety of different other pathogens in low-resource settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water systems often contain complex macromolecular systems that absorb light. In marine environments, these light absorbing components are often at the air–water interface and can participate in the chemistry of the atmosphere in ways that are poorly understood. Understanding the photochemistry and photophysics of these systems represents a major challenge since their composition and structures are not unique. In this study, we present a successful microscopic model of this light absorbing macromolecular species termed "marine derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter" or "m-CDOM" in water. The approach taken involves molecular dynamics simulations in the ground state using on the fly Density Functional Tight-Binding (DFTB) electronic structure theory; Time Dependent DFTB (TD-DFTB) calculations of excited states, and experimental measurements of the optical absorption spectra in aqueous solution. The theoretical hydrated model shows key features seen in the experimental data for a collected m-CDOM sample. As will be discussed, insights from the model are: (i) the low-energy A-band (at 410 nm) is due to the carbon chains combined with the diol- and the oxy-groups present in the structure; (ii) the weak B-band (at 320–360 nm) appears due to the contribution of the ionized speciated form of m-CDOM; and (iii) the higher-energy C-band (at 280 nm) is due to the two fused ring system. Thus, this is a two-speciated formed model. Although a relatively simple system, these calculations represent an important step in understanding light absorbing compounds found in nature and the search for other microscopic models of related materials remains of major interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The macrophage-dominated bone immune response plays an important role in osteogenesis of bone defects. Generally, M2 macrophages are beneficial to promote osteogenesis. However, recent studies have confirmed that M1 also plays an important role in early angiogenesis, osteointegration. Therefore, achieving sequential polarization of macrophages from M1 to M2 may be more beneficial for osteogenesis. In this study, a new type of bone immunomodulatory IFN-γ/Sr-dropped bioactive glass composite scaffold (IFN-γ/SrBG) was successfully prepared which integrates multiple biological functions at different stages of the bone healing process. The scaffold can polarize macrophages into pro-inflammatory M1 type at the early stage of implantation by releasing IFN-γ within the first day, and then polarize macrophages into anti-inflammatory M2 type at a later stage by releasing Sr2+ from SrBG, which promoted mature bone formation in bone defects to a greater extent. Therefore, IFN-γ/SrBG scaffolds are expected to become excellent bone tissue engineering materials by sequential regulation of macrophage polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of osteoimmunology drugs to bone repair materials is beneficial to bone regeneration by regulating the local immune microenvironment. Fingolimod (FTY720) has been reported to be an osteoimmunology drug that promotes osteogenesis. However, there is no ideal biomaterial for the sustained release of FTY720 in the bone defect areas. In the present work, FTY720 loaded mesoporous bioactive glass (FTY720@MBGs) was successfully prepared based on the mesoporous properties of MBGs and electrostatic attraction. FTY720 achieved a sustained release for 7 days. The in vitro study found that FTY720@MBGs could synergistically promote osteogenesis and inhibit osteoclastogenesis due to their ability to promote macrophages toward the M2 phenotype. The in vivo study confirmed that FTY720@MBGs could significantly improve bone regeneration. This study provides new strategies for designing smart cell-instructive biomaterials that can play a role in all bone healing processes from early inflammation to bone reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyruvic acid is abundant in the atmosphere and in seawater, being a decay product of living organisms. Although very small in size (10 atoms), pyruvic acid exhibits conformational complexity in the gas phase and in solution, which is reflected in the UV spectrum. The gas phase UV spectrum of pyruvic acid differs from the spectrum of pyruvic acid in water. The main atmospherically relevant absorption peak in the gas phase is blue shifted by about 0.43 eV (40 nm difference in the peak location) in water. The origin of the blue shift has not been established thus far. This paper aims at a microscopic understanding of the absorption spectrum of pyruvic acid in aqueous media by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. 1H NMR experiments were performed to reveal the contribution of the different conformers in solution as a function of pH. Computationally, hydrates of sizes up to 5 water molecules using two different species of pyruvic acid, the neutral acid and the anionic form were considered. Vertical excitation energies using the ADC(2) method (algebraic-diagrammatic construction through second order) of these structures provide insights into the blue shift of the atmospherically relevant absorption peak. Additionally, molecular dynamics simulation on MP2 (Møller–Plesset perturbation theory) ground state of small clusters of pyruvic acid with four water molecules were calculated and used in computing the vertical excitation spectrum along the dynamics. This is found to describe very accurately the experimental spectrum. Overall, the results show that small hydrate models including the roles of both neutral and deprotonated speciated forms provide a good quantitative description and a microscopic interpretation of the experimental spectrum of pyruvic acid in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absorption spectra of molecular organic chromophores in aqueous media are of considerable importance in environmental chemistry. In this work, the UV-vis spectra of benzoic acid (BA), the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid, in aqueous solutions at varying pH and in the presence of salts are measured experimentally. The solutions of different pH provide insights into the contributions from both the non-dissociated acid molecule and the deprotonated anionic species. The microscopic interpretation of these spectra is then provided by quantum chemical calculations for small cluster models of benzoic species (benzoic acid and benzoate anion) with water molecules. Calculations of the UV-vis absorbance spectra are then carried out for different clusters such as C6H5COOH·(H2O)n and C6H5COO−·(H2O)n, where n = 0–8. The following main conclusions from these calculations and the comparison to experimental results can be made: (i) the small water cluster yields good quantitative agreement with observed solution experiments; (ii) the main peak position is found to be very similar at different levels of theory and is in excellent agreement with the experimental value, however, a weaker feature about 1 eV to lower energy (red shift) of the main peak is correctly reproduced only by using high level of theory, such as Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction (ADC); (iii) dissociation of the BA into ions is found to occur with a minimum of water molecules of n = 8; (iv) the deprotonation of BA has an influence on the computed spectrum and the energetics of the lowest energy electronic transitions; (v) the effect of the water on the spectra is much larger for the deprotonated species than for the non-dissociated acid. It was found that to reproduce experimental spectrum at pH 8.0, additional continuum representation for the extended solvent environment must be included in combination with explicit solvent molecules (n ≥ 3); (vi) salts (NaCl and CaCl2) have minimal effect on the absorption spectrum and; (vii) experimental results showed that B-band of neutral BA is not sensitive to the solvent effects whereas the effect of the water on the C-band is significant. The water effects blue-shift this band up to ∼0.2 eV. Overall, the results demonstrate the ability to further our understanding of the microscopic interpretation of the electronic structure and absorption spectra of BA in aqueous media through calculations restricted to small cluster models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydroboration of a wide range of ketones with pinacolborane can be achieved under catalyst-free and solvent-free conditions to provide the corresponding boronic esters in quantitative yields. A large gram-scale hydroboration of acetophenone with HBpin under the same conditions was also performed to afford the alcohol product in a high yield thus demonstrating the scalability of the newly developed simple protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnesium(i) complex [(XylNacnac)Mg]2 was employed as a highly efficient catalyst for the cyanosilylation of a variety of ketones with trimethylsilyl cyanide under mild conditions. In contrast to the traditional stoichiometric use of magnesium(i) complexes, 1 provides the first example of a truly catalytic application of Mg(i) complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]