Activity

Phase-change materials (PCMs) are important photonic materials that have the advantages of a rapid and reversible phase change, a great difference in the optical properties between the crystalline and amorphous states, scalability, and nonvolatility. With the constant development in the PCM platform and integration of multiple material platforms, more and more reconfigurable photonic devices and their dynamic regulation have been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated, showing the great potential of PCMs in integrated photonic chips. Here, we review the recent developments in PCMs and discuss their potential for photonic devices. A universal overview of the mechanism of the phase transition and models of PCMs is presented. PCMs have injected new life into on-chip photonic integrated circuits, which generally contain an optical switch, an optical logical gate, and an optical modulator. Selleckchem VO-Ohpic Photonic neural networks based on PCMs are another interesting application of PCMs. Finally, the future development prospects and problems that need to be solved are discussed. PCMs are likely to have wide applications in future intelligent photonic systems.The metabolites of the fungal strain Rhizopus oryaze were used as a biocatalyst for the green-synthesis of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs). The production methodology was optimized to attain the maximum productivity as follows 4 mM of precursor, at pH 8, incubation temperature of 35 °C, and reaction time of 36 h between metabolites and precursor. The as-formed MgO-NPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, SEM-EDX, XRD, DLS, FT-IR, and XPS analyses. These analytical techniques proved to gain crystalline, homogenous, and well-dispersed spherical MgO-NPs with an average size of 20.38 ± 9.9 nm. The potentiality of MgO-NPs was dose- and time-dependent. The biogenic MgO-NPs was found to be a promising antimicrobial agent against the pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans with inhibition zones of 10.6 ± 0.4, 11.5 ± 0.5, 13.7 ± 0.5, 14.3 ± 0.7, and 14.7 ± 0.6 mm, respectively, at 200 μg mL-1. Moreover, MgO-NPs manifested larvicidal and adult repellence activity against Culex pipiens at very low concentrations. The highest decolorization percentages of tanning effluents were 95.6 ± 1.6% at 100 µg/ 100 mL after 180 min. At this condition, the physicochemical parameters of tannery effluents, including TSS, TDS, BOD, COD, and conductivity were reduced with percentages of 97.9%, 98.2%, 87.8%, 95.9%, and 97.3%, respectively. Moreover, the chromium ion was adsorbed with percentages of 98.2% at optimum experimental conditions.Phthalocyanines have enjoyed throughout the years the benefits of being exquisite compounds with many favorable properties arising from the straightforward and diverse possibilities of their structural modulation. Last decades appreciated a steady growth in applications for phthalocyanines, particularly those dependent on their great photophysical properties, now used in several cutting-edge technologies, particularly in photonic applications. Judging by the vivid reports currently provided by many researchers around the world, the spotlight remains assured. This review deals with the use of phthalocyanine molecules in innovative materials in photo-applications. Beyond a comprehensive view on the recent discoveries, a critical review of the most acclaimed/considered reports is the driving force, providing a brief and direct insight on the latest milestones in phthalocyanine photonic-based science.BDNF plays a pivotal role in neuroplasticity events, vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders, being decreased in depressive patients and increased after antidepressant treatment. BDNF was found to be reduced in patients carrying the human polymorphism in the serotonin transporter promoter region (5-HTTLPR). The serotonin knockout rat (SERT-/-) is one of the animal models used to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of depression in humans. They present decreased BDNF levels, and anxiety- and depression-like behavior. To investigate whether upregulating BDNF would ameliorate the phenotype of SERT-/- rats, we overexpressed BDNF locally into the ventral hippocampus and submitted the animals to behavioral testing. The results showed that BDNF overexpression in the vHIP of SERT-/- rats promoted higher sucrose preference and sucrose intake; on the first day of the sucrose consumption test it decreased immobility time in the forced swim test and increased the time spent in the center of a novel environment. Furthermore, BDNF overexpression altered social behavior in SERT-/- rats, which presented increased passive contact with test partner and decreased solitary behavior. Finally, it promoted decrease in plasma corticosterone levels 60 min after restraint stress. In conclusion, modulation of BDNF IV levels in the vHIP of SERT-/- rats led to a positive behavioral outcome placing BDNF upregulation in the vHIP as a potential target to new therapeutic approaches to improve depressive symptoms.Enzymes have been exploited by humans for thousands of years in brewing and baking, but it is only recently that biocatalysis has become a mainstream technology for synthesis. Today, enzymes are used extensively in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, food, fine chemicals, flavors, fragrances and other products. Enzyme immobilization technology has also developed in parallel as a means of increasing enzyme performance and reducing process costs. The aim of this review is to present and discuss some of the more recent promising technical developments in enzyme immobilization, including the supports used, methods of fabrication, and their application in synthesis. The review highlights new support technologies such as the use of well-established polysaccharides in novel ways, the use of magnetic particles, DNA, renewable materials and hybrid organic-inorganic supports. The review also addresses how immobilization is being integrated into developing biocatalytic technology, for example in flow biocatalysis, the use of 3D printing and multi-enzymatic cascade reactions.