The iron group transition-metal (Fe, Ru, Os) coordination of Se-doped graphitic carbon (Se@g-C3N4) nanostructures for the smart therapeutic delivery of zidovudine (ZVD) as an antiretroviral drug: a theoretical calculation perspective

This study employed density functional theory (DFT) computational techniques at the ωB97XD/def2svp level of theory to comprehensively explore the electronic behavior of Fe-group transition metal (Fe, Ru, Os) coordination of Se-doped graphitic carbon (Se@g-C3N4) nanosystems in the smart delivery of zidovudine (ZVD), an antiretroviral drug. The HOMO-LUMO results of the interactions show a general reduction in energy gap values across all complexes in the following order: ZVD_Se@C3N4 < ZVD_Ru_Se@C3N4 < ZVD_Fe_Se@C3N4 < ZVD_Os_Se@C3N4. ZVD_Se@C3N4 exhibits the smallest post-interaction band gap of 3.783 eV, while ZVD_Os_Se@C3N4 presents the highest energy band gap of 5.438 eV. Results from the corrected adsorption energy (BSSE) revealed that Os_Se@C3N4 and Ru_Se@C3N4 demonstrated more negative adsorption energies of -2.67 and -2.701 eV, respectively, pointing to a more favorable interaction between ZVD and these systems, thus potentially enhancing the drug delivery efficiency. The investigation into the drug release mechanism from the adsorbents involved a comprehensive examination of the dipole moment and the influence of pH, shedding light on the controlled release of ZVD. Additionally, investigating the energy decomposition analysis (EDA) revealed that ZVD_Ru_Se@C3N4 and ZVD_Fe_Se@C3N4 exhibited the same total energy of -787.7 kJ mol-1. This intriguing similarity in their total energy levels suggested that their stability was governed by factors beyond reactivity, possibly due to intricate orbital interactions. Furthermore, analyzing the bond dissociation energies showed that all systems exhibited negative enthalpy values, indicating that these systems were exothermic at both surface and interaction levels, thus suggesting that these processes emitted heat, contributing to the surrounding thermal energy.

Salivary melatonin response to acute pain stimuli

Evidence for a relationship between melatonin, nociception, and analgesia in humans is based on data that are only linked by association and simultaneous occurrence. Studies have reported inverse correlation of the circadian melatonin rhythm with nociception latency and enhancement of opioid analgesia by simultaneous administration of melatonin in animals. This study examines the response of salivary melatonin to acute pain stimuli in 18 healthy subjects ranging in age from 19 to 50 years. A biphasic melatonin response following an acute pain stimulus of 36 V was observed, F(8, 8) = 17.839, P < 0.001. Within 5 min of the stimulus, melatonin decreased and reached a plateau of 36 pg/mL below baseline by 20 min. This decrease was followed by an increase of 5 pg/mL. Melatonin levels subsequently decreased until they had reached levels similar to those anticipated for the time of day and did not vary thereafter. The magnitude of the melatonin response was not related to age or gender. There was no association between voltage and magnitude of the melatonin responses observed at 15 min (r =0.185, P=0.51) or at 30 min (r = 0.468, P = 0.09). This study provides the first evidence of melatonin utilization and subsequent pineal gland synthesis following acute pain episodes in humans.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Superconducting Magnetic Fields

The first high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer operated at 30 Mcy/sec (7.05 kilogauss). The magnets constituted the only major obstacle to raising the frequency, but by continuous development over 10 years this frequency for proton resonance was increased to 100 Mcy/sec (23.4 kilogauss). Now, in one step, a system has been made to operate at twice this frequency and field intensity. It is not expected that superconducting magnets will generally replace iron magnets, but it is interesting to note that very few laboratories use the 30- and 40-Mcy/sec proton systems today. Notwithstanding the cost and operating problems of the superconducting magnet system for the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, the fact that this is the only practical means of developing both a stable and a high-intensity field puts it in a class by itself. For this reason, even though the maintenance of spectrometers with superconducting magnets requires rather specialized skills, this type of instrumentation will clearly have an important role in advancing scientific knowledge, by making possible analyses which have not been possible with presently available instruments.