Lehigh University

About: Lehigh University is a education organization based out in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Fracture mechanics. The organization has 12684 authors who have published 26550 publications receiving 770061 citations.

Oxidation of Glycerol Using Supported Gold Catalysts

Abstract: A series of supported gold catalysts (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 wt% Au/graphite) have been investigated for the oxidation of glycerol and propan-1,2-diol. The 1 wt% Au/graphite catalyst is found to give 100% selectivity to the mono acid product, isolated as the sodium salt, as long as NaOH is present. The catalysts are characterized by TEM and cyclic voltammetry. By TEM, active catalysts all comprise fairly broad-size distributions (5–50 nm diameter) for the gold nanoparticles, although most are ca. 25 nm in diameter. An inactive 1 wt% Au/graphite is shown to have considerably larger particle sizes (>50 nm) and this indicates that there may be an optimum particle size for the desired catalysis. Characterization using cyclic voltammetry of active Au/graphite catalysts carried out in NaOH reveals the presence of an oxide species that may be responsible for the observed catalysis. In contrast, the inactive 1 wt% Au/graphite catalyst shows no oxidation in the cyclic voltammetry experiments.

Regulation of microtubule-associated proteins

Abstract: Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) function to regulate the assembly dynamics and organization of microtubule polymers. Upstream regulation of MAP activities is the major mechanism used by cells to modify and control microtubule assembly and organization. This review summarizes the functional activities of MAPs found in animal cells and discusses how these MAPs are regulated. Mechanisms controlling gene expression, isoform-specific expression, protein localization, phosphorylation, and degradation are discussed. Additional regulatory mechanisms include synergy or competition between MAPs and the activities of cofactors or binding partners. For each MAP it is likely that regulation in vivo reflects a composite of multiple regulatory mechanisms.

The shape of things to come: importance of design in nanotechnology for drug delivery

Abstract: The design of nanoparticle (NP) size, shape and surface chemistry has a significant impact on their performance. While the influences of the particle size and surface chemistry on drug delivery have been studied extensively, little is known about the effect of particle shapes on nanomedicine. In this perspective article, we discuss recent progress on the design and fabrication of NPs of various shapes and their unique delivery properties. The shapes of these drug carriers play an important role in therapeutic delivery processes, such as particle adhesion, distribution and cell internalization. We envision that stimuli-responsive NPs, which actively change their shapes and other properties, might pave way to the next generation of nanomedicine.