Targeting Nanocarriers with Anisamide: Fact or Artifact?

Encapsulating chemotherapeutics in nanoparticles can reduce the side effects of intravenous administration and improve their antitumor efficacy. Additionally, surface decoration of the nanocarriers with tumor‐targeting ligands may enhance their specificity for cancer cells overexpressing the corresponding ligand‐binding counterpart. The focus here is on anisamide, a low‐molecular‐weight benzamide derivative used as a tumor‐directing moiety in functionalized nanosystems, based on its alleged interaction with Sigma receptors. The scintigraphic agents that initially inspired the use of anisamide for tumor targeting are described, and the published anisamide‐tethered nanocarrier formulations are reviewed, together with a critical overview of the ligand's tumor‐targeting properties. Moreover, anisamide's putative but dubious cellular target, the Sigma‐1 receptor, is discussed with regard to its subcellular localization and implications in cancer. Data from in vivo studies reveal that the effect of anisamide on the antitumor efficacy of the decorated nanosystems varies considerably among the published reports. Together with the evidence questioning the interaction of anisamide with the Sigma receptors, the variability of anisamide's effect on the tumor deposition and the antitumor efficacy of the decorated drug carriers calls into question the extent of the ligand's tumor‐targeting effect. Further research is necessary to elucidate the ligand's utility in tumor targeting.     

A Measuring Technique of Dynamic Torque on Continuous-drive Friction Welding

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Nanomagnetism—nascent or fully formed?

Bulk nanocomposite magnets have already brought a revolution in terms of energy efficiency and miniaturisation, and the science and technology is very well developed. The interdisciplinary base which characterises nanotechnology opens up a very wide range of further possibilities in nanomagnetism. The use of advanced lithographic processing and self-assembly techniques can produce structures which mimic nature or go beyond it. The implications for information technology, sensing, bioscience and medicine will keep nanomagnetics at the forefront of scientific study and technology uptake for the foreseeable future.     

Membrane bioreactors — hybrid activated sludge or a new process?

The aim of this article is to compare the characteristics of a bioreactor configured as either an activated sludge or membrane bioreactor, and operated under as near identical conditions as possible.     

Supplier development or supplier switching?

We study a firm's cost-based sourcing decision of whether to invest in an incumbent supplier or switch to an alternative supplier in order to realise lower purchasing costs. In isolation, it can be shown that the development of an incumbent supplier (i.e., a cooperative investment) becomes more attractive, the higher the uncertainty about the price the buying firm can realise on the market and the incumbent supplier's cost. Likewise, switching to an alternative supplier becomes more attractive, the higher the expected value of and the uncertainty about the buying firm's market price. For comparing these two sourcing strategies simultaneously we provide a profit-maximising framework for the buying firm that shows that switching is less recommendable the higher the variance of the incumbent's cost and if the uncertain maximum demand is negatively correlated with the uncertain incumbent supplier's cost. Overall, our study substantially expands the frequently followed approach of basing supplier development versus supplier switching decisions merely on strategic and qualitative considerations.     

Venturing Early or Following Late?

• The concept of the establishment chain has been subject to extensive research during the last decades and has received support as well as criticism. We test this concept for market entries in Central and Eastern European countries. We also evaluate both the impact of following this pattern and the impact of the timing of market entry on the performance in the foreign market.
• We test our hypotheses with empirical data collected in a survey among German manufacturing companies that have entered markets in Central and Eastern Europe. The data covers 524 cases of internationalization from 204 companies.
• We find that most companies start with low-intensity market entry modes and increase their commitment over time. Yet, only a small fraction actually follows the path of internationalization described by the establishment chain. It seems that this pattern is more relevant for companies entering these markets early and loses relevance as foreign competition in the foreign market increases. Levels of performance tend to be higher for companies entering CEE markets early in comparison to later entries. However, we do not discover any performance impact of market entry according to the establishment chain.

     

Errors or Uncertainties in Measurements?

The existing concept of measurement error is considered along with the concept now sometimes used of measurement uncertainty.     

摄影课数学 数码相机or传统相机?

摄影教学已经深入到我国大学教育的很多学科,学习摄影不仅是专业设置的需要,也是进行素质教育,提高大学生艺术修养的课程之一。照相机是摄影教学与实验最基本的仪器。在数码相机高速发展、已经步入实用阶段的今天,数码相机到底比传统机械相机在哪些方面具有明显的优势?在教学中是选择购买传统相机还是数码相机?作者以自己的教学实践和传统相机和数码相机的比较中,列举了选择数码相机的理由。     

Measuring the scientific impact of e-research infrastructures: a citation based approach?

This micro-level study explores the extent that citation analysis provides an accurate and representative assessment of the use and impact of bioinformatics e-research infrastructure. The bioinformatic e-research infrastructure studied offers common tools used by life scientists to analyse and interpret genetic and protein sequence information. These e-resources therefore provide an interesting example with which to explore how representative citations are as acknowledgements of knowledge in the life sciences. The examples presented here suggest that there is a relation between number of visits to these databases and number of citations; however, a parallel finding shows how citation analysis frequently underestimates acknowledged use of the resources offered on this e-research infrastructure. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for various aspects of impact measurement and also considers how appropriate citation analysis is as a measurement of knowledge claims.     

Green chemistry: deliverance or distraction?

As the green chemistry principles are increasingly used in teaching chemistry at all levels, this perspective provides a critique of their strengths and weaknesses. It asks whether or not the principles have sufficient scientific validity to aid the proper understanding of the subject (as opposed to highlighting concerns about its application). Furthermore, as the principles are increasingly cited in research papers, it also questions whether evidence exists that they have led to improvements in the sustainability and environmental impact of chemical technology that would not otherwise have arisen as a result of conventional economic, feedstock, competitive, market and regulatory pressures had they not been promulgated.     

Hydrogen economy: hope or hype?

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy -