Folate-Targeted Monodisperse PEG-Based Conjugates Made by Chemo-Enzymatic Methods for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

This paper focuses on preliminary in vitro and in vivo testing of new bivalent folate-targeted PEGylated doxorubicin (DOX) made by modular chemo-enzymatic processes (FA₂-dPEG-DOX₂). A unique feature is the use of monodisperse PEG (dPEG). The modular approach with enzyme catalysis ensures exclusive γ-conjugation of folic acid, full conversion and selectivity, and no metal catalyst residues. Flow cytometry analysis showed that at 10 µM concentration, both free DOX and FA₂-dPEG-DOX₂ would be taken up by 99.9% of triple-negative breast cancer cells in 2 h. Intratumoral injection to mice seemed to delay tumor growth more than intravenous delivery. The mouse health status, food, water consumption, and behavior remained unchanged during the observation.     

How housing outcomes vary between the Belgian regions

Belgium is a federal state with three regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region, and the Brussels-Capital Region. In international housing literature, the picture of Belgium is mainly defined by that of Flanders. This study provides new information on the housing conditions in the three regions, information that until now has been rare. Apart from that, this study adds to the knowledge on the relationship between housing policy and housing outcomes. Although the three regions largely share the same policy, there prove to be varying housing outcomes. Differences in general income levels and poverty levels between the regions are reflected to a significant extent in housing outcomes. However, the results also show how housing policy can indeed make a difference.     

Utilisation and cost of professional care and assistance according to disability of patients with multiple sclerosis in Flanders (Belgium)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between genital prolapse and the outcome of the Burch colposuspension. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty women with objectively proven recurrent incontinence after Burch colposuspension and 31 women, objectively continent after the colposuspension, were clinically examined with emphasis on genital prolapse. The preoperative vaginal profile of the women was estimated from the patient records. RESULTS: The preoperative vaginal profile demonstrated no significant differences in occurrence of prolapse components between the women who were continent after the colposuspension and those women who had recurrent incontinence. At the follow-up, rectocele and cystocele occurred with significantly higher frequencies among the women with recurrent urinary incontinence than among the women who were continent after the Burch colposuspension (80% and 46% vs. 42% and 10%; p<0.01). Enterocele and uterine/vaginal vault descent occurred in equal frequencies in the two groups. Independent of the outcome of the colposuspension, the women with rectocele were significantly younger than the women without rectocele (55 years vs. 63.5 years; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results imply an association between the occurrence of rectocele and cystocele and the outcome of the colposuspension. Different etiologies seem to exist for rectocele/cystocele, compared to enterocele or uterine/vaginal vault descent formation in women with stress urinary incontinence, operated upon with the Burch colposuspension.     

Synthesis and antiviral activity of 7-O-(omega-substituted)-alkyl-3-O-methylquercetin derivatives

In a recent study, we observed a discrepancy rate of 8.5% between the results of molecular and serological HLA class I typing in Caucasian kidney donors and recipients. In the present study we addressed the question how often black individuals are mistyped using the serological technique. 421 Blacks whose HLA typing results were reported to the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS) were typed retrospectively for HLA-A and -B using a PCR-SSP method. 78 of the 421 individuals (18.5%) showed a discrepancy for HLA-A and 107 individuals (25.4%) for HLA-B. 36.3% of all individuals tested showed either an HLA-A or an HLA-B discrepancy. 13.1% of the discrepancies at the HLA-A locus were due to antigen misassignments and 4.8% were due to missed antigens. HLA-B discrepancies were caused in 15.7% by antigen misassignments and in 10.5% by missed antigens. These results demonstrate an impressive advantage of the PCR-SSP method for HLA-A and HLA-B locus typing over serological typing in black individuals. The high typing discrepancy rate observed in Blacks provides a strong argument for replacing serological typing by the DNA method. It is likely that this will improve the HLA matching correlation in clinical transplantation in Blacks.     

Structure-activity requirements for flavone cytotoxicity and binding to tubulin

A series of 79 flavones related to centaureidin (3,6,4'-trimethoxy-5, 7,3'-trihydroxyflavone, 1) was screened for cytotoxicity in the NCI in vitro 60-cell line human tumor screen. The resulting cytotoxicity profiles of these flavones were compared for degree of similarity to the profile of 1. Selected compounds were further evaluated with in vitro assays of tubulin polymerization and [3H]colchicine binding to tubulin. Maximum potencies for tubulin interaction and production of differential cytotoxicity profiles characteristic of 1 were observed only with compounds containing hydroxyl substituents at C-3' and C-5 and methoxyl groups at C-3 and C-4'.     

Commitment to X inactivation precedes the twinning event in monochorionic MZ twins

Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor that has been implicated in neural survival and differentiation, fibrinolysis, and carcinogenesis. It is expressed in the nervous system during early Xenopus development. In the present study, we demonstrated that injection of vegetal blastomeres with Xenopus MK at the 8-cell stage results in incomplete invagination. In the case of dorsal vegetal injection, hypertrophic neural tissue is produced. Animal caps isolated from embryos that have been injected with Xenopus MK and cultured with activin do not elongate, and all mesoderm markers examined, including both head and trunk/tail ones, are greatly diminished. In contrast, head-specific neural markers, XANF-1 and Xotx2, are induced, while trunk/tail neural markers, XlHbox6 and F-spondin, are decreased. Moreover, MK showes the same effects in animal caps injected with Xenopus Smad2 mRNA.     

A new kinetic model for titanium dioxide mediated heterogeneous photocatalytic degradation of trichloroethylene in gas-phase

This paper focuses on the kinetics of photocatalytic removal and carbon mineralization of gaseous trichloroethylene (TCE) on near-UV irradiated TiO₂ Degussa P25. Experiments were carried out in a flat-plate photoreactor at TCE inlet concentrations of 100–500 ppmv, relative humidities (RH) of 0–62% and gas residence times of 2.5–60.3 s. Gas residence time distribution (RTD) curves revealed an axial dispersed plug flow in the photoreactor with Peclet numbers above 59.4. For all experimental conditions, the carbon mineralization efficiency (5.1–73.0%) was lower than the removal efficiency (8.6–99.9%) and dichloroacetylchloride (DCAC) was detected as a gas-phase degradation product. TCE removal efficiencies increased with lower TCE inlet concentrations, lower RH and higher gas residence times. Evaluating different kinetic models by least squares analysis, it was shown that the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) model could not give an adequate fitting to the experimental results. A new kinetic model, explicitly taking into account electron–hole pair reactions, was developed based on linear TCE adsorption–desorption equilibrium and first order reaction kinetics. The new kinetic model described the experimental results in a more accurate way, as exemplified by a more randomly distributed set of residuals and by a reduction of the sum of squares (SSQ) by a factor 1.7–8.5. The effect of TCE gas-phase concentration, RH and light intensity on adsorption–desorption kinetics, electron–hole concentrations and chemical conversion rates is discussed.     

The effect of nanosilica (SiO2) and nanoalumina (Al2O3) reinforced polyester nanocomposites on aerosol nanoparticle emissions into the environment during automated drilling

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect nanosilica and nanoalumina has on nanoparticle release from industrial nanocomposites due to drilling for hazard reduction whilst simultaneously obtaining the necessary mechanical performance. This study is therefore specifically designed such that all background noise is eliminated in the measurements range of 0.01 particles/cm³ and ±10% at 10⁶ particles/cm³. The impact nano-sized SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ reinforced polyester has on nanoparticle aerosols generated due to drilling is investigated. Real-time measurement was conducted within a specially designed controlled test chamber using a condensation particle counter (CPC) and a scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer (SMPS). The results show that the polyester nanocomposite samples displayed statistically significant differences and an increase in nanoparticle number concentration by up to 228% compared to virgin polyester. It is shown that the nanofillers adhered to the polyester matrix showing a higher concentration of larger particles released (between 20 – 100 nm). The increase in nanoparticle reinforcement weight concentration and resulting nanoparticle release vary considerably between the nanosilica and nanoalumina samples due to the nanofillers presence. This study indicates a future opportunity to safer by design strategy that reduces number of particles released concentration and sizes without compromising desired mechanical properties for engineered polymers and composites.

© 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research     

Decane Hydroisomerization Test Probing Catalytic Activity and Selectivity of Aluminum and Boron Substituted Extra-Large Pore UTL Zeolite

Extra-large pore germanosilicate zeolite with UTL structure was tested in the n-decane hydroisomerization/hydrocracking reaction. The product selectivity demonstrated UTL to be the most open zeolite material ever characterized with the decane test. Al- and B-containing samples were synthesized with high degree of crystallinity. The incorporation of part of the heteroelements was confirmed with ²⁷Al and ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy. The catalytic activity and the structural stability of these samples was significantly lower compared to germanosilicate UTL and followed the sequence: UTL > Al-UTL > B-UTL.