Active Targeting of Dendritic Polyglycerols for Diagnostic Cancer Imaging

Active tumor targeting involves the decoration of nanomaterials (NMs) with oncotropic vector biomolecules that selectively recognize certain antigens on malignant cells or in the tumor microenvironment. This strategy can facilitate intracellular uptake of NM through specific interactions such as receptor‐mediated endocytosis and can lead to prolonged retention in the malignant tissues by preventing rapid efflux from the tumor. Here, the design of actively targeting, renally excretible bimodal dendritic polyglycerols (dPGs) for diagnostic cancer imaging is described. Single‐domain antibodies (sdAbs) specifically binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are employed herein as targeting warheads owing to their small size and high affinity for their corresponding antigen. The dPGs equipped with EGFR‐targeting feature are compared head‐to‐head with their nontargeting counterparts in terms of interaction with EGFR‐overexpressing cells in vitro as well as accumulation at receptor‐positive tumors in vivo. Experimental results reveal a higher specificity and preferential tumor accumulation for the α‐EGFR dPGs, resulting from the introduction of active targeting capabilities on their backbone. These results highlight the potential for improving the tumor uptake properties of dPGs by strategic use of sdAb functionalization, which can ultimately prove useful to the development of ultrasmall NM with highly specific tumor accumulation.     

Functional Properties of Pork Liver Protein Fractions

The functional (emulsifying, gelling and foaming) properties of liver protein fractions as well as their molecular weight distribution and surface hydrophobicity were investigated and compared to commercial proteins. Two protein fractions were characterized: water soluble (WSLP) and WSLP combined with salt soluble liver proteins (W?+?SSLP). The effect of salt concentrations was also investigated (0, 1.8 and 3.4 % NaCl). Both WSLP and W?+?SSLP displayed good emulsifying properties and foam stability. However, their gelling properties were rather poor. An increase in salt concentration decreased the emulsifying properties of WSLP while the effect on W?+?SSLP was less pronounced. Addition of 1.8 % NaCl increased foaming ability of WSLP and W?+?SSLP while foam stability was not affected. Further increase of NaCl (3.4 %) decreased both foaming ability and foam stability and is probably attributed to refolding of the protein molecules because of the higher level of hydrophobic groups with 3.4 % NaCl. Gel forming ability of WSLP and W?+?SSLP containing 0 % was higher compared to high salt concentrations. However, higher salt concentrations shifted onset gelation temperature of WSLP and W?+?SSLP to lower temperatures probably due to partial unfolding of the proteins as indicated by an increase of the surface hydrophobicity.     

How to achieve the huggable behavior of the social robot Probo? A reflection on the actuators

Most robots have a mechanical look or are covered with plastic or metallic shells. Their actuators are stiff which gives them not only an unnatural look, but also an unnatural touch. The goal of the huggable robot Probo is to serve as robotic research platform for human-robot interaction (HRI) studies with a special focus on children. Since not only cognitive interaction, but also physical interaction is targeted a new mechatronic design must be developed. To give Probo a huggable and safe behavior a new set of actuators is developed together with a triple layered protection cover which is presented in this paper. Probo’s soft touch is introduced, on the one side by use of novel passive compliant actuators, Compliant Bowden Cable Driven Actuators (CBCDAs), and on the other side by combining custom made servo motors, Non Back Drivable Servos (NBDSs), with flexible components and materials such as springs, silicon and foam. The working principle of the novel CBCDA is extensively described, together with experiments in order to determine its level of compliance and its bandwidth.     

Prespecified factor level combinations in the optimal design of mixture-process variable experiments

Designed experiments allow researchers to explore and understand the relation between sets of experimental factors and one or more responses. However, there are many cases where the experimenter cannot determine the factor levels freely. In this article, we study a baking experiment where the interest is in understanding the relationship between flour characteristics and bread quality. The experimental factors are six mixture components and one observable process variable, so that the baking experiment is a mixture-process variable (MPV) experiment. The starting point for the study is an available stock of 30 flour samples for which the mixture component proportions and the level of the process variable have been determined using an elaborate chemical analysis. The challenge for the experimenter is to determine which flour samples, or which combinations of flour samples, should be used in the actual experiment. Since the design region is highly constrained and the usable factor levels are dictated by the set of 30 initial flour samples, classical MPV designs are not applicable and an optimal design approach is required. We compare two different design strategies, one based on a point-exchange algorithm and another based on a coordinate-exchange algorithm. The coordinate-exchange algorithm leads to the most efficient design since it is not bounded by a given candidate set of points. However, it requires the calculation of the convex hull of the set of 30 flour samples along with the related constraints. Because of the high dimensionality of the problem, determining the convex hull and using it to create the constraints for the experimental design is a tedious process. In contrast, the point-exchange algorithm starts from a candidate set of possible factor level combinations, a limitation that lowers the efficiency of the design but results in a design that is very easy to implement.     

Electrical Noise and Transport Properties of Graphene

We present a study of the noise properties of single-layer exfoliated graphene as a function of gate bias. A tunnel/trap model is presented based on the interaction of graphene electrons with the underlying substrate. The model incorporates trap position, energy, and barrier height for tunneling into a given trap—along with the band-structure of the graphene—and is in good accord with the general characteristics of the data.     

Identification and Occurrence of Steryl Glucosides in Palm and Soy Biodiesel

A problem of excessive sedimentation was detected in soy and palm biodiesel, preventing the product from complying with requirements on contamination/filterability. The objective of the study was to determine the nature of the sediment by different analytical techniques and to obtain data on the typical range of its components in industrially produced biodiesel samples. The sediment was investigated and the appearance of haze is linked to the presence of free steryl glucosides (FSG) above a certain concentration. This paper focuses on the original analytical approach, taking into account particular physical properties of FSG. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry were used as fast and reliable identification methods, without the need for a prior hydrolysis of the glucosidic bond. A GC method, including optimised sample preparation, was developed for the quantification of the FSG in biodiesel as well as in filter residues. The FSG concentrations in biodiesel produced by different processes ranged between 55 and 275 mg/kg for palm and from not detectable to 158 mg/kg for soy biodiesel.     

What about excellence in teaching? A benevolent ranking of universities

Existing university rankings apply fixed and exogenous weights based on a theoretical framework, stakeholder or expert opinions. Fixed weights cannot embrace all requirements of a ‘good ranking’ according to the Berlin Principles. As the strengths of universities differ, the weights on the ranking should differ as well. This paper proposes a fully nonparametric methodology to rank universities. The methodology is in line with the Berlin Principles. It assigns to each university the weights that maximize (minimize) the impact of the criteria where university performs relatively well (poor). The method accounts for background characteristics among universities and evaluates which characteristics have an impact on the ranking. In particular, it accounts for the level of tuition fees, an English speaking environment, size, research or teaching orientation. In general, medium sized universities in English speaking countries benefit from the benevolent ranking. On the contrary, we observe that rankings with fixed weighting schemes reward large and research oriented universities. Especially Swiss and German universities significantly improve their position in a more benevolent ranking.     

Skeletal isomerization of octadecane on bifunctional ZSM-23 zeolite catalyst

Octadecane was isomerized over three different Pt/H-ZSM-23 samples. The distributions of methylheptadecane and dimethylheptadecane skeletal isomers obtained on the Pt/ZSM-23 samples were very similar. Positional isomer distributions are fingerprints of the zeolite framework structure. The independence of skeletal isomer distributions from Al-gradients and particle size constitutes a strong argument in favor of pore-mouth catalysis.     

Complement-inhibiting cucurbitacin glycosides from Picria fel-terrae

Effect of high larval density in Drosophila melanogaster cultures on the phenotypic and genetic variation of morphological traits (thorax length, wing length, and number of stempoleural bristles) and on the stability of development (estimated as the fluctuating asymmetry of bilateral traits) was studied. The fluctuating asymmetry of both bilateral traits was higher at high than at low larval density. An increase in phenotypic variation at a high as compared to low density was demonstrated. However, no increase in genetic variation at a high density was revealed.