Reductively Dissociable siRNA‐Polymer Hybrid Nanogels for Efficient Targeted Gene Silencing

A highly efficient approach for target‐specific gene silencing based on a reductively dissociable nanogel incorporating small interfering RNA (siRNA) crosslinked with linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) via disulfide bonds is presented. Thiol‐terminated siRNA at both 3′‐ends is electrostatically complexed with thiol‐grafted LPEI. The prepared siRNA/LPEI complex contains inter‐ and intramolecular linkages, generating a mutually crosslinked siRNA/LPEI nanogel (MCN) that exhibits excellent structural stability against the addition of heparin but is readily disintegrated to biologically active, monomeric siRNA upon exposure to reductive conditions. Accordingly, the highly condensed, stable MCN shows greatly enhanced cellular uptake and gene silencing efficiency compared to the siRNA/LPEI complexes without crosslinks or with only LPEI‐mediated crosslinks.     

Permanent endoprostatic prostheses in patient with obstruction caused by benign hyperplasia of the prostate

Presentation of the results obtained using the intraprostatic prosthesis UroLume in 78 patients wit BPH obstruction, 69 of which presented high surgical risk (ASA IV). Mean age was 79.8 years (r: 62-93). All patients carried urethral catheters, except 4 (5.1%) who had a provisional metal coil that required replacement. Prosthesis were implanted successfully in 72 cases (93.3%). The most significant exclusion criterion was an excessive length of prostate urethra. Mean follow-up was 15.3 months (r: 3-38). Mean maximum flow at 1 year after implant was 12.7 mL/sec; mean symptoms score (I-PSS score) was 6.2 points and in most prosthesis, epithelization had taken place. Three patients required implant of another prosthesis, either during the same surgical procedure (1 case) or later due to retention or dysuria (2 cases). Due to acute urine retention (AUR) during the immediate postoperative, resection of the middle lobe was performed in one case while a second case required late resection of intraluminal hyperplastic tissue. Three patients (4.1%) had haematuria that forced hospital admission some months after the implant, and three cases (4.1%) required removal of the prosthesis; at patient's request (1 case), due to calcification (1 case) and for stress incontinence (1 case). After a follow-up of over three years, it can be concluded that the UroLume prosthesis is an effective alternative to TUR in patients at high surgical risk.     

Mesure de l'estime de soi à l'adolescence: Version canadienne-fran?aise de Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents de Harter.

The purpose of this study was to verify the psychometric equivalence of a French-Canadian version of the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents developed by S. Harter (1988). This instrument measures global self-esteem in adolescents as well as their perceptions of competence in 8 other different domains. The instrument was first administered to 731 7th, 9th, and l1th grade students. Four wks later, 594 Ss were invited to answer the questionnaire once more. Results confirm that the factorial structure and the internal consistency of each domain of the translated version correspond to those of the original version. A test-retest procedure also reveals the temporal stability of the translated version. Regarding the mean scores for each domain and their interrelations with each other and particularly with global self-esteem, similar results to those reported by Harter were obtained with the translated version. This reinforces the conclusion about the psychometric equivalence of the translated version. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Formation of methional by Lactococcus lactis IFPL730 under cheese model conditions

The present work describes the capacity of Lactococcus lactis to produce methional and other sulphur compounds derived from methionine (Met) in a cheese model system. Cheese slurries were prepared from pasteurized ewes' skimmed milk, chemically acidified with glucono-'-lactone and homogenized aseptically adding Met, !-ketoglutarate, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, thiamine pyrophosphate and NaCl. Slurries were incubated at 12 °C for 14 days with cellular suspensions of L. lactis IFPL359, L. lactis IFPL730 and L. lactis NCDO763 in different combinations. Slurries added with resting cells and the intracellular fraction from L. lactis IFPL730 showed the highest production of methional at the outset of incubation, which decreased during incubation along with a concomitant increase in 3-methylthiopropanol. The sensorial analysis of slurries indicated a characteristic methional aroma (cooked potato-like) in samples containing 4-methylthio-2-ketobutyrate and the intracellular fraction from L. lactis IFPL730. As incubation proceeded, the intensity of methional aroma decreased but samples were judged by the panel tasters as developing a cheese-like flavour.     

Transitioning to sustainable urban water management systems: how to define expected service functions?

Sustainable water management is a worldwide challenge for the twenty-first century. It involves replacing traditional management approaches with a new concept, often referred to as sustainable urban water management (SUWM). This paradigm shift means that SUWM systems must include new services, some of which have already emerged. However, no publications have presented the expected SUWM system in terms of the full range of services it would need to include, and no publications have proposed a method for identifying the services the system must provide. This paper proposes a method for identifying these services and presents a generic petal diagram to represent the service functions of the SUWM system. Moreover, this paper presents a new method for defining these services in a specific territory. This method is based on the confrontation between a general representation and the objectives of the stakeholders in a given system in a given territory. The method is illustrated with a full-scale case study on the Doua eco-campus (Lyon University). This method is intended to aid practitioners to manage its system and to transition to SUWM. It is designed to improve the transparency of decision formulation and to involve stakeholders in the process.     

Sea Water Ageing of Composites for Ocean Energy Conversion Systems: Influence of Glass Fibre Type on Static Behaviour

Composite material components will be an essential part of ocean energy recovery devices, and their long term durability in sea water must be guaranteed. Despite extensive experience for boat structures and wind turbines few data exist to design structures subjected to a combination of mechanical loads and sea water immersion. This paper presents the first results from an experimental study, performed jointly with fibre manufacturers, and a resin supplier, to fill this gap. The experimental study is completed by numerical modelling to simulate the coupling between water absorption and mechanical behaviour. Sea water ageing is shown to result in a drop in quasi–static mechanical properties and a change in flexural mode from compression to tension at longer ageing times, which is consistent with results from the numerical simulations.     

Prediction of photocatalytic air purifier apparatus performances with a CFD approach using experimentally determined kinetic parameters

An original methodology to predict space–time concentration distribution of VOC in an enclosed space where a photocatalytic air purifier apparatus is placed is herein presented. This apparatus is specially designed for indoor air treatment. Intrinsic kinetic parameters are first determined in a perfectly mixed batch reactor allowing a direct access to chemical reaction rate with a few experiments. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is then used to model fluid flow in the room and calculate space–time concentration of VOC by setting chemical reaction rate as a boundary condition based on kinetic parameters determined in the batch reactor. Experiments and modelling are performed using acetaldehyde which is a common indoor volatile organic compound and titanium dioxide thin film coated on steel performed by a PVD method. Remediation of acetaldehyde is investigated at low concentration levels, in the low ppm range. Prediction of acetaldehyde removal in the enclosed space is then compared with experimental results allowing validation of the methodology.     

Influence of C/P and C/N ratios and microbial characterization in hydrogen and ethanol production in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of C/P and C/N ratios on the production of hydrogen and ethanol in four anaerobic fluidized bed reactors: R1 (C/N = 100), R2 (C/N = 150), R3 (C/N = 200), and R4 (C/N = 250). The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was maintained at 2 h, and the C/P ratios varied from 300 to 1100. Reactors were filled with grounded tire and fed with synthetic substrate containing glucose (5000 mg L^?1). The effluent pH was around 3.7. The highest values for hydrogen yield (HY) and hydrogen production rate (HPR) were obtained at a C/P = 700 ratio in all reactors. The best performance was achieved at R3 (C/N = 200): HY of 0.76 mol H₂ mol^?1 glucose and HPR of 0.70 L h^?1 L^?1. The highest value for ethanol yield was obtained at C/P = 700 in R1 (1.5 mol EtOH mol^?1 glucose). Ethanol- and hydrogen-producing fermenters, such as Ethanoligenens sp. and Clostridium sp. were identified by molecular analysis. Lactobacillus sp. was also identified in this study.     

Characterization of enzymatically prepared biosurfactants

Various fatty monoesters of sugars and sugar alcohols were prepared enzymatically in organic solvent. Water produced during esterification was removed by refluxing through a dessicant under reduced pressure. Surface properties of these esters such as surface and interfacial tensions and their ability to stabilize emulsions at 30°C were evaluated: oleate esters of glucose, fructose, and sorbitol show similar behavior in reduction of surface and interfacial tensions, and values for the critical micelle concentration are about 8·10⁻⁵ M. It was also observed with sorbitol esters that the shorter the alkyl chain, the higher the critical micelle concentration. Generally, emulsions prepared with the emulsifier dissolved in the water or in the oil phase lead to oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions, respectively. Sorbitol monolaurate significantly increased the stability of oil-in-water emulsions, with only 5% separation of the phases after 48h at 30°C, compared to 10% for chemically prepared sorbitan monolaurate under the same conditions. Sorbitol monoerucate was very efficient in stabilizing water-in-oil emulsions, with only 1% separation of the phases.