Anticancer Ruthenium(III) Complex KP1019 Interferes with ATP‐Dependent Ca2+ Translocation by Sarco‐Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA)

Sarco‐endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺‐ATPase (SERCA), a P‐type ATPase that sustains Ca²⁺ transport and plays a major role in intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis, represents a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Here, we investigated whether ruthenium‐based anticancer drugs, namely KP1019 (indazolium [trans‐tetrachlorobis(1H‐indazole)ruthenate(III)]), NAMI‐A (imidazolium [trans‐tetrachloro(1H‐imidazole)(S‐dimethylsulfoxide)ruthenate(III)]) and RAPTA‐C ([Ru(η⁶‐p‐cymene)dichloro(1,3,5‐triaza‐7‐phosphaadamantane)]), and cisplatin (cis‐diammineplatinum(II) dichloride) might act as inhibitors of SERCA. Charge displacement by SERCA adsorbed on a solid‐supported membrane was measured after ATP or Ca²⁺ concentration jumps. Our results show that KP1019, in contrast to the other metal compounds, is able to interfere with ATP‐dependent translocation of Ca²⁺ ions. An IC₅₀ value of 1 μM was determined for inhibition of calcium translocation by KP1019. Conversely, it appears that KP1019 does not significantly affect Ca²⁺ binding to the ATPase from the cytoplasmic side. Inhibition of SERCA at pharmacologically relevant concentrations may represent a crucial aspect in the overall pharmacological and toxicological profile of KP1019.     

Composition and seasonal variation of fatty acids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diplodus vulgaris</Emphasis> L. from the Adriatic Sea

Muscle tissue from the common two-banded sea bream Diplodus vulgaris L. originating from the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, was analyzed. The FA composition of neutral (TAG) and polar (PE, PC, PI/PS) lipid classes was determined, as well as the lipid and water contents during winter and summer periods. Both the total lipid and water contents were higher in the winter period. We identified 16 different FA. The major constituents of the total FA in both seasons were saturates: palmitic (16∶0) and stearic acids (18∶0); monoenes: oleic (18∶1n−9) and palmitoleic acids (16∶1n−7); and polyunsaturates: arachidonic acid (20∶4n−6), EPA (20∶5n−3), and DHA (22∶6n−3), but their amounts and ratios differed significantly between the two seasons and between lipid fractions. The FA composition showed a noticeable pattern of seasonality that reflected fluctuations mainly in TAG. The diminution of the monounsaturated FA content in the summer was clearly followed by an increase in PUFA content. Diplodus vulgaris is a good source of natural n−3 PUFA and would therefore be suitable for inclusion in highly unsaturated low-fat diets.     

Nitrogen cycling in tropical grass-legume pastures managed under canopy light interception

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems - In grass-legume pastures, grazing management strategies are an essential factor affecting nitrogen (N) cycling. This study assessed the impact of grazing...     

Core–Shell Polymer Adhesive for Aluminized Coatings: From Improved Barrier Properties to Commercial Formulation

The development and formulation of core–shell latex‐based adhesives to improve the adhesion of aluminium to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films and enhance the permeability of the final laminate to oxygen and water is described. All particles have a soft acrylic component (the shell in core–shell particles) to improve adhesion, and occasionally a hydrophobic core to enhance the permeability. The performance of the different latexes is compared to that of a commercially available reference material. The coatings formed by core–shell nanoparticles present a lower permeability to water than the particles synthesized in the absence of the seed, while the permeability to oxygen is found to be mainly related to the correct deposition of the metallic layer. In terms of the industrial formulation, it is found that a limited amount of a wetting agent (WA) is needed to ensure the correct spreading of the latex onto the PET substrate because of the low levels of surfactant used for the latex production. This compound has a positive effect on the adhesive strength of the coating. A curing agent also improves barrier properties, but the optimal level of this compound is dependent on the degree of crosslinker used in the base latex.     

Impact of N on the atomic-scale Sb distribution in quaternary GaAsSbN-capped InAs quantum dots

The use of GaAsSbN capping layers on InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) has recently been proposed for micro- and optoelectronic applications for their ability to independently tailor electron and hole confinement potentials. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the structural and compositional changes associated with the process of simultaneous Sb and N incorporation. In the present work, we have characterized using transmission electron microscopy techniques the effects of adding N in the GaAsSb/InAs/GaAs QD system. Firstly, strain maps of the regions away from the InAs QDs had revealed a huge reduction of the strain fields with the N incorporation but a higher inhomogeneity, which points to a composition modulation enhancement with the presence of Sb-rich and Sb-poor regions in the range of a few nanometers. On the other hand, the average strain in the QDs and surroundings is also similar in both cases. It could be explained by the accumulation of Sb above the QDs, compensating the tensile strain induced by the N incorporation together with an In-Ga intermixing inhibition. Indeed, compositional maps of column resolution from aberration-corrected Z-contrast images confirmed that the addition of N enhances the preferential deposition of Sb above the InAs QD, giving rise to an undulation of the growth front. As an outcome, the strong redshift in the photoluminescence spectrum of the GaAsSbN sample cannot be attributed only to the N-related reduction of the conduction band offset but also to an enhancement of the effect of Sb on the QD band structure.     

Melting behavior and crystallization kinetics of poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐diethylene terephthalate) and poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐triethylene terephthalate) copolyesters

The melting behavior of poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐diethylene terephthalate) and poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐triethylene terephthalate) copolymers was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry after isothermal crystallization from the melt. Multiple endotherms were found for all the samples, and attributed to the melting and recrystallization processes. By applying the Hoffman‐Weeks' method, the equilibrium melting temperatures of the copolymers under investigation were obtained. Two distinct peaks in the crystallization exothermic curve were observed for all the samples. Both of them appeared at higher times than that of PBT, indicating that the introduction of a comonomer decreased the crystallization rate. The observed dependence of this latter on composition was explained on the basis of the content of ether–oxygen atoms in diethylene and triethylene terephthalate units, and of the different sizes of these units. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 3545–3551, 2001     

Sulphur poisoning of palladium catalysts used for methane combustion: effect of the support

Four different supported palladium catalysts (using alumina, silica, zirconia and titania as supports), prepared by incipient wetness impregnation, were tested as catalysts for methane oxidation in presence of sulphur dioxide. The catalyst supported on zirconia showed the best performance, whereas the silica-supported one showed the fastest deactivation. Temperature-programmed desorption experiments of the poisoned catalysts suggest that SO(2) adsorption capacity of the support plays a key role in the catalyst poisoning. In order to study the effect of promoters, expected to improve the thermal stability and thioresistance of the catalyst, commercial zirconia modified by yttrium and lantane was tested as supports. It was found that the presence of these promoters does not improve the performance of the zirconia-supported catalyst. A deactivation model -- considering two different active sites (fresh and poisoning), pseudo-first order dependence on methane concentration and poisoning rate depending on sulphur concentration and fraction of non-poisoned palladium -- was used for modelling the deactivation behaviour.     

Evaluation of flow cell detector configurations combining simultaneous preconcentration and scintillation detection for monitoring of pertechnetate in aqueous media

Flow cell detectors were developed for simultaneous concentration and scintillation detection of technetium-99 in water. Evaluated flow cell geometries consisted of a coil and a fountain flow cell design; the latter is based on radial solution flow through a resin bed interfaced with a photomultiplier tube through a polycarbonate window. The sorptive scintillating media investigated were (1) an extractive scintillator combining a porous polystyrene resin with the extractant Aliquat-336 and fluor 2-(1-naphthyl)-5-phenyloxazole, (2) a mixed bed of organic scintillator (BC-400) and Tc-selective resin (TEVA), and (3) a mixed bed of inorganic scintillator particles (CaF2-Eu) with either TEVA resin or strong base anion-exchange resin (Dowex 1 x 8-400(Cl)). Depending on flow cell geometry and medium, the detection efficiencies for 99Tc ranged from 7.26 (BC-400/TEVA in coil geometry) to 50.20% (CaF2(Eu)/Dowex 1 x 8-400(Cl) in fountain flow cell geometry). The configuration with the highest sensitivity, CaF2(Eu)/Dowex 1 x 8-400(Cl) in coil geometry, can detect 99Tc as low as 3.78 Bq L(-1) for a 100-s count interval and a 200-mL sample, which is below the current regulatory level of 33 Bq L(-1). The issue of sensor reusability was addressed in this research, and its potential application at near neutral pH was demonstrated. The optimal sensor design was evaluated with a 99Tc-spiked synthetic groundwater matrix.     

Determination of the Boltzmann constant using a quasi-spherical acoustic resonator

The paper reports a new experiment to determine the value of the Boltzmann constant, k(B)=1.3806477(17)×10(-23) J K(-1), with a relative standard uncertainty of 1.2 parts in 10(6). k(B) was deduced from measurements of the velocity of sound in argon, inside a closed quasi-spherical cavity at a temperature of the triple point of water. The shape of the cavity was achieved using an extremely accurate diamond turning process. The traceability of temperature measurements was ensured at the highest level of accuracy. The volume of the resonator was calculated from measurements of the resonance frequencies of microwave modes. The molar mass of the gas was determined by chemical and isotopic composition measurements with a mass spectrometer. Within combined uncertainties, our new value of k(B) is consistent with the 2006 Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) value: (k(B)(new)/k(B_CODATA)-1)=-1.96×10(-6), where the relative uncertainties are u(r)(k(B)(new))=1.2×10(-6) and u(r)(k(B_CODATA))=1.7×10(-6). The new relative uncertainty approaches the target value of 1×10(-6) set by the Consultative Committee on Thermometry as a precondition for redefining the unit of the thermodynamic temperature, the kelvin.