Crystallographic rearrangement of platinum induced by square wave potentials

This paper provides experimental evidences of crystalline rearrangements on platinum surfaces by applying square wave potential perturbations. The phenomenon was followed by differential ex situ X-ray diffraction patterns and in situ cyclic voltammetry in sulfuric acid solutions. Various upper and lower potential limits were employed covering anion, hydrogen, and/or oxygen adsorption ranges. When the -0.05 to 1.50 V (vs. reversible hydrogen) potential region is covered an increase in the distribution of (200) planes is observed. However, when the 0.65 to 1.50 V region is used, (220), (311), and (420) planes developed. The development of a longitudinal propagation mode is responsible for this rearrangement. The new equilibrium position of the platinum surface atoms in the lattice was calculated from the minimization of the potential energy expression.     

L r regularity for the stokes and navier-stokes problems

The L^r regularity, 12. In this paper, Cattabriga's results are generalized for W^2, domains. First, we prove a L² regularity result by using appropriate difference quotients of the weak solution; for these, we obtain uniform estimates as a consequence of standard results concerning mixed problems. In order to obtain L^r regularity, we use the hydrodynamical potentials. We deduce L^r «a posteriori» estimates for the strong solution by arguing as D. Gilbarg and N. S. Trudinger have previously done to analyze the Dirichlet problem for the Laplace and Poisson equations. From these results, it is straightforward to demonstrate existence and uniqueness of the strong solution. Also, by applying the usual «boot-strap» argument, one deduces the L^r regularity of any weak solution to the Navier-Stokes problem.

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Resumé La régularité L^r, 12. Dans ce travail, les résultats de Cattabriga sont généralisés pour des domaines de classe W², . D'abord, afin de démontrer un résultat de régularité L², on considère des quotients différentiels convenables de la solution faible, on analyse des problèmes mixtes dont ces quotients sont les solutions et on en déduit des estimations uniformes. Pour obtenir des résultats de régularité L^r, on utilise les potentiels hydrodynamiques. On obtient des estimations L^r «a posteriori» d'après des arguments analogues aux utilisés par D. Gilbarg et N. S. Trudinger pour le problème de Dirichlet pour les équations de Laplace et Poisson. On en déduit l'existence et l'unicité de solution forte. Aussi, en utilisant la technique «boot-strap», on obtient un résultat de régularité L^r pour toute solution faible du problème de Navier-Stokes.

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This research was partially supported by DGICYT, Spain, Proyecto no. PB92-0696.     

A high-performance liquid-chromatographic method for the determination of ochratoxin a in human plasma

Summary A high-performance liquid-chromatographic method is described for the quantitative determination of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) in human plasma. The assay involves extraction with chloroform and sodium bicarbonate then HPLC with fluorescence detection. The method was validated in terms of selectivity, recovery, linearity, precision (within-day and between-day variability), accuracy, detection and quantification limits, and the stability of OTA in plasma and treated samples. The limit of detection was 0.4 ng mL⁻¹ of OTA in methanol, corresponding to 0.52 ng ml⁻¹ OTA in plasma. This assay was successfully applied for the determination of OTA levels in human plasma.     

Solution-phase synthesis of ICG-001, a β-turn peptidomimetic molecule inhibitor of β-catenin–Tcf-mediated transcription

The solution-phase synthesis of the β-turn peptidomimetic ICG-001, a selective inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, which has been found to be important for both initiation and progression of cancers of different tissues and has been exploited as an extremely useful chemogenomic tool, was developed. This route is particularly suitable for the multigram scale preparation of ICG-001.     

Electrochemical Reduction of Benzaldehyde as its Girard-P Derivative at the Mercury Electrode and Differential-Pulse Polarographic Determination of Benzaldehyde

 The polarographic behaviour of benzaldehyde as its Girard-P derivative was studied using various electrochemical techniques and a method for the determination of benzaldehyde (10⁻⁶ − 8 × 10⁻⁵ M) by differential-pulse polarography, based on the in situ formation of its Girard-P derivative in aqueous solution at pH 2.5, is proposed. The relative standard deviation was 1.7% (ten determinations at the 5 × 10⁻⁵ M level). The applicability of this method is checked in benzyl alcohol and synthetic samples containing, o-aminophenol, 2-amino pyridine, o-cresol, amylic alcohol, salicylic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid and naphthalene sulfonic acid. Received April 6, 2000. Revision February 13, 2001.     

Pectinases Secretion by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Optimization in Solid-State Fermentation and Identification by a Shotgun Proteomics Approach

A sequential design strategy was applied to optimize the secretion of pectinases by a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, from Brazilian sugarcane liquor vat, on passion fruit residue flour (PFRF), through solid-state fermentation (SSF). A factorial design was performed to determine the influence variables and two rotational central composite designs were executed. The validated experimental result was of 7.1 U mL⁻¹ using 50% PFRF (w/w), pH 5, 30 °C for 24 h, under static SSF. Polygalacturonase, pectin methyl esterase, pectin–lyase and pectate–lyase activities were 3.5; 0.08; 3.1 and 0.8 U mL⁻¹, respectively. Shotgun proteomics analysis of the crude extract enabled the identification of two pectin–lyases, one pectate–lyase and a glucosidase. The crude enzymatic extract maintained at least 80% of its original activity at pH values and temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 and 30 to 80 °C, respectively, over 60 min incubation. Results revealed that PFRF might be a cost-effective and eco-friendly substrate to produce pectinases. Statistical optimization led to fermentation conditions wherein pectin active proteins predominated. To the extent of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the synthesis of pectate lyase by S. cerevisiae.     

An integrated approach for the systematic evaluation of polymeric nanoparticles in healthy and diseased organisms

Innovative strategies that utilize nanoparticles (NPs) for a better delivery of drugs and to improve their therapeutic efficacy have been widely studied in many clinical fields, including oncology. To develop safe and reliable devices able to reach their therapeutic target, a hierarchical characterization of NP interactions with biological fluids, cells, and whole organisms is fundamental. Unfortunately, this aspect is often neglected and the development of standardized characterization methods would be of fundamental help to better elucidate the potentials of nanomaterials, even before the loading of the drugs. Here, we propose a multimodal in vitro/in vivo/ex vivo platform aimed at evaluating these interactions for the selection of the most promising NPs among a wide series of materials. To set the system, we used non-degradable fluorescent poly(methyl-methacrylate) NPs of different sizes (50, 100, and 200 nm) and surface charges (positive and negative). First we studied NP stability in biological fluids. Then, we evaluated NP interaction with two cell lines of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), 4T1, and MDA-MB231.1833, respectively. We found that NPs internalize in TNBC cells depending on their physico-chemical properties without toxic effects. Finally, we studied NP biodistribution in terms of tissue migration and progressive clearance in breast-cancer bearing mice. The use of highly stable poly(methyl-methacrylate) NPs enabled us to track them for a long time in cells and animals. The application of this platform to other nanomaterials could provide innovative suggestions for the development of a systematic method of characterization to select the most reliable nanodrug candidates for biomedical applications.     

Hydrogel containing L-valine residues as a platform for cisplatin chemotherapy

Two acrylic hydrogels, of low cross-linking content and carrying the L-valine residues, were synthesized and studied as a platform to load and release the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. The platinum(II)-complex species showed a well-defined stoichiometric ratio in which two carboxylate groups of the collapsing gel coordinate a metal center; this was confirmed by FT-IR spectra. When loaded in water, a zero-order release rate of platinum(II)-species was shown in the physiologic solution (PBS, pH 7.40) for more than one week. Moreover, the amount of platinum(II)-species released from the hydrogel may be improved either by the cross-linking degree and by the temperature. Any increase of the cross-links results in a decreased slope of the straightline Pt(II)/gel (mg/g) versus time, whereas the increasing temperature results in a greater amount of platinum(II)-species in solution. The chemical- and swelling-controlled release are the main mechanisms supervising the whole release process. On the other hand, the loading of cisplatin and temsirolimus in DMF showed a characteristic two phase releasing pattern; the initial burst effect was always followed by the zero-order release rate for a week. In this case only a swelling-controlled mechanism was mainly invoked. The cytotoxic activity towards Me665/2/21 human melanoma cell line, afforded by the cisplatin-loaded hydrogel, was close and in some cases higher compared to the native cisplatin at the same concentration; an interesting synergy in term of cytotoxicity was observed when a combined treatment of temsirolimus and cisplatin was used, although temsirolimus exerted only a moderate inhibition of cell proliferation.