The development of an integrated platform to identify breast cancer glycoproteome changes in human serum

Protein glycosylation represents one of the major post-translational modifications and can have significant effects on protein function. Moreover, changes in the carbohydrate structure are increasingly being recognized as an important modification associated with cancer etiology. In this report, we describe the development of a proteomics approach to identify breast cancer related changes in either concentration and/or the carbohydrate structures of glycoprotein(s) present in blood samples. Diseased and healthy serum samples were processed by an optimized sample preparation protocol using multiple lectin affinity chromatography (M-LAC) that partitions serum proteins based on glycan characteristics. Subsequently, three separate procedures, 1D SDS-PAGE, isoelectric focusing and an antibody microarray, were applied to identify potential candidate markers for future study. The combination of these three platforms is illustrated in this report with the analysis of control and cancer glycoproteomic fractions. Firstly, a molecular weight based separation of glycoproteins by 1D SDS-PAGE was performed, followed by protein, glycoprotein staining, lectin blotting and LC–MS analysis. To refine or confirm the list of interesting glycoproteins, isoelectric focusing (targeting sialic acid changes) and an antibody microarray (used to detect neutral glycan shifts) were selected as the orthogonal methods. As a result, several glycoproteins including alpha-1B-glycoprotein, complement C3, alpha-1-antitrypsin and transferrin were identified as potential candidates for further study.     

Evaluation of Three Software Programs for Calculating True-Coincidence Summing Correction Factors

True-coincidence summing correction is an essential element in k ₀-based NAA¹ and becomes important when samples are counted with a high efficiency detector. This may be the case where large detectors are used or where samples are counted in or in the vicinity of the detector in order to achieve low detection limits in conjunction with low-flux reactors. In some laboratories coincidence correction is accomplished by calculating the coincidence correction factors. Since experimental validation of the calculations will reveal only the most significant errors and is a laborious task due to the high number of radionuclides involved, three laboratories decided to compare their calculated coincidence factors. Each laboratory uses a different software package. A comparative performance analysis was made of COINCALC developed at the INW of the University of Gent (implemented in SOLCOI by DSM Research), the software of the IRI, University of Delft, the Netherlands, and the software of the Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada. The overall approach, data and algorithms were chosen independently by each institute as the software was being developed and, so, the comparison has yielded a number of interesting conclusions. A follow-up investigation of the discrepancies found will probably allow the performance of each program to be improved.     

Multidentate ligands for the synthesis of multi-metallic complexes

The reaction of the Schiff base species tris-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)aminoethyl)-amine (TrenSal) and tris-((2-hydroxy-5-bromobenzylidene)aminoethyl)amine (Tren5BrSal) with the acetates of nickel and zinc are reported. Two trimetallic complexes (M₃L₂) of Tren5BrSal with nickel and zinc have been crystallographically characterised. The attempted crystallisation of bis-(tris-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)aminoethyl)amine nickel) nickel from solutions containing TMEDA lead to the production of two novel complexes: namely a nickel adduct of the partially hydrolysed TrenSal ligand and an interesting nickel bromide–carbonate salt. [(TrenSal)₂Ni₃] is reacted with PbCl₂ to form a novel tetrametallic complex, [{(TrenSal)Ni}Pb(NC₅H₅)Cl]₂, where a Pb₂Cl₂ moiety replaces the nickel at the core of the complex. Extending the study to include the related hexadentate ligand, 1,1,1-tris-((2-hydroxybenzylidene)-aminomethyl)propane (TEtSal), we were able to isolate and characterise both [(TEtSal)₂Ni₃] and [{(TEtSal)Ni}₂Pb].     

The deconfining phase transition in lattice quantum chromodynamics

We present a large-scale Monte Carlo calculation of the deconfining phase transition temperature in lattice quantum chromodynamics without fermions. Using the Wilson action, the transition temperature as a function of the lattice couplingg is consistent with scaling behavior dictated by the perturbativeα function for 6/g²>6.15. Speaker at the conference; on leave from CRIP, Budapest.     

Unusual thermal conductivity of the negative thermal expansion material, ZrW2O8

In order to investigate the relationship between negative thermal expansion and other thermal properties, the thermal conductivity of the α-phase of ZrW₂O₈ has been determined from 1.9 to 390 K. In addition, the heat capacity was measured from 1.9 to 300 K. The thermal conductivity of ZrW₂O₈ is low, glass-like and close to its theoretical minimum value. The phonon-phonon coupling of the highly anharmonic low-frequency modes which are responsible for negative thermal expansion in ZrW₂O₈ appears to be highly efficient, leading to short phonon mean free paths and exceptionally low thermal conductivity.