Stimuli Responsive Scaffolds Based on Carboxymethyl Starch and Poly(2‐Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate) for Anti‐Inflammatory Drug Delivery

The purpose of the study is to obtain multicomponent polyelectrolyte hydrogels with optimal synergistic properties by combining a modified starch with a synthetic one. Thus, new low‐cost and biocompatible semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) hydrogels of carboxymethyl starch and poly(2‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) are prepared and investigated. The synthesized hydrogels are studied with respect to the specific characteristics of the gels: swelling kinetics, thermal analysis, viscoelastic characteristics, and their ability to be used as a matrix in drug delivery systems. Therefore, the semi‐IPN gels are loaded with ibuprofen, followed by additional tests to assess the in vitro drug release. The cytocompatibility of the hydrogels with respect to their composition is evaluated in vitro on fibroblast cell culture. The investigations confirm the obtainment of new semi‐IPN hydrogels with pH and temperature responsiveness, good mechanical strength, and potential for use as drug delivery systems or transdermal patches.     

Synthesis,stereochemistry and adsorption studies of new spiranes and polyspiranes containing 1,2‐dithiolane units

The synthesis and stereochemistry of a series of new cyclic disulfides containing (poly)spirane 1,2‐dithiolane units are reported. Also included is a study of the self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these compounds on a gold surface. The characteristics of the resultant SAMs were determined by IR spectroscopy using molecular mechanics calculations.     

Nonisothermal decomposition kinetics of [CoC<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>·2.5H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O]<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>

The authors present their results concerning the decomposition in air of the homopolynuclear coordination compound [CoC₂O₄·2.5H₂O] _n . In the temperature range 20–300 °C, the heating curves TG, DTG and DTA allowed to evidence three decomposition steps. The kinetic analysis was performed on the second step which proved to be the only workable one. The application of nonlinear regression procedure shows that this is a complex process consisting in three successive steps. The checking of the mechanism and corresponding kinetic parameters for quasi-isothermal data (T = 150 °C) shows that the obtained results could be used for prediction of the thermal behaviour of the investigated compound in both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.     

Ganglioside analysis in body fluids by liquid-phase separation techniques hyphenated to mass spectrometry

The expression of gangliosides in central nervous system is a few times higher than in the extraneural tissue, a characteristic highlighting their major role at this level. Although in very low amounts, gangliosides are ubiquitously distributed in body fluids too, where, depending on many factors, including pathological states, their composition fluctuates, thus having diagnostic value. Ganglioside investigation in biological fluids, which, except for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), may be sampled noninvasively, was for years impeded by the limited sensitivity of the analytical instrumentation available in glycomics. However, because the last decade has witnessed significant developments in biological mass spectrometry (MS) and the hyphenated separation techniques, marked by a major increase in sensitivity, reproducibility, and data reliability, ganglioside research started to be focused on biofluid analysis by separation techniques coupled to MS. In this context, our review presents the achievements in this emerging field of gangliosidomics, with a particular emphasis on modern liquid chromatography (LC), thin-layer chromatography, hydrophilic interaction LC, and ion mobility separation coupled to high-performance MS, as well as the results generated by these systems and allied experimental procedures in profiling and structural analysis of gangliosides in healthy or diseased body fluids, such as CSF, plasma/serum, and milk.