Synthesis of simple heparanase substrates

Heparanase degrades heparan sulfate (HS) chains on proteoglycans; elevated levels of heparanase expression correlate with tumour cell metastatic potential and vascularity, and reduced post-operative survival of cancer patients. Consequently, heparanase expression is considered a biomarker for cancer detection. Although several heparanase assays have been developed, most require the preparation of heterogeneous, (radio)labelled HS substrates and rely on the separation of enzymatically-degraded products on the basis of molecular size. In studies directed towards the development of a more direct heparanase assay, a series of glucuronides and glycosyl glucuronides were synthesised as putative heparanase substrates. These compounds were designed with various aryl aglycones that could be measured spectrophotometrically upon hydrolysis of the glycosidic linkage by heparanase. It was found that the N-sulfated 4-nitrophenyl glycosyl glucuronide 24 and the N-sulfated methylumbelliferyl glycosyl glucuronide 26 were hydrolysed by recombinant human heparanase. These compounds represent the simplest substrates of heparanase reported to date.     

Chemical composition and in vitro activity of plant extracts from Ferula communis and Dittrichia viscosa against postharvest fungi

F. communis and D. viscosa are perennial Mediterranean weeds that have been used for different therapeutic purposes in traditional pharmacopeia. Plant extracts were obtained from air dried D. viscosa young shoots (DvA) and F. communis aerial part (FcA) and roots (FcR) with n-hexane. The chemical compositions of the extracts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD, LC-MS (ESI) and LC-Q-TOF techniques. Two sesquiterpene lactones (inuviscolide, tomentosin) and three sesquiterpene acids (costic acid, hydroxycostic acid, ilicic acid) were identified from the D. viscosa extract, while in F. communis extracts three daucane sesquiterpenes (acetoxyferutinin, oxojaeskeanadioyl anisate, fertidin) and one coumarin (ferulenol) derivates were found. Biological activities of plant extracts were studied in in vitro experiments on the colonies and conidia of Botryotinia fuckeliana, Penicillium digitatum, P. expansum, Monilinia laxa, M. fructigena and Aspergillus spp. Extracts showed varying degree of antifungal activities on colony growth and conidia germination. The extract from FcA showed the least effect, while DvA extract had the strongest fungitoxic effects. FcR extract presented a fungitoxic effect on the colony growth, but it was not able to inhibit the conidia germination. These distinctions can be attributed to the differences in chemical composition of plant extracts.     

Fatigue Effects in Elastic Materials with Variational Damage Models: A Vanishing Viscosity Approach

Journal of Nonlinear Science - We study the existence of quasistatic evolutions for a family of gradient damage models which take into account fatigue, that is the process of weakening in a...     

In Vitro Evaluation of Non‐Protein Adsorbing Breast Cancer Theranostics Based on 19F‐Polymer Containing Nanoparticles

Eight fluorinated nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized, loaded with doxorubicin (DOX), and evaluated as theranostic delivery platforms to breast cancer cells. The multifunctional NPs are formed by self‐assembly of either linear or star‐shaped amphiphilic block copolymers, with fluorinated segments incorporated in the hydrophilic corona of the carrier. The sizes of the NPs confirm that small circular NPs are formed. The release kinetics data of the particles reveals clear hydrophobic core dependence, with longer sustained release from particles with larger hydrophobic cores, suggesting that the DOX release from these carriers can be tailored. Viability assays and flow cytometry evaluation of the ratios of apoptosis/necrosis indicate that the materials are non‐toxic to breast cancer cells before DOX loading; however, they are very efficient, similar to free DOX, at killing cancer cells after drug encapsulation. Both flow cytometry and confocal microscopy confirm the cellular uptake of NPs and DOX‐NPs into breast cancer cells, and in vitro ¹⁹F‐MRI measurement shows that the fluorinated NPs have strong imaging signals, qualifying them as a potential in vivo contrast agent for ¹⁹F‐MRI.     

Flow injection preconcentration by chemofiltration and spectrophotometric determination of Gd

A new on-line Gd preconcentration and determination system associated to flow injection (FI) method was developed. 2,2′-(1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-disulfonaphthylene-2,7-bisazo) bisbenzenearsonic acid (Arsenazo III) was used as a complexing agent at pH 2.5. A reactor containing the polyamide membrane was used for the retention of the Gd complex by chemofiltration. The complex was then removed from the reactor with buffer solution pH 9. The variables affecting the combined on-line preconcentration-absorptiometric method have been evaluated and optimised. The coupling of the on-line preconcentration and spectrophotometric flow through detection led to a detection limit of 15 μg l⁻¹ for a preconcentration time of 5 min at 2 ml/min. The method was successfully applied to biological samples.     

Selective grafting of amine groups on polyethylene by means of NH3−H2 RF glow discharges

Plasma treatments in Radio Frequency Glow Discharges fed with NH₃−H₂ mixtures have been performed for modifying polyethylene surfaces. Treatment kinetics and the role of species present in the glow have been investigated. Actinometric Optical Emission Spectroscopy has been utilized as a plasma diagnostic technique. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis has been utilized for studying surface composition of treated substrates, which have been examined both astreated and after derivatization of amine-functionalities with 4-trifluoromethylbenzaldehyde vapors. It has been found that experimental plasma parameters and plasma density of active species can be controlled to achieve selective grafting of-NH₂ among all other nitrogen-containing groups.     

Determination of ethyl formate in magnesium chloride used as Ziegler-Natta catalyst support by Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance spectrometry

FT-IR Spectroscopy with total attenuated reflectance (ATR) was used for the quantitative determination of ethyl formate coordinated in inorganic matrices such as magnesium chloride. The spectra were recorded directly on solutions obtained by dissolving the inorganic Ziegler-Natta supports in water. The method proposed is sensitive and rapid and appears to be very reliable when compared with other methods, such as solvent extraction followed by gaschromatographic or thermogravimetric analysis.     

On the Decompositions of a Quantum State

We classify all the decompositions of a quantum state as a weighted sum of one dimensional projectors. In particular we describe explicitly the set of irreducible decompositions. The physical interest in this problem rests on the possibility of interpreting the decomposition in terms of a classical mixture.