Design of a Novel Composite H2S‐Releasing Hydrogel for Cardiac Tissue Repair

The design of 3D scaffolds is a crucial step in the field of regenerative medicine. Scaffolds should be degradable and bioresorbable as well as display good porosity, interconnecting pores, and topographic features; these properties favour tissue integration and vascularization. These requirements could be fulfilled by hybrid hydrogels using a combination of natural and synthetic components. Here, the mechanical and biological properties of a polyethylene glycol‐fibrinogen hydrogel (PFHy) are improved in order to favour the proliferation and differentiation of human Sca‐1^pos cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs). PFHys are modified by embedding air‐ or perfluorohexane‐filled bovine serum albumin microbubbles (MBs) and characterized. Changes in cell morphology are observed in MBs–PFHys, suggesting that MBs could enhance the formation of bundles of cells and influence the direction of the spindle growth. The properties of MBs as carriers of active macromolecules are also exploited. For the first time, enzyme‐coated MBs have been used as systems for the production of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)‐releasing scaffolds. Novel H₂S‐releasing PFHys are produced, which are able to improve the growth of hCPCs. This novel 3D cell–scaffold system will allow the assessment of the effects of H₂S on the cardiac muscle regeneration with its potential applications in tissue repair.

     

Cold denaturation of yeast frataxin offers the clue to understand the effect of alcohols on protein stability

Although alcohols are well-known to be protein denaturants when present at high concentrations, their effect on proteins at low concentrations is much less well characterized. In this paper, we present a study of the effects of alcohols on protein stability using Yfh1, the yeast ortholog of the human protein frataxin. Exploiting the unusual property of this protein of undergoing cold denaturation around 0 degrees C without any ad hoc destabilization, we determined the stability curve on the basis of both high and low temperature unfolding in the presence of three commonly used alcohols: trifluoroethanol, ethanol, and methanol. In all cases, we observed an extended temperature range of protein stability as determined by a modest increase of the high temperature of unfolding but an appreciable decrease in the low temperature of unfolding. On the basis of simple thermodynamic considerations, we are able to interpret the literature on the effects of alcohols on proteins and to generalize our findings. We suggest that alcohols, at low concentration and physiological pH, stabilize proteins by greatly widening the range of temperatures over which the protein is stable. Our results also clarify the molecular mechanism of the interaction and validate the current theoretical interpretation of the mechanism of cold denaturation.     

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sequences in a premixed laminar flame by on-line time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer in reflectron configuration has been used for the real-time detection of combustion products. The products of a premixed laminar C2H4/O2 flame at atmospheric pressure were sampled along its axis, diluted with inert gas and carried to the ion source as a molecular beam under minimal perturbation. Electron ionization and different optical ionization sources are compared. Photoionization was achieved with laser radiation from a Nd:YAG nanosecond pulsed laser at two different wavelengths in the UV range (266 and 355 nm). The mass spectra obtained using laser wavelength of 355 nm and electron ionization present a series of ions regularly spaced by 18 m/z units up to m/z 2000. This series allowed precise calibration of the instrument for compounds of high molecular weight. Information on the chemical nature of the analyzed species has been obtained by comparing mass spectra produced with different ionization methods. In order to better understand the growth mechanisms, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sequences have been analyzed by fast Fourier transform of the mass spectra.     

Rapid access to 1,6-anhydro-beta-L-hexopyranose derivatives via domino reaction: synthesis of L-allose and L-glucose

An expeditious and efficient synthesis of 1,6-anhydro-beta-L-hexopyranosyl derivatives 3 as valuable building blocks for the preparation of L-sugars is herein reported. This route relies upon the use of a domino reaction involving five synthetic steps from the 5,6-dihydro-1,4-dithiin 4. As 1,6-anhydro derivatives 3 are obtained, dithioethylene bridge removal and double-bond dihydroxylation give access to protected L-allose and L-glucose in stereoselective fashion and high yields.     

Use of itaconic acid-based polymers for solid-phase extraction of deoxynivalenol and application to pasta analysis

Molecular modelling and computational design were used to identify itaconic acid (IA) as a functional monomer with high affinity towards deoxynivalenol (DON), a Fusarium-toxin frequently occurring in cereals. IA-based polymers were photochemically synthesised in dimethyl formamide (porogen) using ethylenglycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker and 1,1′-azo-bis(cyclohexane carbonitrile) as initiator, and the relevant binding interactions with DON in solvents with different polarity were investigated. The performances of the non-imprinted IA-based polymer (blank polymer, BP) and the corresponding molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) were compared using DON as a template. Both BP and MIP were able to bind about 90% DON either in toluene, water or water containing 5% polyethylene glycol. Non-imprinted polymers with different molar ratios of IA to cross-linker were evaluated as adsorbents for solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up and pre-concentration of DON from wheat and pasta samples prior to HPLC analysis. Samples were extracted with PBS/0.1 M EDTA solution and cleaned up through a cartridge containing blank IA-based polymer. The column was washed with PBS (pH 9.2) and the toxin was eluted with methanol and quantified by reversed-phase HPLC with UV detector (λ = 220 nm), using methanol:water:acetic acid (15:85:0.1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. Effective removal of matrix interferences was observed only for pasta with DON recoveries higher than 70% (RSD < 7%, n = 3) at levels close to or higher than EU regulatory limit.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance and density-functional theory studies of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes

In this work we present the investigation of the influence of electronic and structural variations induced by varying the N,N'-bridge on the magnetic properties of Cu(II)- bis(oxamato) complexes. For this study the complexes [Cu(opba)] (2-) ( 1, opba = o-phenylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(nabo)] (2-) ( 2, nabo = 2,3-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(acbo)] (2-) ( 3, acbo = 2,3-anthrachinone- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(pba)] (2-) ( 4, pba = propylene- bis(oxamato)), [Cu(obbo)] (2-) ( 5, obbo = o-benzyl- bis(oxamato)), and [Cu(npbo)] (2-) ( 6, npbo = 1,8-naphthalene- bis(oxamato)), and the respective structurally isomorphic Ni(II) complexes ( 8- 13) have been prepared as ( (n)Bu 4N) (+) salts. The new complex ( (n)Bu 4N) 2[Cu(R-bnbo)].2H 2O ( 7, R-bnbo = (R)-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'- bis(oxamato)) was synthesized and is the first chiral complex in the series of Cu(II)-bis(oxamato) complexes. The molecular structure of 7 has been determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. The Cu(II) ions of the complexes 1- 7 are eta (4)(kappa (2) N, kappa (2) O) coordinated with a more or less distorted square planar geometry for 1- 6 and a distorted tetrahedral geometry for 7. Using pulsed Electron Nuclear Double Resonance on complex 6, detailed information about the relative orientation of the hyperfine ( A) and nuclear quadrupole tensors ( Q) of the coordinating nitrogens with respect to the g tensor were obtained. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance studies in the X, Q, and W-band at variable temperatures were carried out to extract g and A values of N ligands and Cu ion for 1- 7. The hyperfine values were interpreted in terms of spin population on the corresponding atoms. The obtained trends of the spin population for the monomeric building blocks were shown to correlate to the trends obtained in the dependence of the exchange interaction of the corresponding trinuclear complexes on their geometry.     

On the existence and uniqueness of minimizers for a class of integral functionals

We study the solvability of the minimization problem

Tumour markers workload of an university hospital laboratory two years after the redesign of the optical reading request forms

Tumour markers are traditionally requested in fixed panels more than on the basis of specific conditions or professional guidelines, wasting a large amount of resources with little or no benefit to the patients. In the summer 2004 the optical-reading requests form used by our laboratory was redesigned; the section “Apparatus” was added and since then tumour markers have been measured only if the specifically related organ has been simultaneously and coherently marked (e.g. liver when AFP is requested). The hospital clinical staff has been involved in the project and has been extensively informed through meetings and paper and electronic newsletters and messages. Thereafter, when the request form has not been correctly completed, a reminder has been electronically forwarded to the requesting physician asking for more information. In the first trimester of 2006, 30.9% fewer tumour markers were measured in inpatients than in the first trimester 2004 (e.g. AFP: −37.6%; CEA: −30.6%; CA 19-9: −43%; TPA: −36.6%); the decrease of outpatients requests in the same period was about 9.2%. Inpatients workload further decreased in 2006 versus 2005 while the outpatients workload increased. In conclusion, small administrative changes and an intensive information effort about appropriate requesting of tumour markers induced a relevant workload reduction in a short time. Presented at the Conference Quality in the Spotlight, March 2006, Antwerp, Belgium.