A proteomic approach to investigate potential biomarkers directed against membrane-associated breast cancer proteins

The identification of specific protein markers for breast cancer would provide the basis for early diagnosis. Particularly, membrane and membrane-associated proteins are rich in targets for antibodies that may constitute suitable biomarkers of carcinogenesis. However, membrane proteins separation using 2-DE remains difficult. In this work, the breast cancer cell line MCF7 was used as source of proteins for the screening of potential cell membrane-associated antigens recognized by autoantibodies in patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers. The protein extract obtained using trifluoroethanol (TFE) as cosolvent was compared to a total cell lysate protein extract prepared by a current technique. After 2-DE separation of the two extracts, their protein patterns clearly differed. About 63% of the proteins identified in the TFE-extract were predicted to possess at least one transmembrane domain. 2-D blots probed with sera from cancer patients or from healthy volunteers showed that, as expected, additional antigens were provided in the TFE-extract. Thus, the method described here appeared well suited for proteomic investigation of potential biomarkers undetected by current techniques.     

On the Lipschitz character of orthotropic <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-harmonic functions

We prove that local weak solutions of the orthotropic p-harmonic equation are locally Lipschitz, for every \(p\ge 2\) and in every dimension. More generally, the result holds true for more degenerate equations with orthotropic structure, with right-hand sides in suitable Sobolev spaces.     

Weak approximation by bounded Sobolev maps with values into complete manifolds

We have recently introduced the trimming property for a complete Riemannian manifold $N^n$ as a necessary and sufficient condition for bounded maps to be strongly dense in $W^{1,p}(B^m;N^n)$ when $p\in \{1,\dots ,m\}$. We prove in this note that, even under a weaker notion of approximation, namely the weak sequential convergence, the trimming property remains necessary for the approximation in terms of bounded maps. The argument involves the construction of a Sobolev map having infinitely many analytical singularities going to infinity.     

Synthesis of 1H-imidazo[3′,4′:4,5]thieno[2,3-b]pyridines. A new ring system

A facile and convenient synthesis of the title compounds is described, using as starting materials the 2-nitro-3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridines. Mass spectral data of the above mentioned compounds are briefly discussed.     

Capture of Gaseous Iodine in Isoreticular Zirconium-Based UiO-n Metal-Organic Frameworks: Influence of Amino Functionalization,DFT Calculations,Raman and EPR Spectroscopic Investigation

A series of Zr-based UiO-n MOF materials (n=66, 67, 68) have been studied for iodine capture. Gaseous iodine adsorption was collected kinetically from a home-made set-up allowing the continuous measurement of iodine content trapped within UiO-n compounds, with organic functionalities (−H, −CH₃, −Cl, −Br, −(OH)₂, −NO₂, −NH₂, (−NH₂)₂, −CH₂ NH₂) by in-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy. This study emphasizes the role of the amino groups attached to the aromatic rings of the ligands connecting the {Zr₆O₄(OH)₄} brick. In particular, the preferential interaction of iodine with lone-pair groups, such as amino functions, has been experimentally observed and is also based on DFT calculations. Indeed, higher iodine contents were systematically measured for amino-functionalized UiO-66 or UiO-67, compared to the pristine material (up to 1211 mg/g for UiO-67-(NH₂)₂). However, DFT calculations revealed the highest computed interaction energies for alkylamine groups (−CH₂NH₂) in UiO-67 (−128.5 kJ/mol for the octahedral cavity), and pointed out the influence of this specific functionality compared with that of an aromatic amine. The encapsulation of iodine within the pore system of UiO-n materials and their amino-derivatives has been analyzed by UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopy. We showed that a systematic conversion of molecular iodine (I₂) species into anionic I⁻ ones, stabilized as I⁻⋅⋅⋅I₂ or I₃⁻ complexes within the MOF cavities, occurs when I₂@UiO-n samples are left in ambient light.     

Time-Delay for Two-Compartment Models Used for Study of Enterohepatic Circulation of Drugs

A two-component model with time lag was proposed to describe pharmacokinetics of drugs subject to enterohepatic circulation. An analytic expansion of the amount of drug, at any time, in the central compartment after an intravenous bolus, or an oral intake, or a constant infusion, from a zero or nonzero equilibrium is given. By computer simulations, plasma level profiles are obtained and lead to rebounds and secondary peaks, according to experimental evidences.     

Performance of fully variable demand assignment SS/TDMA satellite systems

Fully variable demand assignment in a SS/TDMA satellite system requires frequent burst time plan changes with reconfiguration of the on-board switch matrix state sequence. The burst managment presented in this paper assumes that bursts are not reconfigurated into new bursts during such burst time plan changes but merely shifted in time. The performance of this burst management procedure as obtained from simulations over three different networks is reported in terms of throughput gains, required signalling capacity and time required to change burst time plan.     

Photocrosslinking of elastomer systems—III Ultraviolet light induced reactions in EPDM and EPR blended with or modified by grafting of derivatives of benzophenone

Photocrosslinking experiments were performed in elastomeric polymer films (EPR or EPDM) that either contained benzophenone or some of its derivatives, or had been previously modified (EPDM) by grafting of benzophenone. This latter modification was performed by a series of Friedel-Crafts reactions. The resulting materials were characterized by i.r. and u.v. spectroscopy in conjunction with physical property measurements. The results allowed relationships between the properties of the photosensitizers in their excited states and their efficiency in the crosslinking processes to be established. The results suggest that each coupled polymer-photoinitiator exhibits a particular behaviour. Thus it appeared that, in the presence of oxygen, the hexadiene branches of the terpolymer can undergo various types of reactions. Moreover, the grafting of the photosensitizer onto the elastomer backbone was shown to enhance considerably the crosslinking reaction. It is possible to conclude that oxygen plays a substantial role in the photocrosslinking. Indeed it always enhances crosslink formation. It can be assumed that the photooxidation of the polymer backbone yields alkoxy and hydroperoxy radicals which can act as crosslink sites.     

Hydroperoxides as intermediates responsible for wavelength effects in photooxidation reactions

A quantitative study of a model elastomer was performed to gain a deeper insight into photooxidation processes. Since the twofold role of hydroperoxides as excited sensitizer quenchers, and radical initiators has been amply demonstrated, we described the mechanism of energy transfer to repulsive excited states of these substances and quantitatively determined their distribution in the polymeric material, according to their reactivity. In addition, two irradiation wavelengths (λ = 254 nm and λ = 313 nm) were used to demonstrate that behavior of hydroperoxides depends on the nature and the concentration of excited chromophoric groups and accounts for the macroscopic wavelength effect usually observed in the photooxidation of polymers.     

Automating proteome analysis: improvements in throughput, quality and accuracy of protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting

The use of robots has major effects on maximizing the proteomic workflow required in an increasing number of high-throughput projects and on increasing the quality of the data. In peptide mass finger printing (PMF), automation of steps downstream of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is essential. To achieve this goal, the workflow must be fluid. We have developed tools using macros written in Microsoft Excel and Word to complete the automation of our platform. Additionally, because sample preparation is crucial for identification of proteins by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry, we optimized a sandwich method usable by any robot for spotting digests on a MALDI target. This procedure enables further efficient automated washing steps directly on the MALDI target. The success rate of PMF identification was evaluated for the automated sandwich method, and for the dried-droplet method implemented on the robot as recommended by the manufacturer. Of the two methods, the sandwich method achieved the highest identification success rate and sequence coverage of proteins.