Pharmacokinetic analysis of multi PEG–theophylline conjugates

In the attempt of prolonging the effect of drugs, a new branched, high-molecular weight multimeric poly(ethylene glycol) (MultiPEG), synthesized with a simple assembling procedure that devised the introduction of functional groups with divergent and selective reactivity, was employed as drug carrier. In particular, the attention was focused on the study of theophylline (THEO) and THEO-MultiPEG conjugates pharmacokinetic after oral administration in rabbit. Pharmacokinetic behavior was studied according to an ad hoc developed mathematical model accounting for THEO-MultiPEG in vivo absorption and decomposition into drug (THEO) and carrier (MultiPEG). The branched high-molecular weight MultiPEG proved to be a reliable drug delivery system able to prolong theophylline staying in the blood after oral administration of a THEO-MultiPEG solution. The analysis of experimental data by means of the developed mathematical model revealed that the prolongation of THEO effect was essentially due to the low THEO-MultiPEG permeability in comparison to that of pure THEO.     

Microtiterplate phosphate assay based on luminescence quenching of a terbium complex amenable to decay time detection

We describe a terbium-ligand complex (TbL) for a microtiterplate assay for phosphate (P) in the 0.3-100 μmol L⁻¹ range based on luminescence quenching. As the pH optimum is at neutral pH (7.4) the probe is quenched by both, primary (H₂PO₄⁻) and secondary phosphate (HPO₄²⁻). The LOD is 110 nmol L⁻¹. A Stern-Volmer study revealed that quenching is mostly static. Due to the ms-decay time of TbL, the first luminescence lifetime assay for phosphate could also be developed. The lifetime-based calibration plot is linear between 0.5 and 5 μmol L⁻¹ of P. The effect of various surfactants on assay performance and a study on interferents are presented. The probe was successfully applied to determination of P in commercial plant fertilizers and validated against the molybdenum blue test. The probe is the most sensitive lanthanide-based probe for phosphate.     

CE detection of N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N‐carbodiimide/N‐hydroxysuccinimide‐coupled proteins after homo‐ and hetero‐crosslinking reactions

Protein–protein conjugates formed by carbodiimide crosslinking reactions have been analyzed for the first time using CE. Lysozyme and BSA were chosen as model proteins to study the efficacy of N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N‐ethylcarbodiimide and N‐hydroxysuccinimide as crosslinkers. Detection of the molecular mass increase was checked by SDS‐PAGE. Commercially available, PVA‐coated capillaries showed appropriate selection, while phospho‐deactivated and dynamic PVA‐coated capillaries did not give suitable resolution. CE was found to be an efficient tool to characterize homo‐ (lysozyme–lysozyme) and hetero‐ (lysozyme–BSA) protein coupling by suitable variations of electrophoretic mobilities.     

All-fiber micromachined microcell

This Letter presents an open-path, all-fiber microcell and a micromachining method for its production. The proposed micromachining method utilizes the selective etching of a purposely designed phosphorus-doped fiber that is spliced in between two standard lead-in fibers. Microcells with various open optical-path lengths were successfully demonstrated. The proposed microcell can be used as a transmission cell or as a miniature Fabry-Perot resonator. The transmission losses and fringe contrast were experimentally investigated over a range of prototype microcells with different lengths. For example, the insertion losses below 1 dB were demonstrated for 50 μm or shorter open path prototype microcells, when immersed in dematerialized water.     

Persistent centers of complex systems

On the basis of some works on persistent centers and weakly persistent centers, in this paper we discuss a generalized version of persistent center and weakly persistent center for complex planar differential systems, in which conjugacy of variables may not be required. We give some complex systems which have a persistent center or weakly persistent center at the origin. Then, we find all conditions of persistent center for cubic systems and all conditions of weakly persistent center for complex cubic Lotka–Volterra system. Relations between complex systems and real ones are given concerning persistent centers and weakly persistent centers.     

Continuous multiplicative mappings on

Let and be compact Hausdorff topological spaces, and let and be real Banach algebras of all real-valued continuous functions on and , respectively. The general form of continuous multiplicative mappings is given.

     

Daisy cubes and distance cube polynomial

Let $X\subseteq {\{0,1\}}^n$. The daisy cube $Q_n\left(X\right)$ is introduced as the subgraph of $Q_n$ induced by the union of the intervals $I(x,0^n)$ over all $x\in X$. Daisy cubes are partial cubes that include Fibonacci cubes, Lucas cubes, and bipartite wheels. If $u$ is a vertex of a graph $G$, then the distance cube polynomial $D_{G,u}(x,y)$ is introduced as the bivariate polynomial that counts the number of induced subgraphs isomorphic to $Q_k$ at a given distance from the vertex $u$. It is proved that if $G$ is a daisy cube, then $D_{G,0^n}(x,y)=C_G(x+y-1)$, where $C_G\left(x\right)$ is the previously investigated cube polynomial of $G$. It is also proved that if $G$ is a daisy cube, then $D_{G,u}(x,-x)=1$ holds for every vertex $u$ in $G$.     

Phase morphology of iPP/aPS/SEP blends

Supermolecular structure and phase morphology of the ternary isotactic polypropylene/atactic polystyrene/poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-propylene) (iPP/aPS/SEP) compression molded blends with 100/0, 90/10, 70/30, and 50/50 iPP/aPS weight ratios and with different amounts of added SEP compatibilizer were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). SEP significantly reduced the size of dispersed aPS particles that enabled better spherulitization in the iPP matrix. Furthermore, iPP spherulites in ternary blends with 90/10 iPP/aPS weight ratio became larger in comparison with the pure iPP. TEM revealed that the SEP formed continuous interface layer around the dispersed aPS particles even when only 2.5 wt.% of SEP was added. Particle size distribution was distinctly bimodal. When the SEP content was increased to 10 wt.%, joining together smaller and bigger aPS and SEP particles formed dispersed aggregates. Additionally, both amorphous components (aPS and SEP) influenced crystallization process of iPP matrix and so modified, to some extent, its final supermolecular structure. SEP compatibilizer did not significantly affect crystallite orientation. The increase of crystallite sizes, which was more affected by the addition of aPS than by the addition of SEP, seemed to be influenced by the solidification effect rather than by the phase morphology of the blends.     

Probing the Polarity of Sol-Gels and Ormosils via the Absorption of Nile Red

Conventional sol-gels are rather hydrophilic. A more hydrophobic material is obtained preparing organically modified siloxanes (ormosils). The polarity-sensitive probe Nile Red (NR) was doped in various sol-gels to probe their micro-polarity. The experiments show that the NR is an excellent probe and sensitive to the polarity of its microenvironment. Spectroscopic studies reveal remarkable changes in the absorption band positions and intensities as a function of the polarity of the sol-gel, which depends on the different precursors used. Furthermore, sol aging, gelation and temporal stability as a function of different ormosils have been investigated.