Micro- and Nanosecond Pulses Used in Doxorubicin Electrochemotherapy in Human Breast and Colon Cancer Cells with Drug Resistance

(1) Background: Pulsed electric field (PEF) techniques are commonly used to support the delivery of various molecules. A PEF seems a promising method for low permeability drugs or when cells demonstrate therapy resistance and the cell membrane becomes an impermeable barrier. (2) Methods: In this study, we have used doxorubicin-resistant and sensitive models of human breast cancer (MCF-7/DX, MCF-7/WT) and colon cancer cells (LoVo, LoVoDX). The study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of the cells to doxorubicin (DOX) and electric fields in the 20–900 ns pulse duration range. The viability assay was utilized to evaluate the PEF protocols’ efficacy. Cell confluency and reduced glutathione were measured after PEF protocols. (3) Results: The obtained results showed that PEFs significantly supported doxorubicin delivery and cytotoxicity after 48 and 72 h. The 60 kV/cm ultrashort pulses × 20 ns × 400 had the most significant cytotoxic anticancer effect. The increase in DOX concentration provokes a decrease in cell viability, affected cell confluency, and reduced GSSH when combined with the ESOPE (European Standard Operating Procedures of Electrochemotherapy) protocol. Additionally, reactive oxygen species after PEF and PEF-DOX were detected. (4) Conclusions: Ultrashort electric pulses with low DOX content or ESOPE with higher DOX content seem the most promising in colon and breast cancer treatment.     

Risk Taking: Gender Differences and Educational Opportunity

This article focuses on two issues related to educational opportunity: (1) the relationship between risk-taking behavior and mathematics performance, and (2) whether there are gender differences in risk-taking behavior. From a review of literature it was concluded that students who are greater risk-takers perform better on mathematics tests and that males are greater risk-takers than females. It follows, therefore, that males perform better on mathematics tests in which risk-taking plays a role. It was further concluded that these differences effect the opportunities that girls are afforded in their desires to attend college, the availablitity of scholarships, and their self-confidence in mathematics.     

New lacunar-type and pendant groups containing derivatives of β-unsubstituted dibenzotetraaza[14]annulenes—syntheses and crystal structures

Three new lacunar-type derivatives of β-unsubstituted dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene have been synthesized along with a range of their open-chain pendant group containing counterparts. The crystal structures of two representative products have been determined and the noncovalent interactions explored. A number of C-H?π and π?π interactions involving aliphatic chains and aromatic regions of the macrocycle have been evidenced. The relative ease and high yield of lacunization are suggested to be largely due to self-assembly processes, driven by favorable noncovalent interactions between reacting units.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel (9H‐fluoren‐9‐ylamino) carbonylaminomethylphosphonic acid

The new α‐aminophosphonic acids are synthesized, reacting (9H‐fluoren‐9‐yl)urea with formaldehyde and phosphorus trichloride. (9H‐Fluoren‐9‐yl)urea was prepared from spiro(fluoren‐9,4′‐imidazolidine)‐2′,5′‐dione by alkaline hydrolysis with Ba(OH)₂. The structure of the title compounds was proved by means of IR, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:719–722, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20500     

Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis for comparison of affinity and non-affinity based downstream processing of recombinant monoclonal antibody

Although Staphylococcus Protein A (SpA) affinity chromatography is the state of the art capture step for antibody purification, non-affinity methods are more economical. We used two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) to evaluate the purification of a recombinant IgG₁ antibody from cultured cells, with two different processes: (1) SpA capture followed by cation-exchange chromatography (CEX); and (2) CEX capture, followed by anion exchanger, then hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Efficiencies were similar in sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography; however, 2-D DIGE revealed higher efficiency with SpA than with CEX capture. Thus, 2-D DIGE is a valuable tool for downstream process development.     

Separation of matrix by means of biosorption for flow-injection chemiluminescent determination of trace amounts of Pt(IV) in natural waters

A novel flow-injection chemiluminescent (CL) method of determination of trace amounts of Pt(IV) based on its catalytic effect on the reaction of oxidation of luminol in alkaline solution is proposed. The method employs on-line separation of analyte on the column containing green algae Chlorella vulgaris immobilized on Cellex-T support. The application of biosorption process for elimination of interferences resulted in the increase in the tolerable matrix ions concentration by several orders of magnitude. The influence of dissolved organic matter on chemiluminescence of luminol was eliminated by means of a reversed phase C₁₈ column. Under optimized conditions the suitable selectivity, good sensitivity, and low limit of detection (LOD = 0.057 ng mL^− 1) of the method were obtained. The method was applied to the analysis of spiked river water samples.     

FTIR spectroscopic study of titanium-containing mesoporous silicate materials

The surface acidity of different mesoporous titanium-silicates, such as well-organized hexagonally packed Ti-MMM, Ti-MMM-2, Ti-SBA-15, and amorphous TiO(2)-SiO(2) mixed oxides (aerogels and xerogels), was studied by means of FTIR spectroscopy of CO adsorbed at 80 K and CD(3)CN adsorbed at 293 K. The surface hydroxyl groups of mesoporous titanium-silicates with 2-7 wt % Ti revealed a Br?nsted acidity slightly higher to that of pure silicate. TiO(2)-SiO(2) xerogels revealed the highest Br?nsted acidity among the titanium-silicates studied. CO adsorption revealed two additional sites on the surface in comparison to pure silicate, characterized by nu(CO) from 2185 (high pressure) to 2178 (low pressure) cm(-1) and from 2174 (high pressure) to 2170 (low pressure) cm(-1). These bands are due to CO adsorbed on isolated titanium cations in the silica surrounding or having one Ti(4+) cation in their second coordination sphere and due to CO interactions with Ti-OH groups, respectively. CD(3)CN adsorption similarly revealed the existence of two additional sites, which were not detected for pure silicate: at 2289 cm(-1) due to CD(3)CN interaction with titanol groups and from 2306 (low pressure) to 2300 (high pressure) cm(-1) due to acetonitrile interaction with isolated framework titanium cations with probably one Ti(4+) cation in their second coordination shell. The spectroscopic results are compared with computational data obtained on cluster models of titanium-silicate with different titanium content. According to the IR data, the Ti accessibility on the surfaces for mesoporous titanium-silicates with similar Ti loading (2 wt %) was found to fall in the order TiO(2)-SiO(2) aerogel approximately TiO(2)-SiO(2) xerogel > Ti-MMM approximately Ti-MMM-2 > Ti-SBA-15. This order (except TiO(2)-SiO(2) xerogel) correlates with the catalytic activity found previously for titanium-silicates in 2,3,6-trimethylphenol oxidation with H(2)O(2).     

Highly selective isomerization of N-allylamides and N-allylamines

A highly selective rhodium and ruthenium catalyzed transformation of N-allylamines and N-allylamides to the corresponding 1-propenyl derivatives is described. Strong E-selectivity in the isomerization of allylamines was observed. The first catalytic system containing a transition metal complex for Z-selective isomerization of allylamides is presented. An application of siliceous mesoporous cellular foams for effective removal of the catalyst from the post-reaction mixture is described.