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Polyethylene Oxide (polyethylene + oxide)
Selected AbstractsEffect of polyethylene oxide,polyethylene glycol content and humidity on performance of electro-active paper actuators based on cellulose/polyethylene oxide,polyethylene glycol microcompositePOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Suresha K. Mahadeva The effect of humidity and polyethylene oxide (PEO),polyethylene glycol (PEG) content on the actuator performance of cellulose/PEO,PEG microcomposites was studied. Upon blending 5% PEO,PEG, the maximum bending displacement of the actuator increased nearly twice compared to that of cellulose EAPap actuator. However, further increase of PEO,PEG content resulted in decreased actuator performance. This might be due to the increased intermolecular interaction by hydrogen bonding that reduces the mobility of the molecules. The actuator performance test showed that the increase in humidity level rather reduced the maximum displacement of the actuators. X-ray diffractogram and Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis suggested a structural change of the microcomposites as well as disruption of cellulose/PEO,PEG association attributed to the actuator performance degradation at high humidity level. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] Use of coated capillaries for the electrophoretic separation of stereoisomers of a growth hormone secretagogueELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 21 2009Reine Nehmé Abstract The diastereoisomeric separation of peptidomimetics of hexarelin, a strong growth hormone secretagogue, in CE has been studied. Highly sulfated-,-CD was found to be an appropriate selector for the separation of the stereoisomers. However, non-repeatable analyses were obtained on bare fused silica capillary due to the progressive adsorption of the analytes on the capillary wall. Two types of polyelectrolyte coating agents were tested to prevent this phenomenon. Coating with neutral polyethylene oxide was found to be efficient but resulted in a very long analysis time (about 40,min). Coating with cationic poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride was found both to prevent analyte adsorption, reduce analysis time and alter separation selectivity. EOF measurement revealed that the highly sulfated-,-CDs were strongly adsorbed on the poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride coating surface yielding a stable strong cathodic EOF, which considerably reduced analysis time (about 12,min). Very good repeatability of analysis was obtained (RSDmigration time<1%). [source] Analyzing and monitoring of phage,bacteria interaction using CEELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 20 2009Esra Acar Soykut Abstract The utilization of CE for monitoring bacteria,phage interaction was investigated in this study. Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus strains and their phages were used as model bacteria and phages for the purpose of validation in this study. CE with heterogeneous polymer polyethylene oxide was utilized for the separation of intact bacteria and investigation of phage,bacteria interaction. An intact phage detection was carried out with CZE by adding SDS in the running buffer. Calibration graphs of bacteria and phages were obtained with R2 values of 0.963 and 0.937, respectively. S. thermophilus strain was infected with its virulent phage B3-X18 for investigation of phage,bacteria interaction. It was observed in capillary electropherogram that the culture was lysed depending on the multiplicity of infection value and it showed to be completely lysed when the multiplicity of infection value was 10. The interaction of S. thermophilus strain with L. bulgaricus phage was also investigated by using a CE and a microbiological method and it was observed that the L. bulgaricus phage attached itself to the cell wall of S. thermophilus strain without damaging the cell. [source] Influence of stability on the acute toxicity of CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals to Daphnia magnaENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2010Heather E. Pace Abstract The acute toxicity of polymer-coated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) to Daphnia magna was investigated using 48-h exposure studies. The principal objective was to relate the toxicity of QDs to specific physical and chemical aspects of the QD. As such, two different CdSe core diameters, 2,nm QDs (green-emitting) and 5,nm QDs (red-emitting), and two different surface coatings, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) were studied. The QDs were characterized before and after the 48-h exposure using fluorescence, ultrafiltrations (3 kDa), and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) metal analysis. In addition, flow field flow fractionation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (Fl FFF-ICP-MS) was used as a more extensive characterization technique to determine particle size and composition as well as identify other potential constituents in the QD solutions. The more stable QDs (PEO) were found to be less acutely toxic than the QDs with accelerated dissolution (MUA), suggesting QD stability has significant impact on the nanoparticles' short-term toxicity. The emergence of dissolved Cd2+ in solution indicates that the toxicity of the MUA QDs is likely due to Cd poisoning, and a mass-based dose response occurred as a consequence of this mode of action. Alternatively, the PEO QDs caused acute toxicity without observed particle dissolution (i.e., no detectable metals were solubilized), suggesting an alternative mode of toxic action for these nanoparticles. Results of the present study suggest that using particle number, instead of mass, as a dose metric for the PEO QDs, produces markedly different conclusions, in that smaller core size does not equate to greater toxicity. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:1338,1344. © 2010 SETAC [source] An X-ray Spectromicroscopy Study of Albumin Adsorption to Crosslinked Polyethylene Oxide Films,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 5 2010Bonnie O. Leung Abstract Synchrotron-based X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM) is used to characterize the near surface composition of polyethylene oxide (PEO) combined with 1.5, 5, and 10,wt.-% pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) crosslinker. It is found that as the concentration of PETA increases, it becomes the dominant component in the top 10,nm of the film surface. The same surfaces are also exposed to human serum albumin (HSA) and the distributions of the protein relative to PEO and PETA measured with X-PEEM. A positive correlation is found between levels of PETA and HSA at the surface. Above PETA concentrations of 5,wt.-%, HSA adsorption is significant, which suggests high levels of PETA (often used to immobilize PEO by crosslinking) can significantly reduce the non-fouling properties of PEO. [source] Porous Polymersomes with Encapsulated Gd-Labeled Dendrimers as Highly Efficient MRI Contrast AgentsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 23 2009Zhiliang Cheng Abstract The use of nanovesicles with encapsulated Gd as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents has largely been ignored due to the detrimental effects of the slow water exchange rate through the vesicle bilayer on the relaxivity of encapsulated Gd. Here, the facile synthesis of a composite MR contrast platform is described; it consists of dendrimer conjugates encapsulated in porous polymersomes. These nanoparticles exhibit improved permeability to water flux and a large capacity to store chelated Gd within the aqueous lumen, resulting in enhanced longitudinal relaxivity. The porous polymersomes, ,130,nm in diameter, are produced through the aqueous assembly of the polymers, polyethylene oxide- b -polybutadiene (PBdEO), and polyethylene oxide- b -polycaprolactone (PEOCL). Subsequent hydrolysis of the caprolactone (CL) block resulted in a highly permeable outer membrane. To prevent the leakage of small Gd-chelate through the pores, Gd was conjugated to polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers via diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid dianhydride (DTPA dianhydride) prior to encapsulation. As a result of the slower rotational correlation time of Gd-labeled dendrimers, the porous outer membrane of the nanovesicle, and the high Gd payload, these functional nanoparticles are found to exhibit a relaxivity (R1) of 292 109,mM,1,s,1 per particle. The polymersomes are also found to exhibit unique pharmacokinetics with a circulation half-life of >3.5,h and predominantly renal clearance. [source] New Approach Toward Fast Response Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells Based on Neutral Iridium Complexes via Cation TransportADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 5 2009Tae-Hyuk Kwon Abstract Here, a new method is presented to increase the turn-on time and stability of light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). To this end, a neutral iridium complex (5) containing a pendant Na+ ion that is generally known to have a faster mobility in the solid film than bulky anions is introduced, instead of the classic ionic transition metal complex (iTMC) with counter anion (7). Synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical studies of these complexes are reported. In the device configuration of ITO/5 or 7+PEO (polyethylene oxide) (100,110,nm)/Au, as the voltage increases, complex 5 emits red light at ,3.6,V while complex 7 appears at ,5.6,V, although their electrochemical and photophysical gap are similar. Furthermore, at constant voltage, ,3,V, the turn-on time of complex 5 was less than 0.5,min, which is a 60-fold faster turn-on time compared to the iTMC (7) with PF6,. These results are presumably due to the faster delivery of the Na+ ions to the electrode compared to PF6, ions. Also, the device lifetime of complex 5 exhibits a six-fold increase in stability and a three-fold shorter time to reach maximum brightness at constant bias compared to the device made with complex 7. [source] Determination of primary bond scissions by mass spectrometric analysis of ultrasonic degradation products of poly(ethylene oxide- block -propylene oxide) copolymersJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 7 2010Takehiro Watanabe Abstract Ultrasonic degradation of poly(ethylene oxide- block -propylene oxide) copolymers consisting of a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic portion was studied with the aim to determine the location of bonds involved in the initial scission of the copolymers. LC,APCI-IT-MS and LC,APCI-orbitrap-MS were used for the detailed structural analysis of degradation products. The results indicated that initial bond scissions occurred principally at the boundary regions between backbones of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polypropylene oxide (PPO) chains. Further structural analysis revealed the presence of oxygen adducts in the degradation products. Comparison with a thermal degradation carried out in helium atmosphere, one can conclude that the oxygen adducts are formed by radical reaction with water or dissolving oxygen molecules. The study demonstrated that chemical reactions as well as physical bond stress scissions are involved in the ultrasonic degradation of the copolymers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Long-range and short-range mechanisms of hydrophobic attraction and hydrophilic repulsion in specific and aspecific interactionsJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 4 2003Carel Jan van Oss Abstract Among the three different non-covalent forces acting in aqueous media, i.e. Lifshitz,van der Waals (LW), Lewis acid,base (AB) and electrical double layer (EL) forces, the AB forces or electron,acceptor/electron,donor interactions are quantitatively by far the predominant ones. A subset of the AB forces acting in water causes the hydrophobic effect, which is the attraction caused by the hydrogen-bonding (AB) free energy of cohesion between the water molecules which surround all apolar as well as polar molecules and particles when they are immersed in water. As the polar energy of cohesion among water molecules is an innate property of water, the hydrophobic attraction (due to the hydrophobic effect) is unavoidably always present in aqueous media and has a value of ,Ghydrophobic,=,,102,mJ/m2, at 20,°C, being equal to the AB free energy of cohesion between the water molecules at that temperature. The strong underlying hydrophobic attraction due to this effect can, however, be surmounted by very hydrophilic molecules and particles that attract water molecules more strongly than the free energy of attraction of these molecules or particles for one another, plus the hydrogen-bonding free energy of cohesion between the water molecules, thus resulting in a net non-electrical double layer repulsion. Each of the three non-covalent forces, LW, AB or EL, any of which can be independently attractive or repulsive, decays, dependent on the circumstances, as a function of distance according to different rules. These rules, following an extended DLVO (XDLVO) approach, are given, as well as the measurement methods for the LW, AB and EL surface thermodynamic properties, determined at ,contact'. The implications of the resulting hydrophobic attractive and hydrophilic repulsive free energies, as a function of distance, are discussed with respect to specific and aspecific interactions in biological systems. The discussion furnishes a description of the manner by which shorter-range specific attractions can surmount the usually much stronger long-range aspecific repulsion, and ends with examples of in vitro and in vivo effects of hydrophilization of biopolymers, particles or surfaces by linkage with polyethylene oxide (PEO; also called polyethylene glycol, PEG). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Polymeric systems for amorphous ,9 -tetrahydrocannabinol produced by a hot-melt method.JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 11 2006Part II: Effect of oxidation mechanisms, chemical interactions on stability Abstract The objectives of the present research investigations were to (i) elucidate the mechanism for the oxidative degradation of ,9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in polymer matrix systems prepared by a hot-melt fabrication procedure, and (ii) study the potential for controlling these mechanisms to reduce the degradation of THC in solid dosage formulations. Various factors considered and applied included drug-excipient compatibility, use of antioxidants, cross-linking in polymeric matrices, microenvironment pH, and moisture effect. Instability of THC in polyethylene oxide (PEO)-vitamin E succinate (VES) patches was determined to be due to chemical interaction between the drug and the vitamin as well as with the atmospheric oxygen. Of the different classes and mechanisms of antioxidants studied, quenching of oxygen by reducing agents, namely, ascorbic acid was the most effective in stabilizing THC in PEO-VES matrices. Only 5.8% of the drug degraded in the ascorbic acid-containing patch as compared to the control (31.6%) after 2 months of storage at 40°C. This coupled with the cross-linking extent and adjustment of the pH microenvironment, which seemed to have an impact on the THC degradation, might be effectively utilized towards stabilization of the drug in these polymeric matrices and other pharmaceutical dosage forms. These studies are relevant to the development of a stable transmucosal matrix system for the therapeutic delivery of amorphous THC. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 95:2473,2485, 2006 [source] Amphiphilic silicones prepared from branched PEO-silanes with siloxane tethersJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 18 2010Ranjini Murthy Abstract Amphiphilic silicones were prepared by the covalent incorporation of branched polyethylene oxide (PEO) via a siloxane tether. This was achieved by using six novel branched PEO-silanes with varying siloxane tether lengths and PEO molecular weight (Mn). Each PEO-silane was crosslinked via acid-catalyzed sol,gel condensation with ,,,-bis(Si-OH)polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (Mn = 3000 g/mol) to yield six amphiphilic silicone films. Film surface hydrophilicity increased with siloxane tether length, particularly after exposure to an aqueous environment, indicating that the PEO segments were more readily driven to the surface. This effect was more pronounced for films prepared with PEO-silanes containing lower Mn PEO segments. AFM was used to study surface reconstruction of films upon exposure to an aqueous environment. Adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human fibrinogen (HF) proteins decreased with siloxane tether length, particularly after first exposing films to an aqueous environment. For a given siloxane tether length, relatively less BSA adsorbed onto films prepared with PEO-silanes with lower Mn PEO segments whereas less HF adsorbed onto films prepared with PEO-silanes with higher Mn PEO segments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4108,4119, 2010 [source] Hydrophilization of polypropylene films by using migratory additivesJOURNAL OF VINYL & ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Siqiang Zhu Linear and branched hydrophilic additives of various molecular weights (MWs) were extruded with polypropylene (PP) to make blend films. The surface-modifying additives included polyethylene glycol (PEG), hydroxyl-terminated four-arm polyethylene oxide (PEO), and a commercial hydrophilic additive, Irgasurf HL560. Films were extruded by using a twin-screw microcompounder at 200°C, and the resulting film thickness was 100 ,m. Attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR spectrometry and water contact angle measurements were performed on the film surfaces over time to investigate the additive migration behavior. Although ATR-FTIR detected concentration increases for all additives in the subsurface region, there was no significant improvement in surface hydrophilicity for the PEGs and four-arm PEOs in the same period of time as water contact angles were measured on the surfaces. Among the linear additives, low MW PEG (1 kDa) was found to migrate faster than the high MW varieties. The linear PEG and four-arm PEO with MW higher than 2 kDa did not exhibit significant migration to the surface within a month. Irgasurf was found to change the surface wettability effectively in a relatively short time. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 13:57,64, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source] Transparent and Conductive Polyethylene Oxide Film by the Introduction of Individualized Single-Walled Carbon NanotubesMACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 24 2009Yong Chae Jung Abstract It is demonstrated that an optically transparent and electrically conductive polyethylene oxide (PEO) film is fabricated by the introduction of individualized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The incorporated SWNTs in the PEO film sustain their intrinsic electronic and optical properties and, in addition, the intrinsic properties of the polymer matrix are retained. The individualized SWNTs with smaller diameter provide high transmittance as well as good electrical conductivity in PEO films. [source] Effect of polyethylene oxide,polyethylene glycol content and humidity on performance of electro-active paper actuators based on cellulose/polyethylene oxide,polyethylene glycol microcompositePOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Suresha K. Mahadeva The effect of humidity and polyethylene oxide (PEO),polyethylene glycol (PEG) content on the actuator performance of cellulose/PEO,PEG microcomposites was studied. Upon blending 5% PEO,PEG, the maximum bending displacement of the actuator increased nearly twice compared to that of cellulose EAPap actuator. However, further increase of PEO,PEG content resulted in decreased actuator performance. This might be due to the increased intermolecular interaction by hydrogen bonding that reduces the mobility of the molecules. The actuator performance test showed that the increase in humidity level rather reduced the maximum displacement of the actuators. X-ray diffractogram and Fourier transform infrared spectrum analysis suggested a structural change of the microcomposites as well as disruption of cellulose/PEO,PEG association attributed to the actuator performance degradation at high humidity level. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] Emulsion electrospinning: composite fibers from drop breakup during electrospinningPOLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, Issue 7 2008Melissa Angeles Abstract We evaluate the feasibility of electrospinning oil-in-water type emulsions. The emulsions had an aqueous solution of polyethylene oxide (PEO) as the continuous phase, and either mineral oil or a polystyrene (PS) in toluene solution as the drop phase. The Taylor cones and electrified liquid jets were stable even when the emulsion drops were as large as a few-ten microns in diameter. The resulting electrospun PEO fibers incorporated the dispersed phase of the emulsion in the form of drops (in case of mineral oil), or in the form of solid particles (in case of PS). Mineral oil drops appear to be completely encapsulated in the PEO fibers, whereas the PS particles are either incompletely encapsulated, or covered by only a very thin layer of PEO. Calculations show that in both cases, the initially large emulsion drops are broken during the electrospinning process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Asymmetric Polymer Bridging Between Starch-Coated Colloidal Particles and Pulp Fibres by Cationic PolyacrylamideTHE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 5 2007Agatha Poraj-Kozminski Abstract Internal sizing agents are commonly used as additives in papermaking to impart hydrophobicity to paper. They are commonly added in the form of colloidal particles, stabilized by cationic starch. As an example we studied the deposition of micron-sized Alkyl Ketene Dimer (AKD) particles on pulp fibres by cationic polyacrylamide (cPAM), a common flocculent. It was found that cPAM did not adsorb on AKD particles stabilized by cationic starch. Despite this inability to adsorb, cPAM was found to drastically improve the deposition of AKD particles on pulp fibres. This deposition was ascribed to asymmetric polymer bridging, a phenomenon observed by us before, while studying clay deposition on fibres by polyethylene oxide. In asymmetric polymer bridging between two types of particles, the bridging polymer first adsorbs on one type of particle, since it is unable to adsorb on the second type. Asymmetric polymer bridging occurs when the enthalpy gain on both surfaces exceeds the entropy loss. The kinetics of AKD deposition on fibres was found to agree with the predictions of the asymmetric bridging theory. In addition, an increase in bond strength with time was found, due to starch and cPAM reconfiguration. The increase in AKD retention by cPAM is also observed in experiments on a laboratory twin-wire sheet former. Asymmetric polymer bridging by cPAM between starch-coated AKD particles and fibres is compared with classical polymer bridging by cPAM between fibres and AKD particles coated by carboxymethylcellulose. Des agents d'encollage internes sont communément utilisés comme additifs dans la fabrication du papier pour transmettre l'hydrophobicité au papier. Ils sont communément ajoutés sous la forme de particules colloïdales, stabilisées par l'amidon cationique. À titre d'exemple, on a étudié la déposition de particules microniques de dimère de cétène d'alkyle (AKD) sur des fibres de pâte par le polyacrylamide cationique (cPAM), un floculant commun. On a trouvé que le cPAM ne s'adsorbait pas sur les particules d'AKD stabilisées par l'amidon cationique. Malgré cette incapacité à s'adsorber, on a trouvé que le cPAM améliorait considérablement la déposition des particules d'AKD sur les fibres de pâte. Cette déposition est imputée au pontage de polymères asymétriques, un phénomène que nous avons observé précédemment, lors de l'étude de la déposition d'argile sur les fibres par l'oxyde de polyéthylène. Dans le pontage de polymères asymétriques entre deux types de particules, le polymère de pontage s'adsorbe d'abord sur un type de particules, vu qu'il est incapable de s'adsorber sur le second type de particules. Le pontage de polymères asymétriques survient lorsque le gain d'enthalpie sur les deux surfaces excède la perte d'entropie. On a trouvé que la déposition d'AKD sur les fibres concordait avec les prédictions de la théorie de pontage asymétrique. En outre, on a observé une augmentation de la force de liaison dans le temps, en raison de la reconfiguration de l'amidon et du cPAM. L'augmentation de la rétention de l'AKD par le cPAM est également observée dans les expériences sur un appareil de formage de feuilles à double toile de laboratoire. Le pontage de polymères asymétriques par le cPAM entre les particules d'AKD enduites d'amidon et les fibres est comparé au pontage de polymères classique par le cPAM entre les fibres et les particules d'AKD enduites de carboxyméthylcellulose. [source] Application of polyethyleneimine-modified scaffolds to the regeneration of cartilaginous tissueBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 5 2009Yung-Chih Kuo Abstract In this study, we analyzed the physicochemical and biophysical properties of three-dimensional scaffolds modified using polyethyleneimine (PEI) and applied these scaffolds to the cultivation of bovine knee chondrocytes (BKCs). PEI was crosslinked in the bulk or on the surface of the ternary scaffolds comprising polyethylene oxide, chitin and chitosan. The results revealed that when the concentration of PEI was less than 300 ,g/mL, the cytotoxicity of a scaffold was on the same order in the two method of modification. An increase in the concentration of PEI favored the adhesion of BKCs. When the amount of PEI in scaffolds is fixed, the surface-modified scaffolds exhibited a higher adhesion efficiency of BKCs than the bulk-modified scaffolds. For the regeneration of cartilaginous components, a higher amount of PEI in a scaffold yielded larger amounts of proliferated BKCs, secreted glycosaminoglycans, and produced collagen. In addition, the formation of neocartilage in the surface-modified scaffolds was more effective than that in the bulk-modified scaffolds. These tissue-engineered scaffolds, modified by an appropriate concentration of PEI, can be potentially applied to cartilage repair in clinical trials. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009 [source] Dendrimer-grafted cell adhesion peptide,modified PDMSBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2008A. S. Mikhail Abstract Surface concentration of cell adhesion peptides is thought to play a role in the interactions between biomaterials and cells. The high density of functional groups at the periphery of dendrimers has been exploited in various applications, but their full potential for generating surfaces with high functional group concentrations has not yet been realized. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers were surface modified with both polyethylene oxide (PEO) and generation 3 diaminobutane dendrimers. PEO and the dendrimers were subsequently used as linker molecules for surface grafting of cell adhesion peptides. ATR-FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle results confirmed the successful attachment of the polymer linkers and peptides. Peptide grafting density was quantified by means of 125I radiolabeling. Maximum surface peptide grafting density on dendrimer-modified surfaces was twofold greater than the maximum peptide grafting density achieved via the PEO linker. However, vascular endothelial cell adhesion was significantly greater on surfaces modified with the PEO linker, presumably due to the highly flexible PEO spacer making the peptide more accessible for binding with the cell surface receptors. These results suggest that, although peptide surface density may be important, optimizing surface density may not be sufficient for improving biological interactions. [source] Impaired removal of DNA interstrand cross-link in Nijmegen breakage syndrome and Fanconi anemia, but not in BRCA-defective groupCANCER SCIENCE, Issue 11 2008Ken Tsuchida Human diseases characterized by a high sensitivity to DNA interstrand cross-links (ICL) and predisposition to malignance include Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and Fanconi anemia (FA), which is further classified to three groups: (1) FA core-complex group; (2) FA-ID complex group; and (3) breast cancer (BRCA)-defective group. The relationships between these four groups and the basic defect in ICL repair remain unclear. To study the details of ICL repair in NBS and FA, a highly sensitive PPB (psoralen,polyethylene oxide,biotin) dot blot assay was developed to provide sensitive quantitative measurements of ICL during the removal process. Studies utilizing this assay demonstrated a decreased rate of ICL removal in cells belonging to the FA core-complex group (e.g. groups A and G) and FA-ID complex group (group D2), while ICL removal was restored to normal levels after these cells were complemented with wt-FANCA, wt-FANCG and wt-FANCD2. Conversely, FA-D1 cells with a defective BRCA2 protein displayed normal ICL removal, although they were compromised with respect to recombination. This normal ICL removal rate in recombination-deficient cells was confirmed by using XRCC3-defective Chinese hamster cells, which are similarly compromised with respect to recombination and are sensitive to mitomycin C. The present study also showed that cells from patients with Nijmegen breakage syndrome were defective in ICL removal, while they were impaired in the recombination. These results indicate an obvious defect of FA and NBS in the ICL repair process, except in the BRCA-defective group, and a separate step of recombination-mediated repair pathway between the BRCA group and NBS. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 2238,2243) [source] |