Bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein incorporated with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by an in situ precipitation process. 2 mol % Zn2+ and Mg2+ were used as dopants to ...synthesize Zn2+/Mg2+-doped HA-BSA NPs. In our study we used BSA as a model protein. The amount of BSA uptake by doped and undoped HA NPs and subsequent release of BSA from NPs were investigated. Zn-doped HA NPs showed the highest amount of BSA uptake, whereas the amount of BSA loaded in undoped HA NPs was the lowest. A two-stage BSA release profile from doped and undoped HA NPs was observed in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 7.2 ± 0.2. The initial burst release was due to the desorption of BSA from the HA surface. The later stage of slow release was controlled by the dissolution of BSA incorporated HA NPs. The BSA release rate from Zn-doped HA NPs was found to be the highest, whereas undoped HA NPs released BSA at the slowest rate. Our study showed that the protein release rate from HA NPs can be controlled by the addition of suitable dopants, and doped HA-based NP systems can be used in bone growth factor and drug release study.
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) topological surface states in a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) should produce uniform 2D surface current distribution. However, our transport current ...imaging studies on Bi
2
Se
3
thin film reveal non-uniform current sheet flow at 15 K with strong edge current flow. This is consistent with other imaging studies on thin films of Bi
2
Se
3
. In contrast to strong edge current flow in thin films, in single crystal of Bi
2
Se
3
at 15 K our current imaging studies show the presence of 3.6 nm thick uniform 2D sheet current flow. Above 70 K, this uniform 2D sheet current sheet begins to disintegrate into a spatially non-uniform flow. The flow becomes patchy with regions having high and low current density. The area fraction of the patches with high current density rapidly decreases at temperatures above 70 K, with a temperature dependence of the form
$$1/\left| {T - 70} \right|^{0.35}$$
1
/
T
-
70
0.35
. The temperature scale of 70 K coincides with the onset of bulk conductivity in the crystal due to electron doping by selenium vacancy clusters in Bi
2
Se
3
. Thus our results show a temperature dependent competition between surface and bulk conductivity produces a temperature dependent variation in uniformity of current flow in the topological insulator.
Metals and female reproductive toxicity Sengupta, P; Banerjee, R; Nath, S ...
Human & experimental toxicology,
07/2015, Letnik:
34, Številka:
7
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Research into occupational exposure of metals and consequences of reproductive systems has made imperative scientific offerings in the preceding few decades. Early research works focused on possible ...effects on the reproductive functions rather than the complete reproductive health of the woman. Later, it was realized that metals, as reproductive toxins, may also induce hormonal changes affecting other facets of reproductive health such as the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and fertility. Concern is now shifting from considerations for the pregnant woman to the entire spectrum of occupational health threats and thus reproductive health among women.
Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a treatment for both primary and secondary cutaneous tumours. The international Network for sharing practices on ECT group investigates treatment outcomes after ECT using ...a common database with defined parameters.
Twenty-eight centres across Europe prospectively uploaded data over an 11-year period. Response rates were investigated in relation to primary diagnosis, tumour size, choice of electrode type, route of bleomycin administration, electrical parameters recorded and previous irradiation in the treated field.
Nine hundred eighty-seven patients, with 2482 tumour lesions were included in analysis. The overall response (OR) rate was 85% (complete response CR: 70%, partial response rate: 15%, stable disease: 11%, and progressive disease: 2%). For different histologies, OR and CR rates for metastases of malignant melanoma were 82% and 64%, basal cell carcinoma were 96% and 85%, breast cancer metastases were 77% and 62%, squamous cell carcinoma were 80% and 63% as well as Kaposi's sarcoma were 98% and 91%, respectively. Variance was demonstrated across histotypes (p < 0.0001) and in accordance with size of lesion treated (dichotomised at diameter of 3 cm (p < 0.0001). Hexagonal electrodes were generally used for larger tumours, but for tumours up to 3 cm, linear array electrodes provided better tumour control than hexagonal electrodes (80%:74%, p < 0.003). For tumours more than 2 cm, intravenous administration was superior to intratumoural (IT) administration (p < 0.05). Current recorded varied across tumour histologies and size but did not influence response rate. In previously irradiated areas, responses were selectively lower for IT administration.
These cumulative data endorse efficiency of ECT across a broad range of histotypes. Analysis of 2482 lesions details subgroup analysis on treatment response informing future treatment choices.
•Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is highly efficient in the treatment of cutaneous metastases.•ECT is efficient across tumour histologies.•ECT response is higher for smaller tumours.•Intravenous bleomycin was more efficient than intratumoural, in tumours more than 2 cm size.•Linear array electrodes were more efficient in tumours less than 3 cm size.
Evidences of both sluggish eutectoid and active eutectoid (not suppressible under rapid cooling) transformations have been found for the first time in a single hyper-eutectoid Ti-Cu alloy. Both of ...these types of eutectoid reactions have been investigated in detail, at different length scales, by coupling scanning electron microscopy (SEM),transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography (APT). The unique three phase crystallographic relationship between the parent β (bcc) and the two product phases, α (hcp) and Ti2Cu, has been established. The extent of partitioning of the solute (Cu) between the two product phases has been determined by APT and is rationalised in terms of thermodynamic considerations. Based on the observed lattice site correspondence and the extent of solute partitioning, a possible mechanism of active eutectoid transformation is proposed.
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The ω phase is commonly observed in many commercial β or near-β titanium alloys on rapidly cooling from the single β phase field and also during subsequent isothermal annealing. However, the ...crystallographic formation mechanism for the ω particles is hitherto unclear/under discussion. The present study primarily focuses on ω precipitation within the β (body-centered cubic (bcc)) matrix of simple model binary titanium–molybdenum (Ti–Mo) alloys. It provides direct experimental evidence of the formation of ω-like embryos from competing compositional and structural instabilities arising in the bcc lattice of Ti–Mo alloys during rapid cooling from the high-temperature single β phase field. The displacive partial collapse of the {1
1
1} planes of the parent bcc structure within compositionally phase-separated regions containing several at.% less of Mo, forming ω-like embryos, has been conclusively shown by coupling aberration-corrected high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy with atom probe tomography observations. Growth and coarsening of these ω-like embryos take place during subsequent isothermal annealing, accompanied with both a completion of the collapse of the {1
1
1} β planes leading to a fully developed ω structure as well as rejection of Mo from these precipitates, resulting in near-equilibrium compositions.
Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is already being used in the treatment of many cancers. This review examines its components and the new developments in our understanding of its immunological ...effects as well as pre-clinical and clinical studies, which have investigated its potential use in the treatment of breast cancer.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine (MIRV) is an antibody-drug conjugate comprising a folate receptor alpha (FRα)-binding antibody, cleavable linker, and the maytansinoid DM4, a potent tubulin-targeting agent. ...The randomized, open-label, phase III study FORWARD I compared MIRV and investigator's choice chemotherapy in patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
Eligible patients with 1-3 prior lines of therapy and whose tumors were positive for FRα expression were randomly assigned, in a 2 : 1 ratio, to receive MIRV (6 mg/kg, adjusted ideal body weight) or chemotherapy (paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival PFS, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, blinded independent central review in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population and in the prespecified FRα high population.
A total of 366 patients were randomized; 243 received MIRV and 109 received chemotherapy. The primary endpoint, PFS, did not reach statistical significance in either the ITT hazard ratio (HR), 0.98, P = 0.897 or the FRα high population (HR, 0.69, P = 0.049). Superior outcomes for MIRV over chemotherapy were observed in all secondary endpoints in the FRα high population including improved objective response rate (24% versus 10%), CA-125 responses (53% versus 25%), and patient-reported outcomes (27% versus 13%). Fewer treatment-related grade 3 or higher adverse events (25.1% versus 44.0%), and fewer events leading to dose reduction (19.8% versus 30.3%) and treatment discontinuation (4.5% versus 8.3%) were seen with MIRV compared with chemotherapy.
In patients with platinum-resistant EOC, MIRV did not result in a significant improvement in PFS compared with chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints consistently favored MIRV, particularly in patients with high FRα expression. MIRV showed a differentiated and more manageable safety profile than chemotherapy.
•In platinum-resistant EOC MIRV did not significantly improve PFS over chemotherapy.•No unexpected toxicities were observed, and tolerability profiles were consistent with those observed in previous studies.•The most promising signals of efficacy were observed with MIRV in patients with high FRα expression.•The findings support ongoing trials designed to select the patients with EOC most likely to derive benefit from this agent.
Recent developments in Geant4 Allison, J.; Amako, K.; Apostolakis, J. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
11/2016, Letnik:
835, Številka:
C
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Geant4 is a software toolkit for the simulation of the passage of particles through matter. It is used by a large number of experiments and projects in a variety of application domains, including ...high energy physics, astrophysics and space science, medical physics and radiation protection. Over the past several years, major changes have been made to the toolkit in order to accommodate the needs of these user communities, and to efficiently exploit the growth of computing power made available by advances in technology. The adaptation of Geant4 to multithreading, advances in physics, detector modeling and visualization, extensions to the toolkit, including biasing and reverse Monte Carlo, and tools for physics and release validation are discussed here.
•Multithreading resulted in a smaller memory footprint and nearly linear speed-up.•Scoring options, faster geometry primitives, more versatile visualization were added.•Improved electromagnetic and hadronic models and cross sections were developed.•Reverse Monte Carlo and general biasing methods were added.•Physics validation efforts were expanded and new validation tools were added.
Morphological and compositional evolution of omega (ω) precipitates in a model Titanium-20 wt%Vanadium (or 19 at.%V) alloy has been systematically investigated by coupling transmission electron ...microscopy and atom probe tomography with atomistic ab initio and continuum microelasticity computations. The initial water quenched microstructure comprised of a fine scale distribution of athermal ω precipitates, which form congruently from the β phase via a complete displacive collapse of {222}β planes, that has been rationalized based on DFT computations. Subsequent annealing at 300 °C, over progressively increasing time periods, resulted in isothermal evolution of the ω precipitates, whose morphology changes from ellipsoidal to cuboidal, accompanied with V rejection. The highly V-enriched β matrix consisted of short VV bond lengths, further distorting the bcc lattice, and increasing the β/ω misfit. This facilitates the change in the morphology of omega precipitates from ellipsoidal to cuboidal resulting in a {001}β habit plane for these precipitates. The coupled experimental and computational approach permits rationalizing the evolution of ω precipitate morphology and composition in such high β−ω misfit β-Ti alloys.
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