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•Poly(phosphoester)s, PPEs have been successfully polymerized in microstructured flow reactors.•By using flow chemistry, reaction rates are increased and side reactions ...reduced.•Alkene-functional PPEs have been obtained that allow for UV-induced modification of the backbone, also in flow.•The thermally activated polymerization could be directly coupled to the UV modification in a reactor cascade.
The polymerization of cyclic phosphates to poly(phosphoester)s, PPEs, is optimized for chip-based microreactors under continuous flow conditions. The anionic ring-opening polymerization of 2-isobutyoxy-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane (iBP) via the use of two organocatalytic systems allowed to polymerize to nearly quantitative monomer conversion within 10 or 3min, respectively at a reaction temperature of 40°C. Further, the optimized polymerization protocol was applied to 2-butenoxy-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane (BP) which yields a polymer that carries an alkene functionality per monomer repeating unit. This material can be postmodified in an UV-induced radical thiol–ene reaction, which was also shown to proceed with very high efficiency under UV-flow conditions. Eventually, both reactions were coupled in a two-stage reactor setup, showing that the thermally-activated polymerization can be coupled with high efficiency to the UV-activated post-polymerization modification reaction. The introduced reactor setup can in the future be used to produce and screen a broad variety of functional PPE materials with various functionalities and physical properties.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative retinal disorder that can have devastating visual sequelae if not managed appropriately. From an ophthalmology standpoint, ROP care is complex, ...since it spans multiple care settings and providers, including those in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), step down nurseries, and the outpatient clinic setting. This requires coordination and communication between providers, ancillary staff, and most importantly, effective communication with the patient's family members and caregivers. Often, factors related to the social determinants of health play a significant role in effective communication and care coordination with the family, and it is important for ophthalmologists to recognize these risk factors. The aim of this article is to (1) review the literature related to disparities in preterm birth outcomes and infants at risk for ROP; (2) identify barriers to ROP care and appropriate follow up, and (3) describe patient-oriented solutions and future directions for improving ROP care through a health equity lens.
The article presents research aimed at analysing the impact of the Regional Operational Programme for the Opolskie voivodeship on selected macroeconomic factors of regional growth. The undertaken ...research analysed the impact of macroeconomic variables related to the labour market, average wages, and the housing market. Each of the specified areas was scrutinised, taking into consideration the analysis of temporal fluctuations in the examined factors in relation to the financial disbursements made under the Regional Operational Programme (ROP) for the Opolskie voivodeship. A correlation analysis was conducted between the examined variables and the financial contributions under the ROP for the Opolskie voivodeship, and a functional correlation analysis was carried out for the examined dimensions. The conducted analyses showed the positive impact of the disbursed funds under the ROP for the Opolskie voivodeship on the examined macroeconomic indicators. The obtained results may have a utilitarian aspect in decision making at both regional and national levels. It should also be noted that a literature analysis of the issue was conducted prior to the research process to ensure systematic research conclusions. This study demonstrates the importance of the cascading strategic planning process and comprehensively describes the evolution of the EU’s approach to interpreting the growth of particular regions, emphasising development, sustainability, and smart specialisation. Evaluating the impact of public policy and public funds is not easy and often poses challenges, however it should be noted that the creation of models allows for showcasing various, often simplified, aspects of reality.
L-ornithine and L-glutamine are amino acids used for ammonia and nitrogen transport in the human body. Novel biodegradable synthetic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) derivatives were synthesized via ...conjugation with L-ornithine or L-glutamine, which were selected due to their biological importance. L-ornithine or L-glutamine was integrated into a PLGA polymer with EDC coupling reactions as a structure developer after the synthesis of PLGA via the polycondensation and ring-opening polymerization of lactide and glycolide. The chemical, thermal, and degradation property–structure relationships of PLGA, PLGA-L-ornithine, and PLGA-L-glutamine were identified. The conjugation between PLGA and the amino acid was confirmed through observation of an increase in the number of carbonyl carbons in the range of 170–160 ppm in the 13C NMR spectrum and the signal of the amide carbonyl vibration at about 1698 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum. The developed PLGA-L-ornithine and PLGA-L-glutamine derivatives were thermally stable and energetic materials. In addition, PLGA-L-ornithine and PLGA-L-glutamine, with their unique hydrophilic properties, had faster degradation times than PLGA in terms of surface-type erosion, which covers their requirements. L-ornithine- and L-glutamine-linked PLGAs are potential candidates for development into biodegradable PLGA-derived biopolymers that can be used as raw materials for biomaterials.
Ras opposite (Rop) is known to play an essential role in regulating vesicle trafficking, including synaptic transmission and general secretion. The fundamental roles of Rop have been confirmed by the ...observation that null mutations in many organisms generate lethal phenotypes during embryogenesis. However, the effects of Rop during the postembryonic stages, especially in non‐model organisms, remain largely unknown. Here, we provide new data that enhance our understanding of Rop's roles in the adults of multiple species of Tetranychus spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae), a class of notorious agricultural pests. Our in silico and experimental evidence demonstrated that Rop is under purifying selection and is highly conserved in Tetranychus spp. RNA interference experiments showed that Rop is required for maintaining normal fecundity but has no significant effect on survival. We further demonstrate that knockdown of Rop darkens the body color of spider mites and blocks the excretion of fecal pellets, which is likely to be related to an abnormality in the excretion of food waste in the digestive system. Overall, our findings clarify novel functions of a vesicle trafficking‐related gene in the adult stage of multiple Tetranychus species and highlight the need to evaluate the roles of essential genes in various organisms.
Rop is under strong purifying selection and is highly conserved in spider mites. Rop RNA interference decreases female fecundity, darkens the body color, and blocks the excretion of fecal pellets.
Owing to their unique topology and physical properties, micelles based on miktoarm amphiphilic star block copolymers play an important role in the biomedical field for drug delivery. Herein, we ...developed a series of AB2-type poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)-b-poly(N-acryloyl morpholine) (PLGA-b-PNAM2) miktoarm star block copolymers by reversible addition–fragmentation chain–transfer polymerization and ring-opening copolymerization. The resulting miktoarm star polymers were investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The critical micellar concentration value of the micelles increases with an increase in PNAM block length. As revealed by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering, the amphiphilic miktoarm star block copolymers can self-assemble to form spherical micellar aggregates in water. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated by polymeric micelles; the drug-loading efficiency and drug-loading content of the DOX-loaded micelles were 81.7% and 9.1%, respectively. Acidic environments triggered the dissociation of the polymeric micelles, which led to the more release of DOX in pH 6.4 than pH 7.4. The amphiphilic PLGA-b-PNAM2 miktoarm star block copolymers may have broad application as nanocarriers for controlled drug delivery.
Neovascularization in cancer or retinopathy is driven by pathological changes that foster abnormal sprouting of endothelial cells. Mouse genetic studies indicate that the stress‐induced small GTPase ...RhoB is dispensable for normal physiology but required for pathogenic angiogenesis. In diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or age‐related wet macular degeneration (AMD), progressive pathologic anatomic changes and ischemia foster neovascularization are characterized by abnormal sprouting of endothelial cells. This process is driven by the angiogenic growth factor VEGF, which induces and supports the formation of new blood vessels. While injectable biologics targeting VEGF have been used to treat these pathological conditions, many patients respond poorly, prompting interest in other types of mechanism‐based therapy. Here we report the preclinical efficacy of a monoclonal antibody that specifically targets RhoB, a signaling molecule that is genetically dispensable for normal physiology but required for pathogenic retinal angiogenesis. In murine models of proliferative retinal angiogenesis or oxygen‐induced retinopathy, administering a monoclonal RhoB antibody (7F7) was sufficient to block neoangiogenesis or avascular pathology, respectively. Our findings offer preclinical proof of concept for antibody targeting of RhoB to limit diabetic retinopathy, ROP or wet AMD and perhaps other diseases of neovasculogenesis such as hemangioma or hemangiosarcoma nonresponsive to existing therapies.
In this report, we present preclinical evidence that an antibody targeting the small GTPase RhoB limits diabetic retinopathy, rop or wet age‐related macular degeneration and perhaps other diseases of neovasculogenesis.
Novel and well defined macrophotoinitiators with two-arm poly(ε−caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) chains bearing two benzoin photofunctionalities (BPI) at the connection point of the ...polymer chains have been synthesized by combination of ring opening polymerization (ROP) and click chemistry. Initially, dibromo end-functionalized two-arm PCL, (PCL)2-(Br)2, and PLLA, (PLLA)2-(Br)2, were synthesized by ROP of ε−caprolactone and l-lactide monomers in bulk, using 2,2-bis(bromomethyl)-1,3-propanediol as the initiator and stannous-2-ethylhexanoate, (Sn(Oct)2), as the catalyst. Then, the terminal bromines of the polymer arms were converted into azide groups with sodium azide (NaN3). Subsequently, well-defined two-arm PCL and PLLA macrophotoinitiators with benzoin end functional groups (PCL)2-(BPI)2 and (PLLA)2-(BPI)2 were obtained from the click reaction between diazido end-functionalized (PCL)2-(N3)2 and (PLLA)2-(N3)2 polymers and an alkyne-terminated benzoin photoinitiator (BPI-alkyne) which was synthesized from benzoin and propargyl bromide. The 1H NMR, FT-IR, GPC, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopic studies revealed that two-arm poly(ε−caprolactone) and poly(l-lactide) having benzoin photofunctional groups bound to the linking point of the chains were obtained. These polymers were then used as macrophotoinitiators for the photoinduced free radical promoted cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) monomer to synthesize A2B2 type miktoarm star copolymers comprised of PCL or PLLA as A blocks and PCHO as B blocks.
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•Combination of ROP and click chemistry for the synthesis of macrophotoinitiators.•Preparation of well-defined two-arm PCL and PLLA macrophotoinitiators with benzoin end groups.•Synthesis of A2B2 type miktoarm star copolymers by the photoinduced cationic polymerization.
Purpose.
Analysis of visual functions in children in remote postoperative period after laser coagulation (LC) of threshold stages of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).
Patients and methods
. In 2017, ...we selected and investigated 18 children, who previously had an LC of threshold stages of ROP in 2008–2009 in the Khabarovsk branch of the S.N. Fyodorov State Institution Eye Microsurgery Complex (continuous sampling method). There were 5 boys and 13 girls aged from 8 to 9 years at the time of LC. Anterior and posterior eye segments of the eyes (biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy), visual acuity, clinical refraction, concomitant pathology were evaluated.
Results
. We have revealed that regressive ROP after LC is characterized by the presence of serious anatomical and functional changes in the eyes. First, these are refractive disorders, which revealed in 90.5% of cases. Most often revealed: myopic refraction — 61% of all cases, of which more than half (53%) is its high degree; or its combination with compound myopic astigmatism (77% eyes); anisometropia was detected in 39% children. These refractive disorders led to the development of strabismus (61% children) and mixed amblyopia (60%). Despite the combined ophthalmologic pathology, 17% children developed visual functions with achievement of binocular vision, in most children visual functions still continue to develop, although they are not high due to amblyopia. High visual acuity (from 0.8 and above) in both eyes was formed in 22% children; visual acuity in the range of 0.5–0.7 in both eyes was formed in 17% children. Unfortunately, 44.5% children at the time of examination had low visual functions (in the range of 0.05–0.4) in both eyes. Extremely low visual acuity (from 0.01 to 0.04) in both eyes was identified in 11% children; absolute blindness in one of the eyes was in 11% children.
Conclusions
. LC is reliable way to prevent vision loss from retinal detachment in children with threshold stages of ROP.
Rho-like GTPases from plants (ROPs) are plant-specific molecular switches that are crucial for plant survival when subjected to abiotic stress. We identified and characterized 17 novel ROP proteins ...from
(MaROPs) using genomic techniques. The identified MaROPs fell into three of the four previously described ROP groups (Groups II⁻IV), with MaROPs in each group having similar genetic structures and conserved motifs. Our transcriptomic analysis showed that the two banana genotypes tested, Fen Jiao and BaXi Jiao, had similar responses to abiotic stress: Six genes (
,
,
,
,
, and
) were highly expressed in response to cold, salt, and drought stress conditions in both genotypes. Of these,
was most highly expressed in response to salt stress. Co-localization experiments showed that the MaROP5g protein was localized at the plasma membrane. When subjected to salt stress, transgenic
overexpressing
had longer primary roots and increased survival rates compared to wild-type
. The increased salt tolerance conferred by
might be related to reduced membrane injury and the increased cytosolic K⁺/Na⁺ ratio and Ca
concentration in the transgenic plants as compared to wild-type. The increased expression of salt overly sensitive (SOS)-pathway genes and calcium-signaling pathway genes in
-overexpressing
reflected the enhanced tolerance to salt stress by the transgenic lines in comparison to wild-type. Collectively, our results suggested that abiotic stress tolerance in banana plants might be regulated by multiple
, and that
might enhance salt tolerance by increasing root length, improving membrane injury and ion distribution.
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