Search results for "POLYMERIC"
showing 10 items of 171 documents
Phages for biofilm removal
2020
This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage Therapy, Lysin Therapy, and Antibiotics, a Trio Due to Come.
3D polymeric supports promote the growth and progression of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
2020
Abstract Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy that accounts for the majority of deaths from all thyroid cancers. ATC exhibits invasiveness and highly resistance to conventional therapies which include cytotoxic chemotherapy, the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibition and, more recently, immunotherapies, that have shown promising but still limited results. A growing knowledge on ATC tumor biology is needed for developing more effective therapies with significant better survival. Researchers have begun to utilize 3D models to culture cancer cells for in vitro studies. In this work, C643 ATC cell line was cultured on polymeric scaffolds with high-interconnecte…
Evaluation of the antibacterial power and biocompatibility of zinc oxide nanorods decorated graphene nanoplatelets: New perspectives for antibiodeter…
2017
Background Nanotechnologies are currently revolutionizing the world around us, improving the quality of our lives thanks to a multitude of applications in several areas including the environmental preservation, with the biodeterioration phenomenon representing one of the major concerns. Results In this study, an innovative nanomaterial consisting of graphene nanoplatelets decorated by zinc oxide nanorods (ZNGs) was tested for the ability to inhibit two different pathogens belonging to bacterial genera frequently associated with nosocomial infections as well as biodeterioration phenomenon: the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A time- and dose-…
Characterization of human reflex tear proteome reveals high expression of lacrimal proline-rich protein 4 (PRR4).
2014
In-depth studies on the proteome of reflex tears are still inadequate. Hence, further studies on this subject will unravel the key proteins which are conjectured to possess vital functions in the protection of the ocular surface. Therefore, this study investigated the differences in the expression levels in proteome of reflex compared to basal tears. Basal (n = 10) and reflex (n = 10) tear samples from healthy subjects were collected employing the capillary method, subsequently pooled and the proteomes were characterized employing 1DE combined with LC-ESI-MS/MS strategy for label-free quantitative (LFQ) analysis. The differentially expressed proteins were validated by 2DE combined with LC-E…
Effect of biomass features on oxygen transfer in conventional activated sludge and membrane bioreactor systems
2019
Abstract The aim of the present study was to compare the oxygen transfer efficiency in a conventional activated sludge and a membrane bioreactor system. The oxygen transfer was evaluated by means of the oxygen transfer coefficient and α-factor calculation, under different total suspended solids concentration, extracellular polymeric substances, sludge apparent viscosity and size of the flocs. The oxygen transfer coefficient and α-factor showed an exponential decreasing trend with total suspended solid, with a stronger oxygen transfer coefficient dependence in the conventional activated sludge compared to the membrane bioreactor. It was noted that the oxygen transfer coefficient in the conve…
Green geopolymeric concrete using grits for applications in construction
2018
Abstract This work investigates the production a green geopolymer-based concrete for a sustainable construction material using biomass wastes from a kraft pulp industry: fly ash (as main alumina-silicate source) and grits (as aggregate). Moreover, a simple, reproducible, ambient temperature, and low-cost manufacture is followed. Mix design aims to maximize wastes incorporation and optimize the mechanical performance. Preliminary tests indicate that the used wastes may be successfully employed to produce green geopolymeric concretes with satisfying mechanical performance (up to 18 MPa), according to the European standards. Furthermore, they represent a viable solution to reduce the environme…
Intermittent operation of UASB reactors treating wastewater polluted with organic solvents: process performance and microbial community evaluation
2019
The effect of intermittent feeding on the treatment of wastewater polluted with ethanol, ethyl acetate and 1-ethoxy-2-propanol in anaerobic upflow sludge blanket reactors was investigated. Three laboratory-scale reactors, one periodically supplemented with chitosan, were operated in an intermittent pattern (16 hours per day; 5 days per week) during 5 months. Removal efficiencies higher than 94% were obtained at organic loading rates up to 50 kg COD m−3 d−1. The addition of chitosan positively affected the specific methanogenic activity of the granular sludge. Although partial deterioration of the granules was observed, it was not correlated with variations in the production of extracellular…
Folate-mediated targeting of polymeric conjugates of gemcitabine.
2005
The synthesis of two new macromolecular prodrugs for active tumor targeting was set up. Gemcitabine (2'-deoxy-2',2'-difluorocytidine) was conjugated to alpha,beta-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) through succinyl or diglycolyl hydrolysable spacers. The targeting agent folic acid was attached to the macromolecular backbone through the aminocaproic spacer. The two conjugates [PHEA-(5'-succinylgemcitabine)-1'-carboxypentyl-folamide and PHEA-(5'-diglycolyl-gemcitabine)-1'-carboxypentyl-folamide], were purified and extensively characterised by spectroscopic (UV, IR and NMR) and chromatographic analyses to determine the correct chemical structure, the purity degree and the reaction yi…
FLUORINATED DERIVATIVES OF A POLYASPARTAMIDE BEARING POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL CHAINS AS OXYGEN CARRIERS
2008
Abstract In this paper the synthesis and characterization of new fluorinated polymers based on a polyaspartamide bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains, are reported. The starting material was the α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)- dl -aspartamide (PHEA), a water soluble and biocompatible polymer, that has been derivatized with both polyethylene glycol (with a molecular weight of 2000 Da) and 5-pentafluorophenyl-3-perfluoroheptyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole. By varying the amount of the fluorinated oxadiazole, three samples have been prepared and characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 19F NMR and UV–VIS spectroscopy. Size exclusion chromatography analysis of these copolymers revealed the occurrence of a self-asso…
Hemoglobin loaded polymeric nanoparticles: preparation and characterizations.
2011
In the present work polymeric nanoparticles based on Poly (maleic anhydride-alt-butyl vinyl ether) 5% grafted with m-PEG (2000) and 95% grafted with 2-methoxyethanol (VAM41-PEG) were loaded with human hemoglobin (Hb) and characterized from a physicochemical point of view. The assessment of structural and functional features of the loaded Hb was performed and the effect of the introduction of different reducing agents as aimed at minimizing Hb oxidation during the nanoparticles formulation process, was also investigated. Nanoparticles possessing an average diameter of 138 ± 10 nm and physicochemical features suitable for this kind of application were successfully obtained. Although the oxida…