Engineering the interface between lipid membranes and nanoporous gold: A study by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring.

Nanoporous gold (np-Au) is a nanostructured metal with many desirable attributes. Despite the growing number of applications of nanoporous materials, there are still open questions regarding their fabrication and subsequent surface functionalization. For example, the hydrophobic nature of gold surfaces makes the formation of planar supported lipid layers challenging. Here, the authors engineer the interface between np-Au and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine lipid layers using well-differentiated approaches based on vesicle adsorption and solvent exchange methods. The results reveal that the nanotopography of the np-Au surface plays a clear role in the vesicle adsorption process. Compared to vesicle adsorption, the solvent exchange method proves successful in the formation of planar supported lipid bilayers in both np-Au and planar Au surfaces, being less sensitive to the surface morphological features. The influence of nanostructured surfaces on lipid layer formation is determined by the driving mechanisms behind each process, i.e., the balance of adhesion and cohesion forces in vesicle adsorption and lyotropic lipid phase transitions in solvent exchange, respectively. A better understanding of such interactions will contribute to the development of a variety of applications, from electrochemical biosensors to drug screening and delivery systems, using nanoporous gold coated with stimuli-responsive lipid layers.

Presence of fibromyalgia in patients with Takayasu's arteritis.

OBJECTIVE: Data regarding the frequency of fibromyalgia (FM) in patients with Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) have not been previously reported. We aimed to investigate the frequency of FM in TAK, defined according to the new 2010 ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia. The association between the ACR-1990 and 2010 FM criteria and the effects of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on FM were also analyzed. METHODS: We studied 55 patients (age: 42,30±12,37 years, F/M: 49/6) with TAK and 40 age- and sex-matched controls (age: 41±10.84 years, F/M: 31/9). All patients were examined for FM tender points by two observers and asked to complete the ACR 2010 FM questionnaire for FM. The SF-36, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and hospital anxiety and depression scales (HADS) were used to assess the quality of life. Thirty patients were reevaluated six months later. RESULTS: Seven (12.7%) patients with TAK and four patients with HC (10%) fulfilled the 2010 FM criteria (p=0.682), while three (5.4%) TAK patients and no controls (0%) met the 1990 criteria (p=0.133). FM was found at a significantly higher rate in the active patients than in the inactive patients according to the ACR-2010 FM criteria (p=0.006). The SF-36 physical component scores were significantly lower (p=0.003) and the HAQ scores were significantly higher in the TAK (p=0.006) patients than in the controls. CONCLUSION: The frequency of FM is similar between the general population and patients with TAK. However, the incidence of FM is significantly higher in active patients. The new FM criteria subscales (WPI, SSS) are significantly correlated with scales such as the SF-36, anxiety and depression scales and HAQ in TAK patients, suggesting that, in a minority of patients with FM and TAK, PROs may be affected by the presence of FM.

Serum thymidine kinase 1 levels correlates with FDG uptake and prognosis in patients with non small cell lung cancer.

CONTEXT: TK1 found to be elevated biomarker in many solid cancers. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of a serum TK1 in patients with metastatic NSCLC. METHODS: The study included 48 consecutive patients, newly diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, and 10 healthy volunteers. Serum TK1 activity determined by ELISA method. RESULTS: Patients with a bTK1 level >156 Du L(-1) had significantly shorter survival. TK1 level showed a strong correlation with primary tumor SUV(max). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The magnitude of maximum fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in primary tumors and the serum TK1 level in patients with metastatic NSCLC were found to be independent prognostic predictors of overall survival.