ABSTRACT
The aim of this work is the evaluation of a Sulfonated Poly Ether-Ether Ketone (S-PEEK) polymer modified by the addition of pure Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15, mesoporous silica) and SBA-15 previously impregnated with phosphotungstic acid (PWA) fillers (PWA/SBA-15) in order to prepare composite membranes as an alternative to conventional Nafion® membranes. This component is intended to be used as an electrolyte in electrochemical energy systems such as hydrogen and methanol Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and Electrochemical Hydrogen Pumping (EHP). The common requirements for all the applications are high proton conductivity, thermomechanical stability, and fuel and oxidant impermeability. The morphology of the composite membranes was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy- Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis. Water Uptake (Wup), Ion Exchange Capacity (IEC), proton conductivity, methanol permeability and other physicochemical properties were evaluated. In PEMFC tests, the S-PEEK membrane with a 10 wt.% SBA-15 loading showed the highest performance. For EHP, the inclusion of inorganic materials led to a back-diffusion, limiting the compression capacity. Concerning methanol permeability, the lowest methanol crossover corresponded to the composites containing 5 wt.% and 10 wt.% SBA-15.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Cancer and blood disorders in children are rare. The progressive improvement in survival over the last decades largely relies on the development of international academic clinical trials that gather the sufficient number of patients globally to elaborate solid conclusions and drive changes in clinical practice. The participation of Spain into large international academic trials has traditionally lagged behind of other European countries, mainly due to the burden of administrative tasks to open new studies, lack of financial support and limited research infrastructure in our hospitals. METHODS: The objective of ECLIM-SEHOP platform (Ensayos Clínicos Internacionales Multicéntricos-SEHOP) is to overcome these difficulties and position Spain among the European countries leading the advances in cancer and blood disorders, facilitate the access of our patients to novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and, most importantly, continue to improve survival and reducing long-term sequelae. ECLIM-SEHOP provides to the Spanish clinical investigators with the necessary infrastructural support to open and implement academic clinical trials and registries. RESULTS: In less than 3 years from its inception, the platform has provided support to 20 clinical trials and 8 observational studies, including 8 trials and 4 observational studies where the platform performs all trial-related tasks (integral support: trial setup, monitoring, etc.) with more than 150 patients recruited since 2017 to these studies. In this manuscript, we provide baseline metrics for academic clinical trial performance that permit future comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: ECLIM-SEHOP facilitates Spanish children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders to access state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Subject(s)
Clinical Trials as Topic/statistics & numerical data , International Cooperation , Multicenter Studies as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Observational Studies as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Organizational Objectives , Societies, Medical/organization & administration , Adolescent , Cancer Survivors , Child , Hematologic Neoplasms/therapy , Hematology/organization & administration , Humans , Medical Oncology/organization & administration , Neoplasms/therapy , Pediatrics/organization & administration , SpainABSTRACT
Sinonasal lymphomas represent a distinct subset of extranodal head and neck lymphomas. While sinonasal lymphomas are relatively rare in Western countries, in Asian populations they are the second most frequent group of extranodal lymphomas, after gastrointestinal lymphomas. With advances in immunohistochemistry, these lymphomas have been separated into B-cell, T-cell, and most recently into natural killer (NK) cell phenotypes. The B-cell phenotype is typically located in the paranasal sinuses and has a slight predominance in Western countries. The T/NK-cell phenotype is the most common in Asian and South American countries. These tumors are typically located in the nasal cavity and have an aggressive, angioinvasive growth pattern that often results in necrosis and bony erosion. Thus, sinonasal lymphomas have been included in the past with other destructive malignant and benign lesions under the descriptive and nonspecific name lethal midline granuloma. Patients are classically in the sixth to eighth decades, with a 2:1 male-to-female ratio. The prognosis is generally better than that of nodal-based lymphomas of similar histologic grade. Treatment is a combination of local irradiation and chemotherapy with an anthracycline-based regimen.
Subject(s)
Lymphoma, B-Cell/pathology , Lymphoma, T-Cell/pathology , Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms/pathology , Asia , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology , Europe , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Killer Cells, Natural/pathology , Lymphoma, B-Cell/ethnology , Lymphoma, B-Cell/therapy , Lymphoma, T-Cell/ethnology , Lymphoma, T-Cell/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms/ethnology , Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms/therapy , Phenotype , Prognosis , South AmericaABSTRACT
The effect of aging on hepatic microsomal membrane phospholipid composition was studied composition was studied in both young (2 months) and mature (6 months) Wistar rats. When total microsomal phospholipid content was analysed the aged group showed a significant increment (73%). Microsomal phospholipid pattern also showed a different behavior between both groups, with a significative increase in phosphatidylcholine (62%), phosphatidylserine (124%), phosphatidylinositol (31%) and sphingomyelin (10%) and appearance of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol in the six-month group. A higher microsomal membrane fluidity in the aged animals was revealed by the increase in PC/EM index (47%). This increment jin fluidity during aging process may reflect an adaptative response resulting in changes on the enzyme activities responsible for drug and carcinogen metabolism.
Subject(s)
Aging/physiology , Membrane Fluidity/physiology , Membrane Lipids/analysis , Microsomes, Liver/physiology , Phospholipids/analysis , Animals , Body Weight , Male , Microsomes, Liver/chemistry , Organ Size , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
The effect of aging on hepatic microsomal membrane phospholipid composition was studied composition was studied in both young (2 months) and mature (6 months) Wistar rats. When total microsomal phospholipid content was analysed the aged group showed a significant increment (73
). Microsomal phospholipid pattern also showed a different behavior between both groups, with a significative increase in phosphatidylcholine (62
), phosphatidylserine (124
), phosphatidylinositol (31
) and sphingomyelin (10
) and appearance of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol in the six-month group. A higher microsomal membrane fluidity in the aged animals was revealed by the increase in PC/EM index (47
). This increment jin fluidity during aging process may reflect an adaptative response resulting in changes on the enzyme activities responsible for drug and carcinogen metabolism.
ABSTRACT
The effect of aging on hepatic microsomal membrane phospholipid composition was studied composition was studied in both young (2 months) and mature (6 months) Wistar rats. When total microsomal phospholipid content was analysed the aged group showed a significant increment (73
). Microsomal phospholipid pattern also showed a different behavior between both groups, with a significative increase in phosphatidylcholine (62
), phosphatidylserine (124
), phosphatidylinositol (31
) and sphingomyelin (10
) and appearance of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol in the six-month group. A higher microsomal membrane fluidity in the aged animals was revealed by the increase in PC/EM index (47
). This increment jin fluidity during aging process may reflect an adaptative response resulting in changes on the enzyme activities responsible for drug and carcinogen metabolism.
ABSTRACT
A number of morphological and functional changes on liver cells were reported during experimental cholestasis. Some specific metabolic pathways catalyzed by "membrane bound" enzymes were described to be altered by lipid microenvironment changes. The purpose of he present study is to establish Bilirubin UDP-Glucuronyltransferase activity--a microsomal integral enzyme responsible for bilirubin conjugation--and microsomal phospholipid profile in cholestatic and normal patients. Surgical liver biopsies were taken fron five patients suffering prolonged extrahepatic cholestasis, and five patients submitted to abdominal surgery excluding hepato-biliary diseases that were considered as controls. The following biochemical parameters were determined in both groups: bilirubin concentration, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, oxalacetic and pyruvic transaminases, and pseudo-cholinesterase activities. Serum cholestatic markers showed significative increments in cholestatic patients (Table 1). Total Bilirubin UDP-Glucuronyltransferase activity was similar comparing normal and cholestatic individuals (1.11 +/- 0.66 and 1.93 +/- 0.82 nmol conjugated bilirubin/mg protein in 10 min. respectively). When final reaction product was analysed, the normal group showed 80% of bilirubin diglucuronide; but resulted undetectable in cholestatic patients yielding 100% of bilirubin monoglucuronide. Microsomal phospholipid analysis showed a decrease in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine contents in the cholestatic group; probably due to the action of bile acids accumulated into the hepatic cells. Simultaneously we found an increment in phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin levels in cholestatic patients compared to normals (Figure 1). This fact could be explained by the existence of special sites in the membrane for the latter phospholipids, protected against bile acids detersive action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Subject(s)
Cholestasis, Extrahepatic/metabolism , Microsomes, Liver/chemistry , Phospholipids/analysis , Aged , Bilirubin/metabolism , Cell Membrane/enzymology , Female , Glucuronosyltransferase/metabolism , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
A number of morphological and functional changes on liver cells were reported during experimental cholestasis. Some specific metabolic pathways catalyzed by [quot ]membrane bound[quot ] enzymes were described to be altered by lipid microenvironment changes. The purpose of he present study is to establish Bilirubin UDP-Glucuronyltransferase activity--a microsomal integral enzyme responsible for bilirubin conjugation--and microsomal phospholipid profile in cholestatic and normal patients. Surgical liver biopsies were taken fron five patients suffering prolonged extrahepatic cholestasis, and five patients submitted to abdominal surgery excluding hepato-biliary diseases that were considered as controls. The following biochemical parameters were determined in both groups: bilirubin concentration, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, oxalacetic and pyruvic transaminases, and pseudo-cholinesterase activities. Serum cholestatic markers showed significative increments in cholestatic patients (Table 1). Total Bilirubin UDP-Glucuronyltransferase activity was similar comparing normal and cholestatic individuals (1.11 +/- 0.66 and 1.93 +/- 0.82 nmol conjugated bilirubin/mg protein in 10 min. respectively). When final reaction product was analysed, the normal group showed 80
of bilirubin diglucuronide; but resulted undetectable in cholestatic patients yielding 100
of bilirubin monoglucuronide. Microsomal phospholipid analysis showed a decrease in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine contents in the cholestatic group; probably due to the action of bile acids accumulated into the hepatic cells. Simultaneously we found an increment in phosphatidylserine and sphingomyelin levels in cholestatic patients compared to normals (Figure 1). This fact could be explained by the existence of special sites in the membrane for the latter phospholipids, protected against bile acids detersive action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ABSTRACT
Mature T cells and medullary thymocytes bear either the CD4 or CD8 differentiation antigen. Precursor cells in the thymus express neither CD4 nor CD8 (CD4-8-), but most cortical thymocytes are CD4+8+. Whether CD4+ and CD8+ mature T cells arise directly from CD4-8- precursors or from a CD4+8+ intermediate remains unresolved. In this study, methylation of the CD8 gene in murine T cells and thymocytes was examined. There was progressive demethylation of the CD8 gene in the thymus during the transition from CD4-8- to CD4+8+. A similar pattern of demethylation of the CD8 gene was seen in CD4+ mature T cells, suggesting previous expression of CD8 in the CD4+ lineage.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/genetics , DNA/metabolism , Hematopoietic Stem Cells/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Animals , Deoxyribonuclease BamHI/metabolism , Deoxyribonuclease HpaII , Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific/metabolism , Exons , Hybridomas/immunology , Introns , Methylation , Mice , Mice, Inbred AKRABSTRACT
From 1963 to 1977 at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori at Milan, 112 patients below the age of 16 years with Hodgkin's disease (HD) were observed, representing 13.2% of all the cases of this disease seen during the stated time interval. Eighty-seven of these cases are the subject of the present study. Fifty-nine patients were males and 28 females (2.1:1 ratio). The age range varied from 2 years 10 months to 15 years 10 months (median 10 years). Forty-three (49.4%) children, of whom 35 were males and 8 females, were below the age of 10 years at the onset of their disease. The clinical staging resulted in 34 patients as stage I, 33 as stage II, 13 as stage III and 7 as stage IV. The histologic type was nodular sclerosis (NS) in 49 cases (56.3%), lymphocytic predominance (LP) in 15 cases (17.2%), mixed cellularity (MC) type in 9 cases (10.3%) and lymphocytic depletion (LD) in 8 cases (9.2%). In the remaining 6 cases the histologic classification was not applicable. LP type in 15/15 (100%) patients was associated with stages I and II, and NS in 38/49 (77%) patients was related to stage I and stage II. The latter was also the istologic type most often encountered in patients with stage II disease (23/33 or 70%). Eleven patients have died, and their survival varied from 6 to 47 months (median 30 months). The histologic type was LD in 4 cases, NS in 3 cases, MC in 1 case, and LP in 1 case. In the other 2 nonsurvivors, the histologic type was not identifiable. Of the 23 patients with more than a 5-year survival, 14 (60.8%) had NS HD. As in adults, LP and NS were associated with early stages of the disease and with long survival.