Structure Characterization of Biomedical Ti-Mo-Sn Alloy Prepared by Mechanical Alloying Method

The study presents the results of the influence of high energy milling on the structure of the new Ti–15Mo– 5Sn [wt%] alloy for biomedical applications. During testing the powders were milled for the following milling times: 5, 15, 30, and 45 h. The milled powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy methods. Observation of the powder morphology after various stages of milling leads to the conclusion that with the increase of the milling time the size of the powder particles as well as the degree of aggregation change. However, a clear tendency of particles reduction at every stage of the mechanical alloying process is clearly observed. The X-ray diffraction results confirmed the presence of the and phases, and molybdenum. It has been found that the reflections from the Sn phase disappeared after five hours of milling, suggesting that the Sn and Ti alloying took place, leading to the creation of a titanium-based solid solution. After 30 and 45 h of mechanical alloying the formation of the -Ti phase, the final share of which is 46(4) wt%, was observed. Furthermore, it was found that a diffraction line broadening with the increase of the milling time results from reduction of the crystallite size and an increase in the lattice distortion. The maximum level of the reduction of the crystallite size was obtained after 45 h of milling. The maximum degree of the unit cells reduction for all phases present in the powder that was being milled was also observed for this milling time

Cyclen-Based Cationic Lipids for Highly Efficient Gene Delivery towards Tumor Cells

Gene therapy has tremendous potential for both inherited and acquired diseases. However, delivery problems limited their clinical application, and new gene delivery vehicles with low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency are greatly required.In this report, we designed and synthesized three amphiphilic molecules (L1-L3) with the structures involving 1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen), imidazolium and a hydrophobic dodecyl chain. Their interactions with plasmid DNA were studied via electrophoretic gel retardation assays, fluorescent quenching experiments, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The in vitro gene transfection assay and cytotoxicity assay were conducted in four cell lines.Results indicated that L1 and L3-formed liposomes could effectively bind to DNA to form well-shaped nanoparticles. Combining with neutral lipid DOPE, L3 was found with high efficiency in gene transfer in three tumor cell lines including A549, HepG2 and H460. The optimized gene transfection efficacy of L3 was nearly 5.5 times more efficient than that of the popular commercially available gene delivery agent Lipofectamine 2000™ in human lung carcinoma cells A549. In addition, since L1 and L3 had nearly no gene transfection performance in normal cells HEK293, these cationic lipids showed tumor cell-targeting property to a certain extent. No significant cytotoxicity was found for the lipoplexes formed by L1-L3, and their cytotoxicities were similar to or slightly lower than the lipoplexes prepared from Lipofectamine 2000™.Novel cyclen-based cationic lipids for effective in vitro gene transfection were founded, and these studies here may extend the application areas of macrocyclic polyamines, especially for cyclen

A cross-cultural study on attachment and adjustment difficulties in adolescence: the mediating role of self-control in italy, spain, china, and poland

From a socio-ecological perspective, individuals are influenced by the interplay of indi-vidual, relational, and societal factors operating as a broader system. Thereby, to support youth adjustment during the critical adolescence period, the interplay between these factors should be investigated. This study aimed to investigate cross-cultural differences in adolescents\u2019 maternal and paternal attachment, adolescents\u2019 adjustment difficulties and self-control, and in their association. N = 1000 adolescents (mean (M) age = 16.94, SD = 0.48; 45.90% males) from China, Italy, Spain, and Poland participated by completing self-report measures. Results showed cross-country similarities and differences among the considered variables and their associative pattern. Moreover, conditional process analysis evaluating the association between maternal vs. paternal attachment and adjustment difficulties, mediated by self-control, and moderated by country, was performed. Maternal attachment directly, and indirectly through greater self-control, influenced adjustment difficulties in all four countries. This association was stronger among Spaniards. Paternal attachment influenced directly, and indirectly through self-control, on adolescents\u2019 adjustment difficulties only in Italy, Spain, and Poland, and was stronger among Polish adolescents. For Chinese adolescents, paternal attachment solely associated with adjustment difficulties when mediated by self-control. Thus, results highlighted both similarities and differences across countries in the interplay between maternal vs. paternal attachment and self-control on adolescents\u2019 adjustment difficulties. Implications are discussed

The International Prenatal Cardiology Collaboration Group - a new concept for global research study

Congenital heart defects are among the most common congenital defects and contribute substantially to the mortality of newborns and young infants, in spite of well-developed medical and surgical treatments

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with prenatally diagnosed foramen ovale restriction: diagnosis, management and outcome

Objective: Despite advances in prenatal diagnosis and postnatal intervention/surgery methods, patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and coexisting foramen oval restriction still achieve high mortality rates. Our objective was to determine survival predictors and to find answers to, why restriction develops in some, but not others.Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of prenatal history and postnatal sequel of 22 patients with HLHS and foramen ovale restriction between 2008 and 2017.Results: There were 11 survivors and 11 nonsurvivors. The most significant difference between the two groups pertained to the average time of foramen ovale restriction diagnosis which was 33 weeks for survivors and 28 weeks for nonsurvivors (p = .0416) and the duration of in-utero restriction (9 versus 5 weeks, p = .0213). Twenty patients (20/22) exhibited possible signs of infection.Conclusions: (1) Earlier development and longer presence of foramen ovale restriction in the setting of HLHS is associated with higher short-term mortality regardless of the degree of restriction. (2) Ratio of forward pulmonary vein flow to reverse flow (f/r) expressed as a velocity-time integral (VTI) is a good emergent intervention predictor, but it does not correlate with foramen ovale size and maximal velocity, nor does it influence survival rates. (3) Ultrasonographic signs of possible infection of the fetus is a potential risk factor of foramen ovale restriction development in patients with HLHS

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome: diagnosis, associations and outcome in 71 prrenatally diagnosed cases

status: publishe