Additional file 1 of Exploring the geospatial epidemiology of breast cancer in Iran: identifying significant risk factors and spatial patterns for evidence-based prevention strategies

Additional file 1

Temperature-Invariant Aqueous Microgels as Hosts for Biomacromolecules

Immobilization of enzymes on solid supports has been widely used to improve enzyme recycling, enzyme stability, and performance. We are interested in using aqueous microgels (colloidal hydrogels) as carriers for enzymes used in high-temperature reactions. These microgels should maintain their volume and colloidal stability in aqueous media up to 100 °C to serve as thermo-stable supports for enzymes. For this purpose, we prepared poly­(<i>N</i>-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) microgels via a two-step synthesis. First, we used precipitation polymerization in water to synthesize colloidal poly­(diethylene glycol-ethyl ether acrylate) (PDEGAC) particles as a precursor. PDEGAC forms solvent swollen microgels in organic solvents such as methanol and dioxane and in water at temperatures below 15 °C. In the second step, these PDEGAC particles were transformed to PHEAA microgels through aminolysis in dioxane with ethanolamine and a small amount of ethylenediamine. Dynamic laser scattering studies confirmed that the colloidal stability of microgels was maintained during the aminolysis in dioxane and subsequent transfer to water. Characterization of the PHEAA microgels indicated about 9 mol % of primary amino groups. These provide functionality for bioconjugation. As proof-of-concept experiments, we attached the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to these aqueous microgels through (i) N-(3-(dimethylamino)­propyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) coupling to the carboxylated microgels or (ii) bis-aryl hydrazone (BAH) coupling to microgels functionalized with 6-hydrazinonicotinate acetone (PHEAA-HyNic). Our results showed that HRP maintained its catalytic activity after covalent attachment (87% for EDC coupling, 96% for BAH coupling). The microgel enhanced the stability of the enzyme to thermal denaturation. For example, the residual activity of the microgel-supported enzyme was 76% after 330 min of annealing at 50 °C, compared to only 20% for the free enzyme under these conditions. PHEAA microgels in water show great promise as hosts for enzymatic reaction, especially at elevated temperatures

Form Factor of Asymmetric Elongated Micelles: Playing with Russian Dolls Has Never Been so Informative

Scattering techniques (i.e., static light scattering, small angle neutron scattering, or small angle X-ray scattering) are excellent tools to study nanoscopic objects in solution. However, to interpret the experimental data, one needs to use the appropriate form factor. While recent progress has been made in the writing of form factors for complex structures, there is still a need to develop a method to evaluate the form factor of inhomogeneous elongated scatterers. Here, we propose an approach based on the principle of “Russian dolls”. Multiblock rods are represented as multi generations of rods (mother, daughter, granddaughter, etc.), where each rod is nested within the rod of the previous generation, like Russian dolls. A shift parameter is used to introduce asymmetry in the rod along its long axis. This approach not only allowed us to write the form factor of multiblock rods, but it also gave us the possibility to account for the polydispersity in length of each block and of the shift parameter. Finally, we applied these equations to the case of a series of solutions of triblock comicelles slightly polydisperse in length