18 research outputs found
Effects of substrate on ultrathin films of poly(ÎłââbenzylâLâglutamate) by scanning probe microscopy
Monolayer and bilayer LangmuirâBlodgett films of poly(ÎłâbenzylâLâglutamate) (PBLG) were prepared on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), mica, silicon, and glass. The films were imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the contact and tapping modes to develop imaging strategies for ultrathin polypeptide films and to assess the effect of substrate on film microstructure. A better understanding of the local polypeptide film structure could guide future methods of device fabrication. The AFM tapping mode enables longâterm nondestructive imaging of PBLG monoâ and bilayers for dimensions as small as 0.2 ÎŒm. In contrast, contact mode AFM readily damages PBLG films. PBLG has the best monolayer coverage on HOPG, although film is sometimes observed on each of the other three substrates. On HOPG, the monolayer has a predominantly ââlaceyââ structure whereas for the hydrophilic substrates, mica, silicon, and glass, it is ââbandedââ or ââsolid.ââ HOPG rarely exhibits a continuous bilayer film whereas the other three substrates exhibit much better coverage as bilayers than as monolayers. The PBLG monolayer behaves as a banded template for bilayer formation in some areas of mica, and for all four substrates, the second layer appears to be oriented with respect to the first. The morphology and coverage of PBLG as a function of substrate is discussed in terms of hydrophilicity and forces of adhesion. Whether voids observed by AFM in the PBLG structures are present in the native film at the airâwater interface of the Langmuir trough, or are induced by film transfer, remains undetermined
252. Platelet activation of depressed patients in comparison to patients with aortic atherosclerosis
Corticosteroids and the cardiovascular response to stress: a pilot study of the 35% CO 2
The biology of depression in cancer and the relationship between depression and cancer progression
The prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with cancer exceeds that observed in the general population and depression is associated with a poorer prognosis in cancer patients. The increased prevalence is not solely explained by the psychosocial stress associated with the diagnosis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, which induce sickness behaviour with symptoms overlapping those of clinical depression, are validated biomarkers of increased inflammation in patients with cancer. A growing literature reveals that chronic inflammatory processes associated with stress may also underlie depression symptoms in general, and in patients with cancer in particular. Therapeutic modalities, which are frequently poorly tolerated, are used in the treatment of cancer. These interventions are associated with inflammatory reactions, which may help to explain their toxicity. There is evidence that antidepressants can effectively treat symptoms of depression in cancer patients though the database is meager. Novel agents with anti-inflammatory properties may be effective alternatives for patients with treatment-resistant depression who exhibit evidence of increased inflammation