Origin of broad polydispersion in functionalized dendrimers and its effects on cancer cell binding affinity

Nanoparticles with multiple ligands have been proposed for use in nanomedicine. The multiple targeting ligands on each nanoparticle can bind to several locations on a cell surface facilitating both drug targeting and uptake. Experiments show that the distribution of conjugated ligands is unexpectedly broad, and the desorption rate appears to depends exponentially upon the mean number of attached ligands. These two findings are explained with a model in which ligands conjugate to the nanoparticle with a positive cooperativity of $\approx 4kT$, and that nanoparticles bound to a surface by multiple bonds are permanently affixed. This drives new analysis of the data, which confirms that there is only one time constant for desorption, that of a nanoparticle bound to the surface by a single bond.Comment: 4 pages, with 6 figure

Rationale, design and methods of the Study of Work and Pain (SWAP): a cluster randomised controlled trial testing the addition of a vocational advice service to best current primary care for patients with musculoskeletal pain (ISRCTN 52269669)

Background Musculoskeletal pain is a major contributor to short and long term work absence. Patients seek care from their general practitioner (GP) and yet GPs often feel ill-equipped to deal with work issues. Providing a vocational case management service in primary care, to support patients with musculoskeletal problems to remain at or return to work, is one potential solution but requires robust evaluation to test clinical and cost-effectiveness. Methods/Design This protocol describes a cluster randomised controlled trial, with linked qualitative interviews, to investigate the effect of introducing a vocational advice service into general practice, to provide a structured approach to managing work related issues in primary care patients with musculoskeletal pain who are absent from work or struggling to remain in work. General practices (n = 6) will be randomised to offer best current care or best current care plus a vocational advice service. Adults of working age who are absent from or struggling to remain in work due to a musculoskeletal pain problem will be invited to participate and 330 participants will be recruited. Data collection will be through patient completed questionnaires at baseline, 4 and 12 months. The primary outcome is self-reported work absence at 4 months. Incremental cost-utility analysis will be undertaken to calculate the cost per additional QALY gained and incremental net benefits. A linked interview study will explore the experiences of the vocational advice service from the perspectives of GPs, nurse practitioners (NPs), patients and vocational advisors. Discussion This paper presents the rationale, design, and methods of the Study of Work And Pain (SWAP) trial. The results of this trial will provide evidence to inform primary care practice and guide the development of services to provide support for musculoskeletal pain patients with work-related issues. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN52269669

Do Men Matter to Female Competition Even When They Don't?

A large literature attempts to identify factors that contribute to gender differences in performance and in the decision to compete. We exploit a highly competitive environment in which elite-female athletes are exposed to the presence of men without the element of direct competition, which allows for the identification of psychological effects of competition. Our results suggest that the presence of men affects the performance of female runners differentially across ability, with negative performance effects being concentrated among lower-ability runners

trans-Dibromidobis(triphenyl­phosphane)platinum(II) chloro­form monosolvate

Both the platininum complex and the solvent mol­ecule of the title compound, [PtBr2(C18H15P)2]·CHCl3, are located on a twofold rotation axis. The CH unit and the Cl atoms of the CHCl3 mol­ecule are disordered over two equally occupied positions. The complex shows a trans square-planar geometry about the Pt atom

Groundwater Resource Evaluation in Support of Dewatering a South Carolina Limestone Quarry

2008 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Addressing Water Challenges Facing the State and Regio

The influence of 'significant others' on persistent back pain and work participation: a qualitative exploration of illness perceptions

Background Individual illness perceptions have been highlighted as important influences on clinical outcomes for back pain. However, the illness perceptions of 'significant others' (spouse/partner/close family member) are rarely explored, particularly in relation to persistent back pain and work participation. The aim of this study was to initiate qualitative research in this area in order to further understand these wider influences on outcome. Methods Semi-structured interviews based on the chronic pain version of the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised were conducted with a convenience sample of UK disability benefit claimants, along with their significant others (n=5 dyads). Data were analysed using template analysis. Results Significant others shared, and perhaps further reinforced, claimants' unhelpful illness beliefs including fear of pain/re-injury associated with certain types of work and activity, and pessimism about the likelihood of return to work. In some cases, significant others appeared more resigned to the permanence and negative inevitable consequences of the claimant's back pain condition on work participation, and were more sceptical about the availability of suitable work and sympathy from employers. In their pursuit of authenticity, claimants were keen to stress their desire to work whilst emphasising how the severity and physical limitations of their condition prevented them from doing so. In this vein, and seemingly based on their perceptions of what makes a 'good' significant other, significant others acted as a 'witness to pain', supporting claimants' self-limiting behaviour and statements of incapacity, often responding with empathy and assistance. The beliefs and responses of significant others may also have been influenced by their own experience of chronic illness, thus participants lives were often intertwined and defined by illness. Conclusions The findings from this exploratory study reveal how others and wider social circumstances might contribute both to the propensity of persistent back pain and to its consequences. This is an area that has received little attention to date, and wider support of these findings may usefully inform the design of future intervention programmes aimed at restoring work participation

Lithium, sodium and potassium enolate aggregates and monomers:syntheses and structures

In this Article, we report the syntheses and comparative structural studies of lithium, sodium, and potassium anthracen-9-yl enolates, as their aggregates (Li, Na: hexamer; K: tetramer) and ligand-stabilized monomers (for Li and Na). The monomers add new members to the rare collection of group-1 metal monomeric enolates. Moreover, the series covers different group-1 metal cations (Li+, Na+ and K+) and aggregate sizes, allowing comparative structural studies to elucidate how the metal identity and aggregate size influence the enolate structure

Fit for work? Health, employability and challenges for the UK welfare reform agenda

This article introduces a special issue of Policy Studies entitled “Fit for work? Health, employability and challenges for the UK welfare reform agenda”. Growing from a shared concern over the need to expand the evidence base around the processes that led to large numbers of people claiming disability benefits in the UK, it brings together contributions from leading labour market and social policy researchers providing evidence and commentary on major reforms to Incapacity Benefit (IB) in the UK. This special issue address three key questions: what are the main causes of the long-term rise in the number of people claiming IBs; what will reduce the number of claimants; and what is likely to deliver policy effectively and efficiently? This introduction first explains and examines the challenges to reforms to IB in the UK, and then, in conclusion, highlights the answers to the previous three questions – first, labour market restructuring and marginalisation have driven the rise in numbers claiming IBs. Second, economic regeneration in the Britain’s less prosperous areas coupled with intensive and sustained supply-side support measures will bring numbers down. Third, delivery need to be flexible and tailored to individual needs and needs to be able to access local and expert knowledge in a range of organisations, including Job Centre Plus, the NHS as well as the private and voluntary sectors

cis-Dichloridobis(triisopropoxy­phosphine)­platinum(II)

The title compound, [PtCl2(C9H21O3P)2], was obtained from a solution of PtCl2(COD) (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) and triisopropyl­phosphite in dichloro­methane. The complex features a Pt(II) atom coordinated by two Cl and two P atoms, yielding a slightly distorted cis square-planar geometry

(Disulfur dinitrido)triphenyl­anti­mony(V)

The title compound, [Sb(C6H5)3(N2S2)], contains a molecular entity that is very similar to that of the known polymorph of Sb(S2N2)Ph3 [Kunkel et al. (1997 ▶). Z. Naturforsch. Teil B, 52, 193–198], differing only in the orientation of the phenyl rings. The bond order in the SNSN unit is S—N=S=N, consisting of one long S—N bond, an inter­mediate length N=S bond and a short S=N bond