Sorption of DNA by diatomite-Zn(II) embedded supermacroporous monolithic p(HEMA) cryogels.

In this study, the DNA sorption performance of diatomite-Zn(II) embedded supermacroporous monolithic p(HEMA) cryogels were investigated for the purpose of designing a novel adsorbent that can be utilized for DNA purification, separation and immunoadsorption studies such as removal of anti-dsDNA antibodies from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient plasma. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [p(HEMA)]-based monolithic cryogel column embedded with Zn(2+)-diatomite particles was prepared by free radical cryo-copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAAm). The polymerization reaction was initiated by N,N,N',N'-tetramethylene diamine (TEMED) and ammonium persulfate (APS) pair in an ice bath. After thawing, the monolithic composite cryogels were used for affinity sorption and then subsequent desorption of DNA molecules from aqueous solutions. Diatomite (DA) particles were characterized by XRF and BET method. The characterization of composite cryogel was done through SEM imaging. The effects of pH of the solution, initial DNA concentration, ionic strength, temperature and flow rates on adsorption were investigated to determine the optimum conditions for adsorption/desorption experiments. The particle embedding procedure was shown to yield significantly enhanced adsorption of DNA on the adsorbent. Furthermore, considering its excellent bio-compatibility, p(HEMA) cryogels are promising a candidate for further DNA sorption studies.

Subtractive-FTIR spectroscopy to characterize organic matter in lignite samples from different depths.

Organic matter present in lignite samples collected from different depths (i.e. top, mid and bottom) of lignite source, Ilgin, Konya province, was examined by using subtractive-FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. FTIR spectra were recorded on (i) original samples, (ii) the samples dried at 105 °C and (iii) the samples acid-treated and dried. After a combustion process performed for each sample at 650 °C for 15 min, the spectra of samples were recorded and subtracted from the spectra of untreated samples. Hence, a software-based subtraction made it possible to acquire a representative spectra related with organic matter. As the contribution of the bands related with inorganic constituents in lignite samples were eliminated after spectrum-subtraction procedure, difference-spectra led analyzing the spectra related with organic matter in lignite samples, reasonably. Furthermore, the bands related with acidic functional groups, aromatic and aliphatic structures were analyzed on the basis of difference-spectra, easily. From the difference-spectra it was shown that an acid-treatment process under mild conditions caused shift in some specific bands related with carbonyl groups of carboxyls so that the band at around 1710 cm(-1) arisen, while the intensity of the band at around 1420 cm(-1) was diminished. Through the acid-treatment process, acidic groups in lignite samples from different depths were thought to be turned into similar forms by protonation and/or stripping of metal ions originally bonded. Difference-spectra acquired for acid-treated samples made it possible to evaluate the form of carboxylic acid groups present in the studied samples under specific environmental conditions. Hence, a facile and environmentally-friendly methodology was used to analyze organic matter in lignite by using FTIR spectra, and valuable information was acquired about the aliphatic, aromatic and acidic character of the studied lignite samples collected from different depths. The proposed methodology seems to be promising in acquiring approximate representative spectra for lignite organic matter by using little or no chemicals.

Size of the transrectal ultrasound probe makes no difference in pain perception during TRUS-Bx under adequate local anesthesia.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In the great majority of the cases, transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) is the definitive step in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (CaP). Although this procedure is well tolerated by most patients, it can result in considerable discomfort that can effectively be overcome with local injection anesthesia. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the size (i.e., circumference) of the transrectal probe on pain during TRUS-Bx. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy eligible patients who had elevated total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and/or abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) were included in this study. Patients (pts.) were divided into three TRUS-Bx groups; Group I: 60 pts. underwent TRUS-Bx with newer B-K Type 8808 probe (circumference 58 mm) under injectable periprostatic anesthesia, Group II: 60 pts. underwent TRUS-Bx with B-K Type 8551 probe (circumference 74 mm) under injectable periprostatic anesthesia, and Group III: 50 pts. underwent TRUS-Bx with B-K Type 8551 probe (circumference 74 mm) without local anesthesia. Periprostatic injection anesthesia was performed with 10 cc, 1% lidocaine (5 cc on each side) 10 min before TRUS-Bx. Pain was assessed using a 10-point modified visual analog scale (VAS) 15 min after the biopsy procedure. RESULTS: Three groups were homogeneous with respect to age and tPSA, and no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of mean biopsy duration between the 3 groups. Most of the patients experienced no pain to slight pain in Groups I and II, but 66% of the patients had more than moderate pain (VAS ≥ 5) in Group III with mean VAS score statistically higher than the other two groups (Group I vs. III, P = 0.0001; Group II vs. III, P = 0.0001). Mean VAS score was not statistically different between Group I and II (P = 0.126). No statistically significant difference in VAS pain perception was observed between different age categories within the Group I, II, and III. CONCLUSION: In the absence of injectable local anesthesia, larger probe (74 mm) results in much higher VAS pain perception than same size and smaller (58 mm) probe used under injectable local anesthesia. However, under injectable local anesthesia, the size (circumference) of the transrectal probe (58 mm vs. 74 mm) does not result in any different pain perception during TRUS-Bx.

Investigation of protein adsorption performance of Ni2+-attached diatomite particles embedded in composite monolithic cryogels.

As a low-cost natural adsorbent, diatomite (DA) (2 µm) has several advantages including high surface area, chemical reactivity, hydrophilicity and lack of toxicity. In this study, the protein adsorption performance of supermacroporous composite cryogels embedded with Ni(2+)-attached DA particles (Ni(2+)-ADAPs) was investigated. Supermacroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA)-based monolithic composite cryogel column embedded with Ni(2+)-ADAPs was prepared by radical cryo-copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAAm) as cross-linker directly in a plastic syringe for affinity purification of human serum albumin (HSA) both from aqueous solutions and human serum. The chemical composition and surface area of DA was determined by XRF and BET method, respectively. The characterization of composite cryogel was investigated by SEM. The effect of pH, and embedded Ni(2+)-ADAPs amount, initial HSA concentration, temperature and flow rate on adsorption were studied. The maximum amount of HSA adsorption from aqueous solution at pH 8.0 phosphate buffer was very high (485.15 mg/g DA). It was observed that HSA could be repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed to the embedded Ni(2+)-ADAPs in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) composite cryogel without significant loss of adsorption capacity. The efficiency of albumin adsorption from human serum before and after albumin adsorption was also investigated with SDS-PAGE analyses.

Does cisplatin-based chemotherapy effect on blood lipid levels of patients with germ cell testicular tumor in long-term follow-up?

PURPOSE: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is widely used in the treatment for germ cell testicular tumors. However, long-term complications of this treatment have gained importance, and hypercholesterolemia is one of these. In some studies, hypercholesterolemia is reported following the cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the relationship of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and blood lipid levels in long-term survivors of patients with germ cell testicular tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 89 testicular cancer patients were evaluated between December 1989 and December 2001. Of these, while 39 received cisplatin-based chemotherapy (Group 1), the remaining control group of 50 testicular cancer patients (Group 2) had no adjuvant treatment. The patients in both groups had at least 5-year follow-up and had no known cardiovascular disease. Fasting lipid profiles were obtained including total cholesterol, triglyceride, low- and high-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein. These values were compared with the normal range, and the statistical difference between the two groups was evaluated. Student's t test was used for continuous variables, and P < 0.05 was accepted as significant. RESULTS: Groups 1 and 2 had 39 and 50 cases, respectively. Mean follow-up period for Group 1 was 110 months (60-187) and 107 months (60-282) for Group 2. Mean total cholesterol in Groups 1 and 2 was 199.5 ± 44.1 mg/dl and 210.3 ± 41 mg/dl (P = 0.398), mean triglyceride 189.9 ± 131.0 mg/dl and 156.6 ± 105.5 mg/dl (P = 0.334), mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol 38.3 ± 7.3 and 41.6 ± 10.9 mg/dl (P = 0.242), respectively, while very low density lipoprotein cholesterol was 38.2 ± 22.1 and 34.6 ± 26.7 mg/dl (P = 0.621). The only difference between the two groups was the low-density lipoprotein levels. The mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 116.6 ± 51.7 and 141.9 ± 28.1 mg/dl (P = 0.036), respectively. CONCLUSION: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy in germ cell testicular tumors did not have long-term negative effect on blood lipid levels.

A novel adsorbent for protein chromatography: supermacroporous monolithic cryogel embedded with Cu2+-attached sporopollenin particles.

The aim of this study is to prepare supermacroporous cryogels embedded with Cu(2+)-attached sporopollenin particles (Cu(2+)-ASP) having large surface area for high protein adsorption capacity. Supermacroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA)-based monolithic cryogel column embedded with Cu(2+)-ASP was prepared by radical cryo-copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAAm) as cross-linker directly in a plastic syringe for affinity purification of human serum albumin (HSA). Firstly, Cu(2+) ions were attached to sporopollenin particles (SP), then the supermacroporous PHEMA cryogel with embedded Cu(2+)-ASP was produced by free radical polymerization using N,N,N',N'-tetramethylene diamine (TEMED) and ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator/activator pair in an ice bath. Embedded particles (10 mg) in PHEMA-based cryogel column were used in the adsorption/desorption of HSA from aqueous solutions. Optimum conditions of adsorption experiments were performed at pH 8.0 phosphate buffer, with flow rate of 0.5 mL/min, and at 5°C. The maximum amount of HSA adsorption from aqueous solution was very high (677.4 mg/g SP) with initial concentration 6 mg/mL. It was observed that HSA could be repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed to the embedded Cu(2+)-ASP in PHEMA cryogel without significant loss of adsorption capacity.

The frequency of hydronephrosis at initial diagnosis and its effect on recurrence and progression in patients with superficial bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: We determined the frequency of hydronephrosis at initial diagnosis, and its effect on recurrence and progression in patients with superficial bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1993 and April 2006 we retrospectively reviewed the records of 931 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder at our institute. Hydronephrosis status was determined by excretory urogram, ultrasound or computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis at initial evaluation. The number of tumors, tumor size, tumor location, T category (pTa vs pT1) and histological grade were assessed at study entry. The absence or presence of unilateral or bilateral upper tract obstruction/hydronephrosis was recorded for all cohorts. We examined the frequency of hydronephrosis in patients with superficial bladder carcinoma according to T status and investigated the relationship between hydronephrosis, and recurrence-free and progression-free survival for pTa and pT1 stage. The end points assessed were recurrence and progression. RESULTS: Histopathological results showed that 63.8% of all superficial bladder cancer cases were pT1 stage. Preoperative radiological evaluation revealed unilateral and bilateral hydronephrosis in 70 (7.5%) and 19 (2.1%) patients in all cohorts, respectively. Of patients with pTa tumors 304 (90.2%) had low grade lesions and 207 (61.4%) had a single tumor. Unilateral and bilateral hydronephrosis was detected in 16 (4.7%) and 4 (1.2%) patients with pTa, respectively. Of patients with pT1 tumors 196 (33.0%) had low grade lesions and 283 (47.6%) had a single tumor. Unilateral and bilateral hydronephrosis was detected in 54 (9.1%) and 15 (2.5%) patients with pT1 disease, respectively. The increased probability of hydronephrosis was detected in higher stage, higher grade multiple tumors and in tumors larger than 3 cm. Of 931 patients 37.9% had at least 1 recurrence with an incidence of 27.3% for Ta and 43.9% for T1 disease. The recurrence rate was 52.8% for patients with hydronephrosis, that is 35.0% for Ta and 58.0% for T1 disease. Median time to first recurrence was 22 months. Multivariate Cox analysis confirmed that T category, grade, tumor size and hydronephrosis were significant prognostic variables of recurrence. Of the cases 11% progressed to muscle invasive bladder cancer. Multivariate analysis revealed that progression was statistically significant for T category, disease grade, multiplicity, tumor size and the presence or absence of hydronephrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral/bilateral hydronephrosis detected at the first evaluation at diagnosis of superficial bladder tumors is an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and progression.

Adsorption characteristics of heavy metal ions onto a low cost biopolymeric sorbent from aqueous solutions.

In this study, the adsorption conditions of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) metal ions onto sporopollenin have been studied. The different variables effecting the sorption capacity such as pH of the solution, adsorption time, initial metal ion concentration and temperature have been investigated. Adsorption isotherms correlated well with the Freundlich type adsorption isotherm and adsorption capacities were found to be 0.0195, 0.0411 and 0.0146 mmol g(-1) for Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) metal ions, respectively. Experimental data were also evaluated to find out kinetic characteristics of the adsorption process. Adsorption processes for three target heavy metal ions were found to follow pseudo-second order type adsorption kinetics. Intraparticle diffusion was found to take part in adsorption processes but it could not be accepted as the primary rate-determining step. The mean free energies of adsorption (E) were found to be between 8 and 16 kJ mol(-1) for the metal ions studied and therefore adsorption mechanism for the adsorbent was explained as an ion-exchange process. But it was observed that chelating effect is also playing an important role in the adsorption of metal ions onto sporopollenin. Thermodynamic parameters, DeltaH degrees , DeltaS degrees and DeltaG degrees were also calculated from graphical interpretation of the experimental data. Standard heats of adsorption (DeltaH degrees ) were found to be endothermic and DeltaS degrees values were calculated to be positive for the adsorption of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions onto the adsorbent. Negative DeltaG degrees values indicated that adsorption process for these three metal ions onto sporopollenin is spontaneous.