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Introduction: Healthcare workers exposure to antineoplastic drugs can lead to adverse health effects. Guidelines promote the safe handling of antineoplastic drugs, but no safe exposure limit was determined. Regular surface sampling contributes to ensuring workers safety. Methods: A cross-sectional monitoring is conducted once a year with voluntary Canadian centers, since 2010. Twelve standardized sampling sites were sampled. Samples were analyzed by high performance mass coupled liquid chromatography. The limits of detection (in ng/cm2) were: 0.001 for cyclophosphamide and gemcitabine; 0.3 for docetaxel and ifosfamide; 0.04 for 5-fluorouracil and paclitaxel; 0.003 for irinotecan; 0.002 for methotrexate; 0.01 for vinorelbine. Results: The surfaces from 109 centers were sampled between 01/01/2020–18/06/2020. Twenty-six centers delayed their participation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 1217 samples were analyzed. Surfaces were frequently contaminated with cyclophosphamide (34% positive, 75th percentile 0.00165 ng/cm2) and gemcitabine (16% and <0.001 ng/cm2). The armrest of patient treatment chairs (84% to at least one drug), the front grille inside the biological safety cabinet (BSC) (73%) and the floor in front of the BSC (55%) were frequently contaminated. Centers that prepared ≥5000 antineoplastic drugs annually had higher concentration of cyclophosphamide on their surfaces (p < 0.0001). Contamination measured on the surfaces was reduced from 2010 to 2020. Conclusions: This large-scale study showed reproducible long term follow up of the contamination of standardized sites of Canadian centers and a reduction in surface contamination from 2010 to 2020. Periodic surface sampling help centers meet their continuous improvements goals to reduce exposure as much as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic had a limited impact on the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface energy of hardened cement pastes, before and after treatment by organic coating, and two individual cement paste components (CSH and ettringite) have been characterized by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at 35 °C, using n-alkanes, 1-alkenes, benzene, chloroform and CCl4 molecular probes. The cement pastes were prepared by mixing an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with water at a water/cement ratio (W/C) equal to 0.3 and 0.5. They were further coated with an epoxy resin (R) and triethylenetetramine hardener (H), separately, at a mass loading of 1 and 10 wt.%, respectively. Changes in the dispersive contribution to the surface energy (γsd) and Lewis acid–base interaction energies were found to be significantly dependent on the W/C parameter on the one hand, and the adsorption of H and R, on the other hand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Analyzes the synthesis, structural, magnetic and redox properties of diiron complexes with a single bound phenolate ligand. Importance of tyrosine binding on the redox properties; Process of decoordination of a carboxylate bridge; Synthesis of the asymmetrical ligands.

Polypyrrole-coated poly(vinyl chloride) powder particles (PPy-PVC) were prepared by the in-situ chemical polymerization of pyrrole in aqueous solutions in the presence of PVC powder particles using the method of Ouyang and Chan [Polymer 39 (1998) 1857] and characterized by inverse gas chromatography (IGC). By employing n-alkane, 1-heptene, chloroform and tetrahydrofuran molecular probes, the dispersive and acid–base components of the surface energy of the composite materials were estimated at infinite dilution. The values of the dispersive contribution to the surface energy (γSd), at 50 °C, range from 30.3 to 43.5 mJ/m2 for the composites, which is much lower than the value of 83.2 mJ/m2 obtained for para-toluene sulfonate-doped polypyrrole (PPyTS) bulk powder. This indicates that the injected molecules probe both polypyrrole and the underlying PVC, thus indicating that the conducting polymer is rather patchy at the surface of the insulating polymer substrate. This conclusion supports the previous results obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [19], indicating that both the coating PPyTS and the substrate PVC are detected by their elemental markers nitrogen and sulfur, and chlorine, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reaction of the unsymmetrical phenol ligand 2-((bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino)methyl)-6-(((2-pyridylmethyl)benzylamino)methyl)-4-methylphenol (HL-Bn) or its 2,6-dichlorobenzyl analogue (HL-BnCI2) with Fe(H2O)6(ClO4)2 in the presence of disodium m-phenylenedipropionate (Na2(mpdp)) followed by exposure to atmosphere affords the diiron(II,III) complexes [Fe2(L-Bn)(mpdp)(H2O)](ClO4)2 and [Fe2(L-BnCI2)(mpdp)(CH3OH)](CIO4)2, respectively. The latter complex has been characterized by X-ray crystallography. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/n, with a -13.3095(14) Å, b = 20.1073(19) Å, c = 19.4997(19) Å, α = 90°, β = 94.471(2)°, γ = 90°, V= 5202.6(9) ų, and Z = 4. The structure of the compound is very similar to that of [Fe2(L-Bn)(mpdp)(H2O)](BPh4)2 determined earlier, except for the replacement of a water by a methanol on the ferrous site. Magnetic measurements of [Fe2(LBn)(mpdp)(H2O)](BPh4)2 reveal that the two high-spin Fe ions are moderately antiferromagnetically coupled (J = -3.2(2) cm-1). Upon dissolution in acetonitrile the terminal ligand on the ferrous site is replaced by a solvent molecule. The acetonitrile-water exchange has been investigated by various spectroscopic techniques (UV-visible, NMR, Mössbauer) and electrochemistry. The substitution of acetonitrile by water is clearly evidenced by Mössbauer spectroscopy by a reduction of the quadrupole splitting value from 3.14 to 2.41 mm/s. In addition, it causes a 210 mV downshift of the oxidation potential of the ferrous site and a similar reduction of the stability domain of the mixed-valence state. Exhaustive electrolysis of a solution of [Fe2(L-Bn)(mpdp)(H2O)]2+ shows that the aqua diferric species is not stable and undergoes a chemical reaction which can be partly reversed by reduction to the mixedvalent state. This and other electrochemical observations suggest that upon oxidation of the diiron center to the diferric state the aqua ligand is deprotonated to a hydroxo. This hypothesis is supported by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Indeed, this species possesses a large quadrupole splitting value (ΔEQ ≥ 1.0 mm·s-1) similar to that of analogous complexes with a terminal phenolate ligand. This study illustrates the drastic effects of aqua ligand exchange and deprotonation on the electronic structure and redox potentials of diiron centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides extracted from brown marine algae. A purified fucoidan fraction exhibits the same venous antithrombotic activity as heparin in rabbits, but with a lower anticoagulant effect. Because of its heparin-like structure, we postulated that fucoidan might modulate heparin-binding angiogenic growth factor activity. We thus studied its effect, at antithrombotic concentrations, on fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2-induced proliferation and differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The fucoidan effect on endothelial cell differentiation was evaluated by studying the expression of surface proteins (i.e. integrin, adhesion molecule) known to be modulated by FGF-2 and involved in angiogenesis, and by quantifying closed areas delimited by vascular tubes formed on reconstituted basement membrane. Fucoidan had no modulatory effect on the mitogenic activity of FGF-2, but significantly increased tubular structure density induced by FGF-2. Fucoidan alone increased α6 integrin subunit expression with only partially organized tubular structure. In the presence of FGF-2, fucoidan enhanced α6, β1 and PECAM-1 and inhibited αvβ3 integrin expression. Heparin had no effect in these systems. The most striking effect of fucoidan was observed on α6 expression and tube formation was abolished by monoclonal anti-α6 antibodies. Fucoidan plus FGF-2 effect on α6 expression was markedly decreased by monoclonal anti-FGF-2 antibodies, indicating that fucoidan acts mainly via FGF-2. These results show that, at antithrombotic concentrations, contrary to heparin, fucoidan can enhance vascular tube formation induced by FGF-2 with a modulation of the expression of surface proteins (mainly α6) involved in angiogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]