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Direct comparative results of patients with early stiffness after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) with and without steroid injection are still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and structural effect of intra-articular steroid injection for early stiffness after ARCR.From 2011 and 2016, a total of 417 patients who underwent ARCR for less than medium-sized tears with 35.8 ± 22.6 months follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with shoulder stiffness [forward flexion (FF) 120˚] or pain at 2 months after ARCR were performed intra-articular steroid injection, and four groups were established [+ stiffness/ + injection (SI, 158 patients), + stiffness/-injection (SNI, 92 patients), -stiffness/ + injection (NSI, 33 patients), and -stiffness/-injection (NSNI, 134 patients)]. Shoulder range-of-motion (ROM) and functional score changes for over two years were analyzed, and six month tendon integrity were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging.Comparing SI and SNI group, ROM (except internal rotation) and functional score changes did not differ during the early period (2-6 and 2-12 months). However, comparing whether steroid injected (SI/NSI) or not (SNI/NSNI), the formers showed significantly higher improvement of both ROM and functional scores during the early and late period (2-24 months). A six month tendon integrity was not different across four groups and whether steroid injected or not.Intra-articular steroid injections do not appear to have a short-term clinical improving effect by comparing patients with stiff shoulders after ARCR with and without steroid injections. However, intra-articular steroid injection at two months after ARCR did not affect the tendon integrity at post-operative six months.

Polymeric coating materials (PCMs) are promising candidates for developing next-generation flexible displays. However, PCMs are frequently subjected to external stimuli, making them highly susceptible to repeated damage. Therefore, in this study, a highly self-healing PCM based on a charge transfer complex (CTC) was developed, and its thermal, self-healing, and mechanical properties were examined. The self-healing material demonstrated improved thermal stability, fast self-healing kinetics (1 min), and a high self-healing efficiency (98.1%) via CTC-induced multiple interactions between the polymeric chains. In addition, it eliminated the trade-off between the mechanical strength and self-healing capability that is experienced by typical self-healing materials. The developed PCM achieved excellent self-healing and superior bulk (in-plane) and surface (out-of-plane) mechanical strengths compared to those of conventional engineering plastics such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polysulfone (PSU), and polyethersulfone (PES). These remarkable properties are attributed to the unique intermolecular structure resulting from strong CTC interactions. A mechanism for the improved self-healing and mechanical properties was also proposed by comparing the CTC-based self-healing PCMs with a non-CTC-based PCM.

We evaluated the prognostic implications of the circulating tumor cell (CTC) count in non-metastatic, HER2-negative breast cancer patients who failed to achieve pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT). A total of 173, non-metastatic breast cancer patients treated with NCT were prospectively enrolled. CTCs were obtained from blood drawn pre-NCT and post-NCT using a SMART BIOPSY SYSTEM isolation kit (Cytogen Inc., Seoul, Korea) with immunofluorescence staining. Excluding 26 HER2-positive patients, Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) related to the CTC count and the association of the CTC count with the treatment response to given therapy were analyzed in 147 HER2-negative patients. Among 147 HER2-negative patients, 28 relapses (19.0%) and 13 deaths (8.8%, all breast cancer-specific) were observed during a median follow-up of 37.3 months. One hundred and seven patients (72.8%) were hormone receptor-positive, and 40 patients (27.2%) had triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). One or more CTCs were identified in 88 of the 147 patients (59.9%) before NCT and 77 of the 134 patients (52.4%) after NCT. In the entire HER2-negative patient cohort, the initial nodal status was the most significant factor influencing RFS and OS. In TNBC, 11 patients (27.5%) achieved pCR and patients that failed to achieve pCR with ≥ 5 CTCs after NCT, showed worse RFS (HR, 10.66; 95% CI, 1.80–63.07; p = 0.009) and OS (HR, 14.00; 95% CI, 1.26–155.53; p = 0.032). The patients with residual tumor and a high number of the CTCs after NCT displayed the worse outcome. These findings could provide justification to launch a future, well designed trial with longer follow-up data to obtain regulatory approval for clinical use of the assay, especially for the ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer subset.

The development of fillers for wrinkle prevention is growing to meet rising demands to reduce the aging of skin. In this experiment, we confirmed the effects of human collagen and hyaluronic acid filler biodegradation for wrinkle reduction using a photo-aging mouse model. A total of 10 hairless mice (SKH1-Hrhr) were randomly divided into two groups and injected with hyaluronic acid and human-derived collagen filler. At 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, PRIMOSlite®, folliscope, and MRI were used to evaluate the biodegradability of the fillers after the injections. We also studied the photo-aging mouse model for skin roughness and histological evaluation and confirmed that the filler injection had excellent anti-wrinkle effects. Human-derived collagen fillers had excellent biodegradability compared to that of hyaluronic acid fillers. The skin surface roughness in the photo-aging mouse models was significantly reduced after injections of human-derived collagen filler. Our results showed that the human-derived collagen filler had excellent biodegradability and effectively reduced wrinkle formation in a photo-aging mouse model. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) for lymph node (LN) staging of bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) with extended pelvic lymphadenectomy compared to conventional CT. A total of 61 patients underwent FDG PET–CT before RC and extended pelvic lymphadenectomy. A template for extended pelvic lymphadenectomy to the level of the inferior mesenteric artery was divided into 11 anatomic nodal packets. Definitive pathologic findings of resected LNs were correlated with the results of FDG PET–CT and CT alone in a patient- and nodal packet-based manner. Among the 61 patients, pathological staging confirmed LN metastasis in 17 patients (27.9 %). In total, 627 LN packets (2580 LNs) were resected and histologically evaluated. The mean number of LNs removed was 42 (median 40; range 22–118). Of the 627 LN packets removed, 27 packets (4.3 %) were positive for LN metastasis based on pathologic analysis. On a patient-based analysis, FDG PET–CT and conventional CT showed a sensitivity of 47.1 and 29.4 %, respectively, specificity of 93.2 and 97.7 %, respectively, positive predictive value (PPV) of 72.7 and 78.2 %, respectively, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 82.0 and 78.2 %, respectively. On a nodal packet-based analysis, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 14.8, 97.8, 23.5, and 96.2 %, respectively, for PET-CT and 11.1, 98.7, 27.3, and 96.1 %, respectively, for conventional CT. Combined FDG PET–CT did not improve the diagnostic accuracy of conventional CT for the detection of LN metastasis in bladder cancer patients scheduled for RC.

Cancer theranostic systems using polymeric micelles are emerging for simultaneous diagnosis and therapy. In this work, we have developed hyaluronate (HA)–Flt1 peptide conjugate micelles encapsulating epirubicin for theranostic treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Intravital bioimaging without labelling and in vivo anti-tumor therapeutic effect clearly confirmed the feasibility of HA–Flt1 peptide conjugate/epirubicin micelles for target-specific theranostic treatment of liver cancers.

The prepreg process among the CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) forming methods is the short term of ‘Pre-impregnation’, which is widely used for aerospace composites that require a high quality property such as a fiber-reinforced woven fabric, in which an epoxy hardening resin is impregnated. the reality is, however, that this process requires continuous researches and developments for its commercialization because the delamination characteristically develops between the layers when a great weight is loaded from outside. to supplement such demerit, three lamination methods among the prepreg lamination methods of CFRP were designed to minimize the delamination between the layers due to external impacts. Further, the newly designed methods and the existing lamination methods were analyzed through a mechanical characteristic test, tensile test and infrared thermal device during the tensile tests, to obtain a better property than the existing lamination methods. the tensile test result showed that the newly designed three lamination methods, i.e. Roll, Half and Zigzag lamination methods, appeared superior to the Play lamination method in the aspects of the strength and strain. The strength of the Zigzag lamination method, which was the highest, was confirmed as being improved by about 20% than that of the Ply method.

To determine whether the prevalence of prostate cancer is associated with a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) compared to a healthy control group and to identify the factors associated with osteoporosis in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer before the initiation of any kind of treatment.A retrospective study was conducted in 582 patients with prostate cancer and 2536 healthy men. Confounding variables affecting BMD, including age, serum testosterone, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and smoking were matched in the 2 study groups using propensity score analysis.The propensity score model included 6 variables, and matching by propensity score yielded 502 patients in the prostate cancer group matched to 502 men in the healthy control group. On the basis of the lowest T-score available, a high prevalence of osteoporosis was found in the prostate cancer group (P = .0001). Prostate cancer was the factor correlating significantly with osteoporosis before propensity score matching (odds ratio [OR] 2.96, P.001) and after propensity score matching (OR 3.22, P.001). By multivariate analysis, conducted to assess the significance of each variable affecting the development of osteoporosis in patients with prostate cancer, bone metastasis was found to be an independent predictor of osteoporosis (OR 3.45, P = .002), along with BMI (continuous, OR 0.75, P.001).After controlling for variables affecting BMD, prostate cancer was a risk factor for osteoporosis. Measurement of BMD is a logical first step in the clinical strategy to avoid or minimize potential bone-related complications in men with prostate cancer, especially if they have bone metastasis and a slender stature.

In the coprolites of 4 recently discovered Joseon mummies of Korea, we found Ascaris lumbricoides , Trichuris trichiura , Metagonimus yokogawai , Paragonimus westermani , and Clonorchis sinensis eggs. The current finding was compared with previous paleoparasitological data, and with recent national survey data from Korea. For A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura , similar patterns of infection prevalence were observed between the national survey of 1961 and our current Joseon data. Some of the trematode species (C. sinenesis and P. westermani) showed much higher infection prevalences among the Joseon Koreans than among their 1960s descendants. The present results indicate that the decrease in trematode infection rates might have begun earlier than was the case for nematode infection.

The fabrication process for 5 Tb/in(2) bit patterns using solvent-assisted directed self-assembly is investigated. The N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solvent vapor-annealing method was used to achieve good long-range lateral ordering of low-molecular-weight polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane with a lattice spacing of 11 nm on flat Si substrates, PS modified substrates and lithographically patterned substrates, respectively.

Immunoprotective strategies are being developed to improve the graft survival rate of islets. Heparin, which has been widely used due to its anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory effects, holds great promise for use in preventing blood coagulation and related immune reactions. In this study, the layer-by-layer modification of islets using heparin and glycol chitosan as an immunoprotective remedy was examined in xenogeneic islet transplantation. The surface coverage of heparin and glycol chitosan was evaluated in vitro. The viability and functionality of layer-by-layer modified islets was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) test, respectively. In addition, the effect of layer-by-layer on immunoprotection for transplanted islets was evaluated in a diabetic mouse model. Layer-by-layer modified islets were evenly covered with heparin and glycol chitosan. The viability of islets was not affected by the modification procedures up to the third layer modification. In addition, unmodified and layer-by-layer modified (three layers) islets transplanted into the recipients maintained a normal level of blood glucose for 9.0±0.6 and 9.0±0.5 days, respectively. However, when the recipients were administrated with FK506 and CTLA4-Ig, the median survival time of the unmodified and layer-by-layer modified islets (three layers) were 17±1.2 and 23.0±1.3 days, respectively. These results demonstrated that the combination of FK506 and CTLA4-Ig along with layer-by-layer modification using heparin and glycol chitosan showed highly improved synergic effects on the inhibition of inflammation and immune reactions. Open image in new window

High-aspect-ratio sub-15-nm silicon trenches are fabricated directly from plasma etching of a block copolymer mask. A novel method that combines a block copolymer reconstruction process and reactive ion etching is used to make the polymer mask. Silicon trenches are characterized by various methods and used as a master for subsequent imprinting of different materials. Silicon nanoholes are generated from a block copolymer with cylindrical microdomains oriented normal to the surface.

The effect of a faceted surface geometry on controlling the direction of well-defined line patterns of block copolymer (BCP) microdomains over macroscopic areas is reported. Facets with asymmetric base angles can control the direction of BCP microdomains oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the facets depending on BCP film thickness.

A simple, versatile approach to the directed self-assembly of block copolymers into a macroscopic array of unidirectionally aligned cylindrical microdomains on reconstructed faceted single crystal surfaces or on flexible, inexpensive polymeric replicas was discovered. High fidelity transfer of the line pattern generated from the microdomains to a master mold is also shown. A single-grained line patterns over arbitrarily large surface areas without the use of top-down techniques is demonstrated, which has an order parameter typically in excess of 0.97 and a slope error of 1.1 deg. This degree of perfection, produced in a short time period, has yet to be achieved by any other methods. The exceptional alignment arises from entropic penalties of chain packing in the facets coupled with the bending modulus of the cylindrical microdomains. This is shown, theoretically, to be the lowest energy state. The atomic crystalline ordering of the substrate is transferred, over multiple length scales, to the block copolymer microdomains, opening avenues to large-scale roll-to-roll type and nanoimprint processing of perfectly patterned surfaces and as templates and scaffolds for magnetic storage media, polarizing devices, and nanowire arrays.

This study proposes a combination method of using 3,4-dihydorxy-l-phenylalanine (DOPA) conjugated heparin (heparin-DOPA) and a low dose of anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody (MR-1) treatment to improve the survival time of intrahepatic islet xenograft. To inhibit instant blood mediated inflammatory reactions, heparin-DOPA was directly grafted to the pancreatic islet surface. The surface coverage of heparin-DOPA, the viability and functionality of heparin-DOPA grafted islets were evaluated. In addition, the combined effect of grafted heparin-DOPA and a low dose of MR-1 (a T-cell targeting immunosuppressive drug) on the survival of islet was evaluated in a xenograft model. Both unmodified islets and heparin-DOPA grafted islets were completely rejected within 2 weeks after intraportal transplantation. However, when 0.1 mg/mouse of MR-1 was administered (at day 0, 2, 4, 6 of transplantation) to 11 mice that had heparin-DOPA grafted islets transplanted to, seven out of the recipients maintained normoglycemia over 60 days. Therefore, we propose that a developed combinatory immunoprotection protocol of surface modification of pancreatic islets using heparin-DOPA with a low dose of MR-1 can be effective in prolonging the survival rate of transplanted islets in a xenograft model.

This study proposes a new combination method of using 6-arm-PEG-catechol to enhance the PEG effect on one hand and another combination of using low doses of Tacrolimus (FK506) and anti-CD154 mAb (MR1) with PEGylation for effective immunoprotection on the other in a xenogenic islet transplantation model. The surface coverage of PEG, viability and functionality of islets were evaluated in vitro, and the effect of surface camouflage on immunoprotection for transplanted islets was evaluated. In addition, the synergistic effects of surface camouflaged islets with low doses of immunosuppressant drugs, such as FK506 and MR1, were evaluated in the xenotransplantation model. The median survival time (MST) of 6-arm-PEG-catechol grafted islets (12.0 ± 1.1 days) was not significantly increased, compared to that of unmodified islets (10.5 ± 1.3 days). However, when 0.2 mg/kg of FK506 was daily administered, the MST of 6-arm-PEG-catechol grafted islet (21.0 ± 1.9 days) was increased twice, compared to that of unmodified islets treated with 0.2 mg/kg of FK506 (10.0 ± 0.9 days). Interestingly, when the recipients of 6-arm-PEG-catechol grafted islets were treated with 0.2 mg/kg of FK506 and 0.1 mg/mouse of MR1, normoglycemia was maintained up to 50 days of transplantation without any fluctuation of glucose level. Therefore, a newly developed protocol using 6-arm-PEG-catechol with FK506 and MR1 would certainly be an effective combination therapy for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Interferon alpha (IFNα) conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been widely used for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a once-a-week injection formulation. However, the PEGylated IFNα has a low efficacy of ca. 39% and a side effect after repeated injections possibly due to the non-specific delivery with PEGylation. In this work, target specific long-acting hyaluronic acid-interferon alpha (HA-IFNα) conjugate was successfully developed for the treatment of HCV infection. HA-IFNα conjugate was synthesized by coupling reaction between aldehyde modified HA and the N-terminal group of IFNα. The IFNα content could be controlled in the range of 2-9 molecules per single HA chain with a bioconjugation efficiency higher than 95%. According to in vitro anti-proliferation assay using Daudi cells, HA-IFNα conjugate showed a comparable biological activity to PEG-Intron. In vivo real-time bioimaging confirmed the target specific delivery of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dye labeled HA-IFNα conjugate to the liver in mice. In addition, pharmacokinetic analysis revealed the enhanced residence time longer than 4 days. After tail-vein injection, HA-IFNα conjugate induced ca. 60% higher expression of 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS 1) for innate immune responses to viral infection in the murine liver tissues than IFNα and PEG-Intron.

The virologic determinants of progressive liver disease associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) remain unclear. Previous investigations have associated HBV disease with specific mutations but this association may be confounded by HBV genotype, HLA haplotype of the infected individual or both. The association between non-synonymous mutations located within putative cytotoxic T-lymphocyte directed epitopes (CDE) of the HBV core region and disease states was investigated. Subjects infected with HBV were enrolled from a clinical cohort in Seoul, Korea, and HBV core gene sequences were analyzed for mutational patterns inside and outside of CDE with respect to subject demographics and HBV-related disease states. No specific mutation or pattern of mutations were associated with progressive disease states; however, individuals with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma had greater numbers of non-synonymous mutations within CDE when compared to those with chronic HBV infection who were HBeAg positive (P = 0.007 and 0.026, respectively). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that HBV disease progression is associated with viral escape mutations that are a marker of CTL activity. These data suggest that the number of non-synonymous mutations in the HBV core region may predict HBV disease progression better than any single mutation or pattern of mutations. J. Med. Virol. 83:2082–2087, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The 14-3-3ζ protein plays a key role in regulation of cellular processes. In the present study, we showed that 14-3-3ζ protein was significantly overexpressed in hepatoma cell lines and human tumorous tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Knockdown with RNA interference in hepatoma cell lines with high 14-3-3ζ expression suppressed tumor cell proliferation via activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38/MAPK. Furthermore, suppression of 14-3-3ζ enhanced the anti-cancer effect of cis-diammined dichloridoplatium (CDDP) in hepatoma cell lines. These results suggest that silencing of 14-3-3ζ may be an attractive target for HCC therapeutic development.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) subgenotypes, the spectrum of mutations in the precore/core region through phylogenetic analysis, and the relevance of viral characteristics in disease progression in Korean patients. Methods: 133 patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled. The precore and core region of HBV was amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis was performed for subgenotyping and the changes of nucleotides and amino acid were compared in liver disease stages. Results: HBV/C2 subgenotype was predominant in chronic HBV carriers (98.5%), followed by HBV/A2 (0.75%) and HBV/C7 (0.75%). The mutations of the precore region were not different between liver disease stages. However, amino acid changes in the cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope (p < 0.020), CD4+ T cell epitope (p < 0.027), or B cell epitope (p < 0.029) were significantly higher in liver cirrhosis patients than in chronic hepatitis patients, but not in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Conclusion: HBV/C2 is the most prevalent subgenotype in Korea, and HBV/C7 subgenotype found in the Philippines was first identified in the Korean population. Mutations in immune epitopes within the core gene were significantly associated with disease progression.

The phase transitions in thin films of a block copolymer, BCP, that forms micelles when exposed to immiscible solvent vapors, were investigated at two different temperatures. Pre-swelling with a non-volatile solvent was used to prevent dewetting prior to the addition of a volatile solvent used to affect the annealing. The temperature and, therefore, the vapor pressure of the solvent were varied, which gave rise to remarkably different kinetic pathways of lateral ordering of the BCP. At 22 °C, a rapid annihilation of defects occurred with exchange of BCP chains between domains. At 17 °C, a slow coalescence of two adjacent domains led to enhanced lateral ordering of the swollen BCP microdomains and also led to domains twice as large as those observed at 22 °C. These studies suggest that the large interfacial energy arising from the immiscibility of the components, coupled with an incommensurability of the swollen film thickness with the period of the BCP morphology, gave rise to the observed differences and subsequent lateral ordering of the BCP microdomains.

Controlled free radical polymerization chemistry is used to graft polymer chains to the corona of horse spleen ferritin (HSF) nanocages. Specifically, poly(methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (polyMPC) and poly(PEG methacrylate) (polyPEGMA) chains are grafted onto the nanocages by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), in which the molecular weight of the polymer grafts is controlled by the monomer-to-initiator feed ratio. PolyMPC and polyPEGMA-grafted ferritin show a generally suppressed inclusion into diblock copolymer films relative to native ferritin, and the polymer coating is seen to mask the ferritin nanocages from antibody recognition. The solubility of polyPEGMA-coated ferritin in organic solvents enables its processing with polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers, and selective integration into the PEO domains of microphase-separated copolymer structures.

A new pH sensor, which consists of a fluorophore and gold nanoparticle (AuNP) attached to each chain end of a pH-sensitive polysulfonamide, respectively, is synthesized, and its pH sensitivity is investigated in terms of the fluorescent quenching efficiency of AuNP. Since the pH-sensitive polymeric linker exhibits a pH-induced coil-globule transition that is rapid enough to show a typical two-state transition, it shows drastic on-and-off quenching efficiency with variation of pH due to the change in the distance between fluorophore and AuNP. This AuNP-based pH sensor exhibits a well-defined on-and-off behavior at a small change in pH, and therefore can be used for an ideal alarm-type sensor.

Two types of temperature sensor which have pyrene (Pyr) and fullerene (C60) attached to poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are synthesized, and their thermal sensitivities are examined in terms of the fluorescence quenching efficiency of C60: One is pyrene−poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)−fullerene (Pyr-PNIPAM-C60) which has Pyr and C60 attached to each chain end of PNIPAM, and the other is pyrene−poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-fullerenylethyl methacrylate) (Pyr-P(NIPAM-co-C60)) which has Pyr attached to one chain end of PNIAPM and two C60s attached onto PNIPAM backbone. Both of them exhibit the same conformational change from coil to globule at a specific temperature, which results in drastic on-and-off quenching efficiency. The quenching efficiency of Pyr-P(NIPAM-co-C60) is larger than Pyr-PNIPAM-C60, since Pyr-P(NIPAN-co-C60) has more C60s located closer to Pyr than Pyr-PNIPAM-C60. These C60-based thermosensitive polymers exhibit well-defined on-and-off behavior at a small change in temperature.

A new pH sensor based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which consist of a fluorescent molecule and a CNT attached to each chain end of a pH sensitive polysulfonamide, respectively, is synthesized, and its pH sensitivity is examined in terms of the fluorescent quenching efficiency of the CNT. The pH sensitive polymeric linker shows an abrupt conformational change between an expanded coil structure and a collapsed globule structure, which results in the drastic on-and-off fluorescent quenching efficiency because of the change in the distance between the fluorophore and CNT. This CNT-based sensor responds to a small change in pH with well-defined on-and-off behavior, and also shows an excellent reversibility against pH change, which explains its feasibility to be widely used in the areas of biological and environmental applications.

A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor, which has a FRET donor and an acceptor attached to each chain end of pH-sensitive polysulfonamide, is synthesized and its pH sensitivity is examined in terms of the FRET efficiency. This polymeric sensor exhibits an instantaneous conformation change from coil to globule at a specific pH, which results in the drastic on-and-off FRET efficiency. To detect a specific pH region, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethizole are selected among various sulfonamides since their pKa values are in the physiological pH. For tuning the emission color arising from FRET, 7-hydroxy-4-bromomethyl coumarin and coumarin 343 are used as a FRET donor and an acceptor, respectively, for a blue-to-green FRET sensor, and fluorescence amine isomer I and rhodamine B are used for a green-to-red FRET sensor. Each sensor shows a distinct color change from the emission wavelength of FRET donor to the emission wavelength of FRET acceptor, which well explains their feasibility as a useful optical sensor.

To explore the potential of shell crosslinked micelle (SCM) as a drug carrier, the drug release behavior of poly(e-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PCL-b-PAA) SCMs was investigated. PCL-b-PAA was synthesized by ring opening polymerization of e-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization oftert-butyl acrylate, followed by selective hydrolysis oftert-butyl ester groups to acrylic acid groups. The resulting amphiphilic polymer was used to prepare SCMs by crosslinking of PAA corona via amidation chemistry. The drug release behavior of the SCMs was studied, using pyrene as a model drug, and was compared with that of non-crosslinked micelles, especially below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). When the shell layers were crosslinked, the drug release behavior of the SCMs was successfully modulated at a controlled rate compared with that of the non-crosslinked micelles, which showed a burst release of drug within a short time.

from loss and subsequent restoration of blood flow, which is detrimental to shortand long-term graft function and survival. Treatment of donor organs with small molecules such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a novel method of modulating prolonged IRI during transplantation. We postulated that H2S treatment during prolonged cold storage could mitigate IRI-induced renal allograft injury following allogeneic renal transplantation (RTx). METHODS: Following bilateral native nephrectomy, recipient Lewis rats underwent RTx with kidneys obtained from Brown Norway donor rats that were flushed with either University of Wisconsin preservation solution (UWgroup; n1⁄48) or UW+150 mMNaHS (H2Sgroup; n1⁄45) and stored for 24 hours at 4 C in the same solution. Sham surgeries (midline incision only; n1⁄45) were also performed and animals were monitored for 14 days to assess allograft function and survival. An additional subset of donor kidneys in each treatment group (n1⁄48 per group) were perfused with 5 mM Ethidium Homodimer-1 (EthD-1) immediately following cold storage and analyzed via fluorescent microscopy for in situ characterization of tissue necrosis. ATP levels were also measured to assess the metabolic state of donor kidneys following cold storage. RESULTS: H2S treated animals exhibited significantly improved (p