Acetylacetone photodynamics at a seeded freeelectron laser

The first steps in photochemical processes, such as photosynthesis or animal vision, involve changes in electronic and geometric structure on extremely short time scales. Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy is a natural way to measure such changes, but has been hindered hitherto by limitations of available pulsed light sources in the vacuum-ultraviolet and soft Xray spectral region, which have insufficient resolution in time and energy simultaneously. The unique combination of intensity, energy resolution, and femtosecond pulse duration of the FERMI-seeded free-electron laser can now provide exceptionally detailed information on photoexcitation–deexcitation and fragmentation in pump-probe experiments on the 50- femtosecond time scale. For the prototypical system acetylacetone we report here electron spectra measured as a function of time delay with enough spectral and time resolution to follow several photoexcited species through well-characterized individual steps, interpreted using state-of-the-art static and dynamics calculations. These results open the way for investigations of photochemical processes in unprecedented detail

Determination of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in the perirenal and dorsal fatty tissues of pigs

The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of the perirenal fatty tissue for the determination of an organochlorine pesticide. Fatty tissue samples were prepared by the matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) method, and pesticide levels were determined by gas chromatography on capillary column using an electron capture detector. Results were confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. The results showed that the perirenal fatty tissue contained significantly higher levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) than the dorsal fatty tissue (P < 0.01). All the levels were below the criteria for maximum residue limits established by Croatia and the EU

Continuous low dose Thalidomide: a phase II study in advanced melanoma, renal cell, ovarian and breast cancer

To grow and metastasize, solid tumours must develop their own blood supply by neo-angiogenesis. Thalidomide inhibits the processing of mRNA encoding peptide molecules including tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and the angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study investigated the use of continuous low dose Thalidomide in patients with a variety of advanced malignancies. Sixty-six patients (37 women and 29 men; median age, 48 years; range 33–62 years) with advanced measurable cancer (19 ovarian, 18 renal, 17 melanoma, 12 breast cancer) received Thalidomide 100 mg orally every night until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity was encountered. Three of 18 patients with renal cancer showed partial responses and a further three patients experienced stabilization of their disease for up to 6 months. Although no objective responses were seen in the other tumour types, there were significant improvements in patients' sleeping (P< 0.05) and maintained appetite (P< 0.05). Serum and urine concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), TNF-α and VEGF were measured during treatment and higher levels were associated with progressive disease. Thalidomide was well tolerated: Two patients developed WHO Grade 2 peripheral neuropathy and eight patients developed WHO grade 2 lethargy. No patients developed WHO grade 3 or 4 toxicity. Further studies evaluating the use of Thalidomide at higher doses as a single agent for advanced renal cancer and in combination with biochemotherapy regimens are warranted. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Electrophysiological properties of dorsal root ganglion neurons cultured on 3D silicon micro-pillar substrates.

Silicon-based micro-pillar substrates (MPS), as three-dimensional cell culture platforms with vertically aligned micro-patterned scaffolding structures, are known to facilitate high-quality growth and morphology of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons, promote neurite outgrowth and enhance neurite alignment. However, the electrophysiological aspects of DRG neurons cultured on silicon MPSs have not been thoroughly investigated, which is of greatest importance to ensure that such substrates do not disrupt neuronal homeostasis and function before their widespread adoption in diverse biomedical applications. We conducted whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to explore the electrophysiological properties of DRG neurons cultured on MPS arrays, utilizing a custom-made upright patch-clamp setup. Our findings revealed that DRG neurons exhibited similar electrophysiological responses on patterned MPS samples when compared to the control planar glass surfaces. Notably, there were no significant differences observed in the action potential parameters or firing patterns of action potentials between neurons grown on either substrate. In the current study we for the first time confirmed that successful electrophysiological recordings can be obtained from the cells grown on MPS. Our results imply that, despite the potential alterations caused by the cumulative trauma of tissue harvest and cell dissociation, essential functional cell properties of DRG neurons appear to be relatively maintained on MPS surfaces. Therefore, vertically aligned silicon MPSs could be considered as a potentially effective three-dimensional system for supporting a controlled cellular environment in culture

Dorsal root ganglion &amp;ndash; a potential new therapeutic target for neuropathic pain

Damir Sapunar, Sandra Kostic, Adriana Banozic, Livia PuljakDepartment of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, University of Split Medical School, Soltanska 2, 21000 Split, CroatiaAbstract: A regional approach can protect our patients from often unacceptable adverse effects produced by systematically applied drugs. Regional therapeutic approaches, as well as interventions at the level of the peripheral nervous system and particularly the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), represent an alternative to the systemic application of therapeutic agents. This article provides an overview of DRG anatomical peculiarities, explains why the DRG is an important therapeutic target, and how animal models of targeted drug delivery can help us in the translation of basic research into clinical practice.Keywords: dorsal root ganglion, neuropathic pain, pain therapy, targeted drug deliver