The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association of human papillomaviruses (HPV) with the development of squamous cell lung carcinomas (SqCLCs). Tissue material from 52 cases of SqCLCs were studied, and the data were evaluated according to the degree of differentiation, HPV presence and type. Analysis was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using consensus primers, and the results were confirmed by subsequent Southern blot hybridization. Overall, the results showed 69% positivity (n=32). Forty-one cases were examined for the presence of specific HPV types (6/11 and 16/18) by hybridization of the PCR products with 32P-labelled probes. HPV 6/11 types were detected in 6 of the 29 positive cases (20.6%). HPV 16/18 types were the most prevalent types, and were detected in 11/29 cases (37.9%: 4/10 of well-differentiated cases, 6/25 of moderately and 1/6 of poorly differentiated carcinomas). Our results confirm the possibility that HPV might play a role in the development of SqCLCs and suggest a possible relation of high-risk HPV16/18 types to tumour differentiation.

Non-isothermal crystallization of Poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu)/biochar composites was studied at various constant cooling rates using differential scanning calorimetry. The analysis of the kinetics data revealed that the overall crystallization rate and activation energy of the PBSu polymer were significantly influenced by the addition of biochar. Specifically, the PBSu/5% biochar composite with a higher filler content was more effective as a nucleation agent in the polymer matrix, as indicated by the nucleation activity (ψ) value of 0.45. The activation energy of the PBSu/5% biochar composite was found to be higher than that of the other compositions, while the nucleation activity of the PBSu/biochar composites decreased as the biochar content increased. The Avrami equation, which is commonly used to describe the kinetics of crystallization, was found to be limited in accurately predicting the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of PBSu and PBSu/biochar composites. Although the Nakamura/Hoffman–Lauritzen model performed well overall, it may not have accurately predicted the crystallization rate at the end of the process due to the possibility of secondary crystallization. Finally, the combination of the Šesták–Berggren model with the Hoffman–Lauritzen theory was found to accurately predict the crystallization behavior of the PBSu/biochar composites, indicating a complex crystallization mechanism involving both nucleation and growth. The Kg parameter of neat PBSu was found to be 0.7099 K2, while the melting temperature and glass transition temperature of neat PBSu were found to be 114.91 °C and 35 °C, respectively, very close to the measured values. The Avrami nucleation dimension n was found to 2.65 for PBSu/5% biochar composite indicating that the crystallization process is complex in the composites.

Biodegradable polymers offer a promising alternative to the global plastic problems and especially in the last decade, to the microplastics problems. For the first time, samples of poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu) biocomposites containing 1, 2.5, and 5 wt% biochar (BC) were prepared by in situ polymerization via the two-stage melt polycondensation procedure. BC was used as a filler for the PBSu to improve its mechanical properties, thermal transitions, and biodegradability. The structure of the synthesized polymers was examined by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) along with an estimation of the molecular weights, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and light flash analysis (LFA) were also employed to record the thermal transitions and evaluate the thermal conductivity, respectively. It was found that the amount of BC does not affect the molecular weight of PBSu biocomposites. The fine dispersion of BC, as well as the increase in BC content in the polymeric matrix, significantly improves the tensile and impact strengths. The DSC analysis results showed that BC facilitates the crystallization of PBSu biocomposites. Due to the latter, a mild and systematic increase in thermal diffusivity and conductivity was recorded indicating that BC is a conductive material. The molecular mobility of PBSu, local and segmental, does not change significantly in the biocomposites, whereas the BC seems to cause an increase in the overall dielectric permittivity. Finally, it was found that the enzymatic hydrolysis degradation rate of biocomposites increased with the increasing BC content.

Background: Glibenclamide is a lipophilic drug widely used in type 2 diabetes treatment. However, its low bioavailability limits its use. Thus, novel formulations should be applied to improve the drug’s bioavailability. Objectives: This study aimed to develop alternative carriers for oral delivery of glibenclamide. For this purpose, two biocompatible polymers, poly(e-caprolactone) and poly(butylene adipate) were formulated as microparticles (MPs) capable of loading the antidiabetic drug. Methods: In this regard, as microparticle fabrication approach, the modified emulsion solvent evaporation method was applied. Physicochemical evaluation of the prepared microparticles included the examination of their morphology, degradation rate, and thermal properties. Drug entrapment, drug loading, and particle size were also investigated. Simulated intestinal medium and body fluid at 37oC were selected as dissolution media. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the crystal properties of the microparticles and drugs. Results: The developed microparticles had sizes between 0.5 and 4 μm. Poly(butylene adipate) based microparticles had a smooth surface, whereas poly(ε-caprolactone) based microparticles showed a porous surface. The DSC thermogram revealed the amorphization of the drug. Hydrolysis results exhibited a very low mass loss, while in vitro release results depicted that the dissolution rate of the prepared microparticles was higher than that of pure glibenclamide demonstrating a prolonged pattern which is ideal for minimizing the daily dose of glibenclamide. Conclusion: In this study, novel carriers for glibenclamide were successfully prepared with promising future use.

essary duplication of effort must be eliminated. However, doing so is difficult due to the current culture of data protectionism and a lack of suitable software that enables convenient and useful sharing of the intermediate results. ApproAch: Building on our previously published reviews of software for systematic review and trial analytics, the talk identifies the technical and cultural challenges to be met. We propose that a web-based solution enabling the global research community to contribute their intermediate results in exchange for access to the data contributed by others could rapidly gain momentum. Such a system would challenge data protectionism by greatly reducing the level of investment required for data acquisition. conclusion: A disruptive web-based system enabling a massively collaborative approach to systematic reviewing can make data protectionism obsolete and eliminate much of the effort required for future systematic reviews.