Extent of breast cancer type 1 promoter methylation correlates with clinicopathological features in breast cancers.

Aim Of Study: The current meta-analysis investigated the correlation between breast cancer type 1 (BRCA1) promoter methylation and the clinicopathological features of breast cancer (BC).

Materials And Methods: An electronic literature search was performed to identify and select cohort studies, by employing stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, for data relevant to promoter methylation of BRCA1 and BC. Statistical analysis of the extracted data was performed using comprehensive meta-analysis 2.

Effect of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions on surfactant solutions investigated by molecular dynamics simulation.

The effect of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) on the H-bonding structure around the headgroup of the surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDSn) in solution has been studied by molecular dynamics simulation. Our results show that binding between the headgroup of the surfactant and Ca(2+) or Mg(2+) is prevented by a stabilizing solvent-separated minimum formed in the potential of mean force (PMF) between the interacting ion-pair. Among the contributions to the PMF, the major repulsive interaction is due to the rearrangement of the hydration shell after the ions enter into the original H-bonding structure of water around the headgroup, leading to a decrease in the number of H-bonds and an increase in their lifetimes.

New cyclodextrin derivative 6-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-beta-cyclodextrin: preparation and its application in molecular binding and recognition.

A new soluble cyclodextrin derivative 6-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (6-HB-beta-CD) was prepared. Its molecular binding and recognition ability were investigated with the comparison of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), 2-O-(2-hydroxypropyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (2-HP-beta-CD), 6-O-(2-hydroxypropyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (6-HP-beta-CD), and 2-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-beta-cyclodextrin (2-HB-beta-CD). The relationship between the complex stability constants and the possible structures of inclusion compounds was discussed with the interaction of hosts and guests, including the weak hydrophobic interactions, the size/shape matching, the steric hindrance, and the hydrophilic property.

Characterization of floc size, strength and structure in various aluminum coagulants treatment.

Flocs generated in various aluminum coagulants treatment exhibit difference in size, strength and structure. The formation, breakage and re-formation of flocs were investigated by using a laser diffraction instrument (Malvern Mastersizer 2000, Malvern, UK). Different Al coagulants--conventional Al salt (AlCl(3)), polyaluminum chloride (PAC-1) and the purified polyaluminum chloride (PAC-2)--were investigated for the coagulation of humic acid (HA).

Mesoscopic simulation study on a weakly charged block polyelectrolyte in aqueous solution.

In this paper, we use density functional theory to study the effect of the charge of solvophilic beads and concentration on the mesoscale structures of polyelectrolyte solution. The polyelectrolyte A6B12A6 was selected as the triblock polymer, and the solvophobic B blocks have no charges, while the solvophilic A blocks are charged. The simulation results showed: at higher concentration (above 50% systems), relatively small charges on the solvophilic block do not alter the bicontinuous phase inherent to uncharged solution, but at moderate concentrations (50% system), even though the charge per solvophilic bead is very small, the order lamellar structures become disturbed.