SAXS, DLS, and MD studies of the Rg/Rh ratio for swollen and collapsed dendrimers.

The radius of gyration, Rg, and the hydrodynamic radius, Rh, are the main experimental parameters that characterize the size of linear and branched macromolecules. In the case of dendrimers in solution, the ratio Rg/Rh, depending on the global conformation, varies from 1 (for a Gaussian soft sphere) to 3/5 (for a hard sphere). However, for high-generation dendrimers, this ratio may be less than the limiting value for a hard sphere.

Amphiphilic Polypeptides Obtained by the Post-Polymerization Modification of Poly(Glutamic Acid) and Their Evaluation as Delivery Systems for Hydrophobic Drugs.

Synthetic poly(amino acids) are a unique class of macromolecules imitating natural polypeptides and are widely considered as carriers for drug and gene delivery. In this work, we synthesized, characterized and studied the properties of amphiphilic copolymers obtained by the post-polymerization modification of poly(α,L-glutamic acid) with various hydrophobic and basic L-amino acids and D-glucosamine. The resulting glycopolypeptides were capable of forming nanoparticles that exhibited reduced macrophage uptake and were non-toxic to human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B).

NMR Studies of Two Lysine Based Dendrimers with Insertion of Similar Histidine-Arginine and Arginine-Histidine Spacers Having Different Properties for Application in Drug Delivery.

In this paper we study two lysine-based peptide dendrimers with Lys-His-Arg and Lys-Arg-His repeating units and terminal lysine groups. Combination of His and Arg properties in a dendrimer could be important for biomedical applications, especially for prevention of dendrimer aggregation and for penetration of dendrimers through various cell membranes. We describe the synthesis of these dendrimers and the confirmation of their structure using 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

The Study of Airborne Particulate Matter in Dalnegorsk Town.

Mines, quarries, dumps, and tailings are the sources of air pollution. In the Dalnegorsk District (Primorsky Krai, Russia), there are 20 polymetallic deposits. This study aimed to evaluate the particle size and material composition of ambient particulate matter (PM) in Dalnegorsk town and verify the influence of mining and chemical industry facilities on the composition of PM.

Synthesis and Characterization of Macroinitiators Based on Polyorganophosphazenes for the Ring Opening Polymerization of -Carboxyanhydrides.

Among the various biocompatible amphiphilic copolymers, biodegradable ones are the most promising for the preparation of drug delivery systems since they are destroyed under physiological conditions, that, as a rule, reduce toxicity and provide controlled release of the drug. Hybrid graft-copolymers consisting of the main inorganic polyphosphazene chain and polypeptide side chains are of considerable interest for the development of delivery systems with a controlled degradation rate, since the main and side chains will have different degradation mechanisms (chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively). Variable particle degradation rate, controlled by the adjusting the composition of substituents, will allow selective delivery in vivo and controlled drug release.