11th IUPAC “International Symposium on Macromolecule‐Metal Complexes” (http://www.dcci.unipi.it/∼bea/mmc‐11/)

Conference Reports: This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

Polymer Reaction Engineering VI Halifax,Canada May 21–26, 2006

Conference Reports: This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

IUPAC International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization Goa,India, IP2005, October 23–28, 2005

Conference Reports: This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

16th Polymer Networks Group Meeting

This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

Metal‐ and Metalloid‐Containing Macromolecules Symposium

Conference Report: This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de.     

Missions and Challenges of Polymer Science and Technology

This section contains reports on topical conferences. Reports are usually written at the request of the editorial office, but unsolicited contributions are also welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de .     

TLB: An Experienced Consultant and Broker between Universities and Industry

This section contains news of the macromolecular community all over the world. Articles about, for example, people, projects, and market trends are welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de. The editorial office decides which articles will be published.     

Ronald Koningsveld

This section contains news of the macromolecular community all over the world. Articles about, for example, people, projects, and market trends are welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de. The editorial office decides which articles will be published.     

Hermann Staudinger Prize 2002

This section contains news of the macromolecular community all over the world. Articles about, for example, people, projects, and market trends are welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de. The editorial office decides which articles will be published.     

Short Portrait of Prof. Dr. Oskar Nuyken on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday

This section contains news of the macromolecular community all over the world. Articles about, for example, people, projects, and market trends are welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de. The editorial office decides which articles will be published.     

BASF on Campus

Macromolecular News: This section contains news of the macromolecular community all over the world. Articles about, for example, people, projects, and market trends are welcome. Suggestions should be sent to the editorial office of the Macromolecular journals, preferably by E‐mail to macromol@wiley‐vch.de. The editorial office decides which articles will be published.     

“Wild type” GIST: Clinicopathological features and clinical practice

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Mutation of KIT and PDGFRA genes is implicated in the tumorigenesis. Approximately 10% of GISTs do not harbor mutation of these genes, and they are designated as “wild type” GIST. They are classified into succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)‐deficient and non‐SDH‐deficient groups. SDH‐deficient group includes Carney triad and Carney Stratakis syndrome. The patients are young women. Tumors occur in the antrum of the stomach, and tumor cells are epithelioid. Lymph node metastasis is frequent. The non‐SDH‐deficient group includes neurofibromatosis (NF) type 1 and GISTs with mutations of BRAF, KRAS, and PIK3CA and with the ETV6‐NTRK3 fusion gene. GIST in NF occurs in the small intestine, and tumor cells are spindle shaped. GIST with BRAF mutation arises in the small intestine. Attention to the age, gender, family history and other neoplasms may raise the prediction of syndromic disease. Location of the tumor, morphology, and pleomorphism of the tumor cells are further informative. Lymphovascular invasion should be carefully evaluated. The determination of KIT expression is essential for the diagnosis. When wild type GIST is suspected, intensive genetic analysis is required. Further, a careful and long‐time observation is recommended.     

The “Ins” and “Outs” of the Depressive Disorders Section of DSM‐5

In this article, we review and evaluate changes in the depressive disorders section from DSM‐IV to DSM‐5. We describe characteristics of three new depressive disorders: disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. We also discuss the controversial decision in DSM‐5 to remove the bereavement exclusion from the criteria for major depressive disorder. Next, we review the decision to replace the diagnosis of depressive disorder not otherwise specified with two new diagnoses: other specified depressive disorder and unspecified depressive disorder. Finally, we discuss the inclusion of two novel specifiers in the DSM‐5 depressive disorders section: “with anxious distress” and “with mixed features.” For each of these changes, we examine the relevant research and discuss implications of the changes for research and clinical practice.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(acrylic acid) Brushes: “Grafting‐Onto” Route

A guideline for the synthesis of poly(acrylic acid) brushes on planar silica surfaces by the “grafting‐onto” approach is described. It is demonstrated that some thermal precautions must be taken to obtain extended brushes. It is also shown that neutron reflectivity is well suited for the characterization of each step of the synthesis, while it is (unfortunately) rarely used for that purpose. The steps are the following: first, the substrates are covered with a self‐assembled monolayer of epoxy‐terminated molecules; then, the poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) brushes are built using preformed and end‐functionalized chains; finally, the deprotection of the ester group is performed using a pyrolysis reaction to convert the poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) brushes into poly(acrylic acid) brushes.     

Human RECQ Helicase Pathogenic Variants,Population Variation and “Missing” Diseases

Heritable loss of function mutations in the human RECQ helicase genes BLM, WRN, and RECQL4 cause Bloom, Werner, and Rothmund‐Thomson syndromes, cancer predispositions with additional developmental or progeroid features. In order to better understand RECQ pathogenic and population variation, we systematically analyzed genetic variation in all five human RECQ helicase genes. A total of 3,741 unique base pair‐level variants were identified, across 17,605 potential mutation sites. Direct counting of BLM, RECQL4, and WRN pathogenic variants was used to determine aggregate and disease‐specific carrier frequencies. The use of biochemical and model organism data, together with computational prediction, identified over 300 potentially pathogenic population variants in RECQL and RECQL5, the two RECQ helicases that are not yet linked to a heritable deficiency syndrome. Despite the presence of these predicted pathogenic variants in the human population, we identified no individuals homozygous for any biochemically verified or predicted pathogenic RECQL or RECQL5 variant. Nor did we find any individual heterozygous for known pathogenic variants in two or more of the disease‐associated RECQ helicase genes BLM, RECQL4, or WRN. Several postulated RECQ helicase deficiency syndromes—RECQL or RECQL5 loss of function, or compound haploinsufficiency for the disease‐associated RECQ helicases—may remain missing, as they likely incompatible with life.     

Enhancing antibiotic stewardship by tackling “spurious” penicillin allergy

Approximately 90‐99% of patients with a label of penicillin allergy (PenA) are not allergic when comprehensively investigated. An inaccurate label of PenA has major public health implications—longer hospital stay, more frequent hospital admissions, greater use of fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, cephalosporins and other expensive antibiotics resulting in significantly higher costs to the health service and predisposing to Clostridium difficile, methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and vancomycin‐resistant enterococcus. We describe lessons learnt from recent studies regarding possible reasons contributing to an inaccurate label of PenA as well as propose a concerted multidisciplinary approach to address this important public health problem. Given the unmet need for allergy services in the UK and several other countries and knowledge gaps regarding PenA amongst healthcare professionals, we describe the potential role for a computerized clinical decision support system to enable non‐specialists rapidly identify and de‐label “low‐risk” hospitalized patients with a label of PenA thereby obviating the need for allergy tests. This approach however needs rigorous evaluation for feasibility, safety, patient and physician acceptability, cost‐effectiveness and its compatibility with information technology systems currently employed in the health service.     

Fractional dissolution of “solid” unsubstituted cellulose

Activated cellulose (Solucell, DP_w = 1 400) was extracted stepwise at room temperatures by means of mixed solvents consisting of N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and LiCl, starting with a salt concentration of 1 wt.‐% and increasing it in increments of 1 wt.‐% up to 7 wt.‐%. Upon the regeneration of the thus obtained cellulose fractions by pouring the solutions dropwise into a large surplus of water, part of the mixed solvent is occluded in the polymer. For that reason the cellulose samples were purified by redissolving them in Ni‐tren and by a second precipitation. This process, however, leads to pronounced polymer degradation. For that reason we have used a spinning nozzle to press the extracts in a highly dispersed form into water. Using this procedure the samples were no longer contaminated by inclusions. The intrinsic viscosities of the fractions (in an alkaline aqueous solution of ferric tartaric acid complex at 25°C) and their GPC diagrams (solvent DMAc + LiCl) demonstrate that the shortest chains ([η] = 208 mL/g) become soluble first and the longest chains ([η] = 680 mL/g) last. The present data lead to the following Kuhn‐Mark‐Houwink relation [η] = 4.13 DP_w^0.68. The current results indicate a promising route to obtain larger quantities of unsubstituted cellulose with narrow molecular weight distribution by means of suitable extraction strategies.     

Does increase in DNA repair allow “Tolerance‐to‐Insult” in chemical carcinogenesis? Skin tumor experiments with MGMT‐overexpressing mice

Several genotoxicity endpoints have been evaluated to define nonlinear dose‐responses for S_N1 and S_N2 alkylating genotoxicants. Dose‐response studies acknowledging the process of multistage tumorigenesis are important; however, data pertaining nonlinearity are not yet available. In this communication, the role of DNA repair in the dose‐response relationship for benign papillomas was examined using the two‐stage skin carcinogenesis protocol. The data obtained with O⁶‐methylguanine‐DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) overexpressing mice in which papillomas were induced by a single topical treatment with N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea (MNU) followed by promotion with 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate are reported. As MGMT efficiently protects cells from mutations by repairing O⁶‐methylguanine, a miscoding lesion induced by MNU, the question whether MGMT is able to nullify carcinogenic lesions to an extent where they would be considered nonhazardous has been addressed. It is shown here that MGMT overexpression significantly protects against, but does not completely nullify, the effect of MNU in tumor initiation. The possible mechanisms involved have also been discussed. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 55:145–150, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Thermo‐Responsive Brush Copolymers by “Grafting Through” Strategy Implemented on the Surface of the Macromonomer Micelles and Their High Emulsifying Performance

In the present study, the synthesis of water‐soluble thermo‐responsive brush copolymers via “graft through” strategy that is conducted on the surfaces of macromonomer micelles and their application as emulsifiers for thermo‐responsive emulsions are reported. Water‐soluble poly(N ,N‐dimethylacrylmide)‐block‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylmide) (PDMA‐b‐PNIPAM) diblock copolymers carrying a hydrophobic polymerizable vinyl group at the end of the PDMA block are synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and click functionalization. Increasing the temperature to above the low critical solution temperature of the PNIPAM block, the macromonomers self‐assemble to core–shell structure micelles with the polymerizable vinyl terminals on the surface of the micelles. Instead of being directly and freely exposed in the bulk water as the hydrophilic group, the hydrophobic vinyl terminals are protected by the partially looped PDMA segments. PMA‐g‐(PDMA‐b‐PNIPAM) brush copolymers with a high molecular weight and a narrow distribution are obtained by radical polymerization of the macromonomers using the potassium peroxydisulfate as initiator. The radical polymerization only proceeds within the single micelle, and intermicellar propagation and/or termination reactions are totally excluded. These brush copolymers feature the thermo‐responsive conformation transition property and high emulsifying performances for the formation of thermo‐responsive emulsion.

     

Molecular profiling of the “plexinome” in melanoma and pancreatic cancer

Plexins are transmembrane high‐affinity receptors for semaphorins, regulating cell guidance, motility, and invasion. Functional evidences implicate semaphorin signals in cancer progression and metastasis. Yet, it is largely unknown whether plexin genes are genetically altered in human tumors. We performed a comprehensive gene copy analysis and mutational profiling of all nine members of the plexin gene family (plexinome), in melanomas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), which are characterized by high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. Gene copy analysis detected amplification of PLXNA4 in melanomas, whereas copy number losses of multiple plexin genes were seen in PDACs. Somatic mutations were detected in PLXNA4, PLXNB3, and PLXNC1; providing the first evidence that these plexins are mutated in human cancer. Functional assays in cellular models revealed that some of these missense mutations result in loss of plexin function. For instance, c.1613G>A, p.R538H mutation in the extracellular domain of PLXNB3 prevented binding of the ligand Sema5A. Moreover, although PLXNA4 signaling can inhibit tumor cell migration, the mutated c.5206C>T, p.H1736Y allele had lost this activity. Our study is the first systematic analysis of the “plexinome” in human tumors, and indicates that multiple mutated plexins may be involved in cancer progression. Hum Mutat 30,1–8, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.