Organic-nano-TiO2 hybrids are successfully employed in different fields, from biomaterials to self-cleaning processes and from sensing to photovoltaics. The specific wetting properties of these materials bear relevance to any application. Here, nano-TiO2 films with a multiscale roughness, as shown by AFM, are derivatized with tri- and bifunctional siloxanes, bearing either alkyl or aromatic end groups. Dynamic contact angle measurements show a marked dependence of the wettability on the siloxane nature, leading to different self-cleaning properties, as assessed by ATR-FTIR. The different behavior is rationalized on the grounds of the structure of the functionalized layer, by employing solid state 29Si CP-MAS NMR and EDX mapping. Semiempirical calculations of hybrids dipole moments in conjunction with solvent surface energy components allow us to explain the strongly different solvents wettability. This work brings attention to the importance of the hydrophobizing molecule nature and its chemical interactions for the interpretation of wettability versus surface texture.
For high-risk endometrial cancer (EC) patients, adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended to improve outcome. Yet, predictive biomarkers for response to platinum-based chemotherapy (Pt-aCT) are currently lacking. We tested expression of L1 cell-adhesion molecule (L1CAM), a well-recognised marker of poor prognosis in EC, in tumour samples from high-risk EC patients, to explore its role as a predictive marker of Pt-aCT response. L1CAM expression was determined using RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry in a cohort of high-risk EC patients treated with Pt-aCT and validated in a multicentric independent cohort. The association between L1CAM and clinicopathologic features and L1CAM additive value in predicting platinum response were determined.The effect of L1CAM gene silencing on response to carboplatin was functionally tested on primary L1CAM-expressing cells. Increased L1CAM expression at both genetic and protein level correlated with high-grade, non-endometrioid histology and poor response to platinum treatment. A predictive model adding L1CAM to prognostic clinical variables significantly improved platinum response prediction (C-index 78.1%, P = .012). In multivariate survival analysis, L1CAM expression was significantly
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