Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the major form of chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the middle ear, constitutes the most common diagnosis for children under 15 years old and is the major cause of auditory dysfunction in pre-school children. OME is a disease more commonly found in allergic children. These studies sought to investigate the inflammatory response in the middle ear of patients and test the hypothesis that an allergic-like response might occur in the ear. Atopy was diagnosed by standard in vitro tests. Immunochemical techniques used to study classic allergic rhinitis and asthma were extrapolated to the evaluation of OME children whose effusion persisted beyond 2 months. Not only eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), tryptase, CD3-positive and IL-5 producing cells, but also myeloperoxidase (MPO) was found in middle ear fluid and/or mucosa in the majority of patients with OME and atopy. Initially, levels of ECP, MPO, and tryptase were measured in effusions from 97 random OME patients whose atopic status was determined by in vitro testing to 12 inhalants and 5 foods. The response of eosinophils, neutrophils and mast cells in the middle ear was distinctly different between atopic and non-atopic patients (p<0.001) with higher levels of the cell markers in the atopic group of patients. This suggested that 1) perhaps OME was predominantly a disease of atopics and that 2) they differed in their response from non-atopics. Tryptase was measured in middle ear effusions from 38 patients with OME, 94.7% of whom were atopic by in vitro testing. Tryptase was elevated only in the effusion of atopic patients as compared to 5 controls (p<0.01). Biopsies stained histochemically for tryptase showed evidence of mast cells in the mucosa and submucosa from 6 of 8 OME ears but absent in 4 normals. Middle ear biopsies, embedded in a plastic resin to improve the structural preservation, from 5 patients with OME and 5 normals were evaluated for the presence of eosinophils and neutrophils with monoclonal antibodies against 4 specific granule proteins. Eosinophils and neutrophils were present in the mucosa and mucus in significantly higher numbers than in the control group. In an effort to determine whether the middle ear itself might be involved in allergic disease, evidence that some of the cells, mediators and cytokines associated specifically with a Th-2 response were sought for in the middle ear mucosa of these children. Middle ear biopsies from 7 atopic patients with OME and 4 controls demonstrated the presence of activated eosinophils, CD-3+ T cells and IL-5 mRNA cells only in the mucosa from atopic OME children. Conclusion: Effusion and mucosal biopsies containing ECP, tryptase, and/or IL-5 mRNA cells, CD3+ T cells, eosinophils, and mast cells indicate that many of the mediators and cells essential to the production of a Th-2 immune mediated response are present in ears with chronic effusion. The increased levels of MPO in atopic patients further suggest that the general inflammatory response to putative inciting agents such as bacterial and viral products may be altered in atopy. These studies support the hypothesis that the exaggerated inflammation within the middle ear associated with most cases of OME is possibly the result of an atopic response within the middle ear itself.

The eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is usually associated with the eosinophil granulocyte. In this thesis the presence and production of this protein has been studied in two other cells. The circulating monocyte was found to contain ECP mRNA and small amounts of ECP, one thousand times less than that found in the eosinophil. The production decreased by differentiation of the myelomonoblastic cell line U937 into a macrophage phenotype. Submucosal lung macrophages did not stain for ECP and alveolar macrophages did not contain ECP mRNA. The circulating neutrophil contains ECP at a level hundred fold less than the eosinophil. We found that the protein is located to the primary granules of the neutrophil but could detect no ECP mRNA in the cell. It was shown in vitro that the protein was taken up by the cell and partly transported to the primary granules. The uptake did not seem to be receptor mediated. Upon stimulation of the neutrophils, ECP previously taken up, was re-secreted. The ECP protein is heterogeneous both to molecular characteristics and to function. To evaluate if a genetic component is involved, the ECP gene was analysed in 70 individuals. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP´s) were found, denoted 277(C>T), 434(G>C) and 562(G>C). The two first were located to the mature peptide-coding region and would change the amino acids, arg45cys and arg97thr. The prevalence of the most common SNP, 434, was evaluated in two eosinophil-related diseases, allergy/asthma and Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). Forty-three HL patients were evaluated and it was found that the 434GG was significantly more prevalent in patients having nodular sclerosis (NS) as compared to other histologies (p=0.03). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was also related to the 434GG genotype (p=0.009). In 209 medical students 434GG was more common (p=0.002) in those who indicated allergy. The genotype was unrelated to the production of IgE antibodies to allergens. In analysis of 76 subjects with asthma it was found that the 434GG genotype was significantly more common among allergic asthmatics (p=0.04). Asthma and HL-NS are characterized by fibrosis and eosinophils and ECP has been suggested in fibrosis development.

Lightly cross-linked polyelectrolyte microgels are materials with interesting properties for a range of applications. For instance, the volume of these particles can be drastically changed in response to pH, ionic strength, temperature, or the concentration of specific ions and metabolites. In addition, microgel particles can bind substantial amounts of oppositely charged substances, such as proteins and peptides, and release them upon changes in the external environment. Consequently, microgels have potential in catalysis, photonics, biomaterials, and not at least, as protective and stimuli-sensitive carriers for protein and peptide drugs. In this thesis, the interaction between anionic microgels and cationic peptides was investigated by monitoring microgel deswelling and reswelling in response to peptide binding and release using micromanipulator-assisted light microscopy. In addition, peptide distribution in microgels was analyzed with confocal laser scanning microscopy and peptide uptake determined with solution depletion measurements. The aim of the thesis was to clarify how parameters such as peptide size, charge density, pH, ionic strength and hydrophobicity influences the peptide binding to, distribution in and release from, polyelectrolyte microgels. Results obtained in this thesis show that electrostatic attraction is a prerequisite for interaction to occur although non-electrostatic contributions are responsible the finer details of the interactions. The size and charge density of the interacting peptides play a major role, as large and highly charged peptides are restricted to enter and interact with the microgel core, thus displaying a surface-confined distribution. The peptide-microgel interaction strength is highly reflected in the probability of peptides to be detached from the gel network. For instance, reducing the electrostatic interactions by adding salt induces significant peptide release of sufficiently small and moderately charged peptides, whereas longer and more highly charged peptides is retained in the microgel network due to the strong interaction, insufficient salt screening, and gel network pore size restriction. Decreasing the charge density of microgel network and/or peptides increases the probability for peptide detachment tremendously. To summarize, interactions occurring in oppositely charged microgel-peptide systems can be tuned by varying parameters such as charge density and peptide size and through this, the peptide uptake, distribution and release can be controlled to alter the performance of microgels in peptide drug delivery.

This research presents advancements in the coupling of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) to mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of different chemical classes of surfactants. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction that summarizes the mechanics and fundamentals of CEC, including instrumentation and applications for CEC-MS. Chapter 2 describes the on-line hyphenation of a packed CEC column with an internally tapered tip coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) for the analysis of betaine-type amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants (Zwittergent®). The interesting aspects include CEC-MS column manufacture and charaterization, as well as a comparison between the CEC-ACPI-MS and CEC-ESI-MS ionization pattern of zwittergents. In Chapter 3, the CEC-MS of alkyltrimethyl-ammonium ions (ATMA+) with chain length ranging from C1-C18 is optimized using an internally tapered CEC-MS column packed with mixed mode C6/strong cation exchange stationary phase and coupled to an ESI source. In addition, the optimized CEC-ESI-MS protocol is applied for the challenging analysis of commercial sample Arquad S-50 ATMA+ containing cis-trans unsaturated and saturated soyabean fatty acid derivatives. In Chapter 4, a novel CEC-UV method for separation of the various Triton X-100 oligomers is presented. A systematic mobile phase tuning and comparison of monomeric vs. polymeric stationary phases was conducted. In Chapter 5, we present the first application of CEC coupled to MS for analysis of Triton X (TX-) series surfactants. A characterization from the viewpoint of the ion and adduct formation for TX-series nonionic surfactants with a variable number of ethoxy units (n=1.5-16) in the scan mode are first discussed. Next, utilizing the TX-series as model alkylphenolpolyethoxylates (APEOs), a detailed investigation of the chromatographic separation and MS detection are performed followed by analysis of very long chain TX series with n=30-70. In Chapter 6, CEC-MS utilizing full scan positive ion mode of ESI was employed to study the effect of fragmentor voltage on the in-source collision induced dissociation (IS-CID) of several APEO nonionic surfactants. Finally, in Chapter 7, the preparation and characterization of a novel liquid crystalline stationary phase suitable for separation of neutral and charged compounds in packed column CEC is evaluated.

This study is focused on the use of visible light in photoinitiated cationic polymerization. Photoinitiated polymerization of oxiranes, vinyl ethers, and other vinyl monomers was achieved. In doing so, (2-(2,3 dihydrobenzo [b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)-3-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]-[1,4]dioxin-7-yl)-5-(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-8-(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-7yl) quinoxaline) (DBQEd) and poly(2,3,5,8-tetra(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline) (TTQ), two dibenzo[a,c]phenazine derivatives / 10,13-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)dibenzo[a,c] phenazine (PHED) and 10,13-bis(4-hexylthiophen-2-yl)dibenzo[a,c]phenazine (PHEHT) were utilized as the photosensitizers for diaryliodonium salt photoinitiators. Novel dyes based on the dibenzo[a,c]phenazine and quinoxaline skeleton were shown to be efficient in carrying out the cationic photopolymerizations of a wide variety of epoxide, oxetane, and vinyl monomers at room temperature upon irradiation with long-wavelength UV and visible light. The polymerizations were initiated at room temperature in the presence of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (Ph2I+PF-6) and monitored by optical pyrometry (OP). The photopolymerization of an epoxide monomer via solar irradiation was also demonstrated.

The aim of this study was to determine the adsorption capacity of activated carbon and organo-zeolites for removal of pesticides in water. In order to prepare organo-zeolite, two kinds of cationic surfactants, namely, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) and dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB) were used. Adsorption studies of cationic surfactant on zeolite were investigated in respect to initial concentration of cationic surfactant, time, and temperature. It has been found that the best fitted isotherm equation was Langmuir equation. The observed adsorption rates were found to be equal to the second order kinetic model. The activation energies of cationic surfactant adsorption was determined by using Arrhenius equation.

The mechanism through which a charged polymer cationic polyacrylamide (C-PAM) operates to increase the rate of cornstarch hydrolysis was investigated. The main objective was to determine the major factors that affect the mechanism so that these parameters may be adjusted to achieve optimal hydrolysis rates. A combination of analytical methods including dynamic light scattering, optical imaging, and uv-vis spectroscopy were used to study polymer, starch, and enzyme interactions as a function of process conditions. It was found that C-PAM binds strongly to starch granules, increasing solubilization and decreasing onset gelatinization temperature. Granule swelling was unaffected by C-PAM. Both binding of enzyme to cornstarch, and rate of cornstarch hydrolysis were found to increase in the presence of C-PAM. By analogy to previous work on cationic polymer promoted hydrolysis of cellulose, it was proposed that the polymer reduces the charge on the starch surface through a "charge-patch" mechanism. Because both enzyme and substrate are negatively charged, the positively charged polymer reduces the charge repulsion experienced by the approaching enzyme. This leads to stronger enzyme-substrate binding, and faster hydrolysis. There is a mirror image relationship between viscosity of the medium and hydrolysis rate, which allows optimization of these parameters with enzyme and C-PAM dosage. Overall, the polymer addition reduced enzyme dose by 62% depending on the conditions used, so this method could have significant economic impact on the industrial conversion of starch to ethanol.

Ce travail concerne l'étude de nouvelles espèces germaniées tétravalentes et divalentes présentant un germanium dans un état de coordination non usuel.<br />Le premier chapitre est une mise au point bibliographique permettant de situer le thème de notre travail dans le cadre général de l'étude des fonctions divalentes >E14. Elle concerne plus particulièrement i) les espèces divalentes hétéroleptiques halogénées stabilisées par le ligand β-diiminate L2(Cl)Ge, ii) les dérivés germaniés porteurs de ligands de type “pince” O-chélatants. <br />Le deuxième chapitre, concerne les complexes Germanium(II)-tungstène [L2(X)Ge]nW(CO)6-n (L2 = NPhC(Me)CHC(Me)NPh ; n = 1, X = OTf ; n = 2, X = Cl). Des réactions de métathèse ion chlorure/ions peu coordinants (TfO-, BPh4-, PF6-) de ces complexes ont été envisagées pour accéder aux complexes cationiques de types [L2Ge]n+W(CO)6-n correspondants. Les structures de deux complexes germanium(II)-tungstène sont rapportées et analysées. Un équilibre entre une forme covalente et une forme ionique des dérivés à groupement triflate a été observé dans la pyridine.<br />Le troisième chapitre présente la synthèse et les études spectroscopiques (IR ; Masse ; RMN 1H, 13C, 17O) de composés du Germanium(IV) à ligand 2-méthoxybenzyle ArCH2GeHnΣn-3 (Ar = 2-(MeO)C6H4; n = 0 et 3, Σ = X, Me, Ph, OMe ; n = 1, Σ = X, Me, Mes, OMe, OTf ; n = 2, Σ = Cl). Ces études spectroscopiques, une théorique DFT et une étude RX de ArCH2GeH2OTf ont permis de démontrer que le ligand 2-méthoxybenzyle pouvait, dans la plupart des composés, adopter une géométrie permettant une interaction groupement méthoxyle et le centre germanié. Ce chapitre décrit également les synthèses de nouvelles espèces hétéroleptiques divalentes 2-(MeO)C6H4CH2Ge(Cl) et 5-(Cl)-2-(MeO)C6H3CH2Ge(Cl) et quelques aspects de leur réactivité. L'analyse structurelle d'un nouveau type de cluster – structure à un germanium(IV) hexacoordonné et neuf germanium(II) tricoordonnés – obtenu par hydrolyse lente du mélange ArCH2GeHCl2 et Et3GeOMe est également présentée.

A combined attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR)-atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform was used to visualize and characterize membranolytic protein- and peptide-membrane interactions, allowing spectroscopic details to be correlated with structural features. Modifications to a previous combined platform permitted IR results for physiologically-relevant protein or peptide concentrations as well as provided nanometer-resolution height data for AFM. This combination provides greater insight than individual techniques alone. The interactions of hemolytic sticholysin proteins on a model red blood cell membrane showed evidence of conformational changes associated with a membrane-induced organization. In addition, the examination of a de novo cationic antimicrobial peptide on a model bacterial membrane showed that the peptide adopted a helical structure upon interaction with the membrane, and also provided evidence of membrane disruption and peptide aggregation. These results demonstrate that ATR-FTIR-AFM can be a powerful tool for understanding protein- and peptide-membrane interactions.

A combined attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR)-atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform was used to visualize and characterize membranolytic protein- and peptide-membrane interactions, allowing spectroscopic details to be correlated with structural features. Modifications to a previous combined platform permitted IR results for physiologically-relevant protein or peptide concentrations as well as provided nanometer-resolution height data for AFM. This combination provides greater insight than individual techniques alone. The interactions of hemolytic sticholysin proteins on a model red blood cell membrane showed evidence of conformational changes associated with a membrane-induced organization. In addition, the examination of a de novo cationic antimicrobial peptide on a model bacterial membrane showed that the peptide adopted a helical structure upon interaction with the membrane, and also provided evidence of membrane disruption and peptide aggregation. These results demonstrate that ATR-FTIR-AFM can be a powerful tool for understanding protein- and peptide-membrane interactions.