Immunohistochemical assessment of PD-L1 expression using three different monoclonal antibodies in triple negative breast cancer patients.

Background: PD-L1 receptor expression in breast cancer tissue can be assessed with different anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. The performance of three specific monoclonal antibodies in a head-to-head comparison is unknown. In addition, a potential correlation of PD-L1 expression and clinico-pathological parameters has not been investigated.

The impact of cigarette smoking on protamines 1 and 2 transcripts in human spermatozoa.

This study was conducted to evaluate the relation between cigarette smoking, semen quality and ratios of protamine mRNAs in smokers and non-smokers. Spermatozoa from 123 men and 64 smokers and 59 non-smokers whose female partners attended an assisted reproduction and andrology laboratory were evaluated. Protamine mRNA was extracted from purified sperm, reverse-transcribed and subjected to real-time quantitative PCR using specific primer pairs for protamine 1 (PRM1) and protamine 2 (PRM2).

Surface topography and wetting modifications of PEEK for implant applications.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is considered as a substitute for metallic implant materials due to its extremely low elastic modulus (3-4 GPa). Despite its good mechanical properties, PEEK exhibits a slow integration with the bone tissue due to its relatively inert surface and low biocompatibility. We introduced a dual modification method, which combines the laser and plasma surface treatments to achieve hierarchically patterned PEEK surfaces.