This study reports quali-quantitative analyses on isoprenoids, phospholipids, neutral lipids, phytosterols and proteins in purified plastids isolated from fresh fruits of traditional (Donald and Incas) and high-pigment (Kalvert and HLY-18) tomato cultivars (cvs) at four ripening stages. In all the investigated cvs, lycopene, β-catotene, lutein and total carotenoids varied significantly ...

A cluster of variants in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene are associated with the common form of obesity. Well-documented dietary data are required for identifying how the genetic risk can be modified by dietary factors. The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations between the ...

The new pyrrolo-dC derivative 4 tethered with an alkylamino side chain via a triazole linker was synthesized. Oligonucleotides containing the G-clamp 3 or the pyrrolo-dC derivative 4 were prepared. Oligonucleotide synthesis and deprotection under standard conditions led to unwanted side product formation. The side product was identified as an acrylonitrile ...

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is one of the commonly used choices of continuous renal replacement therapies. Peritoneal membrane is damaged by using solutions with lower biocompatibility, peritonitis episodes, and vintage of PD therapy. Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare complication of PD and is presented by progressive fibrosis of the ...

Oxidation reactions are key transformations in organic chemistry because they can increase chemical complexity and incorporate heteroatom substituents into carbon-based molecules. This principle is manifested in the conversion of petrochemical feedstocks into commodity chemicals and in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other complex organic molecules. The utility and ...

The free energies of activation for the aryl-aryl rotation of 17 biphenyl derivatives, bearing a heavy heteroatom (S, Se, Te, P, Si, Sn) as ortho substituent, have been measured by variable temperature NMR. These numbers, so called B values, represent a meaningful measure of the steric hindrance exerted by the ...

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase aberrantly expressed in neuroblastoma, a devastating pediatric cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. Germline and somatically acquired ALK aberrations induce increased autophosphorylation, constitutive ALK activation and increased downstream signaling. Thus, ALK is a tractable therapeutic target in neuroblastoma, likely to be ...

TWIST1 is a highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Its misregulation has been observed in various types of tumors. Using the MCF-10A-series of cell lines that recapitulate the early stages of breast cancer formation and EMT, we found TWIST1 to be upregulated during EMT and ...

Class B G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are receptors for peptide hormones that include glucagon, parathyroid hormone, and calcitonin. These receptors are involved in a wide spectrum of physiological activities, from metabolic regulation and stress control to development and maintenance of the skeletal system. As such, they are important drug targets for ...

Abstract Stroke is one of the most debilitating diseases and it is unfortunate that only a small percentage of patients can be treated with thrombolytic agents. Consequently, there is an urgent need of finding an alternative procedure for reoxygenating the so-called penumbra at the earliest time as possible for reducing ...

Histone side chains are post-translationally modified at multiple sites, including at Lys36 on histone H3 (H3K36). Several enzymes from yeast and humans, including the methyltransferases SET domain-containing 2 (Set2) and nuclear receptor SET domain-containing 1 (NSD1), respectively, alter the methylation status of H3K36, and significant progress has been made in ...

Objective: To examine changes in mobility longitudinally following single-event multilevel surgery in ambulant children with cerebral palsy, focusing on those using assistive devices for functional mobility because they are most at risk of declining gross motor function. Participants: A consecutive sample of 156 ambulant children with cerebral palsy (99 males), ...

Differentiation is central to development, while dedifferentiation is central to cancer progression. Hence, a quantitative assessment of differentiation would be most useful. We propose an unbiased method to derive organ-specific differentiation indices from gene expression data and demonstrate its usefulness in thyroid cancer diagnosis. We derived a list of thyroid-specific ...

Aim:To evaluate the effects of aldosterone with or without high sodium intake on blood pressure, myocardial structure and left ventricular function in rats, and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects.Methods:Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) control (CON) group fed a normal sodium diet, (2) ...

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which represent the largest gene family in the human genome, play a crucial role in multiple physiological functions as well as in tumor growth and metastasis. For instance, various molecules like hormones, lipids, peptides and neurotransmitters exert their biological effects by binding to these seven-transmembrane receptors coupled ...

Aim: Interaction of patient in marital dyad may have bearing on long-term patient outcome. Depression, subjective stress, and marital discord have been reported in healthy spouses of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Depressed patients on dialysis along with their spouses can function as depressed dyad. We looked at the ...

Foods high in monounsaturated fat, such as olive oil, and endurance exercise are both known to independently reduce postprandial TAG concentrations. We examined the combined effects of exercise and dietary fat composition on postprandial TAG concentrations in nine healthy pre-menopausal females (age 26·8 (sd 3·3) years, BMI 22·3 (sd 2·0) kg/m2). ...

Our group championed the techniques and benefits of unilateral parathyroidectomy. As our experience has matured, it seems this limited operation might be appropriate only occasionally. A single surgical group's experience with 15,000 parathyroidectomies examined the ongoing differences between unilateral and bilateral techniques for 10-year failure/recurrence, multigland removal, operative times, and ...

Lupin seed globulin proteins form complexes with flavonoids, predominantly apigenin C-glycosides. Enzymes typical for gastrointestinal tract were used to hydrolysis of lupin seed globulins. Release of native flavonoids in result of the proteolysis reaction was observed. Different analytical methods such as size-exclusion chromatography, HPLC-MS and fluorescence spectroscopy (steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence ...

Cellulolytic enzymes have been the subject of renewed interest owing to their potential role in the conversion of plant lignocellulose to sustainable biofuels. An analysis of ∼1,500 complete bacterial genomes, presented here, reveals that ∼40% of the genomes of sequenced bacteria encode at least one cellulase gene. Most of the ...

Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) show deficits on traditional episodic memory tasks and reductions in speed of performance on reaction time tasks. We present results on a novel task, the Cued-Recall Retrieval Speed Task (CRRST), designed to simultaneously measure level and speed of retrieval. A total of 390 ...

Introduction. In autism and schizophrenia attenuated/atypical functional hemispheric asymmetry and theory of mind impairments have been reported, suggesting common underlying neuroscientific correlates. We here investigated whether impaired theory of mind performance is associated with attenuated/atypical hemispheric asymmetry. An association may explain the co-occurrence of both dysfunctions in psychiatric populations. Methods. ...

We report a case of a renal transplant patient who was maintained on tacrolimus and diltiazem therapy and developed tacrolimus toxicity leading to reversible acute kidney injury when started on ranolazine. A 62-year-old Caucasian male status post renal transplant in 2009 (on prednisone and tacrolimus) was evaluated for ischemic heart ...

This article provides an overview of the Scientific Committee on Occupational Health Nursing (SCOHN), one of the scientific committees of the International Commission on Occupational Health, from its beginnings in 1966 to today. The purposes and priorities are described, along with lessons learned over the years.

Serial assessments are commonplace in neuropsychological practice and used to document cognitive trajectory for many clinical conditions. However, true change scores may be distorted by measurement error, repeated exposure to the assessment instrument, or person variables. The present study provides reliable change indices (RCI) for the Boston Naming Test, derived ...

Abstract Global initiatives and recent G8 commitments to health systems strengthening have brought increased attention to factors affecting health system performance. While equity concerns and human rights language appear often in the global health discourse, their inclusion in health systems efforts beyond rhetorical pronouncements is limited. Building on recent work ...

Calls for transformation in nursing education and practice abound. Nurses are part of a trusted profession, but they have been under-represented in conversations about health care compared with other, more vocal professionals. Nurses may not consider that they already have many leadership skills, and nurse educators in staff development roles ...

We developed a novel fluorescent bioprobe (SF44) that can specifically visualize the cellular lipid droplets in in vitro and in vivo systems and illustrated the mechanistic rationale of its fluorogenic property. Its application to image-based high throughput screening led us to the identification of a new small-molecule modulator of lipid ...

Abstract Background. An excess of 100 000 individuals are diagnosed with primary liver tumors every year in USA but less than 20% of those patients are amenable to definitive surgical management due to advanced local disease or comorbidities. Local therapies to arrest tumor growth have limited response and have shown ...

Abstract A broad scientific community is involved in investigations aimed at delineating the mechanisms of formation and cellular processing of oxidatively generated damage to nucleic acids. Perhaps as a consequence of this breadth of research expertise there are nomenclature problems for several of the oxidized bases including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) an ...

Epidemiological and other evidence suggests that vitamin D may be protective against several chronic diseases. Assessing vitamin D status in epidemiological studies, however, is challenging given finite resources and limitations of commonly used approaches. Using multivariable linear regression, we derived predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) scores based on known determinants of ...

Accessing the temporal position of events (early or late in the event sequence) can influence the generation of predictions about upcoming events. However, it is unclear how the temporal position is processed strategically. To investigate this, we presented event pairs to 23 healthy volunteers manipulating temporal order (chronological, inverse) and ...

As a supplementary method to single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), nowadays crystal structure determination by powder XRD has become popular, especially for those areas with difficulties getting high quality single crystals. Here we observed an intermediate phase Bi(2)Mn(x)Al(7-x)O(14) (x∼1) during the decomposition of mullite-Bi(2)Mn(x)Al(4-x)O(9+δ) (solid solution of Bi(2)Mn(4)O(10)-Bi(2)Al(4)O(9)). As a ...

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) possess a great promise in evaluating the toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs). The commonly used method on zebrafish was to calculate mortality and 5 or 6 days postfertilization (dpf) toxicity scores. However, this method could only reveal a general toxic level. To further distinguish the toxicity of NPs ...

The repeated suppression of thoughts in response to cues for their expression leads to forgetting on a subsequent test of cued recall (Anderson & Green, 2001). We extended this effect by using homograph cues and presenting them for free association following suppression practice. Cue-target pairs were first learned under integrating ...

The structure and reactivity of a covalently linked catechol-ortho-benzoquinone (hemiquinone) is studied by UV-Vis and IR absorption spectroscopy. Nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy of the hemiquinone reveals the formation of bi-radical state consisting of two semiquinone units. It is a long-lived state resulting from proton coupled electron transfer (PCET).

In response to the need for a clear definition of continuing competence, a task force of nursing leaders, which included a health care consumer representative, developed a definition of continuing competence. The task force reviewed extensive literature and engaged in thoughtful, directed dialogue. This article describes the process and product ...

Background aims. The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) could prove to be a potential therapeutic approach for prolongation of survival of cell xenotransplantation. Adipose (Ad) MSC from genetically modified pigs could be an abundant source of pig donor-specific MSC. Methods. Pig (p) MSC were isolated from ...

Tiling array and novel sequencing technologies have made available the transcription profile of the entire human genome. However, the extent of transcription and the function of genetic elements that occur outside of protein-coding genes, particularly those involved in disease, are still a matter of debate. In this review, we focus ...

In this study, different Polish cultivars of blue-berried honeysuckles (Lonicera caerulea L.), wild and bog bilberry were analyzed for bioactive compounds. The chemical properties verified included composition of anthocyanins and other polyphenols, antioxidant activity and profiles of antioxidants by HPLC post-column derivatization or TLC. The antioxidant activity of different blue-berried ...

Aim:Fast neuronal network oscillation at the γ frequency band (γ oscillation: 30-80 Hz) has been studied extensively in hippocampal slices under interface recording condition. The aim of this study is to establish a method for recording γ oscillation in submerged hippocampal slices that allows simultaneously monitoring γ oscillation and the ...

Biologically triggered exploding microcapsules were synthesized by layer-by-layer assembly of biopolymers. The microcapsules showed controlled rupturing behaviour upon exposure to a pathologically relevant biomolecule, trypsin. These microcapsules offer significant potential for clinical applications.

Abstract Background. Implementation of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in frameless stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) of lung tumours enables setup correction based on tumour position. The aim of this study was to compare setup accuracy with daily soft tissue matching to bony anatomy matching and evaluate intra- and inter-fractional translational ...

DNA-based catalysis can be used to control the enantioselectivity of copper-catalysed Diels-Alder and Friedel-Crafts reactions to produce either enantiomer of the product by changing the denticity of the ligand coordinated to the Cu(ii) ion, even though the DNA adopts a right handed helical conformation only.

The present work demonstrates the interaction of promising cancer cell photosensitizer, harmane (HM), with liposome membranes of varying surface charges, dimyristoyl-l-α-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoyl-l-α-phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG). Electrostatic interaction of the cationic probe (HM) with the surface charges of the lipids is responsible for differential modulation of the spectral properties of the ...

Cognitive changes are documented in bipolar disorder (BP). Cortical volume loss, especially in prefrontal regions, has also been reported, but associations between cognition and cortical abnormalities have not been fully documented. This study explores associations between cognitive performance and cortical parameters (area, thickness and volume) of the fronto-temporal cortex in ...

2-Oxoglutarate dependent nucleic acid demethylases are of biological interest because of their roles in nucleic acid repair and modification. Although some of these enzymes are linked to physiology, their regulatory roles are unclear. Hence there is a desire to develop selective inhibitors for them; we report studies on AlkB which ...

BACKGROUND: Higher waist circumference and lower hip circumference are both associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, despite being directly correlated. The real effects of visceral obesity may therefore be underestimated when hip circumference is not fully taken into account. We hypothesized that adding waist and hip circumference to traditional ...

Three-component self-assembly of a cis-blocked 90° Pd(ii) acceptor with a mixture of a tetraimidazole and a linear dipyridyl donor self-discriminated into unusual Pd(8) molecular swing (1) and Pd(6) molecular boat (2), which are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis; their ability to bind C(60) in solution is established by fluorescence ...

The exonucleolytic degradation of high-density labeled DNA by exonuclease III was monitored using two-color fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). One strand of the double stranded template DNA was labeled on either one or two base types and additionally at one end via a 5' Cy5 tagged primer. Exonucleolytic degradation was followed ...