Synthesis and Antioxidant Evaluation of O-Methylated Emodacidamides: Starting from Parietin,a Secondary Metabolite of Lichen Xanthoria parietina

Polyhydroxy-anthraquinones bearing amino acids are found rather seldom in nature. Emodacidamides, isolated from a marine-derived fungus, Penicillium sp. SCSIO sof101 by Luo et al. (2017) are the first natural example of amino acid conjugated anthraquinone. In this study, O-methylated emodacidamides and emodinic acid-anilides were synthesized starting from parietin, extracted from the lichen Xanthoria parietina (L.) Th. Fr. The structural elucidations of prepared compounds were confirmed by 1D and 2D NMR analyses including HSQC and HMBC techniques. In addition, all newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for the antioxidant activities with free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging. The synthesized compounds showed low to moderate antioxidant and DPPH scavenging activities. The antioxidant activities were supported within quantum chemical calculations using the DFT−B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. It is observed that the antioxidant activity of emodacidamides mostly depends on the phenolic groups on anthraquinone ring. The phenolic groups on other substituents help to improve antioxidant activity and also the position of hydroxy group is a decisive factor for antioxidant ability.     

Assessment of post-stroke elbow flexor spasticity in different forearm positions

Abstract

Purpose/Aim: There have been conflicting results regarding which muscle contribute most to the elbow spastic flexion deformity. This study aimed to investigate whether flexor spasticity of the elbow changed according to the position of the forearm, and to determine the muscle or muscles that contributed most to the elbow spastic flexion deformity by clinical examination.

Methods: This study is a single group, observational and cross-sectional study. Sixty patients were assessed for elbow flexor spasticity in different forearm positions (pronation, neutral and supination) with Modified Tardieu Scale. The primary outcome measure was a domain of the Modified Tardieu Scale, the dynamic component of spasticity (spasticity angle).

Results: In general, there was a significant difference between forearm positions regarding spasticity angle (p?<?.001). In pairwise comparisons, median spasticity angles in pronation (70 degrees) and neutral position (60 degrees) were significantly higher than those in supination (57.5 degrees) (adjusted p?<?.001 and adjusted p?=?.003, respectively). However, median spasticity angle in pronation did not differ significantly from those in neutral position in favour of pronation (adjusted p?=?.274).

Conclusions: The severity of spasticity changes according to the elbow position which suggests that the magnitude of contribution of each elbow flexor muscle to spastic elbow deformity is different. Reduction of spasticity from pronation to supination leads us to consider brachialis as the most spastic muscle. Since biceps was suggested to be the least spastic muscle in this study, and also to avoid spastic pronation deformity of the forearm, it should be rethought before performing chemodenervation into biceps muscle.     

3-Pyridinylboronic Acid Ameliorates Rotenone-Induced Oxidative Stress Through Nrf2 Target Genes in Zebrafish Embryos

Neurochemical Research - Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common forms of neurodegenerative diseases and research on potential therapeutic agents for PD continues. Rotenone is a...     

Biological control of the citrus red mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panonychus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">citri</Emphasis> by the predator mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Typhlodromus athiasae</Emphasis> on two citrus cultivars under greenhouse conditions

This study examined the efficacy of the predatory mite Typhlodromus athiasae Porath and Swirski (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of the citrus red mite Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) on seedlings of Washington and Valencia citrus cultivars at 1:10, 1:20 and 1:40 predator:prey release ratios under greenhouse conditions. At predator:prey ratios of 1:10, significant reductions on P. citri populations were observed one week after release of T. athiasae, and populations remained at low levels thereafter. The highest mean numbers of P. citri were found in the third week on the Washington cultivar and in the fourth week on Valencia, in a control group with no predators. This study demonstrates the potential of T. athiasae to effectively control P. citri on Washington and Valencia cultivars under greenhouse conditions at predator:prey ratios of 1:10. However, T. athiasae was unable to control the citrus red mite populations when the predator:prey ratio was reduced to 1:40. We therefore recommend a release ratio of 1:10 for effective control of P. citri in greenhouses on seedlings of Washington and Valencia citrus.     

Evaluation of bone plate with low-stiffness material in terms of stress distribution

The aim of this study is to evaluate a newly developed bone plate with low-stiffness material in terms of stress distribution. In this numerical study, 3D finite element models of the bone plate with low-stiffness material and traditional bone plates made of stainless steel and Ti alloy have been developed by using the ANSYS software. Stress analyses have been carried out for all three models under the same loading and boundary conditions. Compressive stresses occurring in the intact portion of the bone (tibia) and at the fractured interface at different stages of bone healing have been investigated for all three types of bone-plate systems. The results obtained have been compared and presented in graphs. It has been seen that the bone plate with low-stiffness material offers less stress-shielding to the bone, providing a higher compressive stress at the fractured interface to induce accelerated healing in comparison with Ti alloy and stainless-steel bone plate. In addition, the effects of low-stiffness materials with different Young's modulus on stress distribution at the fractured interface have been investigated in the newly developed bone-plate system. The results showed that when a certain value of Young's modulus of low-stiffness material is exceeded, increase in stiffness of the bone plate does not occur to a large extent and stress distributions and micro-motions at the fractured interface do not change considerably.     

Length–weight relationship of 62 fish species from the Central Aegean Sea,Turkey

Length–weight relationships were estimated for 11 elasmobranch and 51 teleost fish species caught in Izmir Bay, Turkey. Sampling was carried out from June 2005 to May 2006 at monthly intervals using a bottom trawl net. The mean b‐value was calculated as 3.10 (SE = ±0.03) and only three species were out of range between 2.5 and 3.5.     

Effect of Strontium Ranelate on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Apoptosis of CRL-11372 Cells

In vitro and in vivo studies have proven strontium to be an osteoinductive trace element. The effect of strontium ranelate (SR) on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of CRL-11372 cells and optimization of its anti-apoptotic dose were the aims of this study. After 1 h of pretreatment with SR 1 μM, 50 μM, 100 μM, 500 μM, and 1,000 μM concentrations, CRL-11372 osteoblasts were exposed to 100 μM H₂O₂ for periods of 6–12 h. The same experiments were repeated without H₂O₂. The apoptotic index and viability of cells were assessed quantitatively with a fluorescent dye and qualitatively with agarose gel electrophoresis. Concentrations of 1–100 μM of SR with a 6-h treatment and only 1 μM concentration with a 12-h treatment inhibited the apoptotic effect of H₂O₂ on cultured osteoblasts significantly (P < 0.05). SR was shown to inhibit H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of CRL-11372 cells in a dose-dependent manner.     

Efficient Generation of Myostatin (MSTN) Biallelic Mutations in Cattle Using Zinc Finger Nucleases

Genetically engineered zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) are useful for marker-free gene targeting using a one-step approach. We used ZFNs to efficiently disrupt bovine myostatin (MSTN), which was identified previously as the gene responsible for double muscling in cattle. The mutation efficiency of bovine somatic cells was approximately 20%, and the biallelic mutation efficiency was 8.3%. To evaluate the function of the mutated MSTN locus before somatic cell nuclear transfer, MSTN mRNA and protein expression was examined in four mutant cell colonies. We generated marker-gene-free cloned cattle, in which the MSTN biallelic mutations consisted of a 6-bp deletion in one of the alleles and a 117-bp deletion and 9-bp insertion in the other allele, resulting in at least four distinct mRNA splice variants. In the MSTN mutant cattle, the total amount of MSTN protein with the C-terminal domain was reduced by approximately 50%, and hypertrophied muscle fibers of the quadriceps and the double-muscled phenotype appeared at one month of age. Our proof-of-concept study is the first to produce MSTN mutations in cattle, and may allow the development of genetically modified strains of double-muscled cattle.     

HIV,Syphilis, and Behavioral Risk Factors among Female Sex Workers before and after Implementation of Harm Reduction Programs in a High Drug-Using Area of China

Objective

To evaluate the impact of harm reduction programs on HIV and syphilis infection and related risk behaviors among female sex workers (FSWs) in a drug trafficking city in Southwest China.

Design

Before and after harm reduction program study.

Methods

Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among FSWs before and after harm reduction programs were launched in Xichang city, Sichuan province. The first and second cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2004 and 2010, respectively. Temporal changes in odds of HIV, syphilis, and behavioral risk factors were assessed by multivariable logistic regression while controlling for socio-demographics.

Results

The 2004 and 2010 cross-sectional surveys recruited 343 and 404 FSWs, respectively. From 2004 to 2010, the odds of syphilis infection decreased by 35% and was of borderline statistical significance (AOR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.41–1.03), while odds of HIV infection rose, but not significantly (AOR: 4.12, 95% CI: 0.76–22.45). Although odds of unprotected sex with primary sex partners did not significantly change over time (AOR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.61–1.50), odds of unprotected sex with clients declined significantly and remarkably (AOR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.09–0.21). Notably, the odds of reporting ≥10 new sex partners in the previous month increased by 37% (AOR: 1.37; 95% CI: 0.98–1.90).

Conclusions

Harm reduction strategies may be an effective means of reducing unprotected sex with clients among FSWs. Future research is needed to better target both FSWs and IDUs and interrupt bridging networks for HIV transmission in high drug-using areas of China.