Polymeric low-valence platinum-phenanthroline complexes as precursors of platinum colloids

It was found that the reduction of Pt(II), Pt(III) and Pt(I,III) acetates with H₂ in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), according to the standard procedure for the synthesis of palladium-561 giant clusters, resulted, unexpectedly, in the high-nuclear Pt(I) complex of the empirical composition Pt₈phen₃(OAc)₄(OH)₄(H₂O)₆ instead of the expected platinum colloid. Data of electron microscopy (TEM, HREM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), EXAFS and thermal analysis (DTA-TG) combined with elemental microanalysis all point to a loose structure of the obtained complex, with a minor Pt---Pt bonding (average coordination number for the Pt---Pt bonds is about 1). Variation of the preparation procedure resulted in a series of polymeric phen-platinum complexes, containing Pt atoms in oxidation states ranging from (+1) to (+0.3), and whose main structural features were established by the above-mentioned techniques. Giant clusters with dense Pt/PtO_x cores (coordination number for the Pt---Pt bonds is about 6) were obtained by gradual heating of the precursor Pt complex to about 200°C as well as by a modified preparation procedure at 20°C.     

Identification of the stable DNA-matrix complex (type II) as a site of replication fork

The two types of DNA-matrix complexes (the weak and tight ones, or type I and type II, respectively) identified in our previous work were studied with respect to their involvement in DNA replication. Nuclei isolated from human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cell line were treated with either restriction endonucleases or ultrasonic desintegrator and afterwards subjected to the triple-gradient Nucleoprotein--Celite chromatography. This permitted fractionation of nuclear DNA into fragments not attached, weakly attached, and tightly attached to the nuclear matrix (DNA 0, DNA I, and DNA II, respectively). It was shown that pulse labelled RNA migrates from DNA II fraction where it resides initially to DNA 0 and further to DNA I during the 2 h chase period. This finding allowed us to consider the tight DNA-matrix complex as the replicative one. The experiments aiming to follow the movements of specific DNA sequences (histone genes) in relation to the DNA-matrix attachment sites were conducted on synchronous HT1080 cells progressing through S phase. The histone sequences appeared to undergo similar movements during the first 30 min of S phase. They reside initially in DNA 0 and DNA I fractions, but as soon as DNA synthesis was restored they migrate consequently to DNA II and DNA 0 fractions. This approach can appear to be a useful tool for studying the schedule of replication of specific genes during S phase.     

Multi‐modal optical imaging characterization of atherosclerotic plaques

We combined cross‐polarization optical coherence tomography (CP OCT) and non‐linear microscopy based on second harmonic generation (SHG) and two‐photon‐excited fluorescence (2PEF) to assess collagen and elastin fibers and other vascular structures in the development of atherosclerosis, including identification of vulnerable plaques, which remains an important clinical problem and imaging application. CP OCT's ability to visualize tissue birefringence and cross‐scattering adds new information about the microstructure and composition of the plaque. However its interpretation can be ambiguous, because backscattering contrast may have a similar appearance to the birefringence related fringes. Our results represent a step towards minimally invasive characterization and monitoring of different stages of atherosclerosis, including vulnerable plaques. CP OCT image of intimal thickening in the human coronary artery. The dark stripe in the cross‐polarization channel (arrow) is a polarization fringe related to the phase retardation between two eigen polarization states. It is histologically located in the area of the lipid pool, however this stripe is a polarization artifact, rather than direct visualization of the lipid pool.

     

Model-based approach for human kinematics reconstruction from markerless and marker-based motion analysis systems

Modeling tools related to the musculoskeletal system have been previously developed. However, the integration of the real underlying functional joint behavior is lacking and therefore available kinematic models do not reasonably replicate individual human motion. In order to improve our understanding of the relationships between muscle behavior, i.e. excursion and motion data, modeling tools must guarantee that the model of joint kinematics is correctly validated to ensure meaningful muscle behavior interpretation. This paper presents a model-based method that allows fusing accurate joint kinematic information with motion analysis data collected using either marker-based stereophotogrammetry (MBS) (i.e. bone displacement collected from reflective markers fixed on the subject's skin) or markerless single-camera (MLS) hardware. This paper describes a model-based approach (MBA) for human motion data reconstruction by a scalable registration method for combining joint physiological kinematics with limb segment poses. The presented results and kinematics analysis show that model-based MBS and MLS methods lead to physiologically-acceptable human kinematics. The proposed method is therefore available for further exploitation of the underlying model that can then be used for further modeling, the quality of which will depend on the underlying kinematic model.     

Effect of destruction of the hippocampus and caudate nucleus on the development of epileptic activity during corazole kindling

Experiments were carried out on random-bred white rats (250-350 g). Kindling was induced by daily intraperitoneal corazol injections in subthreshold (subconvulsive) doses (30 mg/kg). It has been demonstrated that bilateral hippocampal destruction did not change the seizure threshold, while bilateral caudate nucleus destruction lowered it. Hippocampal destruction delayed corazol kindling development and also accelerated the lowering of seizure susceptibility after corazol injections were discontinued, as compared to control animals. Caudate nucleus destruction induced more marked seizure reactions in the first 14 days after corazol injections were started. There were no significant differences in seizure manifestation severity in kindled and control groups. These data point to an essential role of caudate nucleus as an element of antiepileptic system and support the concept that hippocampus plays a role of pathologic determinant which is associated with the formation of an epileptic system underlying corazol kindling.     

Changes in the dehydrogenase and GABA transaminase activity in the cerebral cortex during corazol kindling

The experiments on (CBA X C57BL/6)F1 mice have shown that regular corazol injections in subliminal doses stimulated seizure susceptibility (pharmacological kindling). Cytophotometric assay of the activity of oxidative metabolism enzymes (glutamate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, alpha-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase) and GABA-transaminase in the sensorimotor cortex of kindled mice in post-convulsive period, and 24 hours or 30 days after corazol injections were discontinued, has revealed some specific alterations of the enzymes under study, that suggest the existence of two phases of energy metabolism disturbances. The first phase (24 hours after corazol injections were discontinued) is characterized by intensified succinic acid oxidation, while the second phase (30 days after the last injection) is characterized by anaerobic glycolysis in neuronal and glial cells. Inhibition of GABA-transaminase activity was particularly marked in postconvulsive period. From a molecular point of view these data may be considered as enzyme disturbances during stimulation of seizure susceptability or seizure activity and as a compensation component ensuring anticonvulsive mechanisms and reparative processes (antagonistic principle of molecular mechanism regulation) during activation of antiepileptic system.     

Heterodimetallic Pd-based carboxylate-bridged complexes: Synthesis and structure of single-crystalline Pd-M (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Nd, Eu, Ce) acetates

A series of crystalline Pd^II-based heterodimetallic acetate-bridged complexes containing the transition (Mn^II, Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II), post-transition (Zn^II) and rare-earth (Ce^IV, Nd^III, Eu^III) metals were synthesized starting from Pd₃(OOCMe)₆ and the complementary metal(II, III) acetates. The crystal and molecular structures of the binuclear Pd^IIM^II(μ-OOCMe)₄L (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Zn; L = H₂O, MeCN), trinuclear and tetranuclear (M = Nd, Eu) and complexes were established by X-ray diffraction.     

Synthesis of palladium(II) 3d-metal(II) paddlewheel acetate-bridged heterodimetallic complexes: Unexpected catalysis by water molecules

A study of the reaction kinetics between the trinuclear palladium(II) acetate Pd₃(μ-OOCMe)₆ (1) and the mononuclear 3d-metal (Ni^II, Co^II, Cu^II) acetates in acetic acid under water-specified conditions revealed a fairly complicated reaction mechanism triggered by the primary hydrolytic cleavage of an acetate bridge in molecule 1. The isolated reaction products, as established by X-ray diffraction study, are 1D polymeric complexes {Pd(μ-OOCMe)₄M(OH₂)(HOOCMe)₂}_n (M = Ni^II, Co^II, Cu^II, Mn^II, Zn^II) built of the Pd^II-based paddlewheel units [Pd(μ-OOCMe)₄M] and linked trough the H-bonded H₂O and MeCOOH molecules.     

Prediction of joint center location by customizable multiple regressions: Application to clavicle,scapula and humerus

Accurate spatial location of joint center (JC) is a key issue in motion analysis since JC locations are used to define standardized anatomical frames, in which results are represented. Accurate and reproducible JC location is important for data comparison and data exchange. This paper presents a method for JC locations based on the multiple regression algorithms without preliminary assumption on the behavior of the joint-of-interest. Regression equations were obtained from manually palpable ALs on each bone-of-interest. Results are presented for all joint surfaces found on the clavicle, scapula and humeral bone. Mean accuracy errors on the JC locations obtained on dry bones were 5.2±2.5 mm for the humeral head, 2.5±1.1 mm for the humeral trochlea, 2.3±0.9 mm for the humeral capitulum, 8.2±3.9 mm for the scapula glenoid cavity, 7.2±3.2 mm for the scapular aspect of the acromio-clavicular joint, 3.5±1.8 mm for the clavicular aspect of the sternoclavicular joint and 3.2±1.4 mm for the clavicular aspect of the acromio-clavicular joint. In-vitro and in-vivo validation accuracy was 5.3 and 8.5 mm, respectively, for the humeral head center location. Regression coefficients for joint radius dimension and joint surface orientation were also processed and reported in this paper.