bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NOAA climate sparklines
Authors: Chamberlain Scott
Published: September 2023

We have started a new R package interacting with NOAA climate data called

rnoaa

. You can find our package in development here and documentation for NOAA web services here. It is still early days for this package, but we wanted to demo what you can do with the package.
Diamonds are forever. What about research data?
Authors: Hewlett Kirstie
Published: September 2023

THOR’s Project Coordinator Adam Farquhar (British Library) recently delivered a keynote at Our Digital Future. The conference, which was held in Cambridge on 14−15 March 2016, addressed challenges in long term preservation and archiving of digital data across a wide range of disciplines. His talk, titled “Diamonds are forever.
OA week - A simple use case for programmatic access to PLOS full text
Authors: Chamberlain Scott
Published: September 2023

Open access week is here! We love open access, and think it’s extremely important to publish in open access journals. One of the many benefits of open access literature is that we likely can use the text of articles in OA journals for many things, including text-mining. What’s even more awesome is some OA publishers provide API (application programming interface) access to their full text articles.
What we hope to accomplish with the new funding
Authors: Ram Karthik , Chamberlain Scott
Published: September 2023

At rOpenSci’s virtual HQ we’re busy planning out several exciting projects for the coming year thanks to the generous 180k grant from Sloan. In the interest of maintaining transparency with our community here are additional details of what we hope to accomplish and how we’ll measure our successes.
dvn - Sharing Reproducible Research from R
Authors: Leeper Thomas J.
Published: September 2023

Reproducible research involves the careful, annotated preservation of data, analysis code, and associated files, such that statistical procedures, output, and published results can be directly and fully replicated. As the push for reproducible research has grown, the R community has responded with an increasingly large set of tools for engaging in reproducible research practices (see, for example, the ReproducibleResearch Task View on CRAN).
EU Projects Collaboration Meeting – Events and Communications
Authors: Duine Maaike
Published: September 2023

A range of European and global initiatives is under way to support research practices and sharing in the digital era.
Assessing the PID Landscape: Where is THOR in Context?
Authors: Dasler Robin
Published: September 2023

Part of knowing how well THOR is doing is knowing how our work fits into the overall context of persistent identifiers (PIDs) at large. This is why we began the project with an eye toward sustainability and also why we developed the metrics dashboard in the early days of the project.
Interactive API docs for ORCID
Authors: Demeranville Tom
Published: September 2023

Warning: This is a technical post aimed at developers and integrators.  That said, even if you’re non technical, you’ll be able to use the docs and explore the API to see what’s possible.  They’re really easy to work with. At first glance, most REST APIs are a bit confusing.  REST is an architectural style, not a specification and people do things differently.
Species occurrence data to CartoDB
Authors: Chamberlain Scott
Published: September 2023

We have previously written about creating interactive maps on the web from R, with the interactive maps on Github. See here, here, here, and here. A different approach is to use CartoDB, a freemium service with sql interface to your data tables that provides a map to visualize data in those tables.
Changes in rnoaa v0.2.0
Authors: Chamberlain Scott
Published: September 2023

We just released v0.2 of rnoaa. For details on the update, see the release notes.
Sistem Informasi Koperasi Karyawan Simpan Pinjam Berbasis Android di PDAM Kota Palopo
Authors: Santo Eka Wahda Saputri , Ali Hakam Dani Ahmad , Hasnahwati Hasnahwati
Published: September 2023

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah membangun dan mengefektifkan aplikasi sistem informasi koperasi karyawan simpan pinjam berbasis android di pdam Kota Palopo yang mudah digunakan untuk mengolah data pinjaman dan simpanan yang diinputkan oleh pengguna serta memberikan solusi untuk pengguna agar mempermudah dalam melakukan proses pinjaman, angsuran dan simpanan dana yang dapat diakses menggunakan android dalam melakukan proses tersebut. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode waterfall. Metode pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah wawancara, observasi, dan studi pustaka. Aplikasi yang dibuat menggunakan metode pengembangan Unified Modelling Language (UML) yang terdiri dari use case diagram, activity diagram, entity relationship dan sequence diagram. Adapun software yang digunakan dalam perancangan aplikasi ini menggunakan API dengan bahasa pemrograman PHP, XAMPP sebagai webserver, MySQL sebagai database, Android Studio sebagai editor dan desain. Penelitian ini menghasilkan dua aplikasi yaitu aplikasi Admin yaitu web admin dan user yang terdiri dari beberapa fitur. Aplikasi ini telah diuji dengan menggunakan metode pengujian black box. Dengan adanya aplikasi ini diharapkan dapat membantu pengguna dan pihak kantor PDAM dalam mengelola data-data yang ada dan dapat memudahkan penggunanya untuk melihat informasi-informasi yang ada secara online.
Sistem Informasi Penjualan Bibit Tanaman Berbasis Android di Kota Palopo
Authors: Fauzia Suci Restu Fauzi , Ali Hakam Dani Ahmad , Hasnahwati Hasnahwati
Published: September 2023

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah membangun dan mengefektifkan aplikasi sistem informasi Penjualan Bibit Tanaman Berbasis Android Di Kota Palopo yang dapat memudahkan para konsumen atau pembeli bibit tanaman yang dimana pembelian dapat di akses meggunakan android. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode waterfall. Metode pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah wawancara, observasi, dan studi pustaka. Aplikasi yang dibuat menggunakan metode pengembangan Unified Modelling Language (UML) yang terdiri dari use case diagram, activity diagram, entity relationship dan sequence diagram. Adapun software yang digunakan dalam perancangan aplikasi ini menggunakan API dengan bahasa pemrograman PHP, XAMPP sebagai webserver, MySQL sebagai database, Android Studio sebagai editor dan desain. Penelitian ini menghasilkan dua aplikasi yaitu aplikasi Admin yaitu web admin dan user yang terdiri dari beberapa fitur. Aplikasi ini telah diuji dengan menggunakan metode pengujian black box. Dengan adanya aplikasi ini diharapkan dapat membantu pengguna dan penjual bibit tanaman yang ada dikota palopo dalam mengelola data-data yang ada dan dapat memudahkan penggunanya untuk melihat informasi bibit tanaman yang ada dan dapat melakukan pembelian secara online.
A Pilot Study for Inducing Chronic Heart Failure in Calves by Means of Oral Monensin
Authors:   Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Fukamachi Kiyotaka , Litwak Kenneth N. ,   Biological Resources Unit, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Zahr Roula , Saeed Diyar , Fumoto Hideyuki , Horai Tetsuya , Shalli Shanaz , Anzai Tomohiro , Arakawa Yoko , Dessoffy Raymond , Catanese Jacquelyn , Massiello Alex ,   Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Heart failure remains a major cause of mortality in the United States, despite advancing technologies, newer methods of treatment, and novel devices. To evaluate such novel devices, a large-animal model of chronic heart failure is critical in carrying out preclinical animal studies. Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of oral monensin in inducing stable heart failure in five Jersey calves. Various doses of monensin were administered. Hemodynamics, pressure–volume loops, echocardiographic measurements, extent of tissue perfusion, and histopathologic data were recorded before and after induction of heart failure. Results: Responses were variable in the animals. One experiment showed a significant decrease in cardiac output within one week, associated with simultaneous increases in left atrial pressure, central venous pressure, and mean pulmonary artery pressure. Left ventricular pressure-volume loops showed that the slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation decreased markedly between the baseline and terminal study, suggesting a decrease in contractility. Echocardiographic studies indicated a decrease in ejection fraction. Histopathologic analysis in cardiac tissue showed extensive fibrosis and necrosis. Conclusion: We demonstrated the feasibility of inducing and maintaining severe yet stable heart failure for up to 3 weeks in a calf model by administration of oral monensin.
Simultaneous Determination of Miconazole Nitrate and Metronidazole in Different Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms by Gas Chromatography and Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID)
Authors:   Bioanalytical Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria, Ashour Safwan , Kattan Nuha
Published: September 2023

A simple, rapid and precise gas chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of miconazole nitrate (MIZ) and metronidazole (MNZ) in tablets and ovules, using a capillary column AE.SE-54 (15 m × 0.53 mm, i.d.) and nitrogen as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 9 mL min-1. The oven temperature was programmed at 140°C for 3 min, with a rise of 40°C min-1 up to 180°C (held for 2 min) and then increased to a final temperature of 250°C. The injector and detector port temperatures were maintained at 260°C. Detection was carried out using flame ionization detector. Results of assay and recovery studies were statistically evaluated for its accuracy and precision. The retention times were about 3.50 and 12.90min for MNZ and MIZ, respectively. Linearity ranges were 50.0-6030.0 and 62.5-2000.0 μg mL-1 for MNZ and MIZ, with limit of detection values of 2.5 and 3.1 μg mL-1, respectively. Correlation coefficients (R2) of the regression equations were greater than 0.999 in all cases. No interference from any components of pharmaceutical dosage forms or degradation products was observed. According to the validation results, the proposed method was found to be specific, accurate, precise and could be applied to the simultaneous quantitative analysis of MIZ and MNZ in tablets and ovules.
Ghrelin Protection against Cytotoxic Effect of Ethanol on Rat Salivary Mucin Synthesis involves Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Activation through S-Nitrosylation
Authors:   Research Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA, Slomiany Bronislaw L. , Slomiany Amalia
Published: September 2023

Recent advances in identifying the salivary constituents of significance to the maintenance of soft oral tissue integrity have brought to focus the importance of a 28-amino acid peptide hormone, ghrelin. Here, we report on the role of ghrelin in countering the disturbances in salivary mucin synthesis caused by ethanol cytotoxicity in rat sublingual gland acinar cells. We show that the countering effect of ghrelin on mucin synthesis was associated with the increase in NO and PGE2 production, and the enhancement in cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activity. The ghrelin-induced up-regulation in mucin synthesis, like that of cPLA2 activity, was subject to suppression by Src inhibitor, PP2, ERK inhibitor, PD98059, as well as Akt inhibitor, SH-5 and ascorbate. Moreover, the loss in countering effect of ghrelin on the ethanol cytotoxicity and mucin synthesis was attained with cNOS inhibitor, L-NAME as well as COX-1 inhibitor, SC-560. Furthermore, while the effect of L-NAME was also reflected in the inhibition of the acinar cell capacity for NO and PGE2 generation, and cPLA2 S-nitrosylation, the COX-1 inhibitor caused the inhibition in PGE2 only. Our findings demonstrate that ghrelin protection of the acinar cells against ethanol cytotoxicity and the impairment in salivary mucin synthesis involves Src kinase activation of the Akt/cNOS pathway that leads to up-regulation in cNOS activity. We also show that cNOS-derived NO induction of the cPLA2 activation through S-nitrosylation, for the increase in PGE2 generation, is an essential element of the protective mechanism of ghrelin action.
Synthesis of Some New 3, 5-Bis (substituted) Pyrazoles and Isoxazoles Based on (N'1E, N'3E)- N'1, N'3-Bis (3, 4, 5-substitutedbenzlidene) Malonohydrazide under Solvothermal Conditions
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India, Musad Ebraheem Abdu , Lokanatha Rai Kuriya Madavu ,   Department of Chemistry, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India, Byrappa Kullaiah ,   Department of Geology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India
Published: September 2023

The new 3,5-(substituted) pyrazoles and isoxazoles were prepared by reaction of (N'1E, N'3E)- N'1, N'3-bis (3,4,5-substitutedbenzylidene)malonohydrazide with hydrazine hydrate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride respectively under solvothermal conditions involving an ecofriendly method without any environmental pollution, the yield are in the range of 75-96%. The structure of the new compounds were established using elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR.
Prox1 Facilitates Transfected CHO Cell Proliferation through Activation of the AKT Signaling Pathway
Authors:   Department of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA, Xu Shang-Zhi
Published: September 2023

The homeobox transcription factor Prox1 plays an important role in the development of many embryonic organs. Previous studies indicated that Prox1 facilitates hepatic progenitor-cells proliferation. However, the underlying mechanism of Prox1 in tumor genesis, formation, and progression are poorly understood and need to be exploited. Herein, Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were transfected and over-expressed human recombinant Prox1 gene, and developed several stable cell lines of Prox1-CHO after screening. The results indicated that over expression of Prox1 increased CHO cell proliferation in comparison to GFP-CHO and parental CHO cells, and Prox1 increased Akt phosphorylation and up-regulated PI3 Kinase expression. An Akt specific inhibitor-AKTi-X (5 μM) and a PI3 K inhibitor-LY294002 (5 μM) were able to reverse AKT phosphorylation and PI3 K expression induced by Prox1, respectively. Furthermore, AKTi-X but LY-294002 decreased Prox1-CHO cell proliferations at 48 and 72 h. Our results suggest that over expression of Prox1 facilitates CHO cell proliferation via activation of the Akt signaling pathway. This finding provides new insights into the mechanism of Prox1 mediated tumor growth and metastasis where Prox1 is rich.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Benzophenone-N-ethyl Morpholine Ethers as Anti-inflammatory Agents
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, Yuvaraja college, University of Mysore, Mysore Karnataka, India, Khanum Shaukath A. , Begum Bushra A. ,   Department of Chemistry, D'Banumaih's P U Science College, Mysore, Karnataka, India, Khanum Noor Fatima ,   Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Maharani's Science College for Women, Mysore, Karnataka, India, Girish V. ,   Department of Chemistry, Yuvaraja college, University of Mysore, Mysore Karnataka, India
Published: September 2023

The synthesis of hydroxy benzophenones and benzophenone-N-ethyl morpholine ethers and the results of anti-inflammatory activity in vivo are described. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H-NMR, mass spectroscopy and the elementary analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity of the synthesized compounds were determined by carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema test in rats. Most of the tested compounds exhibited anti-inflammatory activity and some of them were more active than standard drugs. In addition ulcerogenic and cyclooxygenase activities are also described.
The Post-Antibiotic Era: Promising Developments in the Therapy of Infectious Diseases
Authors:   Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine S. Luigi Gonzaga, University of Torino, Torino, Italy, Savoia Dianella , Zucca Mario
Published: September 2023

An overview of investigational antibiotics highlights that antimicrobial drug development is slower than the emergence and spread of resistant strains. In the last three decades only two antibiotics belonging to truly new classes have been introduced into the market, i.e. linezolid and daptomycin. This situation is fostering a huge amount of research aimed at the development of novel molecules and novel antibacterial approaches. The present review details the state of the art research in the fields of antimicrobial peptides, antivirulence factors, bacteriophages, and antibodies as possible replacements or enhancers of classic antibiotics. If the number of new antibacterials in phase II or III of clinical trials remains disappointing, it seems nonetheless reasonable to expect major breakthroughs, made possible by the synergistic use of computational methods and chemical and biological research.
Evolution in the Management of Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Autonomous Community of Valencia (Spain): Ten Years of the Primvac Registry (1995-2004)
Authors:   Unidad Coronaria, UCI, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain, Cabades Adolfo , Valencia Jose , Sogorb Francisco ,   Servicio de Cardiologia, Hospital General Universitario, Alicante, Spain, Rueda Joaquín ,   Servicio de Cardiologia, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain, Echanove Ildefonso ,   Servicio de Cardiologia, Hospital General Universitario, Valencia, Spain, Sanjuan Rafael ,   Unidad Coronaria, UCI, Hospital Clinico Universitario, Valencia, Spain, Cebrian Javier ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia, Spain, Gonzalez-Hernandez Enrique ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital de La Plana, Villarreal, Castellon, Spain, Cardona Juan ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital de la Marina Alta, Denia, Alicante, Spain, Colomina Francisco ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario de San Juan, Alicante, Spain, Frances Mercedes ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Alicante, Spain, Ortola Victoria ,   Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital General Universitario, Alicante, Spain
Published: September 2023

Introduction and objectives: Several registries of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been carried out in Spain, but few remain active. This work analyses the evolution of the characteristics and control of patients with AMI during the first 10 years of the PRIMVAC registry, initiated in 1995. Methods: The demographical and clinical characteristics, therapeutic-diagnostic procedures and pharmacological treatment of patients admitted with AMI between January 1995 and December 2004, were analysed in 17 coronary centres in the Autonomous Community of Valencia (South eastern Spain). Results: The mean age of the 19,719 patients recruited was of 65. The percentage of women, hypertension, hypercholestrolemia and diabetes increased during registry period. The median time of symptoms onset-hospital arrival was 151 minutes, without a decrease over the time, and the delay of thrombolysis fell from 200 to 154 minutes (p<0.01). Percentage of thrombolytic treatment oscillated between 39% and 48%. The mortality in the coronary units decreased (14.1% vs. 8.9%; p<0.001). The number of coronary angiography and percutaneous revascularisation performed increased up to 61% and 32%, respectively, of patients included. On discharge, the use of beta-blockers (29.3% vs. 66.7%), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (41.7% vs. 57.9%) and statins (29.3% vs. 71%) went up. Conclusions: Overall mortality in the coronary unit decreased, without any variation in the incidence of serious complications. Time to thrombolysis was reduced over the time, with no significant increment in its use. The performance of coronary angiography and percutaneous revascularisation increased, with a low use of primary angioplasty. The use of beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and statins increased at discharge.
Claudin 1 and Claudin 7 Gene Polymorphisms and Protein Derangement are Unrelated to the Growth Pattern and Tumor Volume of Colon Carcinoma
Authors:   Department of Clinical Medicine, Örebro University, Örebro and Dept. of Laboratory medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden, Victoria Hahn-Stromberg , Henrik Edvardsson ,   Department of Clinical Pathology, Karlstad, Sweden, Lennart Bodin ,   Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden, Lennart Franzen ,   Department of Pathology and Cytology, Aleris Medilab, Täby, Sweden
Published: September 2023

Tight junctions together with adherens junctions are important for preserving tissue integrity. In tumors the normal tissue structure is lost which results in a disorganization and change of phenotype. In this study we assessed the complexity of the invasive front of colon carcinoma using an objective morphometrical technique based on the estimation of fractal dimension and number of free tumor cell clusters. The complexity of the invasive front was correlated to Claudin 1 and Claudin 7 protein expression as well as genetic polymorphisms of their genes. Thirty-three colon carcinomas were used. Images from the invasive front of the tumors were captured and used to calculate a complexity index of the invasive front. The tight junction proteins Claudin 1 and Claudin 7 were stained immunohistochemically in the tumor and in the surrounding normal mucosa. Screening of their genes was performed using DNA sequencing. A significant aberration of protein expression was seen for both Claudin 1 and Claudin 7 compared to normal mucosa. Both homozygous and heterozygous polymorphisms in exon 2 of claudin 1 were found. In claudin 7 a homozygous polymorphism was seen in exon 4. All individuals with tumors that showed either of these polymorphisms also showed the same polymorphism in the adjacent normal mucosa. A significant correlation was found between polymorphisms in CLDN 7 and tumor differentiation p<0.02. However no correlations were found to Complexity Index, tumor size, localization or tumor stage (pT and pN). The results show that there is a perturbed expression of claudin 1 and claudin 7 proteins in colon tumors compared to normal mucosa. A high incidence of polymorphisms was found in normal tissue and tumors. It remains to be shown if these polymorphisms are coupled to the occurrence of colon carcinomas.
Diethylcarbamazine and Non-Diethylcarbamazine Related Bancroftian Granuloma: An Immunohistochemical Study of Eosinophil Toxic Proteins
Authors:   NGO Amaury Coutinho Rua Conselheiro Portela, 665, Sala 120, Espinheiro, Recife, 50670-900, Pernambuco, Brazil, Dreyer Gerusa , Figueredo-Silva Jose ,   Núcleo de Ensino e Pesquisa em Patologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual do Piaui, Piaui, Brazil, Cavalcanti Carmelita ,   Laboratório de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami (LIKA), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil, Montenegro Luciano Tavares ,   Departamento de Patologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil, Noroes Joaquim ,   Núcleo de Ensino Pesquisa e Assistência em Filariose (NEPAF), Hospital das Clinicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil
Published: September 2023

It has been suggested, mostly using in vitro experiments, that defenses against parasites involve mainly activated eosinophils and their toxic proteins, such as major basic protein (MBP), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO). Eosinophil degranulation has been described around degenerating onchocercal microfilariae in patients treated with diethylcarbamazine (DEC). In bancroftian filariasis, traditional histopathologic studies have shown remarkable numbers of eosinophils in granulomatous lesions associated with both DEC-induced and spontaneous death of adult Wuchereria bancrofti parasites. No immunohistochemical study targeting eosinophil degranulation has been previously performed in these granulomas, which are found mainly within intrascrotal lymphatic vessels. This investigation was undertaken in 22 (12 DEC-treated and 10 untreated) male patients in order to determine the immunohistochemical expressions of MBP, EPO and ECP in bancofitian granulomas, using the indirect method. Stained intact esosinophils, as well as granular, extra-cellular material positive for all three proteins, were found in all granulomas. The immunohistochemical patterns were similar in both DEC-treated and untreated cases, irrespective of microfilaremia, blood eosinophilia, and granuloma age. Positive intact cells were observed mostly at the periphery of the granulomas, whereas granular material predominated in central areas around dead or degenerating parasites. These results indicate that eosinophils accumulate in the granulomas and degranulate preferentially in close proximity to degenerating or dead adult parasites. In bancroftian granulomas, influx and degranulation of eosinophils are considered a consequence of parasite death, rather than its cause.
Determination of Azelastine in Human Plasma by Validated Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandom Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS) for the Clinical Studies
Authors:   Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, 1st Bd, 3F, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791, Republic of Korea, Kang Ju-Seop , Park Yoo-Sin ,   The Institute of Biomedical Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kim Shin-Hee ,   Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kim Young-Jae ,   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Yang Seok-Chul ,   Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Lee Min-Ho ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Shaw Leslie M. ,   Department of Pathology & Lab Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Published: September 2023

A liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS/MS) was validated to determine azelastine in human plasma. Azelastine and internal standard (IS, clomipramine) were separated using a mobile phase of acetonitrile:(5 mM)-ammonium acetate solution (70:30, v/v, pH=6.4) with flow rate of 0.25 mL/min over YMC C8 column. One mL of plasma was extracted by n-hexane: 2-propanol (97:3, v/v) and then injected into HPLC system after reconstitution by acetonitrile: (5 mM)-ammonium acetate (1:1, v/v) solution. Detection was carried out on API5000 MS system by multiple reactions monitoring mode. The ionization was optimized using ESI (+) and selectivity was achieved at m/z 382.2-112.2 for azelastine and m/z 315.3-228.0 for IS. Total run-time (<2.0 min) and linearity (10 (LLOQ) ~5000 pg/mL) were good. No endogenous compounds were found around the retention time. The inter- and intra-day precision and accuracy were 4.13~17.91% and 87.57~109.70%, respectively. This validated method was successfully applied to a bioequivalence study in 23 healthy Korean male volunteers from the blood samples taken up to 96 h after orally administered 2 tablets of 1 mg of reference and test formulations of azelastine in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over design. The mean peak plasma concentrations (Cmax ± SD) of 1.02 ± 0.37 and 1.10 ± 0.43 ng/mL were reached at 5.9 and 5.6 h for reference and test azelastine, respectively. The mean total area under the curve (AUC0-infinity) were 25.96 ± 10.84 and 28.24 ± 11.09 ng*h/mL for reference and test formulations, respectively. The reference and test azelastine formulations can be considered bioequivalent from the obtained pharmacokinetics by LC-ESI/MS/MS.
Voltammetric Determination of Cyproterone Acetate in Pharmaceutical Preparations
Authors:   Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt, El-Sherbiny Dina , El-Enany Nahed , Belal Fathalla ,   Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Published: September 2023

The voltammetric behaviour of cyproterone acetate (CPA) was studied using direct current (DCt) and differential pulse polarography (DPP). The drug manifests cathodic waves over the pH range of 4-11.8. In Britton-Robinson buffer (BRb) of pH 10, the diffusion current-concentration relationship was found to be rectilinear over the range 3.2-32 μg/mL and 0.5-14 μg/mL using DCt and DPP modes, respectively, with minimum limits of detection (LOD) of 0.13 μg/mL using the DDP. The diffusion-current constant (Id) was 9.29 ± 0.046 (n=9). The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of the studied compound in its formulations. The mean percentage recoveries in tablets were 99.48 ± 1.25 and 100.01 ± 1.07 (n = 4) using DCt and DPP modes, respectively. The results obtained were in agreement with those of the reference method. A proposal for the electrode reaction was postulated.
IL-6 Induction by TNFα and IL-1β in an Osteoblast-Like Cell Line
Authors:   Department of Structural and Functional Biology University Federico II of Naples, Campus of Monte S. Angelo, via Cinthia, Naples, Italy, Furia Adriana , Confalone Elena , D'Alessio Giuseppe
Published: September 2023

Stress cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 modulate the activity of a variety of cell types including osteoblasts, and are involved in the pathogenesis of several rheumatic diseases associated with systemic bone loss. We have studied the expression of interleukin-6 induced by interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor α in the osteoblast-like cell line MG-63, derived from a human osteosarcoma. We have observed marked differences in the regulation of interleukin-6 gene expression by tumor necrosis factor α or interleukin-1β. at the level of mRNA steady state and stability and cytokine secretion. In addition, N-acetyl cysteine, a scavenger of reactive oxygen species, inhibits activation of NF-κB and induction of interleukin-6 by tumor necrosis factor α, being ineffective on interleukin-1 β activity. These data illustrate the action of stress cytokines on a cell line widely used in in vitro studies as a reliable model of osteoblast response to cytokines involved in bone resorbing diseases, an important issue for developing new strategies for treatments of bone diseases.
Heterogeneity of Glucocorticoid Resistance in Patients with Bronchial Asthma
Authors:   Department of Internal Medicine, Akishima Hospital, 1260 Nakagami-cho, Akishima-shi, Tokyo, Japan, Matsumura Yasuhiro
Published: September 2023

Bronchial asthma is assumed to be the result of excessive inflammation driven by an aberrant T-helper-2 (Th2) response. Recently, it has begun to be recognized that asthma is a heterogeneous disorder. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are effective treatment for bronchial asthma; however, the inflammation in bronchial asthma cannot always be fully controlled. A recent study demonstrated a new underlying mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance that acts in a Th2-independent manner. Thus, responses to GCs are highly heterogeneous.
Methyl Angolensate from Callus of Indian Redwood Induces Cytotoxicity in Human Breast Cancer Cells
Authors:   Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, Raghavan Sathees C. , Chiruvella Kishore K. , Panjamurthy Kuppusamy , Choudhary Bibha , Joy Omana , Raghavan Sathees C.
Published: September 2023

AIM: Natural products discovered from medicinal plants have played an important role in the treatment of cancer. Methyl angolensate (MA), a tetranortriterpenoid obtained from the root callus of Indian Redwood tree, Soymida febrifuga Roxb. (A.Juss) was tested for its anticancer properties on breast cancer cells.METHODS: Cell viability was tested using trypan blue, MTT and LDH assays. Tritiated thymidine assay and flowcytometry were used to study effect of MA on cell proliferation. The activation of apoptosis was checked by annexin V and JC-1 staining followed by FACS analysis. Immunoblotting analysis was used for studying expression of apoptotic and DNA double strand break repair proteins. RESULTS: We find that MA inhibited the growth of breast cancer cell line, T47D in a time- and dose-dependent manner. MA treatment led to the inhibition of cell proliferation as detected by tritiated thymidine assay and flowcytometry. Further, MA treated cells exhibited typical apoptotic morphological changes and led to the accumulation of subG1 peak in cell cycle distribution. The induction of apoptosis was further confirmed both by annexin V staining and JC1 staining. We also find that MA activates MAP kinase pathway to induce apoptosis. Besides, we find a time dependent activation followed by degradation of DNA double-strand break repair proteins upon treatment with MA. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MA induces cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells. Further, the altered expression of DSB repair proteins in MA treated cells may control the induction of apoptosis in these cancer cells.
Hospital Bed Occupancy and HIV/AIDS in three Major Public Hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors:   School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, Tamiru Melesse , Haidar Jemal ,   School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Published: September 2023

Background: In countries like Ethiopia where the spread of HIV infection is extensive, health services are faced with an increased demand for care. The most obvious reflection of this increased demand is through patient load, longer bed occupancy perhaps to the exclusion of patients with other ailments. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the bed occupancy rate and the average length of stay of HIV/AIDS inpatients of three major public hospitals. Methods: A Retrospective Cross-sectional study was conducted in three major hospitals of Addis Ababa namely Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Tikure Anbessa Hospital and Saint Paul's Hospital from February to March 2004. Results: Of the total 453 sampled inpatients, 293 (65 %) were HIV positives. Over half (55.0%) were Males. The most affected age group was between 24 and 56 years. The majority (85.8%) were from Addis Ababa and over half (57.7%) was married. Housewives constituted about a quarter (26.3%) of all the admitted cases. The most common co-morbidities resulted in admission to the medical wards among the HIV-positive cases were Tuberculosis (73.0%) and jirovicii pneumonia (70.3%), and their occurrence was significantly higher among HIV+ than their counter parts (p = 0.001). Although numbers of patients admitted in Tikur Anbesa hospital was more than Saint Paul's and Zewditu Memorial hospitals (ZMH), the proportion of HIV positive cases admitted to ZMH however was higher (49.0%) than Tikur Anbessa (14.0%) and Saint Paul's hospitals (18.0%). Likewise the number of inpatient days was also higher in ZMH (n=7765) than the other hospitals. The bed occupancy rate was however, higher in ZMH (53.0%) than Tikur Anbessa (12.0%) and Saint Paul's (12.0%) hospitals. Conclusion: One of the most obvious consequences of HIV/AIDS patients are the increased occupancy of hospitals beds suggesting that only 81.1 % of the beds are for all other afflictions in the hospitals. It appears that there is a lot of concern that patients with HIV are competing with the non-HIV infected patients in a resource limited areas. Home based care with community involvement and greater use made of existing community resources might be a response to the limitations of curative hospital-based care and treatment needs of many HIV/AIDS patients.
HPLC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Ten Annonaceous Acetogenins after Supercritical Fluid CO2 Extraction
Authors:   Department of Pharmacy, College of Jiangsu Jiankang Profession, Nanjing, P. R. China, Yang Haijun , Li Xiang ,   Department of Pharmacy, NanJing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, P. R. China, Zhang Ning , Zeng Qingqi , Yu Qiping , Ke Shihuai ,   Department of Pharmacy, College of Jiangsu Jiankang Profession, Nanjing, P. R. China
Published: September 2023

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) isolated from Annonaceaeplants exhibited a broad range of biological bioactivities such as cytotoxic, antitumoral, antiparasitic, pesticidal and immunosuppresive activities. However, their structures were liable to change at more than 60°C and their extraction yields were low using traditional organic solvent extraction. In the present study, all samples from Annona genus plant seeds were extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide under optimized conditions and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established for simultaneously determining ten ACGs. All of the ten compounds were simultaneously separated on reversed-phase C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with the column temperature at 30°C. The mobile phase was composed of (A) methanol and (B) distilled water, the flow rate was 1.0 ml/min and the detection wavelength was set at 220 nm. All calibration curves showed good linear regression (γ>0.9995) within the test range. The established method showed good precision and accuracy with overall intra-day and inter-day variations of 0.99-2.56% and 1.93-3.65%, respectively, and overall recoveries of 95.16-105.01% for the ten compounds analyzed. The established method can be applied to evaluate the intrinsic quality of Annonaceae plant seeds. The determination results recover the content-variation regularities of various ACGs in different species, which are helpful to choose the good-quality Annonaceae plant seeds for anticancer lead compound discovery.
Effects of Life Table Models on the Evaluation of Excess Mortality
Authors:   Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Mahmoodi Mahmood , Fathollahi Mahmood Sheikh , Mohammad Kazem , Zeraati Hojjat
Published: September 2023

Background: Northern regions of Iran have been encountered to dominate malignancies of gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We aimed to examine the excess mortality due to the GI tract cancer in Mazandaran province.Methods: Socio-demographic and clinical data of 484 patients with GI cancer collected during the years 1990-1991were available from Babol Cancer Registry Center in Iran. Patients were followed-up for a maximum period of 15 years by the year 2006. The Coale-Demeny life tables were established for each combination of birth cohort and sex of patients, and were considered as the reference population in estimating excess mortality rates. The relative and additive mortality models for excess mortality estimation were used. Results: The sample of subjects encompassed 66.3% men and 33.7% women, with mean age 58.26 ± 10.90 years. Esophageal cancer appeared to be the most common one, and endoscopy was the general method for cancer detection. Survival rate in 15 years following diagnosis was nearly 6%. Excess mortality estimated by each of the relative and additive models reached the most value in the first two years of observation in both genders and according to each of the Coale-Demeny regional patterns. Conclusion: considering individuals in a population come from different cohorts with different mortality patterns, it might be recommended to construct distinct life tables for different birth cohorts when estimating excess hazard. The West model as a general pattern is recommended to represent mortality patterns in countries whose registration systems either do not exist or are so affected by omission and other errors.
Oxidative Stress and its Implications for Future Treatments and Management of Alzheimer Disease
Authors:   UTSA Neurosciences Institute and Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA, Perry George , Lee Hyoung-gon , Lee Hyun Pil , Zhu Xiongwei , Smith Mark A. ,   Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Rolston Raj K. ,   Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA, Marlatt Michael W. ,   Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences - Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Marie Curie Early Stage Training Program - NEURAD Graduate School, Gottingen, Germany, Castellani Rudy J. ,   Department of Pathology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Nunomura Akihiko ,   Department of Neuropsychiatry, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan, Casadesus Gemma ,   Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Clark Timothy A. ,   UTSA Neurosciences Institute and Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Published: September 2023

Oxidative imbalance is one of the earliest manifestations of Alzheimer disease (AD) actually preceding the classic pathology of amyloid β deposits and neurofibrillary tangles. Clinical trials examining antioxidant modulation by a number of global interventions show efficacy, while simple supplementation has limited benefit suggesting complexity of multiple contributing factors. In this review, we highlight new insights regarding novel approaches to understanding and treating AD based on holistic views of oxidative balance including diet.
Quantitation of 6-, 8- and 10-Gingerols and 6-Shogaol in Human Plasma by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection
Authors:   University of Michigan, Department of Family Medicine, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, P.O. Box 385, Lobby M, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA, Zick Suzanna M. , Ruffin Mack T. ,   University of Michigan, Department of Family Medicine, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, P.O. Box 385, Lobby M, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA, Djuric Zora ,   University of Michigan, Department of Family Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, CCGC 6-303, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0944, USA, Normolle Daniel ,   University of Michigan, Department of Radiation Oncology, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, CCGC 6-303, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0944, USA, Brenner Dean E. ,   University of Michigan, Department of Internal Medicine, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, CCGC 6-303, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0944, USA
Published: September 2023

Zingiber officinale is one of the most commonly used spices. We developed a method to determine the main pungent ginger constituents, 6-, 8- and 10-gingerols and 6-shogaol in human plasma. Quantitation was achieved using a reversed-phase C18 column using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The assay was linear from 0.1 to 5.0 µg/mL. The within-day coefficients of variation for the assay at 5.0 µg/mL were ≤ 5% for all analytes. The recovery of all four analytes was > 99% for at 5.0 µg/mL. The lower limit of quantitation was 0.1 µg/mL except for 10-gingerol which was 0.25 µg/mL. Currently, there is no analytical method for detecting pungent ginger constituents in human plasma. This HPLC method allows for the detection of all four of ginger's pungent constituents simultaneously in a relatively short run time of 25 minutes. This method should be useful for determining plasma levels of 6-, 8-, 10-gingerol and 6-shogaol in phase I clinical trials.
Spectrophotometric Determination of the Antidepressants Sertraline and Paroxetine HCl using 2,4-Dinitrofluorobenzene
Authors:   Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Mansoura, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt, El-Enany N. , Walash M. I. , Belal F. , El-Mansi H.
Published: September 2023

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of each of sertraline (SER) and paroxetine HCl (PXT ) in dosage forms. The method is based upon reaction of PXT and SER with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to form colored products. The absorbance of the products were measured at 375and 390 nm for SER and PXT respectively. The absorbance concentration plots were rectilinear over the concentration rang of 1-10 and 2-20 μg/mL with lower detection limits (LOD) of 0.11 and 0.28 μg/mL and quantification limits (LOQ) of 0.32 and 0.85 μg/mL for SER and PXT, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of SER and PXT in dosage forms. The common excipients and additives did not interfere in their determinations. There was no significant difference between the results obtained by the proposed and the reference methods regarding Student t-test and the variance ratio F-test respectively. A proposal of the reaction pathway was postulated.
Development and Validation of Spectrofluorimetric Method for Determination of Biotin in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Preparations via its Oxidation with Cerium (IV)
Authors:   Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt, Salim M. M. , Sheribah Z. A. , Rizk M. , Walash M. I.
Published: September 2023

A simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of biotin in pure form and in pharmaceutical preparations. The proposed method is based on the oxidation of the drug with cerium (IV) ammonium sulfate in acidic medium. The fluorescence of the produced Cerium (III) was measured at 365 nm after excitation at 255 nm. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the reaction were carefully studied and optimized. The method is applicable over the concentration range of 30-120 ng/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.9998. The detection limit (LOD) of biotin was 2.41 ng/mL while quantitation limit (LOQ) was 7.29 ng/mL. The proposed procedure was successfully applied for the determination of biotin in pharmaceutical preparations with mean recoveries of 99.55 ± 0.83 and 101.67 ± 1.53 for biotin ampoules and capsules, respectively. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using the official method.
The Efferent System or Olivocochlear Function Bundle - Fine Regulator and Protector of Hearing Perception
Authors:   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Marienhospital Gelsenkirchen, Virchowstr. 122, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Ciuman Raphael Richard
Published: September 2023

The efferent system of the ear possesses several distinct functions, in particular noise protection, mediation of selective attention and improvement of signal to noise ratio. It also supports adaptation and frequency selectivity by modification of the micromechanical properties of outer hair cells. There are many differences in anatomy and physiology between the medial and lateral olivocochlear system suggesting that they are functionally separate systems. The efferent system is affected by inner ear stressors, e.g. noise, ototoxic drugs, and might play a key role in tinnitus generation and maintenance. The anatomy, physiology and its realtionships to inner ear pathologies are discussed in this review article.