bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Chemical Biology of Aptamers
Authors: Mayer Günter 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTaking a strand: Aptamers are small single‐stranded oligonucleotides that fold into a well‐defined 3D structure and interact with high affinity and specificity with their target molecules, thereby inhibiting their biological functions. Aptamers can be synthesized by either chemical and/or enzymatic procedures and can thus be considered as both chemical and biological substances. The current status and new developments in this area are described.magnified imageAptamers are small single‐stranded nucleic acids that fold into a well‐defined three‐dimensional structure. They show a high affinity and specificity for their target molecules and inhibit their biological functions. Aptamers belong to the nucleic acids family and can be synthesized by chemical or enzymatic procedures, or a combination of the two. They can, therefore, be considered as both chemical and biological substances. This Review summarizes the most convenient approaches to their preparation and new developments in the field of aptamers. The application of aptamers in chemical biology is also discussed.
Investigations of chemically synthesized poly(aniline‐co‐o‐toluidine)s doped with dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid
Authors: Shreepathi Subrahmanya , Holze Rudolf 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn situ ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and Raman spectroelectrochemical investigations of chemically synthesized homopolymers and copolymers of aniline and o‐toluidine are reported and discussed. The copolymers in their metallic state are soluble in volatile solvents such as chloroform and thus could be processed easily for electrochemical investigations. The oxidation wave in cyclic voltammograms corresponding to the emeraldine‐to‐pernigraniline transformation of poly(o‐toluidine) (POT), unlike in polyaniline (PANI), does not show multiple peaks, and this indicates a relatively faster exchange of counterions. In situ UV–vis and Raman spectroscopy has revealed that the electrode potential at which the transformation from the emeraldine state to the pernigraniline state occurs is influenced by the fraction of o‐toluidine in the feed. The spectroelectrochemical behavior of copolymers containing higher feed fractions of aniline resembles that of PANI, whereas the spectroelectrochemical behavior of copolymers with a higher feed fraction of o‐toluidine resembles that of POT. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Preparation and properties of a carboxyl‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile toughened epoxy/montmorillonite nanocomposite
Authors: Lee Hun‐Bong , Kim Ho‐Gyum , Yoon Keun‐Byoung , Lee Dong‐Ho , Min Kyung‐Eun 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe influence of the montmorillonite type and concentration on the mechanical properties and morphology of a carboxyl‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile toughened epoxy/montmorillonite nanocomposite has been studied. Modified montmorillonite can be well dispersed in a carboxyl‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile toughened epoxy/montmorillonite nanocomposite. Jeffamine, a curing agent, contributes to the intercalation of sodium montmorillonite, allowing the loss of the ordered layered structure in the nanocomposite. The preparation method of the nanocomposite has a slight effect on the mechanical properties. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Decadal changes (1996–2006) in coastal ecosystems of the Chagos archipelago determined from rapid assessment
Authors: Price Andrew R.G. , Harris Alasdair 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
The atolls and islands comprising Chagos are a biodiversity hotspot of global conservation significance in a remote part of the central Indian Ocean.
This study examines the condition of the archipelago's coastal ecosystems by rapid environmental assessment at 21 sites/islands, which were also investigated a decade earlier using the same methodology. Major changes in ecosystem structure and environmental disturbance were determined.
Coral fish abundance was significantly lower in 2006 than 1996. Decrease in the physical structural complexity of the reefs, as a result of coral bleaching and mortality induced by the 1998 warming event, may have been a contributing factor.
Evidence of collecting/fishing was significantly greater in 2006 than 1996. This is attributed mainly to an illegal fishery for holothurians (sea cucumbers), which has expanded over recent years and now exerts substantial pressure on the resource. The significant decline observed in beach wood, a readily accessible fuel for fishing camps, is consistent with this.
Solid waste on islands was high (median 2 to 20 items m−1 beach) in both 1996 and 2006. Potentially harmful biological impacts, determined from other studies, include entanglement, toxic effects and provision of transport for invasives or other ‘hitchhiker’ species.
Significantly higher bird abundances were recorded in protected areas than ‘unprotected’ areas, attributed mainly to absence of predation by rats.
Rapid assessment augments more comprehensive ecosystem investigations. It provides a valuable snapshot of environmental conditions based upon a broad suite of features (ecosystems and disturbances) determined, concurrently, within the same site inspection quadrats and using the same scale of assessment.
Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multimethodological approach to investigate chamber tombs in the Sabine Necropolis at Colle del Forno (CNR, Rome, Italy)
Authors: Piro Salvatore , Gabrielli Roberto 
Published: March 2009

AbstractNon‐destructive geophysical prospecting methods are increasingly used for the investigation of archaeological sites, especially where a detailed physical and geometrical reconstruction of structures is required prior to any excavation work. Often, due to the limited size and depth of an archaeological structure, it may be rather difficult to single out its position and extent because of the generally low signal‐to noise (S/N) ratio. This can be overcome by improving data acquisition and processing techniques and integrating different geophysical methods. In this work the results of a multimethodological surveys, used with the aim of detecting sharp discontinuities (boundary of cavities and fractures in the host medium) at the Archaeological Test Site of Sabine Necropolis at Research Area of National Research Council of Rome (Montelibretti, Italy) are shown. For the survey a combination of passive and active methods (magnetic, ground‐penetrating radar (GPR), and dipole–dipole geoelectric (DDG)), topographical and three‐dimensional laser scanner surveys and archaeological excavations were used to study the state of conservation of underground tombs. With all geophysical methods a high‐resolution data acquisition was adopted with the aim of reconstructing a global vision of the study area. Signal processing and amplitude time‐slice representation techniques were used for the analysis of GPR data. The bi‐dimensional cross‐correlation technique was applied to enhance the S/N ratio of the magnetic data. An example of the integration (both qualitative and quantitative) of these results is presented for a portion of the investigated area in the Sabine Necropolis at Colle del Forno (Rome, Italy). Archaeological excavations were then conducted systematically after completing the geophysical surveys and interpretations (from 2000 to 2006), which confirmed the location and shape of the individual chamber tombs with associated corridors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Switching Akt: from survival signaling to deadly response
Authors: Los Marek , Maddika Subbareddy , Erb Bettina , Schulze‐Osthoff Klaus 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAkt, a protein kinase hyperactivated in many tumors, plays a major role in both cell survival and resistance to tumor therapy. A recent study,1 along with other evidences, shows interestingly, that Akt is not a single‐function kinase, but may facilitate rather than inhibit cell death under certain conditions. This hitherto undetected function of Akt is accomplished by its ability to increase reactive oxygen species and to suppress antioxidant enzymes. The ability of Akt to down‐regulate antioxidant defenses uncovers a novel Achilles' heel, which could be exploited by oxidant therapies in order to selectively eradicate tumor cells that express high levels of Akt activity.
Development of a novel HPLC‐MS/MS method for the determination of aconitine and its application to in vitro and rat microdialysis samples
Authors: Zhang Quan‐long , Hu Jin‐Hong , Zhu Quan‐Gang , Li Feng‐Qian , Liu Ji‐Yong , Wang Dan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractA sensitive and selective LC‐MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of aconitine in microdialysate and rat plasma. Extraction of plasma sample was conducted by use of 1% trichloracetic acid and acetonitrile solution with 10 ng/mL internal standard (propafenone) spiked. Microdialysates were analyzed without sample purification. After sample preparation, 2 µL were injected and separated with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile:0.1% formic acid (60:40, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The Agilent G6410A triple quadrupole LC/MS system was operated under the multiple‐reaction monitoring mode (MRM) using the electrospray ionization technique in positive mode. Overall, the assay exhibited good precision and accuracy. The diffusion properties of aconitine investigated in in vitro microdialysis experiments revealed unfavourable concentration dependence avertable by keeping a constant pH 5.77 using isotonic phosphate buffer solution as perfusate. The mean relative recoveries were 48.23% [coefficient of variation (CV 4.47%)] and 55.38% (CV 2.89%) for retrodialysis and recovery experiments, respectively. The in vivo recovery of aconitine was 34.48% (CV 3.05%) and was stable over the 6 h study period. Following characterization of aconitine both in vitro and in vivo microdialysis, the developed setting is suitable for application in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐performance liquid chromatography method for determination of carnosic acid in rat plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Yan Haixia , Wang Li , Li Xingnuo , Yu Chun , Zhang Ke , Jiang Yong , Wu Lijun , Lu Wei , Tu Pengfei 
Published: March 2009

AbstractA sensitive and reproducible high‐performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection (UV) was developed for the determination of carnosic acid (CA) in rat plasma. After simple acidification and liquid–liquid extraction of plasma samples using gemfibrozil as an internal standard, the supernatant was evaporated to dryness under a gentle stream of nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted in 200 µL before being injected into the chromatographic system. The analysis was performed on a C18 column protected by an ODS guard column using acetonitrile–0.1% phosphoric acid (55:45, v/v) as mobile phase, and the wavelength of the UV detector was set at 210 nm. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.265–265.0 µg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997. The recovery for plasma samples of 0.530, 13.25, 132.5 and 265.0 µg/mL was 72.2, 87.9, 90.4 and 94.7%, respectively. The intra‐day and inter‐day relative standard deviations for the measurements of quality control samples were less than 3.1%. The stability of the plasma samples was also validated. This method was successfully used to study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of CA in rats. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bioanalytical methods for the determination of itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole: overview from clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and metabolism perspectives
Authors: Yao Ming , Srinivas Nuggehally R. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractItraconazole represents an important therapeutic option for the treatment of fungal infections. Itraconazole undergoes rapid metabolism to form hydroxyitraconazole, which also contributes to the anti‐fungal activity exhibited by the parent compound. Since both itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole are effective inhibitors of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 and p‐glycoprotein (pgp)‐mediated efflux transporters, they have the potential to elicit drug–drug interaction with a number of CYP3A4 and/or pgp substrates. This review focuses on providing comprehensive details on the bioanalytical methods available for the quantitation of both itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole. Additionally, it provides an overview of the clinical pharmacology (several case studies of drug–drug interactions), pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and metabolism related aspects of itraconazole. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reversed‐phase liquid chromatographic determination of enantiomers of atenolol in rat plasma using derivatization with Marfey's reagent
Authors: Bhushan Ravi , Tanwar Shivani 
Published: March 2009

AbstractAn HPLC method was established for enantioseparation of (R,S)‐atenolol (ATE) and determination of enantiomers in rat plasma. Marfey's reagent (1‐fluoro‐2,4‐dinitrophenyl‐5‐L‐alanine amide, FDNP‐L‐Ala‐NH2, MR) was used as chiral derivatizing reagent with detection of diastereomers at 340 nm. It was shown that the R‐isomer eluted before the S‐isomer. The method was validated for linearity, repeatability, limits of detection and limit of quantification (LOQ). Recovery of ATE at LOQ was 92.8% for (R)‐ATE and 92.6% for (S)‐ATE. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brain lesions and their implications in criminal responsibility
Authors: Batts Shelley 
Published: March 2009

AbstractFor over 200 years, Western courts have considered pleas of “not guilty by reason of insanity” (NGRI) for defendants in possession of a mental defect rendering them unable to understand the wrongfulness of their act. Until recently, determining the mental state of a defendant has fallen largely upon the shoulders of court psychologists and experts in psychiatry for qualitative assessments related to NGRI pleas and mitigation at sentencing. However, advances in neuroscience—particularly neurological scanning techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), computed tomography scanning (CT), and positron emission tomography scanning (PET)—may provide additional, pertinent biological evidence as to whether an organically based mental defect exists. With increasing frequency, criminal defense attorneys are integrating neuroimaging data into hearings related to determinations of guilt and sentencing mitigation. This is of concern, since not all brain lesions and abnormalities indicate a compromised mental state that is relevant to knowing whether the act was wrong at the time of commission, and juries may be swayed by neuroscientific evidence that is not relevant to the determination of the legal question before them. This review discusses historical and modern cases involving the intersection of brain lesions and criminality, neuroscientific perspectives of how particular types of lesions may contribute to a legally relevant mental defect, and how such evidence might best be integrated into a criminal trial. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emotional evidence and jurors' judgments: the promise of neuroscience for informing psychology and law
Authors: Salerno Jessica M. , Bottoms Bette L. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis article is a review of psychological and neuroscience research addressing how juror decision making is influenced by emotion elicited from potentially disturbing evidence such as gruesome autopsy photographs, victim impact statements, and information about a defendant's tragic personal history presented as mitigating evidence. We review (a) converging evidence suggesting that the presence versus absence of such evidence results in more punitive juror judgments, (b) social cognition theories that provide potential explanations for these effects, and (c) neuroscience research aimed at understanding the role of emotion in moral judgments by identifying how brain activity is affected by emotion‐eliciting stimuli. We argue that neuroimaging evidence showing that emotional stimuli cause heightened emotion and decreased effortful cognitive processing is relevant in understanding jurors' increased punitiveness after being exposed to emotional evidence, and in turn relevant to debates about the admissibility of emotional evidence in courts of law. Ultimately, we argue for more ecologically valid psychological research to clarify these important issues. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fatty Acid Synthase Inhibitors from Geum japonicumThunb. var. chinense
Authors: Liu Hongwei , Li Jiankuan , Zhao Wenhua , Bao Li , Song Xiaohong , Xia Ying , Wang Xue , Zhang Chao , Wang Xiaozhu , Yao Xinsheng , Li Ming 
Published: March 2009

Abstractmagnified imageBioassay‐guided fractionation of the MeOH extract of Geum japonicum Thunb. var. chinense using the fatty acid synthase inhibition assay led to the isolation of a new dimeric ellagitannin, gemin G (1), together with six known compounds, gemin A (2), casuarinin (3), pedunculagin (4), potentillin (5) , tellimagrandin II (6), and ellagic acid (7). Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1–7 displayed strong inhibitory activities on fatty acid synthase with IC50 values in the range of 0.21–41.4 μM. Compounds 1–4 exhibited significant antioxidant activities higher than vitamin C in the ORAC assay. Compounds 1 and 2 also showed weak cytotoxic effects on BGC‐823 cell.
Nematicidal Cardenolides from Nerium indicumMill.
Authors: Wang Xing‐Biao , Li Guo‐Hong , Zheng Li‐Jun , Ji Kai‐Yan , Lü Hua , Liu Fang‐Fang , Dang Li‐Zhi , Mo Ming‐He , Zhang Ke‐Qin 
Published: March 2009

Abstractmagnified imageThree nematicidal cardenolides were obtained from the AcOEt extract of Nerium indicum Mill. by bioassay‐guided fractionation. They include a new compound, 3β‐O‐(β‐D‐diginosyl)‐14,15α‐dihydroxy‐5α‐card‐20(22)‐enolide (1), and two known compounds, uzarigenin (2) and cardenolide N‐1 (3). The median lethal concentrations (LC50) of compounds 1–3 against the nematodes Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Panagrellus redivivus, and Caenorhabditis elegans at 72 h were 103.3, 49.0, and 45.4 mg l−1, 257.0, 62.7, and 177.8 mg l−1, and 242.9, 29.1, and 41.7 mg l−1, respectively. This is the first report about the nematicidal activity of cardenolides.
Chemical and Pharmacological Aspects of the Genus Calophyllum
Authors: Cechinel Filho Valdir , Meyre‐Silva Christiane , Niero Rivaldo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Calophyllum genus (Clusiaceae) is composed of ca. 200 species, with a pantropical distribution. Some species are used as medicinal agents to treat a large number of diseases, including gastric ulcers, infections, pain, tumors, and inflammatory processes, among others. A review of the literature regarding the chemical and biological aspects of these plants indicates cytotoxic activity against several cell lines, inhibition of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase, antisecretory and cytoprotective properties, antinociceptive, molluscicidal and antimicrobial effects, etc., related particularly to the presence of coumarins, xanthones, flavonoids, and triterpenes. This review, therefore, deals with the chemistry, and pharmacology or biology of the main plants belonging to the genus Calophyllum, with particular emphasis on C. brasiliense, studied by our research group.
Tucupentol, a Novel Mono‐tetrahydrofuranic Acetogenin from Annona montana, as a Potent Inhibitor of Mitochondrial Complex I
Authors: Álvarez Colom Olga , Neske Adriana , Chahboune Nadia , Zafra‐Polo M. Carmen , Bardón Alicia 
Published: March 2009

Abstractmagnified imageTen acetogenins, one of them new, were isolated from leaves and twigs of a Bolivian collection of Annona montana. The new compound that we named tucupentol (1) is a mono‐tetrahydrofuran‐pentahydroxy‐acetogenin. The inhibitory potency of tucupentol (1) on the mitochondrial complex I was evaluated, and this activity was compared with that of the known acetogenins, annonacin‐A, cis‐annonacin‐10‐one, aromin, and gigantetronenin, also isolated from this plant material. The mentioned acetogenins acted as selective inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I in the 0.8–5.4‐nM range.
Nitrooxymethyl‐Substituted Analogues of Celecoxib: Synthesis and Pharmacological Characterization
Authors: Boschi Donatella , Lazzarato Loretta , Rolando Barbara , Filieri Andrea , Cena Clara , Di Stilo Antonella , Fruttero Roberta , Gasco Alberto 
Published: March 2009

Abstractmagnified imageNitrooxymethyl‐substituted analogues of celecoxib were synthesized and tested for their cyclooxygenase (COX)‐inhibiting, vasodilator, and anti‐aggregatory activities, as well as for their metabolic stability in human serum and whole blood. The results showed their potency and selectivity in inhibiting the COX isoforms, evaluated in whole human blood, as well as their anti‐aggregatory activity to depend closely on the position at which the NO‐donor moiety is introduced. All products dilated rat aorta strips precontracted with phenylephrine in a dose‐dependent manner through a cGMP‐dependent mechanism. They were stable in human serum while, in blood, they were metabolically transformed, principally to the related alcohols.
3‐Fluoro‐2,4‐dioxa‐3‐phosphadecalins as Inhibitors of Acetylcholinesterase. A Reappraisal of Kinetic Mechanisms and Diagnostic Methods
Authors: Baici Antonio , Schenker Patricia , Wächter Michael , Rüedi Peter 
Published: March 2009

Abstractmagnified imageA systematic survey of the acetylcholine‐mimetic 2,4‐dioxa‐3‐phosphadecalins as irreversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase revealed hitherto overlooked properties as far as the kinetic mechanisms of interaction are concerned. As a support to past and future work in this field, we describe the kinetics of eight reaction schemes that may be found in irreversible enzyme modification and compare them with two mechanism of reversible, slow‐binding inhibition. The relevant kinetic equations and their associated graphical representations are given for all mechanisms, and concrete examples illustrate their practical use. Since irreversible inhibition is a time‐dependent phenomenon, kinetic analysis is greatly facilitated by fitting the appropriate integrated rate equations to reaction‐progress curves by nonlinear regression. This primary scrutiny provides kinetic parameters that are indispensable tools for diagnosing the kinetic mechanism and for calculating inhibition constants. Numerical integration of sets of differential equations is an additional useful investigation tool in critical situations, e.g., when inhibitors are unstable and/or act as irreversible modifiers only temporarily.
In vitro cardiomyogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stromal cells using transforming growth factor‐β1
Authors: Gwak So‐Jung , Bhang Suk H. , Yang Hee S. , Kim Sang‐Soo , Lee Dae‐Hee , Lee Soo‐Hong , Kim Byung‐Soo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractTransplanting stem cells differentiated towards a cardiac lineage can regenerate cardiac muscle tissues to treat myocardial infarction. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) induces cardiomyogenic differentiation of adipose‐ derived stromal cells (ADSCs) in vitro. Rat ADSCs were cultured with TGF‐β1 (10 ng ml−1) for 2 weeks in vitro. ADSCs cultured without TGF‐β1 served as a control. The mRNA expression of cardiac‐specific gene was induced by TGF‐β1, while the control culture did not show cardiac‐specific gene expression. Immunocytochemical analyses showed that a small fraction of ADSCs cultured with TGF‐β1 for 2 weeks stained positively for cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) and α‐sarcomeric actin. Flow cytometric analyses showed that the proportion of cells expressing cardiac MHC increased with TGF‐β1. However, no mesenchymal differentiation (e.g., osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation) was detected other than cardiomyogenic differentiation. These results showed that TGF‐β1 induce ADSC cardiomyogenic differentiation in vitro, which could be useful for myocardial infarction stem cell therapy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.