Until recently, pharmacological studies dealing with vasopressin receptor isoforms were severely hampered by the lack of selective agonists or antagonists that recognize the pituitary V1b vasopressin ...receptor. By contrast, many selective vasopressin‐related compounds are available for characterization of the vasopressor (V1a) or antidiuretic (V2) vasopressin receptor subtypes. Recently, SSR149415, a selective nonpeptide molecule, was discovered with nanomolar affinity for mammalian V1b receptors and good selectivity for the other vasopressin and oxytocin receptor isoforms. This molecule exhibits potent antagonist properties both in vitro and in vivo. We also designed synthetic peptides derived from deaminocysteine1,arginine8vasopressin (dAVP), modified in position 4 by various amino acid residues. Some of these, dcyclohexylalanine4AVP or dlysine4AVP, have a high affinity and an excellent selectivity for the human V1b receptor subtype. However, they exhibit a mixed V1b/V2 pharmacological profile for the rat vasopressin receptor isoforms. Whatever the species considered, these peptides behave as agonists both in bioassays performed in vitro and in vivo. The dcyclohexylalanine4AVP was tritiated and represents the first selective radiolabelled ligand available for studying the human V1b receptors. The discovery of these new selective V1b agonists and V1b antagonist allows an accurate pharmacological characterization of all the vasopressin receptor isoforms. As emphasized in this review, attention to the vasopressin and oxytocin receptor species differences is of critical importance in studies with all vasopressin and oxytocin ligands.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In the aquatic environment, pharmaceuticals have been widely found. Among them, carbamazepine and diclofenac were detected at the highest frequency. To evaluate the worldwide environmental impacts of ...both drugs, their global consumption volumes are estimated, based on the dose per capita. The metabolites of these pharmaceuticals are also of environmental concerns, especially
trans-10,11-dihydro-10,11- dihydroxycarbamazepine (CBZ-diol) which probably has a similar concentration in water bodies to that of its parent drug. The removal efficiencies and mechanisms of both drugs in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are discussed with the actual state of knowledge. The occurrences of both drugs are examined in various water bodies including WWTP effluents, surface waters, groundwater and drinking water. Their chemical, physical and pharmacological properties are also addressed in context, which can largely influence their environmental behaviors. The ecotoxicological studies of both drugs imply that they do not easily cause acute toxic effects at their environmental concentrations. However their chronic effects need cautious attention.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on body mass index (BMI) z-score of adolescents treated for obesity, and to assess the correlation ...between BMI z-score changes and lifestyle variables.
This cross-sectional study recruited 66 participants aged 11–18 years with overweight or obesity who attended our obesity clinics before and after the lockdown. We assessed demographic and anthropometric characteristics as well as lifestyle variables.
The mean BMI z-score of the participants was stable during this period (p = 0.233). Balanced diet, snacking, and sweet beverage consumption improved in about half of the participants. Having at least one parent at home was associated with a significantly more balanced diet (p = 0.008) and an increase in family activities (p = 0.015). Physical activities decreased (51.5%) and screen time increased for most of the adolescents (86.4%). The BMI z-score decreased significantly when three or more lifestyle habits improved (p<0.001).
This study showed that BMI z-scores were stable for a majority of adolescents treated for obesity during the COVID19 lockdown, along with positive and negative changes on weight-related lifestyle habits. This extraordinary period may have created opportunities for lifestyle modification and has emphasized the importance of family support in the management of obesity in adolescents.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We report a precision measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry APV in the elastic scattering of longitudinally polarized electrons from 208Pb. We measure APV= 550 ± 16 (stat) ±8 (syst) parts per ...billion, leading to an extraction of the neutral weak form factor FW(Q2= 0.00616 GeV2) = 0.368 ± 0.013. Combined with our previous measurement, the extracted neutron skin thickness is Rn-Rp= 0.283 ± 0.071 fm. The result also yields the first significant direct measurement of the interior weak density of 208Pb: ρ$^0_W$ = -0.0796 ± 0.0036(exp) ± 0.0013(theo) fm-3 leading to the interior baryon density ρ$^0_b$ = 0.1480 ± 0.0036(exp) ± 0.0013(theo) fm-3. Finally, the measurement accurately constrains the density dependence of the symmetry energy of nuclear matter near saturation density, with implications for the size and composition of neutron stars.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
► Desorption from iron oxide surfaces and pyrite oxidation both contribute to arsenic mobilisation in reclaimed water ASR. ► Arsenic recovered from ASR consists of As(V) and As(III), while As(V) is ...dominant in the injectant and ambient groundwater. ► Reduction during aquifer storage leads to partial reduction of As(V) to As(III).
Arsenic release from aquifers can be a major issue for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) schemes and understanding the processes that release and attenuate As during ASR is the first step towards managing this issue. This study utilised the first and fourth cycles of a full scale field trial to examine the fate of As within the injectant plume during all stages of the ASR cycle, and the resultant water quality. The average recovered As concentration was greater than the source concentration; by 0.19
μmol/L (14
μg
As/L) in cycle 1 and by 0.34
μmol/L (25
μg
As/L) in cycle 4, indicating that As was being released from the aquifer sediments during ASR and the extent of As mobilisation did not decline with subsequent cycles. In the injection phase, As mobilisation due to oxidation of reduced minerals was limited to an oxic zone in close proximity to the ASR well, while desorption from Fe oxyhydroxide or oxide surfaces by injected P occurred further in the near well zone (0–4
m from the ASR well). With further aquifer passage during injection and greater availability of sorption sites there was evidence of attenuation via adsorption to Fe oxyhydroxides which reduced concentrations on the outer fringes of the injectant plume. During the period of aquifer storage, microbial activity resulting from the injection of organic matter resulted in increased As mobility due to reductive Fe oxyhydroxide dissolution and the subsequent loss of sorption sites and partial reduction of As(V) to the more mobile As(III). A reduced zone directly around the ASR well produced the greatest As concentration and illustrated the importance of Fe oxyhydroxides for controlling As concentrations. Given the small spatial extent of this zone, this process had little effect on the overall recovered water quality.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
ABSTRACT
We study the morphology of the stellar periphery of the Magellanic Clouds in search of substructure using near-infrared imaging data from the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for ...Astronomy Hemisphere Survey. Based on the selection of different stellar populations using the (J − Ks, Ks) colour–magnitude diagram, we confirm the presence of substructures related to the interaction history of the Clouds and find new substructures on the eastern side of the LMC disc, which may be owing to the influence of the Milky Way, and on the northern side of the SMC, which is probably associated with the ellipsoidal structure of the galaxy. We also study the luminosity function of red clump stars in the SMC and confirm the presence of a bi-modal distance distribution, in the form of a foreground population. We find that this bi-modality is still detectable in the eastern regions of the galaxy out to a 10○ distance from its centre. Additionally, a background structure is detected in the North between 7○ and 10○ from the centre that might belong to the Counter Bridge, and a foreground structure is detected in the South between 6○ and 8○ from the centre that might be linked to the Old Bridge.
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