Correction for 'A new triazine based π-conjugated mesoporous 2D covalent organic framework: its
in vitro
anticancer activities' by Sabuj Kanti Das
et al.
,
Chem. Commun.
, 2018,
54
, 11475-11478.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal contagious prion disease naturally occurring in cervids in North America. In 2016, CWD was detected in wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and moose (Alces ...alces) in Norway. Here, we report the first known naturally infected wild Norwegian red deer (Cervus elaphus).
Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by fibrosis and intimal proliferation of cutaneous and visceral small vessels. These architectural abnormalities can be visualized with ...nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC); the changes being quite characteristic. At the same time, morphological alterations in retinal vascular bed are expected but sparsely described. Aim: We aimed to characterize the frequency and type of retinal microvascular changes in patients with SSc and to analyze any association with NFC changes. Patients and Methods: With institutional ethical committee approval, we recruited 45 consecutive patients with SSc (diagnosed based on American College of Rheumatology and European League against Rheumatism ACR/EULAR-2013 criteria). NFC was done for all of them with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) dermatoscope; additionally, fundoscopy, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were analyzed. Disease characteristics in patients with and without retinal disease were compared. Results: Among the 45 SSc patients, 12 (26.67%) had limited cutaneous SSc (lSSc) while 33 (73.33%) had diffuse cutaneous disease (dSSc). Retinal microvascular changes seen as mild arteriolar alteration and arteriovenous crossing changes were recorded in 13 patients (28.89%); mostly in those with dSSc (12/13). The NFC architectural changes were more severe in patients with retinal disease, though the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with SSc can often have retinal microvascular abnormalities commensurate with the vascular changes characteristic of SSc. The severity of retinal changes correlates with changes in NFC. NFC, which is now an essential tool for the management of SSc, could be a surrogate marker for retinal involvement in these patients.
Although the climate in Germany is moderate, heat stress conditions may occur during summer months. However, it is unknown to what extent sow fertility and piglet survival are affected under moderate ...climatic conditions in indoor systems. Therefore, this study estimated effects of temperature and temperature–humidity index (THI) on sow fertility and piglet survival under practical husbandry conditions. Temperature and relative humidity were recorded in six piglet-producing farms in Lower Saxony, Germany, from July 2011 to August 2012. Based on that, the THI was calculated. In one farrowing, waiting and servicing unit of each farm two data loggers were installed. Reproductive parameters of 8279 successful inseminations and 10 369 litters including total number of piglets born, liveborn, stillborn and weaned piglets as well as pre-weaning mortality were evaluated. The effects of temperature and THI on reproductive parameters were estimated for varying periods after breeding and before and after farrowing, respectively. Average daily temperature across all units ranged from 15.6°C to 29.0°C, and average THI from 62.4 to 75.1. Season and parity significantly affected total number of piglets born, number of liveborn, stillborn and weaned piglets (P<0.001). The number of piglets born increased with rising temperature and THI in the 1st week post breeding. Higher temperatures and THI values before farrowing resulted in a reduced number of liveborn piglets. Elevated temperature and THI values after farrowing were associated with a greater number of weaned piglets. The pre-weaning mortality significantly decreased with increasing temperature and THI values after farrowing (P<0.05). In conclusion, temperature and THI affected the reproductive performance of the sows and the survival of the piglets in different ways. While increased climatic values at the time of breeding positively affected the total number of piglets born, increased values at the time of farrowing had negative impacts on the reproductive performance of the sows. Piglets benefited from higher temperature and THI values after farrowing.
Meal of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), which requires extraction of protein and fat, is a novel protein source for poultry, while unprocessed whole BSFL could even directly be fed to chickens. ...Newly hatched Ross-308 chicks (n = 252) received whole BSFL at 10% (L10), 20% (L20), or 30% (L30) of voluntary feed intake (FI) of control chickens (CON) that received no BSFL but only age-specific diets (n = 63 birds / group) for 42 days (d). Acceptance and nutrient and energy intake of birds by BSFL and FI were calculated. Plasma metabolites were measured using an automatic enzymatic analyzer and immunoglobulins with ELISA. Depending on the variable, data were analyzed using ANOVA or repeated measures ANOVA to address treatment, time and interaction effects. Birds consumed all offered larvae. With the exception of d1, time spent by birds eating their daily portion of larvae (TSL, min/pen) did not differ among the larvae supply groups (P = 0.982). The L10 had a higher larvae eating rate (LER) that is, speed of larvae intake than did L20 and L30 (P < 0.05), implying increased competition for less available BSFL. The ratio of LER to feed eating rate (FER) was greater than 50 fold change difference (FCD), indicating a strong interest of chickens in BSFL over regular feed. Whole BSFL intake up to 30% of voluntary FI did not adversely affect broiler growth (P > 0.05). The L30 had lower total dry matter and metabolizable energy intakes (P < 0.05), although total fat intake was higher in L30 than in CON (P < 0.05). Compared with CON, 30% whole BSFL increased dietary protein-to-energy ratios, plasma uric acid and serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations (P < 0.05). We conclude that whole BSFL can be included in broiler rations up to 20% without negatively affecting growth performance and nutrient conversion efficiency, whereas a higher proportion is associated with lower protein utilization efficiency, possibly due to lower total energy intake.
The present review addresses summer anoestrus in buffaloes. The condition is a major impediment in the improvement of reproductive as well as productive efficiency in buffalo. Factors affecting ...summer anoestrus include environment, nutrition and management. The environmental factors especially longer day length and increased temperature with high humidity pre‐dispose to the condition when the nutritive status of buffaloes is poor. Buffaloes with summer anoestrus fail to exhibit oestrus as a result of aberration in the endocrine profile leading to ovarian inactivity. Increased day length with high environmental temperature causes hyper‐prolactinaemia, suppressing the secretion of gonadotrophins, which leads to an alteration in ovarian steroidogenesis. Heat stress produced during summer also affects folliculogenesis, follicular fluid microenvironment and oocyte quality. A large number of hormonal regimens have been used with varying degree of efficacy in terms of oestrus induction and conception rate. A combined strategy of improvement in environment, nutrition and management is pre‐requisite for hormonal manipulation in order to improve productivity in summer anoestrus buffaloes. A brief description of summer anoestrus with special reference to factors responsible, endocrinology, deleterious effects on reproductive system and possible remedial measures is presented in this review.
Several molecules extracted from natural products exhibit different biological activities, such as ion channel modulation, activation of signaling pathways, and anti‐inflammatory or antitumor ...activity. In this study, we tested the antitumor ability of natural compounds extracted from the Raputia praetermissa plant. Among the compounds tested, an alkaloid, here called compound S4 (4‐Deoxyraputindole C), showed antitumor effects against human tumor lineages. Compound S4 was the most active against Raji, a lymphoma lineage, promoting cell death with characteristics that including membrane permeabilization, dissipation of the mitochondrial potential, increased superoxide production, and lysosomal membrane permeabilization. The use of cell death inhibitors such as Z‐VAD‐FMK (caspase inhibitor), necrostatin‐1 (receptor‐interacting serine/threonine‐protein kinase 1 inhibitor), E‐64 (cysteine peptidases inhibitor), and
N‐acetyl‐
L‐cysteine (antioxidant) did not decrease compound S4‐dependent cell death. Additionally, we tested the effect of cellular activity on adherent human tumor cells. The highest reduction of cellular activity was observed in A549 cells, a lung carcinoma lineage. In this lineage, the effect on the reduction of the cellular activity was due to cell cycle arrest, without plasma membrane permeabilization, loss of the mitochondrial potential or lysosomal membrane permeabilization. Compound S4 was able to inhibit cathepsin B and L by a nonlinear competitive (negative co‐operativity) and simple‐linear competitive inhibitions, respectively. The potency of inhibition was higher against cathepsin L. Compound S4 promoted cell cycle arrest at G
0 and G
2 phase, and increase the expression of p16 and p21 proteins. In conclusion, compound S4 is an interesting molecule against cancer, promoting cell death in the human lymphoma lineage Raji and cell cycle arrest in the human lung carcinoma lineage A549.
The alkaloid 4‐Deoxyraputindole C was isolated from Raputia praetermissa plant 4‐Deoxyraputindole C–induced cell death by necrosis in a lymphoma lineage 4‐Deoxyraputindole C did not induce cell death in a lung carcinoma lineage, but cell cycle arrest.
Two simple urea based para-halo substituted Iodo (L1) and Bromo (L2) acyclic receptors have been extensively studied as a receptor for various anions. Receptors L1 efficiently uptake atmospheric CO2 ...and stabilize as air-stable crystals of HCO3(-) dimer (complex 1a) in the presence of n-tetrabutylammonium (n-TBA) fluoride through the simultaneous formation of hydrogen and halogen bonding, yielding a tetrahedrally surrounded non-covalent coordinated complex. However, receptor L2, in the presence of n-TBA salt of F(-), has been found to form a complex with the octahedral SiF6(2-) anion, where the coordination environment of the anion is merely governed by multiple N-H···F (anion) interactions. The fluoride induces an uptake of aerial CO2 only for L1, which is due to the unique ability of L1 to simultaneously form both hydrogen and halogen bonds with an anionic guest. The most decisive evidence supporting the ability of L1 to form a halogen bond is obtained via crystallizing the acetate complex of both the receptors. The receptor L1 stabilizes the acetate anion via both H-bonding and halogen bonding interactions, while the receptor L2 only forms H-bonding interactions with acetate anion. The solution-state anion binding properties of L1 and L2 have been investigated by qualitative and quantitative (1)H NMR titration experiments with halides and oxyanions in DMSO-d6. Both the receptors showed strong solution-state binding with F(-), HCO3(-) and CH3COO(-), as observed in the solid-state, whereas both of them have been found to be less interactive with other anions such as Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), NO3(-), HSO4(-), and H2PO4(-).
This study describes the molecular profile and the potential antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis, a plant widely found in the Brazilian Amazon. The research aims to shed ...light on the potential use of this species as a natural antiviral agent.
The extracts were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system, a potent analytical technique to discover drug candidates. In the meantime, in vitro antiviral assays were performed against Mayaro, Oropouche, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In addition, the antiviral activity of annotated compounds was predicted by in silico methods.
Overall, 44 compounds were annotated in this study. The results revealed that P. brasiliensis has a high content of fatty acids, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and lignans. Furthermore, in vitro assays revealed potent antiviral activity against different arboviruses, especially lignan-rich extracts against Zika virus (ZIKV), as follows: methanolic extract from bark (MEB) effective concentration for 50% of the cells (EC
) = 0.80 μg/mL, selectivity index (SI) = 377.59, methanolic extract from the leaf (MEL) (EC
= 0.84 μg/mL, SI = 297.62), and hydroalcoholic extract from the leaf (HEL) (EC
= 1.36 μg/mL, SI = 735.29). These results were supported by interesting in silico prediction, where tuberculatin (a lignan) showed a high antiviral activity score.
Phyllanthus brasiliensis extracts contain metabolites that could be a new kick-off point for the discovery of candidates for antiviral drug development, with lignans becoming a promising trend for further virology research.
Fitness effects of mutations depend on environmental parameters. For example, mutations that increase fitness of bacteria at high antibiotic concentration often decrease fitness in the absence of ...antibiotic, exemplifying a tradeoff between adaptation to environmental extremes. We develop a mathematical model for fitness landscapes generated by such tradeoffs, based on experiments that determine the antibiotic dose-response curves of
strains, and previous observations on antibiotic resistance mutations. Our model generates a succession of landscapes with predictable properties as antibiotic concentration is varied. The landscape is nearly smooth at low and high concentrations, but the tradeoff induces a high ruggedness at intermediate antibiotic concentrations. Despite this high ruggedness, however, all the fitness maxima in the landscapes are evolutionarily accessible from the wild type. This implies that selection for antibiotic resistance in multiple mutational steps is relatively facile despite the complexity of the underlying landscape.
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