We describe an explicit formula for the first-order quasiderivation of an arbitrary central element of the universal enveloping algebra of a general linear Lie algebra. We apply it to show that ...derivations of any two central elements of the universal enveloping algebra commute. This contributes to the Vinberg problem of finding commutative subalgebras in universal enveloping algebras with the underlying Poisson algebras determined by the argument shift method.
Clearance of atorvastatin occurs through hepatic uptake by organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) and subsequent metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. To demonstrate the relative ...importance of OATPs and CYP3A4 in the hepatic elimination of atorvastatin in vivo, a clinical cassette microdose study was performed. A cocktail consisting of a microdose of atorvastatin along with probe substrates for OATPs (pravastatin) and CYP3A4 (midazolam) was orally administered to eight healthy volunteers. The pharmacokinetics of this cocktail was observed at baseline, after an oral dose of 600 mg rifampicin (an inhibitor of OATPs), and after an intravenous dose of 200 mg itraconazole (a CYP3A4 inhibitor). Rifampicin increased the pravastatin dose‐normalized area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) (4.6‐fold), and itraconazole significantly increased the midazolam dose‐normalized AUC (1.7‐fold). The atorvastatin dose‐normalized AUC increased 12‐fold when coadministered with rifampicin but did not change when coadministered with itraconazole. These results indicate that hepatic uptake via OATPs makes the dominant contribution to the hepatic elimination of atorvastatin at a subtherapeutic microdose.
Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011) 90 4, 575–581. doi:10.1038/clpt.2011.142
This work presents strong evidence for structural damage accumulation as a function of shear strain admitted by shear bands in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass. Analyzing the shear-band structure of ...shear-band segments that experienced shear strains covering four orders of magnitude with high-angle annular dark field transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) reveals strongly scattered data with on overall trend of increasing local volume dilatation with increasing shear strain. Locally, however, a variety of trends is observed, which underlines the strong heterogeneity of structural damage in shear bands in metallic glasses.
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Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is an often disease affecting piglets. It is caused mainly by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) colonization in pig gut. Antibiotics has been used to prevent, combat ...and control PWD and its negative impact on the productivity of pig breeding sector. Nonetheless, antibiotics due to their wide antibacterial spectrum also can reach beneficial gut bacteria, such as Lactobacillus. Lately, essential oils (EOs) have emerged as a potential alternative to using antibiotics in animal breeding because of their effect on bacterial growth. Commonly, citrus EOs are by-products of food industry and the availability of these EOs in the worldwide market is huge. Thus, six commercials citrus EOs were evaluated on ETEC strains, as model of pathogenic bacteria, and on Lactobacillus species, as models of beneficial bacteria. In overall, citrus EOs exhibited a selective antibacterial activity with higher effect on pathogenic bacteria (ETECs) than beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus). Brazilian orange terpenes (BOT) oil presented the highest selective performance and caused higher disturbances on the normal growth kinetic of ETEC than on Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The action was dose-dependent on the maximal culture density (A) and the lag phase duration (λ) of the ETEC. The highest sub-inhibitory concentration (0.925 mg/mL) extended the λ duration to ETEC eight times (14.6 h) and reduced A in 55.9%. For L. rhamnosus, the λ duration was only extended 1.6 times. Despite the fact that limonene was detected as the major compound, the selective antibacterial activity of the citrus EOs could not be exclusively attributed to limonene since the presence of minor compounds could be implicated in conferring this feature.
The industrial processing of crude propolis generates residues. Essential oils (EOs) from propolis residues could be a potential source of natural bioactive compounds to replace antibiotics and ...synthetic antioxidants in pig production. In this study, we determined the antibacterial/antioxidant activity of EOs from crude organic propolis (EOP) and from propolis residues, moist residue (EOMR), and dried residue (EODR), and further elucidated their chemical composition. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their volatile profile was tentatively identified by GC-MS. All EOs had an antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus plantarum as they caused disturbances on the growth kinetics of both bacteria. However, EODR had more selective antibacterial activity, as it caused a higher reduction in the maximal culture density (D) of E. coli (86.7%) than L. plantarum (46.9%). EODR exhibited mild antioxidant activity, whereas EOMR showed the highest antioxidant activity (ABTS = 0.90 μmol TE/mg, FRAP = 463.97 μmol Fe2+/mg) and phenolic content (58.41 mg GAE/g). Each EO had a different chemical composition, but α-pinene and β-pinene were the major compounds detected in the samples. Interestingly, specific minor compounds were detected in a higher relative amount in EOMR and EODR as compared to EOP. Therefore, these minor compounds are most likely responsible for the biological properties of EODR and EOMR. Collectively, our findings suggest that the EOs from propolis residues could be resourcefully used as natural antibacterial/antioxidant additives in pig production.
Background
Shifting enables flexible switch between tasks or mental sets. It is a component of the executive function that plays critical roles in human behaviour control. However, shifting ability ...in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) has not been well clarified because of the use of intellectually demanding tasks in previous studies. The present study invented a novel shifting task with minimal intellectual demands and aimed to clarify the characteristics of shifting in adolescents with ID.
Methods
Adolescents with ID (n = 21) and chronological‐age‐matched (n = 10) and mental‐age‐matched controls (n = 33) performed a novel shifting task with simple rule switching (i.e. change in direction). Analyses focused on the switch cost or the increase in the reaction time associated with rule switching.
Results
Two subtypes of adolescents with ID were found with respect to the switch cost: one that lacks it and another with an increased switch cost. The lack of a switch cost was unique to the subgroup adolescents with ID and was not indicated in the control group.
Conclusions
The present study indicated that shifting in adolescents with ID does not depend solely on their intellectual function and is highly heterogeneous. This finding further implies that executive functions, including shifting, must be evaluated separately from their intellectual functions.
NAD⁺ (oxidized form of NAD:nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)–reducing soluble NiFe-hydrogenase (SH) is phylogenetically related to NADH (reduced form of NAD⁺):quinone oxidoreductase (complex I), but ...the geometrical arrangements of the subunits and Fe–S clusters are unclear. Here, we describe the crystal structures of SH in the oxidized and reduced states. The cluster arrangement is similar to that of complex I, but the subunits orientation is not, which supports the hypothesis that subunits evolved as prebuilt modules. The oxidized active site includes a six-coordinate Ni, which is unprecedented for hydrogenases, whose coordination geometry would prevent O₂ from approaching. In the reduced state showing the normal active site structure without a physiological electron acceptor, the flavin mononucleotide cofactor is dissociated, which may be caused by the oxidation state change of nearby Fe–S clusters and may suppress production of reactive oxygen species.
High-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of V339 Del were performed in the optical wavelength region every night from UT 2013 August 15.49 to 21.23 (corresponding to the pre- and near-maximum ...phases of the nova) to reveal the asymmetry of the nova ejecta shortly after the explosion. Observed polarization spectra showed intrinsic line polarization for H , O i λ777.3 nm, Si ii λλ634.7, 637.1 nm, in addition to intrinsic continuum polarization. The line polarization of H on August 15.49 (+0.91 day post-discovery) indicates an expanding nova ejecta, which contains a torus surrounding the nova photosphere. The line polarization of O i λ777.3 nm is also consistent with this hypothesis. The line polarizations of Si ii λλ634.7, 637.1 nm might indicate a variation in the photospheric temperature of the nova on the same date. Based on the day-by-day changes of the intrinsic continuum and line polarization found in the observations, it can be concluded that the effective geometry of V339 Del had changed from a torus-dominant to a bipolar-shaped geometry between +0.91 and +2.15 days post-discovery. The intrinsic continuum polarization became weaker after +2.93 days due to the larger size of the expanding nova ejecta. This is consistent with high-angular observations of V339 Del with a near-infrared interferometer and with a recent nova ejecta model that can explain the γ-ray emission and dust formation found in V339 Del.
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