Research Progress on Structure-Activity Relationship of 1,8-Naphthalimide DNA Chimeras Against Tumor.

The development of 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives as cell probes, DNA targeting agents, and anti-tumor drugs is one of the research hotspots in the field of medicine. Naphthalimide compounds are a kind of DNA embedder, which can change the topological structure of DNA by embedding in the middle of DNA base pairs, and then affect the recognition and action of topoisomerase on DNA. Aminofide and mitonafide are the first 2 drugs to undergo clinical trials.

Preliminary study on the effect of ozone exposure on blood glucose level in rats.

Background: In recent years, people have paid more and more attention to the health hazards caused by O3 exposure, which will become a major problem after fine particulate matter (PM).

Objective: To investigate the effects of ozone (O3) exposure on blood glucose levels in rats under different concentrations and times.

Methods: Eighty rats were divided into control group and three ozone concentration groups.

Study on the detection of anthrax by ICP-MS based on gold nanoparticle labeling.

Background: In recent years, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been widely used in the field of molecular biology because of its unique advantages. Anthrax is a widespread and long-standing infectious disease, which affects and restricts people's work and life seriously.

Objective: The study goal is to develop a new method for the detection of anthrax.

Potential of UK and US newspapers for shaping patients' knowledge and perceptions about antidiabetic medicines: a content analysis.

Background: Information about how newspapers portray antidiabetic medicines to readers is lacking. This study investigated the reporting on antidiabetic medicines in the most widely circulated newspapers published in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) over a 10-year period.

Methods: The Nexis UK database was used to identify and select relevant articles.

Adherence to metformin in adults with type 2 diabetes: a combined method approach.

Background: Medication adherence, one of the most important aspects in the process of optimal medicines use, is unfortunately still a major challenge in modern healthcare, and further research is required into how adherence can be assessed and optimised. The aim of this study was to use a combined method approach of self-report and dried blood spot (DBS) sampling coupled with population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) modelling, to assess adherence to metformin in adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Further aims were to assess metformin exposure levels in patients, determine factors associated with non-adherence with prescribed metformin, and to explore the relationship between adherence and therapeutic outcomes.

Impact of dietary aflatoxin on immune development in Gambian infants: a cohort study.

Background: Chronic aflatoxin (AF) exposure has been shown to occur at high levels in children from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and has been associated with growth retardation and immune dysfunction. Our objective was to investigate the impact of AF exposure on immune development in early infancy using thymic size and antibody (Ab) response to vaccination as indicators of immune function.

Methods: A total of 374 infants born between May 2011 and December 2012 were enrolled into the current study.

A Fluorogenic and Chromogenic Probe Distinguishes Fluoride Anions and Thiols: Implications for Discrimination of Fluoride-Containing G Series and Sulfur-Containing V Series Nerve Agents.

A coumarin-based probe, FP2, was designed for the differential detection of fluoride anions and thiols, i.e., the corresponding nucleophilic substitution products from fluorine-containing G agents and sulfur-containing V agents, thus having the potential to discriminate between these two nerve agents.

Development and characterisation of novel poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)-based hydrogel-forming microneedle arrays for enhanced and sustained transdermal delivery of methotrexate.

Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the mainstays of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and it is mainly administered either orally or by subcutaneous (SC) injection, which are not so satisfactory. While orally administered MTX is associated with variable bioavailability and causes gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea and vomiting, SC injection is painful and produces high peak blood levels of MTX. Transdermal delivery presents an attractive alternative administration route.

FeO hard templating to assemble highly wrinkled graphene sheets into hierarchical porous film for compact capacitive energy storage.

Highly wrinkled graphene film (HWGF) with high packing density was synthesized by combining an electrostatically self-assembling process, a vacuum filtration-induced film assembling process and capillary compression. FeO nanoparticles were used as a low-cost and environment-friendly hard template. Hierarchical porosity and high packing density were achieved with the aid of capillary compression in the presence of FeO nanoparticles.

Facile fabrication of hierarchical film composed of Co(OH)@Carbon nanotube core/sheath nanocables and its capacitive performance.

A hierarchical film composed of Co(OH)@carbon nanotube (CNT) core/sheath nanocables (CCNF) was generated a simple and rapid electrophoretic deposition method. It is found that the Co(OH) sheath was uniformly anchored on the surface of conductive CNT core. The Co(OH) sheath, with a thickness of ∼20 nm, was composed of numerous very tiny nanoparticles.

Impaired growth in rural Gambian infants exposed to aflatoxin: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Exposure to aflatoxin, a mycotoxin produced by fungi that commonly contaminates cereal crops across sub-Saharan Africa, has been associated with impaired child growth. We investigated the impact of aflatoxin exposure on the growth of Gambian infants from birth to two years of age, and the impact on insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-axis proteins.

Methods: A subsample (N = 374) of infants from the Early Nutrition and Immune Development (ENID) trial (ISRCTN49285450) were included in this study.

Quantification of amlodipine in dried blood spot samples by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific method, utilising high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the quantitative determination of amlodipine in dried blood spot (DBS) samples. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a Waters XBridge C18 column with gradient elution of a mixture of water and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid (v/v).

Comparison of urinary aflatoxin M1 and aflatoxin albumin adducts as biomarkers for assessing aflatoxin exposure in Tanzanian children.

Purpose: To determine levels of urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in children and correlate the concentrations with previously reported aflatoxin albumin adduct (AF-alb) levels in these children.

Materials And Methods: Matched urine and blood samples were collected from 84 Tanzanian children aged 6-14 months old. From 31 children in one village (Kigwa), samples were collected at three time points six months apart.

Dietary exposure to aflatoxin and micronutrient status among young children from Guinea.

Scope: Aflatoxin exposure coincides with micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. Animal feeding studies have postulated that aflatoxin exposure may be exacerbating micronutrient deficiencies. Evidence available in human subjects is limited and inconsistent.

Structure-tunable Janus fibers fabricated using spinnerets with varying port angles.

The preparation of Janus fibers using a new side-by-side electrospinning process is reported. By manipulating the angle between the two ports of the spinneret emitting the working fluids, Janus nanofibers with tunable structures in terms of width, interfacial area and also volume of each side can be easily fabricated.

MicroRNAs: potential biomarkers for disease diagnosis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of endogenous noncoding small RNAs characterized by high conservation; furthermore, various studies have shown the capability of miRNAs to impact diseases. For example, a study shows that cell-free miRNAs are stable in bodily fluids, which gives circulating miRNAs the ability to be potential biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis. Additionally, accumulating studies have supported that miRNAs can function as suppressor genes, again demonstrating their effect on disease.

Sensitized terbium(III) macrocyclic-phthalimide complexes as luminescent pH switches.

Four new macrocyclic-phthalimide ligands were synthesised via the coupling of N-(3-bromopropyl)phthalimide either to cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) itself or its carboxylate-functionalized analogues, and photophysical studies were carried out on their corresponding Tb(III) complexes in aqueous media as a function of pH. Luminescence intensities of Tb·L1a–Tb·L3a were in ‘switched off’ mode under acidic conditions (pH < 4), and were activated on progression to basic conditions as the phthalimido functions therein were hydrolysed to their corresponding phthalamates Tb·L1b–Tb·L3b. Emission of phthalamate-based macrocyclic Tb(III) complexes Tb·L1b–Tb·L3b was in ‘switched on’ mode between pH 4 and 11, exhibiting high quantum yields (Φ) and long lifetimes (τ) of the order of milliseconds at pH ~ 6.

A chemically unlocked binary molecular switch.

A highly luminescent and sensitive terbium complex of a ligand comprising of a phthalimide group appended to a DO3A moiety is an active pH sensor that is conditional on its previous pH.

Fluorogenic and chromogenic probe for rapid detection of a nerve agent simulant DCP.

A fluorogenic and visual probe was devised to detect diethyl chlorophosphate (DCP), a nerve agent simulant. The probe, N-(rhodamine B)-lactam-2-aminoethanol (RB-AE), undergoes oxazoline formation following phosphorylation in the presence of DCP, which gives rapid and clear fluorescence and color change in the assay solutions.

[Cloning, expression and evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ADH2].

In order to clone and express alcohol dehydrogenase II (ADH2) gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in E. coli BL21 (DE3) efficiently, we extracted the total RNA as template and obtained ADH2 gene by RT-PCR and connected ADH2 gene to pTAT plasmids to gain recombinant expression plasmid pTAT-ADH2, then transformed this recombinant expression plasmid pTAT-ADH2 into E. coli BL21 (DE3).