Characterization of lycopene nanoparticles combining solid-state and suspended-state NMR spectroscopy.

The core-shell structure of lycopene micronizates can be verified by employing a combination of solid-state and suspended-state NMR spectroscopy. The type of molecular aggregation of carotenoid nanoparticles can be clearly determined from their characteristic fingerprint pattern in the solid-state NMR spectra.

WT1-p53 interactions in insulin-like growth factor-I receptor gene regulation.

The insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) plays a critical role in transformation. The expression of the IGF-IR gene is negatively regulated by a number of transcription factors, including the WT1 and p53 tumor suppressors. Previous studies have suggested both physical and functional interactions between the WT1 and p53 proteins.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of tocopherols in toothpastes and gingival tissue employing HPLC NMR and HPLC MS coupling.

Gingival samples treated with toothpastes containing tocopherols (vitamin E) were investigated employing HPLC chromatography. The aim was to verify that vitamin E is actually enriched in the tissue, which could have beneficial effects on oral health. After determination of the tocopherols available in the toothpastes, control samples from healthy test persons and subjects suffering from gingivitis were analyzed.

Diffractive optical isolator made of high-efficiency dielectric gratings only.

The working principle of an optical isolator made of two corrugated dielectric gratings is introduced. One grating acts as a polarizer, and the other acts as a quarter-wave plate used in conical incidence converting linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light. Global maxima of diffraction efficiency for surface-corrugated gratings with binary, sinusoidal, and pyramidal ridge shapes with dependence on the material index are identified.

Transcriptional regulation of IGF-I receptor gene expression by novel isoforms of the EWS-WT1 fusion protein.

The EWS family of genes is involved in numerous chromosomal translocations that are characteristic of a variety of sarcomas. A recently described member of this group is desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), which is characterized by a recurrent t(11;22)(p13;q12) translocation that fuses the 5' exons of the EWS gene to the 3' exons of the WT1 gene. The originally described chimera comprises exons 1-7 of EWS and exons 8-10 of WT1.

Molecular characterization and mapping of ATOH7, a human atonal homolog with a predicted role in retinal ganglion cell development.

The human ATOH7 gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is highly similar to Drosophila Atonal within the conserved bHLH domain. The ATOH7 coding region is contained within a single exon. We mapped ATOH7 to Chromosome (Chr) 10q21.

Mouse eye gene microarrays for investigating ocular development and disease.

Microarray technology can facilitate simultaneous expression analysis of thousands of genes and assist in delineating cellular pathways involved in development or disease pathogenesis. Since public databases and commercial cDNA microarrays have an under-representation of eye-expressed genes, we generated over 3000 expressed sequence tags from three unamplified mouse eye/retina cDNA libraries. These eye-expressed genes were used to produce cDNA microarrays.

Positive and negative life changes following sexual assault.

A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate (a) the timing and course of posttraumatic growth and (b) the relations between positive and negative life changes and posttraumatic distress among recent female sexual assault survivors (N = 171). Most survivors reported positive change even at 2 weeks postassault. Positive changes generally increased over time and negative changes decreased, although change in different domains followed different courses and there was significant individual variability in change patterns.

Transcriptional regulation of IGF-I receptor gene expression by the PAX3-FKHR oncoprotein.

Chromosomal translocations that disrupt the molecular organization of transcription factors are typical of a variety of solid and hematopoietic cancers. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), a paediatric soft tissue malignant tumour, is characterized by the recurrent translocation t(2;13)(q35;q14) that fuses the 5' DNA binding domain-encoding sequences of the Pax3 gene with the 3' sequences of the FKHR gene. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system has an important role in muscle development as well as in the aetiology of paediatric sarcomas, including ARMS.

Spin-Dependent Delocalization in Three Isostructural Complexes [LFeNiFeL](2+/3+/4+) (L = 1,4,7-(4-tert-Butyl-2-mercaptobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane).

The reaction of mononuclear [LFe(III)] where L represents the trianionic ligand 1,4,7-tris(4-tert-butyl-2-mercaptobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane with NiCl(2).6H(2)O and subsequent oxidations with [Ni(III)(tacn)(2)](ClO(4))(3) (tacn = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane) and PbO(2)/methanesulfonic acid produced an isostructural series of complexes [LFeNiFeL](n)()(+) (n = 2 (1), n = 3 (2), n = 4 (3)), which were isolated as PF(6)(-) (1, 3) or ClO(4)(-) salts (2). The molecular structures were established by X-ray crystallography for [LFeNiFeL](ClO(4))(2).

The eyeless mouse mutation (ey1) removes an alternative start codon from the Rx/rax homeobox gene.

The eyeless inbred mouse strain ZRDCT has long served as a spontaneous model for human anophthalmia and the evolutionary reduction of eyes that has occurred in some naturally blind mammals. ZRDCT mice have orbits but lack eyes and optic tracts and have hypothalamic abnormalities. Segregation data suggest that a small number of interacting genes are responsible, including at least one major recessive locus, ey1.

Identification of p21 as a target of cycloheximide-mediated facilitation of CD95-mediated apoptosis in human malignant glioma cells.

Human glioma cell lines differ in their requirement for the inhibition of protein synthesis to activate the CD95-dependent killing pathway. CD95 ligand (CD95L) induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release and processing of caspases 3, 7, 8 and 9 in LN-18 cells in the absence of an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide (CHX). These biochemical changes were observed in LN-229 cells only in the presence of CHX.

Math5 is required for retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve formation.

The vertebrate retina contains seven major neuronal and glial cell types in an interconnected network that collects, processes and sends visual signals through the optic nerve to the brain. Retinal neuron differentiation is thought to require both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, yet few intrinsic gene products have been identified that direct this process. Math5 (Atoh7) encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is specifically expressed by mouse retinal progenitors.

Flupenthixol decanoate and relapse prevention in alcoholics: results from a placebo-controlled study.

Flupenthixol, with its broad receptor profile, interacts with a variety of dopamine and serotonin binding sites which are important in the neurobiology of alcohol dependence. Its pharmacology, together with encouraging results from both animal studies and clinical trials with cocaine users, led us to postulate that flupenthixol would significantly prevent relapse in detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre trial with two parallel groups and appropriate statistical evaluation.

S K-edge X-ray absorption studies of tetranuclear iron-sulfur clusters: mu-sulfide bonding and its contribution to electron delocalization.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the sulfur ( approximately 2470 eV) and chlorine ( approximately 2822 eV) K-edges has been applied to a series of 4Fe-4S model complexes. These are compared to 2Fe-2S model complexes to obtain insight into the localized ground state in the mixed-valence dimer versus the delocalized ground state in the mixed-valence tetramer. The preedges of hypothetical delocalized mixed-valence dimers [Fe(2)S(2)](+) are estimated using trends from experimental data and density functional calculations, for comparison to the delocalized mixed-valence tetramer [Fe(4)S(4)](2+).

Synthesis and separation of structural isomers of 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrasubstituted phthalocyanines.

The 2(3),9(10),16(17),23(24)-tetrasubstituted metalphthalocyanines 1-7 (M = In, Ni, Zn) were synthesized, as mixtures of four different structural isomers, from the corresponding 4-alkoxy-1,2-dicyanobenzenes and the appropriate metal salts. Separation of the four structural isomers was successfully achieved on a C30 alkyl phase by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The determination of the point groups of the structural isomers was carried out for 1 and 3, the composition of the structural isomers of 4-7 was accomplished by comparing their retention times and UV/Vis spectra with the data of 1 and 3.

Intracellular location and nuclear targeting of the Spi-1, Spi-2 and Spi-3 gene-derived serine protease inhibitors in non-secretory cells.

Proteases and their inhibitors are indispensable for the regulated activation and/or degradation of structural and functional proteins involved in basic cellular processes, e.g. in cell cycle control, cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis.

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy of 2Fe-2S ferredoxin: covalency of the oxidized and reduced 2Fe forms and comparison to model complexes.

Ligand K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) provides a direct experimental probe of ligand-metal bonding. In previous studies, this method has been applied to mononuclear Fe-S and binuclear 2Fe-2S model compounds as well as to rubredoxins and the Rieske protein. These studies are now extended to the oxidized and reduced forms of ferredoxin I from spinach.

Combined HPLC-MS and HPLC-NMR on-line coupling for the separation and determination of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in spinach and in retina.

The determination and unambiguous identification of carotenoid stereoisomers from biological tissues, avoiding isomerization and oxidation due to the extraction process, is still a major challenge. Particularly, the analysis of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers is of great importance, as these are the main constituents of the macula lutea, the central part of the human retina, and act as possible agents in the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). By combining a mild and quick extraction technique such as matrix solid-phase dispersion together with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the extremely light and oxygen sensitive lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers are extracted, enriched, and separated directly from the solid plant or tissue samples, excluding preparation of artifacts.