Exploration of Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased mortality and morbidity rates owing to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Timely detection of CVD in RA can greatly improve patient prognosis; however, this technique remains challenging. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for CVD incidence in patients with RA.

Deaggregators inhibit TNF-α-induced leukocyte adhesion in vitro by breaking up hydrophobic lipophilic interactions.

Aim: Deaggregators (deAgrs) are nontoxic organic molecules that possess the ability to deaggregate simple aggregates formed by hydrophobic lipophilic interactions (HLI). Since HLI-driven organic molecule aggregates may induce leukocyte adhesion, we investigated the influence of deAgrs on TNF-α-mediated leukocyte adhesion in vitro.

Methods: For adhesion studies, vascular endothelial cells or smooth muscle cells monolayers were treated with TNF-α (10 μg/L) and deAgrs for 24 h, followed by addition of monocytes or neutrophils suspension.

Different responsiveness to a high-fat/cholesterol diet in two inbred mice and underlying genetic factors: a whole genome microarray analysis.

Background: To investigate different responses to a high-fat/cholesterol diet and uncover their underlying genetic factors between C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) inbred mice.

Methods: B6 and D2 mice were fed a high-fat/cholesterol diet for a series of time-points. Serum and bile lipid profiles, bile acid yields, hepatic apoptosis, gallstones and atherosclerosis formation were measured.

Unexpected fluorescence enhancement of naphthylethyl lauryl ether in coaggregation with variant aggregators.

Unexpected fluorescence enhancement has been observed during the coaggregation process between naphthylethyl lauryl ether (the fluorescence probe) and vitamin E acetate in aqueous organic binary solutions. Variant aggregators were used to study the influence of structure features on the enhancement. The experiments indicate that a long hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain is of necessity for coaggregation, and a flat group is crucial for the fluorescence enhancement.

Deaggregation behavior of the phenol gemini derivatives.

The phenol gemini compounds were synthesized by rebuilding the substituents and lateral chain on the phenyl ring. Two parts of the molecules were connected by a spacer of hydrocarbon chain via ester groups. The deaggregation behaviors of target molecules were investigated by studying coaggregation behaviors, evaluating the deaggregating abilities in terms of fluorescence measurements, the measurements of their aggregation number and the effects on restraining the cell adhesion.

Self-Assembling Calix[4]arene [2]Catenanes. Preorganization, Conformation, Selectivity, and Efficiency.

A novel class of preorganized U-shape calix[4]arene clefts, dicationic salts 3a,c,e.2Cl, 3b.2PF(6)(), and 3f.

Substituent Effects on the C-H Bond Dissociation Energy of Toluene. A Density Functional Study.

The bond dissociation energies of the benzylic C-H bond of a series of 16 para-substituted toluene compounds (p-X-C(6)H(4)CH(3)) have been calculated with the density functional method (BLYP/6-31G). The calculated substituent effects correlate well with experimental rates of dimerization of para-substituted alpha,beta,beta-trifluorostyrenes and rearrangement of methylenearylcyclopropanes. Both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups reduce the bond dissociation energy (BDE) of the benzylic C-H bond because both groups cause spin delocalization from the benzylic radical center.