Impact of late-stage hypoxic stimulation and layer breeder age on embryonic development, hatching and chick quality.

The present study examined the effects of breeder age and oxygen (O₂) concentrations during the late chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) growth stage on embryo development, hatching dynamics, chick quality, bone mineralization and hatchability. A total of 1200 eggs from 33- and 50-week-old ISA layer breeders, weighing 53.85 g and 60.

Urban stormwater microplastic size distribution and impact of subsampling on polymer diversity.

Understanding not only microplastic (MP) concentration but also size distribution, morphology, and polymer profiles is desirable for stormwater, which is an important pathway of entry for MP into the aquatic environment. A challenge is that subsampling is often required for analysis of environmental samples and the impact of subsampling on the stormwater MP concentration determined and the polymer types identified is poorly characterized. To address this, MP were extracted from urban and suburban stormwater, including from green infrastructure.

Discovery of Orally Active Isofuranones as Potent, Selective Inhibitors of Hematopoetic Progenitor Kinase 1.

While the discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to robust, durable responses in a range of cancers, many patients do not respond to currently available therapeutics. Therefore, an urgent need exists to identify alternative mechanisms to augment the immune-mediated clearance of tumors. Hematopoetic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a serine-threonine kinase that acts as a negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling, to dampen the immune response.

Enhanced antitumor immunity by a novel small molecule HPK1 inhibitor.

Background: Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1 or MAP4K1) has been demonstrated as a negative intracellular immune checkpoint in mediating antitumor immunity in studies with HPK1 knockout and kinase dead mice. Pharmacological inhibition of HPK1 is desirable to investigate the role of HPK1 in human immune cells with therapeutic implications. However, a significant challenge remains to identify a small molecule inhibitor of HPK1 with sufficient potency, selectivity, and other drug-like properties suitable for proof-of-concept studies.

The discovery of potent agonists for GPR88, an orphan GPCR, for the potential treatment of CNS disorders.

Modulating GPR88 activity is suggested to have therapeutic utility in the treatment of CNS disorders, such as schizophrenia. This Letter will describe the discovery and SAR development of a class of potent GPR88 agonists.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of phenylglycinols and phenyl amines as agonists of GPR88.

Small molecule modulators of GPR88 activity (agonists, antagonists, or modulators) are of interest as potential agents for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. A series of phenylglycinol and phenylamine analogs have been prepared and evaluated for their GPR88 agonist activity and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties.

Multiphoton-absorption-induced-luminescence (MAIL) imaging of tumor-targeted gold nanoparticles.

We demonstrate that multiphoton-absorption-induced luminescence (MAIL) is an effective means of monitoring the uptake of targeted nanoparticles into cells. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with diameters of 4.5 and 16 nm were surface-functionalized with monocyclic RGDfK, an RGD peptide analogue that specifically targets the α(v)β₃ integrin, a membrane protein that is highly overexpressed in activated endothelial cells during tumor angiogenesis.

High-speed multiphoton absorption polymerization: fabrication of microfluidic channels with arbitrary cross-sections and high aspect ratios.

We demonstrate the use of high-speed, multiphoton absorption polymerization (MAP) for the fabrication of large-area microfluidic master structures. High-speed fabrication in SU8 without laser-induced damage is made possible by the use of a novel photoacid generator with a high two-photon-absorption cross-section. Master structures fabricated with MAP can be used to produce polydimethylsiloxane microchannels with high aspect ratios and/or arbitrary cross-sections.

Binary and gray-scale patterning of chemical functionality on polymer films.

We present a facile technique for the gray-scale chemical functionalization of polymer surfaces with high dynamic range. We demonstrate the use of this technique to create amine-functionalized substrates that are used for the patterned binding of fluorophores and the patterned synthesis of peptides. Studies of the behavior of the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum indicate the biocompatibility of the functionalized substrates.

Trapping and release of CO2 guest molecules by amorphous ice.

Interactions of 13CO2 guest molecules with vapor-deposited porous H2O ices have been examined using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. Specifically, the trapping and release of 13CO2 by amorphous solid water (ASW) has been studied. The use of 13CO2 eliminates problems with background CO2.

Amorphous solid water films: transport and guest-host interactions with CO2 and N2O dopants.

Guest-host interactions have been examined experimentally for amorphous solid water (ASW) films doped with CO2 or N2O. The main diagnostics are Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). ASW films deposited at 90 K are exposed to a dopant, and the first molecules that attach to a film enter its bulk until it is saturated with them.

Total synthesis of (S)-(-)-(E)-15,16-dihydrominquartynoic acid: a highly potent anticancer agent.

The conjugated entriyne natural product, (S)-(E)-15,16-dihydrominquartynoic acid (1), is synthesized in five linear steps and 30% overall yield from the known aldehyde 11. The key step is a one-pot in situ desilylation/Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling reaction affording the entriyne unit. The bromoalkyne 6 with an omega-carboxylic acid group was found to undergo a copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction producing the desired diyne intermediate 10, while the corresponding omega-ester bromoalkyne 14 failed to couple with triethylsilylacetylene under a variety of conditions.

Remarkable reactivity difference in oxygen-substituted versus non-oxygen-substituted bromoalkynes in Cu(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions: total synthesis of (-)-S-18-hydroxyminquartynoic acid.

The conjugated tetraacetylenic natural product (S)-18-hydroxyminquartynoic acid (2) is synthesized in five linear steps and 17.7% overall yield from commercially available 1,2,5,6-O-diisopropylidene mannitol. The key step is a one-pot three-component Cadiot-Chodkiewicz reaction affording the tetrayne unit.

Pregnancy and delivery after successful repair of vesicovaginal fistula.

Pregnant women (110) with successfully repaired vesicovaginal fistula, supervised at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria, formed the study population. The obstetric complications, mode of delivery and fetal outcome are reviewed. The obstetric complications and fetal outcome were compared with a matched hospital control group.