A new cannabigerol derivative, LE-127/2, induces autophagy mediated cell death in human cutaneous melanoma cells.

Despite the targeted- and immunotherapies used in the past decade, survival rate among patients with metastatic melanoma remains low, therefore, melanoma is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths. The ongoing investigation of natural antitumor agents, the nonpsychoactive cannabinoid, cannabigerol (CBG) found in Cannabis sativa is emerging as a promising candidate. CBG offers a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of melanoma demonstrating cell growth inhibition in some tumors.

Half-volume validation of the NGM Detect™ PCR Amplification Kit and its application on degraded casework samples.

The NGM Detect™ PCR Amplification Kit was designed particularly for genotyping degraded casework samples. This study aimed to validate the half-volume amplification of the kit and to present its successful long-term application. The validation was performed in accordance to the corresponding guidelines of the Scientific Working Group on DNA analysis methods and the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.

Amphiphilic Sialic Acid Derivatives as Potential Dual-Specific Inhibitors of Influenza Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase.

In the shadow of SARS-CoV-2, influenza seems to be an innocent virus, although new zoonotic influenza viruses evolved by mutations may lead to severe pandemics. According to WHO, there is an urgent need for better antiviral drugs. Blocking viral hemagglutinin with multivalent -acetylneuraminic acid derivatives is a promising approach to prevent influenza infection.

Mannich-type modifications of (-)-cannabidiol and (-)-cannabigerol leading to new, bioactive derivatives.

(-)-Cannabidiol (CBD) and (-)-cannabigerol (CBG) are two major non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids that have many beneficial biological properties. However, due to their low water solubility and prominent first-pass metabolism, their oral bioavailability is moderate, which is unfavorable for medicinal use. Therefore, there is a great need for appropriate chemical modifications to improve their physicochemical and biological properties.

Pharmacological Evaluation of Newly Synthesized Cannabidiol Derivates on H9c2 Cells.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychoactive phytocannabinoid that can be found in and possesses numerous pharmacological effects. Due to these promising effects, CBD can be used in a wide variety of diseases, for instance cardiovascular diseases. However, CBD, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has low bioavailability, poor water solubility, and a variable pharmacokinetic profile, which hinders its therapeutic use.

Semisynthetic teicoplanin derivatives with dual antimicrobial activity against SARS-CoV-2 and multiresistant bacteria.

Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 risk co-infection with Gram-positive bacteria, which severely affects their prognosis. Antimicrobial drugs with dual antiviral and antibacterial activity would be very useful in this setting. Although glycopeptide antibiotics are well-known as strong antibacterial drugs, some of them are also active against RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2.

Reading strategies in Stargardt's disease with foveal sparing.

Background: Subjects with a ring scotoma can use two retinal loci, a foveal and a peripheral, for reading. Our aim was to investigate the relative use of both retinal loci as a function of the spared foveal area size and the spatial resolution at both retinal loci.

Findings: Two patients with Stargardt's disease and ring scotomas read through a scanning laser ophthalmoscope a series of letters and words at various character sizes.

Perceptual distortion in homonymous paracentral scotomas.

Background: Cortical remapping after peripheral or central visual deafferentation alters visual perception, but it is unclear whether such a phenomenon impinges on areas remote from a scotoma. To investigate this question, we studied variations of perceptual spatial distortion in the visual field of patients with homonymous paracentral scotoma.

Methods: Two patients with right inferior homonymous paracentral scotoma were asked to describe their perception of a series of figures showing two isometric vertical lines symmetrically located on either side of a fixation point.

Dynamic effects on the subjective visual vertical after roll rotation.

We investigated in normal human subjects how semicircular canal and otolith signals interact in the estimation of the subjective visual vertical after constant velocity or constant acceleration roll tilt. In the constant velocity paradigm, subjects were rotated in darkness at +/-60 degrees/s for five complete cycles before being stopped in one of seven orientations ranging from 0 to +/-90 degrees (right/left ear down). In the constant acceleration paradigm, subjects were rotated with an acceleration of +30 or -30 degrees/s2 to the same seven end positions between -90 and +90 degrees , by way of passing once through the upside-down position.

Hybrid multinary modulation using a phase modulating spatial light modulator and a low-pass spatial filter.

We propose a method for performing binary intensity and continuous phase modulation of beams with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a low-pass spatial filtering 4-f system. With our method it is possible to avoid the use of phase masks in holographic data storage systems or to enhance the phase encoding of the SLM by making it capable of binary amplitude modulation. The data storage capabilities and the limitations of the method are studied.

Modeling of multilayer microholographic data storage.

We focus on the investigation of multilayer recording in microholographic data storage. We have developed a numerical model for calculating the electromagnetic scattering from thick microholographic gratings using the Born approximation and the direct volume integral. The signal-to-noise ratio and bit error rate were calculated to estimate the noise arising from interlayer and interhologram cross talk.

A technique to train new oculomotor behavior in patients with central macular scotomas during reading related tasks using scanning laser ophthalmoscopy: immediate functional benefits and gains retention.

Background: Reading with a central scotoma involves the use of preferred retinal loci (PRLs) that enable both letter resolution and global viewing of word. Spontaneously developed PRLs however often privilege spatial resolution and, as a result, visual span is commonly limited by the position of the scotoma. In this study we designed and performed the pilot trial of a training procedure aimed at modifying oculomotor behavior in subjects with central field loss.

Application of the fast-Fourier-transform-based volume integral equation method to model volume diffraction in shift-multiplexed holographic data storage.

Numerical simulation of diffraction on thick holographic gratings in shift-multiplexed optical data storage application is presented. The grating is generated by the interference of a spherical reference wave and a plane signal wave corresponding to a single pixel of the input data page. To describe diffraction on this weak-index-modulated grating, we use the volume integral equation in the first Born approximation.

System modeling and optimization of Fourier holographic memory.

A new fast-Fourier-transform-based model of a page-oriented holographic data-storage system is presented. The model accounts for essential system and storage material features (e.g.

Amplitude, phase, and hybrid ternary modulation modes of a twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display at approximately 400 nm.

Applicability of a commercial twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display is examined at approximately 400 nm. Different modulation modes predicted by Jones-matrix calculus are experimentally tested. High contrast amplitude modulation with negligible loss, high contrast and low loss hybrid ternary modulation, and 1.

Effect of pairing red nucleus and motor thalamic lesions on reaching toward moving targets in cats.

The small effects of bilateral lesions of motor thalamus on motor control and the transient deficits induced by bilateral kainic red nucleus (RN) lesions have been explained by a parallel competitive role of the cortico- and rubro-spinal pathways. Either pathway can take over motor control if the other is damaged. In this study the effect of bilateral and simultaneous lesions of both RN and motor thalamus was analyzed on cats overtrained to reach toward a moving target.

Gaze following and joint attention in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Gaze and attention direction provide important sources of social information for primates. Behavioral studies show that chimpanzees spontaneously follow human gaze direction. By contrast, non-ape species such as macaques fail to follow gaze cues.

Shift of laterality and compared analysis of paw performances in cats during practice of a visuomotor task.

Paw preference and performance were analyzed during early and late practice in 12 adult cats that reached toward a moving target. A strong preference for left-paw use was observed early in training. It was still present after practice despite a shift toward right-paw use.

Effect of practice on paw preference in a reaching task in cats.

Paw preference and performance were analyzed in twelve male adult cats during early and late practice of a complex visuo-motor reaching task towards a moving target. A strong bias towards left paw use was seen early in training: 80.7% of the trials being performed with the left paw, and left pawed cats (n = 11) significantly outnumbered right pawed cats (n = 1).

Laterality in cats: paw preference and performance in a visuomotor activity.

Laterality in paw use was investigated over a period of 6 years in 44 domestic cats trained to perform a reaching movement toward a moving spot of light. Both paw preference and paw performance were recorded. At a 50 percent criterion, no significant paw preference was found at the level of the group.

Derivation of surface macroroughness parameters of a random rough surface from an optical interferometric measurement.

A new technique for the measurement of surface roughness based on the intensity fluctuations of laser light backscattered from a moving surface has been introduced. Using a statistical model describing surface macroroughness, the possibility of inversion of optically measured data to geometrical surface profile parameters is investigated.