DNA-binding and cytotoxic efficacy studies of organorhenium pentylcarbonate compounds.

Seven organorhenium pentylcarbonate compounds (PC1-PC7) have been synthesized. DNA-binding studies of the PC-series compounds using electronic spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis suggest that the compounds presumably bind to DNA in an intercalative mode. The intrinsic binding constants for PC4, PC6, and PC7 were found to be 1.

Aspergillus flavus infection induces transcriptional and physical changes in developing maize kernels.

Maize kernels are susceptible to infection by the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus flavus. Infection results in reduction of grain quality and contamination of kernels with the highly carcinogenic mycotoxin, aflatoxin. To understanding host response to infection by the fungus, transcription of approximately 9000 maize genes were monitored during the host-pathogen interaction with a custom designed Affymetrix GeneChip® DNA array.

Electronic modulation of biochemical signal generation.

Microelectronic devices that contain biological components are typically used to interrogate biology rather than control biological function. Patterned assemblies of proteins and cells have, however, been used for in vitro metabolic engineering, where coordinated biochemical pathways allow cell metabolism to be characterized and potentially controlled on a chip. Such devices form part of technologies that attempt to recreate animal and human physiological functions on a chip and could be used to revolutionize drug development.

Fabrication of biomimetically patterned surfaces and their application to probing plant-bacteria interactions.

We have developed a two-step replica molding method for rapid fabrication of biomimetically patterned plant surfaces (BPS) using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-BPS) and agarose (AGAR-BPS). Beyond providing multiple identical specimens that faithfully reproduce leaf surface microstructure, this approach also offers unique chemical, physical, and biological features. PDMS-BPS provide good structural durability for SEM examination, have surface wettability comparable to plant surfaces for coating development, and allow for real-time monitoring of biosynthesis through incorporation into microfluidic devices.

CDC's Health Equity Resource Toolkit: disseminating guidance for state practitioners to address obesity disparities.

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States over the past three decades, and is high. In addition to population-wide trends, it is clear that obesity affects some groups more than others and can be associated with age, income, education, gender, race and ethnicity, and geographic region. To reverse the obesity epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) promotes evidence-based and practice-informed strategies to address nutrition and physical activity environments and behaviors.

Mental time travel for self and other in three- and four-year-old children.

Humans possess the unique ability to mentally travel backward in time to re-experience past events (i.e., episodic memory) and forward in time to pre-experience future events (i.

Information processing through a bio-based redox capacitor: signatures for redox-cycling.

Redox-cycling compounds can significantly impact biological systems and can be responsible for activities that range from pathogen virulence and contaminant toxicities, to therapeutic drug mechanisms. Current methods to identify redox-cycling activities rely on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and employ enzymatic or chemical methods to detect ROS. Here, we couple the speed and sensitivity of electrochemistry with the molecular-electronic properties of a bio-based redox-capacitor to generate signatures of redox-cycling.

Comparison of three reference methods for the measurement of intracellular pH using 31P MRS in healthy volunteers and patients with lymphoma.

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS) can measure intracellular pH (pHi) using the chemical shift difference between pH-dependent inorganic phosphate (Pi) and a pH-independent reference peak. This study compared three different frequency reference peaks [phosphocreatine (PCr), α resonance of adenosine triphosphate (αATP) and water (using 1H MRS)] in a cohort of 10 volunteers and eight patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Well-resolved chemical shift imaging (CSI) spectra were acquired on a 1.

Context-dependent redox properties of natural phenolic materials.

Macromolecular phenolics are among the most abundant organic molecules in nature, yet their biological activities are largely unresolved because of their structural complexity and because of an inability to probe their functionality experimentally. We developed thin film and electrochemical methodologies to probe the redox properties of melanin, lignin, and humic acid, three of the most abundant phenolic materials. We observed that all three phenolic matrixes possess redox activity and can be repeatedly switched between oxidized and reduced states.

Coding for hydrogel organization through signal guided self-assembly.

Complex structured soft matter may have important applications in the field of tissue engineering and biomedicine. However, the discovery of facile methods to exquisitely manipulate the structure of soft matter remains a challenge. In this report, a multilayer hydrogel is fabricated from the stimuli-responsive aminopolysaccharide chitosan by using spatially localized and temporally controlled sequences of electrical signals.

Effect on therapeutic ratio of planning a boosted radiotherapy dose to the dominant intraprostatic tumour lesion within the prostate based on multifunctional MR parameters.

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of an 8-Gy focal radiation boost to a dominant intraprostatic lesion (DIL), identified using multiparametric MRI (mpMRI), and to assess the potential outcome compared with a uniform 74-Gy prostate dose.

Methods: The DIL location was predicted in 23 patients using a histopathologically verified model combining diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, T2 maps and three-dimensional MR spectroscopic imaging. The DIL defined prior to neoadjuvant hormone downregulation was firstly registered to MRI-acquired post-hormone therapy and subsequently to CT radiotherapy scans.

Evaluation of short-TE (1)H MRSI for quantification of metabolites in the prostate.

Back-to-back (1)H MRSI scans, using an endorectal and phased-array coil combination, were performed on 18 low-risk patients with prostate cancer at 3 T, employing TEs of 32 and 100 ms in order to compare metabolite visualization at each TE. Outer-volume suppression of lipid signals was performed using regional saturation (REST) slabs and the quantification of spectra at both TEs was achieved with the quantitation using quantum estimation (QUEST) routine. Metabolite nulling experiments in an additional five patients found that there were negligible macromolecule background signals in prostate spectra at TE = 32 ms.

Compartmentalized multilayer hydrogel formation using a stimulus-responsive self-assembling polysaccharide.

Polymeric systems that self-assemble through strong noncovalent bonds form structures that are highly dependent on the spatiotemporal sequence of cues that trigger self-assembly. Here, we prepared capsules with a semipermeable alginate-chitosan polyelectrolyte membrane that encapsulates a solution of the pH-responsive self-assembling aminopolysaccharide chitosan. Immersion of these capsules in a basic solution triggers gelation of the capsule contents, and the details of the gel-inducing treatment dramatically affect the final structure of the gelled compartment.

Composition and properties of the surface of oil bodies recovered from Echium plantagineum.

Neutral-lipids within oilseeds are most commonly stored in oil bodies, small spherical organelles with oleosin proteins inserted through a phospholipid monolayer. Oil bodies extracted from Echium plantagineum are highly enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids and are stable to coalescence and oxidation. This stability has been attributed to the strong association between the phospholipid monolayer and oleosin proteins.

Water treatment for hemodialysis: an update.

While nurses may not routinely service the water treatment system or mix the dialysate, they are responsible for understanding all of the clinical ramifications of water treatment and dialysate preparation for hemodialysis as a part of the entire dialysis treatment picture. Although the water treatment system has historically been in the technicians' domain, knowing the technical aspects is important for the entire team to work together to ensure patient safety and well-being. This article describes the composition of water treatment systems for hemodialysis, as well as the monitoring and testing necessary to assure that both water and dialysate are safe for patient use.

Molecular and metabolic consequences following E6 transfection in an isogenic ovarian cell line (A2780) pair.

Aims: To examine molecular and metabolic consequences of HPV-16 viral- protein E6, which targets p53 for degradation, in A2780 (ovarian cancer) cells.

Methods: Isogenic derivatives of A2780 cells, with empty-vector (E6-) or E6 (E6+) transfection, were cultured. Intracellular metabolites, fatty acids, and the flux of glutamine, glucose, alanine and lactate in proliferation (Day 2) and confluence (Day 4) were determined using MRS.

Redox-capacitor to connect electrochemistry to redox-biology.

It is well-established that redox-reactions are integral to biology for energy harvesting (oxidative phosphorylation), immune defense (oxidative burst) and drug metabolism (phase I reactions), yet there is emerging evidence that redox may play broader roles in biology (e.g., redox signaling).

Protein addressing on patterned microchip by coupling chitosan electrodeposition and 'electro-click' chemistry.

Many applications in proteomics and lab-on-chip analysis require methods that guide proteins to assemble at surfaces with high spatial and temporal control. Electrical inputs are particularly convenient to control, and there has been considerable effort to discover simple and generic mechanisms that allow electrical inputs to trigger protein assembly on-demand. Here, we report the electroaddressing of a protein to a patterned surface by coupling two generic electroaddressing mechanisms.

Implementing a farmers' market incentive program: perspectives on the New York City Health Bucks Program.

Introduction: One strategy for lowering the prevalence of obesity is to increase access to and affordability of fruits and vegetables through farmers' markets. However, little has been documented in the literature on the implementation of such efforts. To address this gap, the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) sponsored an evaluation of the New York City Health Bucks program, a farmers' market coupon incentive program intended to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved neighborhoods while supporting local farmers.

Noninvasive phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging predicts outcome to first-line chemotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Rationale And Objectives: Based on their association with malignant proliferation, using noninvasive phosphorus MR spectroscopic imaging ((31)P MRSI), we measured the tumor content of the phospholipid-related phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphoethanolamine and phospholcholine, and its correlation with treatment outcome in newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) receiving standard first-line chemotherapy.

Experimental Design: The PME value normalized to nucleoside triphosphates (PME/NTP) was measured using (31)P MRSI in tumor masses of 20 patients with DLBCL before receiving standard first-line chemotherapy. Response at 6 months was complete in 13 patients and partial in seven.

Genotypic and phenotypic versatility of Aspergillus flavus during maize exploitation.

Aspergillus flavus is a cosmopolitan fungus able to respond to external stimuli and to shift both its trophic behaviour and the production of secondary metabolites, including that of the carcinogen aflatoxin (AF). To better understand the adaptability of this fungus, we examined genetic and phenotypic responses within the fungus when grown under four conditions that mimic different ecological niches ranging from saprophytic growth to parasitism. Global transcription changes were observed in both primary and secondary metabolism in response to these conditions, particularly in secondary metabolism where transcription of nearly half of the predicted secondary metabolite clusters changed in response to the trophic states of the fungus.

Localization, morphology and transcriptional profile of Aspergillus flavus during seed colonization.

Aspergillus flavus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects maize kernels pre-harvest, creating major human health concerns and causing substantial agricultural losses. Improved control strategies are needed, yet progress is hampered by the limited understanding of the mechanisms of infection. A series of studies were designed to investigate the localization, morphology and transcriptional profile of A.