Who Needs the Dark Web? Exploring the Trade in Critically Endangered Plants on eBay.

Stemming the illegal trade of endangered species is a critical and very difficult challenge for conservationists and law enforcement. Much effort is given to stopping the trade of "charismatic megafauna" such as tigers, elephants, and rhinoceroses. Endangered plant species, however, receive far less attention and fewer resources, resulting in devastating consequences.

Bipolar electrode focusing: the effect of current and electric field on concentration enrichment.

Bipolar electrode focusing at discontinuous bipolar electrodes (BPEs) provides new insight into the faradaic current and electric field characteristics associated with the technique and allows for the controlled transport of a focused anionic tracer in a microfluidic channel. The findings corroborate our previously reported simulation results, which describe the formation of an extended electric field gradient leading to concentration enrichment. This gradient has been attributed to the passage of faradaic current through a BPE affixed to the floor of the microchannel.

Bipolar electrode focusing: simultaneous concentration enrichment and separation in a microfluidic channel containing a bipolar electrode.

A method for simultaneously concentrating and separating analytes in a buffer-filled microfluidic channel is reported. The approach is based on modulation of the local electric field within the channel and the corresponding opposition of electrophoretic and electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocities. Dye molecules having different electrophoretic mobilities are focused at different locations within the channel where concentration takes place.

Electric field gradient focusing in microchannels with embedded bipolar electrode.

The complex interplay of electrophoretic, electroosmotic, bulk convective, and diffusive mass/charge transport in a hybrid poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)/glass microchannel with embedded floating electrode is analyzed. The thin floating electrode attached locally to the wall of the straight microchannel results in a redistribution of local field strength after the application of an external electric field. Together with bulk convection based on cathodic electroosmotic flow, an extended field gradient is formed in the anodic microchannel segment.

Age-associated changes in hearts of male Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 rats.

Aging is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy, dilatation, and fibrosis of the heart. The Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 (F344/BNF1) rat is recommended for age-related studies by the National Institutes on Aging because this hybrid rat lives longer and has a lower rate of pathological conditions than inbred rats. However, little is known about age-associated changes in cardiac and aortic function and structure in this model.

Immobilization of DNA onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces and application to a microelectrochemical enzyme-amplified DNA hybridization assay.

This paper describes immobilization of DNA onto the interior walls of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microsystems and its application to an enzyme-amplified electrochemical DNA assay. DNA immobilization was carried out by silanization of the PDMS surface with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane to yield a thiol-terminated surface. 5'-acrylamide-modified DNA reacts with the pendant thiol groups to yield DNA-modified PDMS.

Diversion of the inferior vena cava following repair of atrial septal defect causing hypoxemia.

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are a common congenital abnormality, and operative repair is a routine, safe procedure. Diversion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) into the left atrium is an unusual complication following ASD closure. We report a case that illustrates the problem created by this right-to-left shunt.

Factors influencing faecal contamination in coastal marinas.

Recreational pleasure and fishing boats are potential sources of human faecal contamination because the sanitary wastes from boat occupants may be discharged into the surrounding water. The impacts of such faecal contamination from boats is potentially high in marinas where boats are often kept and occupied for varying periods of time. The nature and extent of such faecal contamination from boats in marinas of different design and use is still inadequately understood.

Decubitus ulcers.

Decubitus ulcers are frequently encountered in the elderly and in bedridden or wheelchair-bound patients. Successful treatment is often difficult and expensive. Pressure, time, and friction are the major factors involved in the development of skin ulcers with such risk factors as age, female sex, and nutritional status predisposing to their development.

KB cell culture I. Role in discovery of antitumor agents from higher plants.

KB (Eagle) cell culture has played a powerful role in discovery of antitumor agents from higher plants. Had KB alone been used as a preliminary screen, with in vivo screening limited to KB-active extracts, fractions, or compounds, KB activity of crude products would have led to discovery of vinblastine, vincristine, podophyllotoxin (from which the semisynthetics VM-26 and VP-16 were derived), and all but one of the antitumor agents now under development toward or in clinical evaluation, including bouvardin, bruceantin, camptothecin, ellipticine, homoharringtonine, maytansine, taxol, thalicarpine, and tripdiolide. Indicine N-oxide is the only important antitumor agent which would have been discovered only by in vivo screening of crude plant products.

Plant folklore: a tool for predicting sources of antitumor activity?

The National Cancer Institute's record of "active plants" (extracts which showed a significant inhibitory effect in experimental tumor systems) was compared with plants reported in folklore to have medicinal or poisonous properties. The occurrence of active plants was found to be higher in plants reported in folk literature than in plants collected at random, suggesting a correlation between plants used in folklore and those with anticancer activity.

Distribution of anticancer activity in higher plants.

The systematic distribution in higher plants of general anticancer activity, high-interest anticancer activity, and high-interest compounds is presented. Special emphasis is placed on those taxonomic groups offering, by virtue of their high-interest activity and/or compounds, the greatest potential as sources of useful anticancer agents.

Isolation of flindersiamine, isoflindersiamine, and a new alkaloid, heliparvifoline, from Helietta parvifolia (Rutaceae).

A phytochemical investigation of the leaves and twigs of Helietta parvifolia (Rutaceae) resulted in the isolation of heliparvifoline, a new furoquinoline alkaloid, in addition to the known bases flindersiamine and isoflindersiamine.

Attraction of ethyl ether extracts of 232 botanicals to oriental fruit flies, melon flies, and Mediterranean fruit flies.

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, and the oriental fruit fly, D. dorsalis Hendel, three Hawaiian tephritids of economic importance, were exposed to traps each containing one of 232 ethyl ether extracts of air-dried botanicals. The principal concern was to establish which extracts were attractive judged on the basis of an index determined by the number of times more flies were attracted to the trap baited with water and extract than were attracted to traps baited with water only.

Potential anticancer agents II: antitumor and cytotoxic lignans from Linum album (Linaceae).

A phytochemical study of Linum album (Linaceae), guided by bioassay with the 9KB cell culture, resulted in the isolation of podophyllotoxin and a new lignan, 3'-demethylpodophyllotoxin; alpha-and beta-peltatins were identified by comparative TLC.