Relative movement on the articular surfaces of the tibiotalar and subtalar joints during walking.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to quantify the relative movement between the articular surfaces in the tibiotalar and subtalar joints during normal walking in asymptomatic individuals.

Methods: 3D movement data of the ankle joint complex were acquired from 18 subjects using a biplanar fluoroscopic system and 3D-to-2D registration of bone models obtained from CT images. Surface relative velocity vectors (SRVVs) of the articular surfaces of the tibiotalar and subtalar joints were calculated.

Determination of the release of PEG and HPMC from nelfilcon A daily disposable contact lenses using a novel in vitro eye model.

The traditional method to measure release of components from CLs is a vial containing a static volume of PBS (phosphate buffered saline). However, this model does not simulate physiologically relevant tear volume and natural tear flow, air exposure, and mechanical rubbing. These factors can significantly impact release kinetics.

Predicting body movements for person identification under different walking conditions.

Human motion during walking provides biometric information which can be utilized to quantify the similarity between two persons or identify a person. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for identifying a person using their walking motion when another walking motion under different conditions is given. This type of situation occurs frequently in forensic gait science.

Association Between Mediterranean Anti-inflammatory Dietary Profile and Severity of Psoriasis: Results From the NutriNet-Santé Cohort.

Importance: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation and has a positive effect on the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular events. Thus, we hypothesized a positive effect on the onset and/or severity of psoriasis.

Polarity of Neuronal Membrane Traffic Requires Sorting of Kinesin Motor Cargo during Entry into Dendrites by a Microtubule-Associated Septin.

Neuronal function requires axon-dendrite membrane polarity, which depends on sorting of membrane traffic during entry into axons. Due to a microtubule network of mixed polarity, dendrites receive vesicles from the cell body without apparent capacity for directional sorting. We found that, during entry into dendrites, axonally destined cargos move with a retrograde bias toward the cell body, while dendritically destined cargos are biased in the anterograde direction.

Performance and dynamic modelling of biochar and kaolin packed bed adsorption column for aqueous phase methylene blue (MB) dye removal.

A practical continuous adsorption study in a packed-bed column was conducted by using two separate layers of kaolin and pine cone based biochar packed bed adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from its aqueous solution. A series of column experiments were performed to determine the breakthrough curves (BTCs) by varying bed height (3-7 cm), inlet flow rate (13-17 ml/min) and initial dye concentration (50-150 mg/L). The Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) and Dose response (DR) dynamic models were applied to column experimental data under various operational conditions to predict the column breakthrough curves (BTC) using both nonlinear regression and linear regression and to determine various characteristic parameters such as percentage removal of dye, breakthrough time, used bed length, mass transfer zone (MTZ) and dye adsorption density that are useful for process design.

Switching-Off Adora2b in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Halts the Development of Pulmonary Hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a devastating and progressive disease characterized by excessive proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and remodeling of the lung vasculature. Adenosine signaling through the ADORA2B receptor has previously been implicated in disease progression and tissue remodeling in chronic lung disease. In experimental models of PH associated with chronic lung injury, pharmacological or genetic inhibition of ADORA2B improved markers of chronic lung injury and hallmarks of PH.

Long-lived and short-lived reactive species produced by a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet for the inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

Different chemical pathways leading to the inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus by a cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) in buffered and non-buffered solutions are reported. As APPJs produce a complex mixture of reactive species in solution, a comprehensive set of diagnostics were used to assess the liquid phase chemistry. This includes absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in addition to a scavenger study to assess the relative importance of the various plasma produced species involved in the inactivation of bacteria.

New cembrane-type diterpenoids from Bornean soft coral sp. with antifungal activity against .

Three new cembrane diterpenes, nephthecrassocolides A-B (-) and 6-acetoxy nephthenol acetate () along with three known compounds, 6-acetoxy-7,8-epoxy nephthenol acetate (), epoxy nephthenol acetate () and nephthenol () were isolated from one population of sp. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data analysis and the antifungal activities of compounds - were evaluated.

Differential Deposition of Fluorescently Tagged Cholesterol on Commercial Contact Lenses Using a Novel In Vitro Eye Model.

Purpose: We evaluate the differences in lipid uptake and penetration in daily disposable (DD) contact lenses (CL) using a conventional "in-vial" method compared to a novel in vitro eye model.

Methods: The penetration of fluorescently labelled 22-(N-(7-Nitrobenz-2-Oxa-1,3-Diazol-4-yl)Amino)-23,24-Bisnor-5-Cholen-3beta-Ol (NBD)-cholesterol on three silicone hydrogel (SH) and four conventional hydrogel (CH) DD CLs were investigated. CLs were incubated for 4 and 12 hours in a vial, containing 3.

Ectopic upregulation of membrane-bound IL6R drives vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by a progressive accumulation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PA-SMCs) in pulmonary arterioles leading to the narrowing of the lumen, right heart failure, and death. Although most studies have supported the notion of a role for IL-6/glycoprotein 130 (gp130) signaling in PAH, it remains unclear how this signaling pathway determines the progression of the disease. Here, we identify ectopic upregulation of membrane-bound IL-6 receptor (IL6R) on PA-SMCs in PAH patients and in rodent models of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and demonstrate its key role for PA-SMC accumulation in vitro and in vivo.

A Rapid Extraction Method to Quantify Drug Uptake in Contact Lenses.

Purpose: To develop a simple extraction procedure to quantify the uptake of four topical ocular pharmaceutical drugs into contact lenses (CLs).

Methods: Four silicone hydrogel (SH) CLs (balafilcon A, senofilcon A, lotrafilcon B, comfilcon B) and four conventional hydrogel (CH) CLs (nesofilcon A, hilafilcon B, nelfilcon A, etafilcon A) were evaluated. The drugs studied were natamycin, moxifloxacin, timolol maleate, and ketotifen fumarate.

In vitro Inhibitory Effects of Two Bornean Medicinal Wild Gingers against Pathogenic Lagenidium thermophilum Infected Mud Crab Scylla tranquebarica.

　The antifungal activity of two Bornean medicinal wild gingers Plagiostachys megacarpa and Zingiber phillippsiae were examined against Lagenidium thermophilum. The most active extract was P. megacarpa at concentration of 320 µg/mL inhibiting both hyphal growth and zoospore production of L.

Bioactive Cembranoids from the Soft Coral Genus Sinularia sp. in Borneo.

Soft corals are known to be prolific producers of a wide spectrum of biologically active cembranoids. One new cembranoid, sinularolide F (), along with three known compounds, cembranolide (), (,,)-6,10,14-trimethyl-3-methylene--3α,4,5,8,9,12,13,15α-octahydrocyclo tetradeca[β]furan-2()-one (), and denticulatolide (), were isolated from the Bornean soft coral sp. Compounds and showed potential anti-inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of New N-(Phenylmethyl)-benzoxazol-2-thiones as Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) Antagonists: Efficacies in Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a key pleiotropic mediator and a promising therapeutic target in cancer as well as in several inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Here, a novel series of N-(phenylmethyl)-benzoxazol-2-thiones 5-32 designed to target the MIF tautomerase active site was synthesized and evaluated for its effects on cell survival. Investigation of structure-activity relationship (SAR) particularly at the 5-position of the benzoxazole core led to the identification of 31 that potently inhibits cell survival in DU-145 prostate cancer cells and pulmonary endothelial cells derived from patients with idiopathic PAH (iPAH-ECs), two cell lines for which survival is MIF-dependent.

MDCT arthrography assessment of scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse: distribution of cartilage damage and relationship with scaphoid nonunion features.

Objectives: Our primary aim was to evaluate the distribution and severity of cartilage damage in a sample of patients with scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC), assessed on MDCT arthrography, with regard to two well-known SNAC staging systems. Secondarily, we wanted to see if the degree of cartilage damage varied with the location of the nonunion.

Methods: We retrospectively included 35 patients with a history of SNAC who had undergone MDCT arthrography.

Pseudobulbar Affect Correlates With Mood Symptoms in Parkinsonian Disorders but Not Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a syndrome of affective disturbance associated with inappropriate laughter and crying, independent of mood. PBA is common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and increasingly recognized in Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism (aP). Correlates of PBA have not been systematically studied.

Leucoxenols A and B, two new phenolics from Bornean medicinal plant Syzygium leucoxylon.

The medicinal plant, Syzygium leucoxylon or commonly known as Obah found in North Borneo was considered as traditional medicine by local committee. Two new phenolics, leucoxenols A (1) and B (2) were isolated and identified as major secondary metabolites from the leaves of S. leucoxylon.

A Status Review of the Bioactive Activities of Tiger Milk Mushroom (Cooke) Ryvarden.

Edible and medicinal mushrooms are regularly used in natural medicines and home remedies since antiquity for ailments like fever, inflammation, and respiratory disorders. (Cooke) Ryvarden is a polypore found in Malaysia and other regions in South East Asia. It can be located on a spot where a tigress drips milk while feeding, hence the name "tiger's milk mushroom.

Dasatinib increases endothelial permeability leading to pleural effusion.

Pleural effusion is a frequent side-effect of dasatinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We hypothesised that dasatinib alters endothelial integrity, resulting in increased pulmonary vascular endothelial permeability and pleural effusion.

Nangallenes A and B, halogenated nonterpenoid C-acetogenins from the Bornean red alga Laurencia nangii.

Two new halogenated nonterpenoids C-acetogenins, nangallenes A-B (1-2), together with two known halogenated compounds itomanallene A (3) and 2,10-dibromo-3-chloro-α-chamigrene (4), were isolated and identified from the organic extract of the marine red alga Laurencia nangii Masuda collected from the coastal waters in Semporna, Borneo. Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis including IR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS), and 1D and 2D NMR techniques. All these metabolites were submitted for the antifungal assay against four species of selected marine fungi.

In vitro release of two anti-muscarinic drugs from soft contact lenses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the release of the anti-myopia drugs atropine sulfate and pirenzepine dihydrochloride from commercially available soft contact lenses. Standard ultraviolet (UV) absorbance-concentration curves were generated for atropine and pirenzepine. Ten commercially available contact lenses, including four multifocal lenses, were loaded by soaking in atropine or pirenzepine solutions at two different concentrations (10 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL).

12-Epi-9-deacetoxyxenicin, new cytotoxic diterpenoid from a Bornean soft coral, Xenia sp.

One new compound, 12-epi-9-deacetoxyxenicin (1) along with a hydroperoxide product, 12-epi-9-deacetoxy-8-hydroperoxyxenicin (2) and two known sesquiterpenoids (3-4) were isolated from a population of Bornean soft coral Xenia sp. The structures of these secondary metabolites were elucidated based on their spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed cytotoxic activity against ATL cell line, S1T.