Identification of an Outbreak of Bivalve Transmissible Neoplasia in Soft-Shell Clams () in the Puget Sound Using Hemolymph and eDNA Surveys.

Bivalve transmissible neoplasia (BTN) is one of three known types of naturally transmissible cancer-cancers in which the whole cancer cells move from individual to individual, spreading through natural populations. BTN is a lethal leukemia-like cancer that has been observed throughout soft-shell clam () populations on the east coast of North America, with two distinct sublineages circulating at low enzootic levels in New England, USA, and Prince Edward Island, Canada. Major cancer outbreaks likely due to BTN (MarBTN) were reported in 1980s and the 2000s and the disease has been observed since the 1970s, but it has not been observed in populations of this clam species on the US west coast.

The role of past experience in development of feeding behavior in common vampire bats.

The life history strategy of common vampire bats () suggests that learning might play a role in development of their foraging skills. We took advantage of 12 captive births in a study colony of vampire bats to test the role of past experience in two aspects of feeding. First, we compared preferences for blood temperature in 32 wild-born vampire bats versus 11 captive-born vampire bats that had only previously fed on blood of ambient temperature or colder.

Analysis of chemosensory markers in cigarette smoke from different tobacco varieties by GC×GC-TOFMS and chemometrics.

Commercial cigarettes are made from a blend of different tobacco varieties, which in turn are the results of different agronomic practices and post-harvest curing processes. The highly complex mixture of smoke compounds reflects each tobacco variety and the levels of sensory-relevant markers. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify potential relevant chemosensory markers in the mainstream smoke of four main types of commercial tobaccos and establish any possible relationship between them and the tobacco growing/curing practices.

Semi-preparative isolation and purification of phenolic compounds from Achyrocline satureioides (Lam) D.C. by high-performance counter-current chromatography.

Introduction: Phenolic compounds present in Achyrocline satureioides are known to have therapeutic benefits like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumour properties. The main polyphenols present in the plant are quercetin (QCT), luteolin (LUT), 3-O-methylquercetin (3OMQ), and achyrobichalcone (ACB). However, the effective isolation and purification of these compounds from A.

High-throughput simultaneous quantitation of multi-analytes in tobacco by flow injection coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.

The high-throughput screening by flow injection coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HTS-FIA-HRMS) is a powerful technique that enables the identification of several types of samples in a short period of time, either with qualitative or quantitative purposes. Sensory attributes of tobacco are affected by its chemical composition, and it is very important to quantify multi-analytes in a high-throughput methodology. HTS-FIA-HRMS coupled to multivariate analysis was used to create calibration models for 27 analytes, or group of compounds, of tobacco sensory interest.

Innovative Approaches for Estimating the Levels of Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines in Cured Tobacco Samples.

Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), mainly the 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), are known carcinogens. Part of the NNK found in smoke is provided from matrix-bound NNK, and its determination is extremely relevant. However, the reference extraction procedure of matrix-bound NNK is time-consuming and labor-intensive and has a limited analytical capacity.

Environmental acoustic cues guide the biosonar attention of a highly specialised echolocator.

Sensory systems experience a trade-off between maximizing the detail and amount of sampled information. This trade-off is particularly pronounced in sensory systems that are highly specialised for a single task and thus experience limitations in other tasks. We hypothesised that combining sensory input from multiple streams of information may resolve this trade-off and improve detection and sensing reliability.

In vitro synergism of a water insoluble fraction of Uncaria tomentosa combined with fluconazole and terbinafine against resistant non-Candida albicans isolates.

Context: Uncaria tomentosa D.C. (Rubiaceae) has several biological activities, including activity against resistant Candida strains.

Hyperfocusing of attention on goal-related information in schizophrenia: Evidence from electrophysiology.

Schizophrenia clearly involves impairments of attention, but the precise nature of these impairments has been difficult to determine. One possibility is that the deficit in attention is a secondary consequence of a deficit in goal maintenance. However, recent research suggests that people with schizophrenia (PSZ) actually focus attention more strongly on objects containing goal-relevant features.

Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of oxindole alkaloids from Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw): Chemotype relevance.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Uncaria tomentosa (Willdenow ex Roemer & Schultes) DC. (Rubiaceae) or cat's claw is a climber vine from the South American rainforest used in folk medicine for cancer treatment. Its antitumor activity has been mostly ascribed to pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids (POA) from stem bark and leaves while the activity of tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids (TOA) remains unknown.

A bioanalytical HPLC method for coumestrol quantification in skin permeation tests followed by UPLC-QTOF/HDMS stability-indicating method for identification of degradation products.

Coumestrol is present in several species of the Fabaceae family widely distributed in plants. The estrogenic and antioxidant activities of this molecule show its potential as skin anti-aging agent. These characteristics reveal the interest in developing analytical methodology for permeation studies, as well as to know the stability of coumestrol identifying the major degradation products.

The Quinovic Acid Glycosides Purified Fraction from Uncaria tomentosa Protects against Hemorrhagic Cystitis Induced by Cyclophosphamide in Mice.

Uncaria tomentosa is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases, such as urinary tract disease. Hemorrhagic cystitis (HE) is an inflammatory condition of the bladder associated with the use of anticancer drugs such as cyclophosphamide (CYP). Sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate (Mesna) has been used to prevent the occurrence of HE, although this compound is not effective in established lesions.

Quinovic acid glycosides purified fraction from Uncaria tomentosa induces cell death by apoptosis in the T24 human bladder cancer cell line.

Bladder cancer is the second most prevalent malignancy in the genitourinary tract and remains a therapeutic challenge. In the search for new treatments, researchers have attempted to find compounds with low toxicity. With this goal in mind, Uncaria tomentosa is noteworthy because the bark and root of this species are widely used in traditional medicine and in adjuvant therapy for the treatment of numerous diseases.

Antimutagenic and antiherpetic activities of different preparations from Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw).

Uncaria tomentosa have been used to treat viral diseases such as herpes due to multiple pharmacological effects, but its therapeutic efficacy against this virus have not been reported yet. Thus, in vitro antiherpetic activity of hydroethanolic extract from barks, purified fractions of quinovic acid glycosides and oxindole alkaloids was evaluated by plaque reduction assay, including mechanistic studies (virucidal, attachment and penetration action). Once exposure to physical agents might lead to reactivation of the herpetic infection, antimutagenic effect (pre-, simultaneous and post-treatment protocols) was also evaluated by Comet assay.

Testing sensory and cognitive explanations of the antisaccade deficit in schizophrenia.

Recent research has suggested that people with schizophrenia (PSZ) have sensory deficits, especially in the magnocellular pathway, and this has led to the proposal that dysfunctional sensory processing may underlie higher-order cognitive deficits. Here we test the hypothesis that the antisaccade deficit in PSZ reflects dysfunctional magnocellular processing rather than impaired cognitive processing, as indexed by working memory capacity. This is a plausible hypothesis because oculomotor regions have direct magnocellular inputs, and the stimuli used in most antisaccade tasks strongly activate the magnocellular visual pathway.

Cat's claw oxindole alkaloid isomerization induced by cell incubation and cytotoxic activity against T24 and RT4 human bladder cancer cell lines.

The antitumor activity of Uncaria tomentosa, a native vine from the Amazonian rainforest, has been ascribed to pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids occurring in its bark. Former studies have shown that this activity, as well as its intensity, depends on whether cat's claw alkaloids occur as original compounds or isomerized derivatives. This work addresses this aspect, using T24 and RT4 human bladder cancer cell lines for that purpose.

From bacteria to antineoplastic: epothilones a successful history.

Malignancies are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is a cell disease, characterized by a deviation of the control mechanisms of proliferation and differentiation of cells. Among the treatments available, chemotherapy is often the first choice.

The activity of mate saponins (Ilex paraguariensis) in intra-abdominal and epididymal fat, and glucose oxidation in male Wistar rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hilaire (mate) has traditionally been used in several South American countries to prepare tea-like beverages having stimulant effects on the CNS and appetite.

Development, optimisation and validation of a stability-indicating HPLC method of achyrobichalcone quantification using experimental designs.

Introduction: Achyrobichalcone is a new biflavonoid found in Achyrocline satureioides. It is structurally similar to other bioactive bichalcones that were proven to exert anti-cancer activity. Recently we isolated several achyrobichalcone batches on a semi-preparative scale, showing the need to assess the quality and stability of this substance by analytical methods.

Kraepelin and Bleuler had it right: people with schizophrenia have deficits sustaining attention over time.

An inability to sustain attention was noted in the original clinical descriptions of schizophrenia, but the vast majority of experimental studies have failed to report a performance decrement over time, calling this observation into question. To test for such deficits when task conditions conform to basic science taxonomy for the validity of sustained attention tasks, a dynamic stimulus array was presented in which targets, differing subtly from standard stimuli, were presented infrequently and unpredictably. Both people with schizophrenia (PSZ, n=40) and healthy control subjects (HCS, n=29) displayed a reduction in hit rate and an increase in reaction time (RT) from the first to the second 5-min period.

Immunoadjuvant activity, toxicity assays, and determination by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS of triterpenic saponins from Chenopodium quinoa seeds.

The adjuvant activity of Chenopodium quinoa (quinoa) saponins on the humoral and cellular immune responses of mice subcutaneously immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) was evaluated. Two quinoa saponin fractions were obtained, FQ70 and FQ90, and 10 saponins were determined by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. Mice were immunized subcutaneously with OVA alone or adjuvanted with Quil A (adjuvant control), FQ70, or FQ90.

HPLC-PDA method for quinovic acid glycosides assay in Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) associated with UPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis.

Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.) is a medicinal plant largely used in folk medicine due to its wide range of biological activities, many of which are usually ascribed to the two main classes of secondary metabolites, namely, alkaloids and quinovic acid glycosides. In this work, a reversed phase HPLC-PDA method was developed and validated for the assay of quinovic acid glycosides in crude and dried extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's claw) bark.

LC-UV assay method and UPLC/Q-TOF-MS characterisation of saponins from Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. (mate) unripe fruits.

Introduction: Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil.

Response activation impairments in schizophrenia: evidence from the lateralized readiness potential.

Previous research has demonstrated deficits in preresponse motor activity in schizophrenia, as evidenced by a reduced lateralized readiness potential (LRP). The LRP deficit could be due to increased activation of the incorrect response (e.g.

Control of working memory content in schizophrenia.

People with schizophrenia (PSZ) exhibit signs of reduced working memory (WM) capacity. However, this may reflect an impairment in managing its content, e.g.