In vitro and in silico investigation of electrospun terbinafine hydrochloride-loaded buccal nanofibrous sheets.

Terbinafine hydrochloride-loaded nanofibrous buccal films were formulated with the aim to improve the solubility and dissolution behavior; thus, the local effectiveness of the antifungal agent. Poly(vinyl alcohol) and chitosan polymer composites were selected as delivery base in order to enhance the mucoadhesion of the fibrous films. The dissolution of terbinafine hydrochloride was carried out applying a stainless steel disc assembly and the terbinafine concentration was determined by HPLC-MS in selective ion monitoring mode.

Unexpected formation of a fused double cycle trinuclear gold(i) complex supported by ortho-phenyl metallated aryl-diphosphine ligands and strong aurophilic interactions.

The first homoleptic trinuclear arylgold(i) complex, [Au3(L')2](NO3) (3), based on an ortho-phenyl metallated aryl-diphosphine ligand (L' = o-C6H4PPh(C15H10O)PPh2), has been obtained through a new thermolytic reaction of the corresponding diauracycle, [Au2(L)2](NO3)2 (L = xantphos). The formation of 3 involves activation of the ortho-phenyl C-H bond of the xantphos ligands. The presence of Au-C bonds in this new gold-diphosphine cluster is not its only remarkable feature, since it also displays two 12-membered rings fused together and a linear {Au3} chain with aurophilic interactions.

Preparation and characterization of nanofibrous sheets for enhanced oral dissolution of nebivolol hydrochloride.

Nebivolol-loaded electrospun nanofibrous sheets were prepared for the dissolution enhancement of the active with the aim of improving its oral bioavailability. Physicochemical characterization of nanofibers including differential scanning calorimetry, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy were carried out in order to track the physicochemical changes related to the electrospinning process. The obtained results unanimously indicated the amorphous transition of nebivolol as a result of electrospinning, furthermore supramolecular ordering of chains of polyvinyl alcohol matrix could be revealed by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.

Pushing quantitation limits in micro UHPLC-MS/MS analysis of steroid hormones by sample dilution using high volume injection.

Ultratrace analysis of sample components requires excellent analytical performance in terms of limits of quantitation (LoQ). Micro UHPLC coupling with sensitive tandem mass spectrometry provides state of the art solutions for such analytical problems. Decreased column volume in micro LC limits the injectable sample volume.

High type I error and misrepresentations in search for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: response to Guerrero-Bosagna.

In a recent paper, we described our efforts in search for evidence supporting epigenetic transgenerational inheritance caused by endocrine disrupter chemicals. One aspect of our study was to compare genome-wide DNA methylation changes in the vinclozolin-exposed fetal male germ cells (n = 3) to control samples (n = 3), their counterparts in the next, unexposed, generation (n = 3 + 3) and also in adult spermatozoa (n = 2 + 2) in both generations. We reported finding zero common hits in the intersection of these four comparisons.

Silica@zirconia@poly(malic acid) nanoparticles: promising nanocarriers for theranostic applications.

Silica@zirconia@poly(malic acid) nanocarriers of 110 nm mean diameter were designed, synthesized and characterized for the targeted delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic Tc to folate-overexpressing tumors. An important achievement was that a multifunctional l-(-)-malic-acid-based copolymer was formed in situ at the surface of the inorganic cores in a single synthetic step incorporating l-(-)-malic acid, β-cyclodextrin rings, folic acid moieties, and polyethylene glycol chains. Morphological and in-depth structural analysis of the particles proved their core@shell structure.

Acquired nintedanib resistance in FGFR1-driven small cell lung cancer: role of endothelin-A receptor-activated ABCB1 expression.

Genomically amplified fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) is an oncogenic driver in defined lung cancer subgroups and predicts sensibility against FGFR1 inhibitors in this patient cohort. The FGFR inhibitor nintedanib has recently been approved for treatment of lung adenocarcinoma and is currently evaluated for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, tumor recurrence due to development of nintedanib resistance might occur.

[The role of PET/CT investigation in the management of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma].

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Although this lymphoma is curable, 40% of patients with DLBCL will die of relapsed or refractory disease. 18F-Fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a noninvasive, 3-dimensional, functional imaging modality.

Spatio-temporal modelling as a way to reconstruct patterns of past human activities.

This paper examines the possibilities of creating quantified models of past human activities in both time and space. The study area lies in the southeastern Czech Republic and western Slovakia. The spatio-temporal model of behavioural categories was calculated with the help of Monte Carlo simulations and statistical testing.

Effective anti-Alzheimer Aβ therapy involves depletion of specific Aβ oligomer subtypes.

Background: Recent studies have implicated specific assembly subtypes of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, specifically soluble oligomers (soAβ) as disease-relevant structures that may underlie memory loss in Alzheimer disease. Removing existing soluble and insoluble Aβ assemblies is thought to be essential for any attempt at stabilizing brain function and slowing cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease. IV immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapies have been shown to contain naturally occurring polyclonal antibodies that recognize conformational neoepitopes of soluble or insoluble Aβ assemblies including soAβ.

Using historical ecology to reassess the conservation status of coniferous forests in Central Europe.

Forests cover approximately one-third of Central Europe. Oak (Quercus) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) are considered the natural dominants at low and middle elevations, respectively. Many coniferous forests (especially of Picea abies) occur primarily at midelevations, but these are thought to have resulted from forestry plantations planted over the past 200 years.

Ideal free distribution of metabolic activity: Implications of seasonal metabolic-activity patterns on competitive coexistence.

The seasonal distribution of metabolic activity determines how much individuals experience different aspects of a periodically changing environment. Seasonal metabolic-activity patterns of coexisting species may differ significantly despite their shared environmental conditions, suggesting that interspecific diversification of this trait has a major role in the coexistence of competing species. In the present study the effect of the seasonal distribution of metabolic activity on intra- and interspecific competition is investigated in a consumer-resource model.

Response to "Variable directionality of gene expression changes across generations does not constitute negative evidence of epigenetic inheritance" Sharma, A. Environmental Epigenetics, 2015, 1-5.

Abhay Sharma brings two arguments in favor of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TGEI) in mammals when criticizing our work. He uses probability calculations and finds that the probability of obtaining the number of common changes in the in utero-exposed prospermatogonia and the same cells in the next generation is significant in our study. He also compares our results to other published datasets and concludes that the probability for the observed overlap between independent studies is significant.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of thiosemicarbazones, hydrazinobenzothiazoles and arylhydrazones as anticancer agents with a potential to overcome multidrug resistance.

There is a constant need for new therapies against multidrug resistant (MDR) cancer. An attractive strategy is to develop chelators that display significant antitumor activity in multidrug resistant cancer cell lines overexpressing the drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein. In this study we used a panel of sensitive and MDR cancer cell lines to evaluate the toxicity of picolinylidene and salicylidene thiosemicarbazone, arylhydrazone, as well as picolinylidene and salicylidene hydrazino-benzothiazole derivatives.

Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment.

Acne is a common skin disease characterized by elevated sebum production and inflammation of the sebaceous glands. We have previously shown that a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid ((-)-cannabidiol [CBD]) exerted complex anti-acne effects by normalizing 'pro-acne agents'-induced excessive sebaceous lipid production, reducing proliferation and alleviating inflammation in human SZ95 sebocytes. Therefore, in this study we aimed to explore the putative anti-acne effects of further non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids ((-)-cannabichromene [CBC], (-)-cannabidivarin [CBDV], (-)-cannabigerol [CBG], (-)-cannabigerovarin [CBGV] and (-)-Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabivarin [THCV]).

A Double-Clicking Bis-Azide Fluorogenic Dye for Bioorthogonal Self-Labeling Peptide Tags.

Herein, we give the very first example for the development of a fluorogenic molecular probe that combines the two-point binding specificity of biarsenical-based dyes with the robustness of bioorthogonal click-chemistry. This proof-of-principle study reports on the synthesis and fluorogenic characterization of a new, double-quenched, bis-azide fluorogenic probe suitable for bioorthogonal two-point tagging of small peptide tags by double strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition. The presented probe exhibits remarkable increase in fluorescence intensity when reacted with bis-cyclooctynylated peptide sequences, which could also serve as possible self-labeling small peptide tag motifs.

Swift Intrahepatic Accumulation of Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in a Humanized Mouse Model of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and other superantigen-mediated illnesses are associated with 'systemic' immunosuppression that jeopardizes the host's ability to fight pathogens. Here, we define a novel mechanism of 'local' immunosuppression that may benefit the host. Systemic exposure to staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) rapidly and selectively recruited CD11b(+)Gr-1(high)Ly-6C(+) granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to the liver of HLA-DR4 transgenic mice.

Fabrication of scalable tissue engineering scaffolds with dual-pore microarchitecture by combining 3D printing and particle leaching.

Limitations in controlling scaffold architecture using traditional fabrication techniques are a problem when constructing engineered tissues/organs. Recently, integration of two pore architectures to generate dual-pore scaffolds with tailored physical properties has attracted wide attention in tissue engineering community. Such scaffolds features primary structured pores which can efficiently enhance nutrient/oxygen supply to the surrounding, in combination with secondary random pores, which give high surface area for cell adhesion and proliferation.

Genetic predisposition in patients with hypertension and normal ejection fraction to oxidative stress.

The role of oxidative stress (OXS) due to myocardial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) uncoupling related to oxidative depletion of its cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) emerged in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. We determined the prevalence of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding enzymes related to OXS, BH4 metabolism, and NOS function in ≥60-year-old 94 patients with hypertension and 18 age-matched controls with normal ejection fraction. Using echocardiography, 56/94 (60%) patients with hypertension had left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (HTDD+ group) and 38/94 (40%) patients had normal LV diastolic function (HTDD- group).

Tet3 Reads 5-Carboxylcytosine through Its CXXC Domain and Is a Potential Guardian against Neurodegeneration.

We report that the mammalian 5-methylcytosine (5mC) oxidase Tet3 exists as three major isoforms and characterized the full-length isoform containing an N-terminal CXXC domain (Tet3FL). This CXXC domain binds to unmethylated CpGs, but, unexpectedly, its highest affinity is toward 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). We determined the crystal structure of the CXXC domain-5caC-DNA complex, revealing the structural basis of the binding specificity of this domain as a reader of CcaCG sequences.

Adverse events in a newborn on valproate therapy due to loss-of-function mutations in CYP2C9.

An increased risk of valproate-induced toxicity has been reported in children, particularly in those younger than 2 years of age. Significant variations in valproate pharmacokinetics and shifts in the metabolic pathways towards CYP2C9-dependent metabolism seem to play some role in the age-related differences in the incidence of adverse events. We present the case of a premature patient with moderate hemorrhage in the subependymal region (grade II - intraventricular hemorrhage without ventricular dilatation), several myoclonic episodes in her right upper arm (series of jerks lasting milliseconds), and epileptiform abnormalities on the EEG (localized spike-and-wave in the left frontal region with preserved background activity who was treated with valproate.

Dynamics of Complex-Forming Bimolecular Reactions: A Comparative Theoretical Study of the Reactions of H Atoms with O2((3)Σg(-)) and O2((1)Δg).

The atomic-level mechanism of the reaction of H atoms with triplet and singlet molecular oxygen, H((2)S) + O2((3)Σg(-)) → O((3)P) + OH((2)Πg) ( R1 ) and H((2)S) + O2((1)Δg) → O((3)P) + OH((2)Πg) ( R2 ) is analyzed in terms of the topology of the potential energy surfaces (PES) of the two reactions. Both PES exhibit a deep potential well corresponding to the ground and first excited electronic state of HO2. The ground-state reaction is endothermic with no barrier on either side of the well; the excited-state reaction is exothermic with a barrier in the entrance valley of the PES.

Overexpression of GRß in colonic mucosal cell line partly reflects altered gene expression in colonic mucosa of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) plays a crucial role in inflammatory responses. GR has several isoforms, of which the most deeply studied are the GRα and GRß. Recently it has been suggested that in addition to its negative dominant effect on GRα, the GRß may have a GRα-independent transcriptional activity.

Cancer Microenvironment: What Can We Learn from the Stem Cell Niche.

Epidermal stem cells (ESCs) are crucial for maintenance and self- renewal of skin epithelium and also for regular hair cycling. Their role in wound healing is also indispensable. ESCs reside in a defined outer root sheath portion of hair follicle-also known as the bulge region.

Multiple ABC Transporters Efflux Baicalin.

Baicalein, the aglycone formed by hydrolysis of baicalin in the intestine, is well absorbed by passive diffusion but subjected to extensive intestinal glucuronidation. Efflux of baicalin, the low passive permeability glucuronide of baicalein from enterocytes, likely depends on a carrier-mediated transport. The present study was designed to explore potential drug-herb interaction by investigating the inhibitory effect of baicalin on the transport of reporter substrates by transporters and to identify the transporters responsible for the efflux of baicalin from enterocytes and hepatocytes.