Dividend policy issues in the European pharmaceutical industry: new empirical evidence.

This paper examines dividend policy issues in the European pharmaceutical industry. This sector is of particular interest because of the high research and development expenditures and the associated risks characterizing the business models of many firms in this industry. In fact, from the perspective of corporate finance theory, this is a particular challenge for the managers of these corporations that may also have implications for the dividend policy implemented by the firms forming this sector.

Development of Phytocosmeceutical Microemulgel Containing Flaxseed Extract and Its In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization.

Antioxidants from natural sources are extensively attaining consideration to avert the skin from damage and aging caused by free radicals. Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), a natural therapeutic agent, was meant to be explored cosmeceutical by quantifying its potential phytoconstituents and to be incorporated into a microemulgel for topical use.

Anti-Obesity Evaluation of L. Leaves and Assessment of Its Polyphenols as Potential α-Glucosidase Inhibitors.

L. is reported for its anti-obese and anti-diabetic activities. The present study aimed to investigate its aqueous methanol leaf extract (CLL) in vivo anti-obese activity along with the isolation and identification of bioactive compounds and their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition assessment.

Studies on oxygen availability and the creation of natural and artificial oxygen gradients in gelatin-methacryloyl hydrogel 3D cell culture.

Three-dimensional (3D) cultivation platforms allow the creation of cell models, which more closely resemble in vivo-like cell behavior. Therefore, 3D cell culture platforms have started to replace conventional two-dimensional (2D) cultivation techniques in many fields. Besides the advantages of 3D culture, there are also some challenges: cultivation in 3D often results in an inhomogeneous microenvironment and therefore unique cultivation conditions for each cell inside the construct.

The socioeconomic gradient of alcohol use: an analysis of nationally representative survey data from 55 low-income and middle-income countries.

Background: Alcohol is a leading risk factor for over 200 conditions and an important contributor to socioeconomic health inequalities. However, little is known about the associations between individuals' socioeconomic circumstances and alcohol consumption, especially heavy episodic drinking (HED; ≥5 drinks on one occasion) in low-income or middle-income countries. We investigated the association between individual and household level socioeconomic status, and alcohol drinking habits in these settings.

Total Synthesis of (-)-Antroalbocin A Enabled by a Strain Release-Controlled Photochemical 1,3-Acyl Shift.

The first bioinspired, enantioselective, and protecting group free total synthesis of the antibacterial sesquiterpenoid (-)-antroalbocin A () has been achieved in 12 steps (5.4% overall yield) from dimedone. An organocatalytic Robinson annulation gave rapid access to the tricyclic enone () as starting material for the photochemical domino process of deconjugation and sigmatropic 1,3-acyl shift.

Corrigendum: Hypoxia Onset in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Spheroids: Monitoring With Hypoxia Reporter Cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.

Clay Types Modulate the Toxicity of Low Concentrated Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Toward Springtails in Artificial Test Soils.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) can be applied as an efficient alternative to conventional Cu in agriculture. Negative effects of CuO-NPs on soil organisms were found, but only in clay-rich loamy soils. It is hypothesized that clay-NP interactions are the origin of the observed toxic effects.

Triiodothyronine Acts as a Smart Influencer on Hsp90 via a Triiodothyronine Binding Site.

Microarray-based experiments revealed that thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) enhanced the binding of Cy5-labeled ATP on heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). By molecular docking experiments with T3 on Hsp90, we identified a T3 binding site (TBS) near the ATP binding site on Hsp90. A synthetic peptide encoding HHHHHHRIKEIVKKHSQFIGYPITLFVEKE derived from the TBS on Hsp90 showed, in MST experiments, the binding of T3 at an EC of 50 μM.

Bioavailability of Rosehip ( L.) Infusion Phenolics Prepared by Thermal, Pulsed Electric Field and High Pressure Processing.

In this study, the bioavailability of rosehip infusion phenolics, mainly catechin, as a response to conventional and non-thermal treatments by combining gastrointestinal digestion and a Caco-2 cell culture model, was investigated. After application of thermal treatment (TT, 85 °C/10 min), high pressure (HPP, 600 MPa/5 min) or pulsed electric field (PEF, 15 kJ/kg) processing, all samples were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Then, the amount of maximum non-toxic digest ratio was determined by the cytotoxicity sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay.

Modelling air pollution around nuclear power plants: validation of dispersion models using tracer data.

The Šoštanj exercise of the Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments I Urban Environments Working Group took advantage of a set of measurement data from a 1991 tracer experiment to test atmospheric dispersion models for emissions from point sources over complex terrain. The data set included emissions of SOfrom the stacks of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant in Slovenia, measurements of the SOat a number of locations in the surrounding area up to 7 km from the plant, and meteorological data from several monitoring stations, all as measured half-hour average values. Two sets of meteorological conditions were modelled: (a) a simple situation with a strong wind blowing from a point source directly towards a monitoring station; and (b) a complex situation involving a temperature inversion and convective mixing.

Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Cancer, and Toxicity Assessment of -In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

L. belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae and integral part of various ancient medicinal systems including Chinese, Indian, and European to combat various health ailments. The aim of the present study was to assess the phytochemical constituents, in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH, FRAP, and HO assays, in vitro anticancer activity using MTT assay, and in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory properties of .

Screening of Naturally Grown European Cranberrybush ( L.) Genotypes Based on Physico-Chemical Characteristics.

It has become very important to offer species with high nutritional value as fresh or processed products for human consumption in their daily diet for balanced nutrition. In the scope of this study, 15 naturally grown European Cranberry bush (ECB) genotypes that naturally grown were characterized in terms of horticultural characteristics. Fruit length, fruit width, fruit weight, the number of fruits per each cluster and cluster weight were determined within the ranges of 8.

-Sitosterol Glucoside-Loaded Nanosystem Ameliorates Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

-Sitosterol glucoside (SG), isolated from (Family Asteraceae), was loaded in self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) in a trial to enhance its solubility and biological effect. Various co-surfactants were tested to prepare a successful SEDDS. The selected SG-loaded SEDDS had a droplet size of 134 ± 15.

Biocompatible Nanoparticles Based on Amphiphilic Random Polypeptides and Glycopolymers as Drug Delivery Systems.

In this research, the development and investigation of novel nanoobjects based on biodegradable random polypeptides and synthetic non-degradable glycopolymer poly(2-deoxy-2-methacrylamido-d-glucose) were proposed as drug delivery systems. Two different approaches have been applied for preparation of such nanomaterials. The first one includes the synthesis of block-random copolymers consisting of polypeptide and glycopolymer and capable of self-assembly into polymer particles.

Comparative Metabolite Fingerprinting of Four Different Cinnamon Species Analyzed via UPLC-MS and GC-MS and Chemometric Tools.

The present study aimed to assess metabolites heterogeneity among four major species, including true cinnamon () and less explored species (, , and ). UPLC-MS led to the annotation of 74 secondary metabolites belonging to different classes, including phenolic acids, tannins, flavonoids, and lignans. A new proanthocyanidin was identified for the first time in along with several glycosylated flavonoid and dicarboxylic fatty acids reported for the first time in cinnamon.

Toxicity, Antioxidant Activity, and Phytochemicals of Basil ( L.) Leaves Cultivated in Southern Punjab, Pakistan.

Basil L.) is one of the most common aromatic herbs, a rich source of bioactive compounds, and is used extensively to add aroma and flavor to food. The leaves, both in fresh and dried form, are used as a culinary ingredient in different cultures.

Microarray-Based Screening of Putative HSP90 Inhibitors Predicted and Isolated from Microorganisms.

Protein microarrays are useful tools for detecting the presence of a target where different prey and bait combinations exist. Here we describe the extended application for a functional target-oriented screening assay with full length Heat shock proteins (HSPs ) for the identification of novel compounds.

The Phenolics and Antioxidant Properties of Black and Purple versus White Eggplant Cultivars.

The total phenolic content, anthocyanins, phenolic acids, antioxidant capacity and α-amylase inhibitory activity of black (Aydin Siyahi), purple (Kadife Kemer) and white (Trabzon Kadife) eggplants grown in Turkey were subjected to a comparative investigation. The black cultivar exhibited the highest total phenolic (17,193 and 6552 mg gallic acid equivalent/kg fw), flavonoid (3019 and 1160 quercetin equivalent/kg fw) and anthocyanin (1686 and 6167 g delphinidin-3--glucoside equivalent/kg fw) contents in crude extracts of the peel and pulp. The majority of the caffeic acid was identified in the ester (2830 mg/kg fw) and ester-bound (2594 mg/kg fw) forms in the peel of 'Kadife Kemer' and in the glycoside form (611.

Holographic optogenetic stimulation with calcium imaging as an all optical tool for cardiac electrophysiology.

All optical approaches to control and read out the electrical activity in a cardiac syncytium can improve our understanding of cardiac electrophysiology. Here, we demonstrate optogenetic stimulation of cardiomyocytes with high spatial precision using light foci generated with a ferroelectric spatial light modulator. Computer generated holograms binarized by bidirectional error diffusion create multiple foci with more even intensity distribution compared with thresholding approach.

Horticultural Characteristics of Summer Apple Cultivars from Turkey.

Early varieties with a short active vegetation period are not exposed to abiotic stress factors for instance drought, high temperature, etc., caused by global climate change, and biotic stress factors such as codling moth () and apple scab () that cause serious economic losses. Therefore, their places are extremely important regarding sustainable, economical and quality production.

Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Lingonberry ( L.): Extraction, Chemical Characterization, Fractionation and Cellular Antioxidant Activity.

Lingonberries contain high contents of bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acids and anthocyanins. In addition to radical scavenging and antioxidant activities, these compounds can protect cells from DNA damage. For this reason, lingonberries might be well suited for nutraceuticals or natural biomedicines.

Hybrid Nanoparticles and Composite Hydrogel Systems for Delivery of Peptide Antibiotics.

The growing number of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria poses a global threat to human health. For this reason, the search for ways to enhance the antibacterial activity of existing antibiotics is now an urgent medical task. The aim of this study was to develop novel delivery systems for polymyxins to improve their antimicrobial properties against various infections.

Proteome profile of patients with excellent and poor speech intelligibility after cochlear implantation: Can perilymph proteins predict performance?

Modern proteomic analysis and reliable surgical access to gain liquid inner ear biopsies have enabled in depth molecular characterization of the cochlea microenvironment. In order to clarify whether the protein composition of the perilymph can provide new insights into individual hearing performance after cochlear implantation (CI), computational analysis in correlation to clinical performance after CI were performed based on the proteome profile derived from perilymph samples (liquid biopsies). Perilymph samples from cochlear implant recipients have been analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS).