Mitochondrial Targeting of Metformin Enhances Its Activity against Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest-to-treat types of neoplastic diseases. Metformin, a widely prescribed drug against type 2 diabetes mellitus, is being trialed as an agent against pancreatic cancer, although its efficacy is low. With the idea of delivering metformin to its molecular target, the mitochondrial complex I (CI), we tagged the agent with the mitochondrial vector, triphenylphosphonium group.

Cuticular hydrocarbons corroborate the distinction between lowland and highland Natal fruit fly (Tephritidae, Ceratitis rosa) populations.

The cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) and morphology of two Ceratitis rosa Karsch (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations, putatively belonging to two cryptic taxa, were analysed. The chemical profiles were characterised by two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. CHs of Ceratitis rosa that originated from the lowlands and highlands of Kenya comprised of n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes and unsaturated hydrocarbons in the range of the carbon backbone from C14 to C37.

An integrative approach to unravel the Ceratitis FAR (Diptera, Tephritidae) cryptic species complex: a review.

This paper reviews all information gathered from different disciplines and studies to resolve the species status within the Ceratitis FAR (Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae, Ceratitis rosa) complex, a group of polyphagous fruit fly pest species (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Africa. It includes information on larval and adult morphology, wing morphometrics, cuticular hydrocarbons, pheromones, microsatellites, developmental physiology and geographic distribution. The general consensus is that the FAR complex comprises Ceratitis anonae, two species within Ceratitis rosa (so-called R1 and R2) and two putatitve species under Ceratitis fasciventris.

Analyses of volatiles produced by the African fruit fly species complex (Diptera, Tephritidae).

Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae and Ceratitis rosa are polyphagous agricultural pests originating from the African continent. The taxonomy of this group (the so-called Ceratitis FAR complex) is unclear. To clarify the taxonomic relationships, male and female-produced volatiles presumably involved in pre-mating communication were studied using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) followed by multivariate analysis, and gas chromatography combined with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD).

Characterisation of the chemical profiles of Brazilian and Andean morphotypes belonging to the Anastrepha fraterculus complex (Diptera, Tephritidae).

Fruit fly sexual behaviour is directly influenced by chemical and non-chemical cues that play important roles in reproductive isolation. The chemical profiles of pheromones and cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) of eight fruit fly populations of the Andean, Brazilian-1 and Brazilian-3 morphotypes of the Anastrepha fraterculus cryptic species complex originating from Colombia (four populations) and Brazil (four populations) were analysed using two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. The resulting chemical diversity data were studied using principal component analyses.

Structural Features and Anti-coagulant Activity of the Sulphated Polysaccharide SPS-CF from a Green Alga Capsosiphon fulvescens.

Previously, we reported that the sulphated polysaccharides (SPS)-CF, a water-soluble polysaccharide isolated and purified from Korean green alga Maesaengi (Capsosiphon fulvescens, Chlorophyta), is a glucuronogalactomannan based mainly on the monosaccharide composition determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis after 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) labelling of sugars in the acid (trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)) hydrolyzates of SPS-CF, which showed mannose (55.4 mol %), galactose (25.3 mol %) and glucuronic acid (16.

Age-related changes in the lateral lipid distribution in a human lens described by mass spectrometry imaging.

The lateral lipid distribution in eye lenses of three human donors were studied by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization imaging mass spectrometry using a high mass resolution. By using exact mass measurements this study shows the relationship between the aging process and the number of lipids detected as well as between aging and the abundance of products derived from sphingomyelins by hydrolysis. Variable lipid composition was also observed in the nuclear, barrier, or cortex regions of the lens samples.

Pseudomonas moraviensis subsp. stanleyae, a bacterial endophyte of hyperaccumulator Stanleya pinnata, is capable of efficient selenite reduction to elemental selenium under aerobic conditions.

Aims: To identify bacteria with high selenium tolerance and reduction capacity for bioremediation of wastewater and nanoselenium particle production.

Methods And Results: A bacterial endophyte was isolated from the selenium hyperaccumulator Stanleya pinnata (Brassicaceae) growing on seleniferous soils in Colorado, USA. Based on fatty acid methyl ester analysis and multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) using 16S rRNA, gyrB, rpoB and rpoD genes, the isolate was identified as a subspecies of Pseudomonas moraviensis (97.

Striking antitumor activity of a methinium system with incorporated quinoxaline unit obtained by spontaneous cyclization.

A novel pentamethinium salt was synthesized with an unforeseen expanded conjugated quinoxaline unit directly incorporated into a pentamethinium chain. The compound exhibited high fluorescence intensity, selective mitochondrial localization, high cytotoxicity, and selectivity toward malignant cell lines, and resulted in remarkable in vivo suppression of tumor growth in mice.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of nandrolone-bodipy conjugates.

Here, we report synthesis and biological evaluation of fluorescent nandrolone-3-carboxymethyloxime derivatives conjugated with green-emitting bodipy dye via PEG linkers. All the newly-synthesized compounds were evaluated for their effect on cell proliferation in vitro in MCF-7, LNCaP, PC-3 and HEK 293T model cell lines using WST-1 assay. By means of live-cell fluorescence microscopy, the intracellular localization of nandrolone-bodipy conjugates was revealed in endoplasmic reticulum.

Trilobolide-porphyrin conjugates: on synthesis and biological effects evaluation.

Trilobolide (Tb), a potent natural counterpart of thapsigargin, is a sesquiterpene lactone of guaianolide type isolated from horse caraway (Laser trilobum, L. Borkh). Tb exerts remarkable pharmacological properties based on irreversible inhibition of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA), thus being of increasing interest for cancer cure.

Tailor-made fluorescent trilobolide to study its biological relevance.

Trilobolide (Tb) is a potent natural counterpart of thapsigargin, which has shown promising results in cancer clinical trials. Here, we report a rational approach to study intracellular localization and biological activity of this sesquiterpene lactone. We conjugated Tb with a green-emitting Bodipy dye attached by alternative linkers of different lengths.

Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of porous iron prepared by powder metallurgy.

The demand for porous biodegradable load-bearing implants has been increasing recently. Based on investigations of biodegradable stents, porous iron may be a suitable material for such applications. In this study, we prepared porous iron samples with porosities of 34-51 vol.

Mekabu fucoidan: structural complexity and defensive effects against avian influenza A viruses.

Fucoidan from the sporophyll (Mekabu) of brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida (wakame) is interesting due to its various biological activities. Mekabu fucoidan (Mw ∼ 9 kDa) of this study (MF) was previously isolated and characterized by chemical and separation methods including GPC and methylation analysis (Lee, Hayashi, Hashimoto, Nakano, & Hayashi, 2004). It was found that this fucoidan composed of partially sulphated (DS ∼ 0.

Evaluation of dental morphometrics during the orthodontic treatment.

Background: Diagnostic orthodontic and prosthetic procedures commence with an initial examination, during which a number of individual findings on occlusion or malocclusion are clarified. Nowadays we try to replace standard plaster casts by scanned objects and digital models.

Method: Geometrically calibrated images aid in the comparison of several different steps of the treatment and show the variation of selected features belonging to individual biomedical objects.

Treatment of a superficial mycosis by low-temperature plasma: a case report.

A case of dermatomycosis caused by zoophilic strain of Trichophyton interdigitale was treated by low-temperature plasma produced by direct current (DC) cometary discharge. The shortening of skin lesion persistence along with suppression of subjective discomfort and etiological agent was observed.

Differentiation of Cronobacter spp. by tryptic digestion of the cell suspension followed by MALDI-TOF MS analysis.

Intact cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is a rapid tool for the identification and classification of microorganisms, now widely used even in clinical laboratories. However, its distinctive power is not sufficient for some closely-related species. The genus Cronobacter, formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii, contains such species.

Remote physiological and GPS data processing in evaluation of physical activities.

The monitoring of data from global positioning system (GPS) receivers and remote sensors of physiological and environmental data allow forming an information database for observed data processing. In this paper, we propose the use of such a database for the analysis of physical activities during cycling. The main idea of the proposed algorithm is to use cross-correlations between the heart rate and the altitude gradient to evaluate the delay between these variables and to study its time evolution.

Use of fluorescent staining and flow cytometry for monitoring physiological changes in solventogenic clostridia.

Physiological changes in populations of Clostridium beijerinckii and Clostridium tetanomorphum were monitored by fluorescence staining and flow cytometry. To estimate the number of metabolically active cells in exponential growth, a combination of the dyes propidium iodide and carboxy fluorescein diacetate appeared to be a good choice for both species. During stationary phase, these stains did not reflect physiological changes sufficiently and therefore additional labeling with bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethineoxonol was applied.

Rational design of chemical ligands for selective mitochondrial targeting.

The rational design of molecules with selective intracellular targeting is a great challenge for contemporary chemistry and life sciences. Here, we demonstrate a rational approach to development of compartment-specific fluorescent dyes from the γ-aryl substituted pentamethine family. These novel dyes exhibit an extraordinary affinity and selectivity for cardiolipin in inner mitochondrial membrane and possess excellent photostability, fluorescent properties, and low phototoxicity.

Chemometrics of Wheat Composites with Hemp, Teff, and Chia Flour: Comparison of Rheological Features.

The mixolab, a rheological device developed recently, combines approved farinograph and amylograph test procedures. Analysing wheat flour composites with hemp, teff, or chia in terms of all three mentioned rheological methods, correspondence of farinograph, and amylograph versus mixolab features was examined by principal component analysis. The first two principal components, PC1 and PC2, explained 75% of data scatter and allowed a satisfying confirmation of presumed relationships between farinograph or amylograph and mixolab parameters.

Properties of porous magnesium prepared by powder metallurgy.

Porous magnesium-based materials are biodegradable and promising for use in orthopaedic applications, but their applications are hampered by their difficult fabrication. This work reports the preparation of porous magnesium materials by a powder metallurgy technique using ammonium bicarbonate as spacer particles. The porosity of the materials depended on the amount of ammonium bicarbonate and was found to have strong negative effects on flexural strength and corrosion behaviour.

Structural diversity of fungal glucans.

Fungal glucans represent various structurally different d-glucose polymers with a large diversity of molecular mass and configuration. According to glucose anomeric structure, it is possible to distinguish α-D-glucans, β-D-glucans and mixed α,β-D-glucans. Further discrimination could be made on the basis of glycosidic bond position in a pyranoid ring, distribution of specific glycosidic bonds along a chain, branching and molecular mass.

Nitric oxide synthases activation and inhibition by metallacarborane-cluster-based isoform-specific affectors.

A small library of boron-cluster- and metallacarborane-cluster-based ligands was designed, prepared, and tested for isoform-selective activation or inhibition of the three nitric oxide synthase isoforms. On the basis of the concept of creating a hydrophobic analogue of a natural substrate, a stable and nontoxic basic boron cluster system, previously used for boron neutron capture therapy, was modified by the addition of positively charged moieties to its periphery, providing hydrophobic and nonclassical hydrogen bonding interactions with the protein. Several of these compounds show efficacy for inhibition of NO synthesis with differential effects on the various nitric oxide synthase isoforms.

Deoxynivalenol oligoglycosides: new "masked" fusarium toxins occurring in malt, beer, and breadstuff.

The co-occurrence of deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside with its parent toxin, deoxynivalenol, has been recently documented in many cereal-based foods, especially in those produced by enzyme-catalyzed processes. The presence of this masked mycotoxin in the human diet has become an issue of health concern, mainly because of its assumed bioavailability. A selective immunoaffinity-based preconcentration strategy, followed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry, revealed that, in addition to the most common deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, also oligoglycosylated deoxynivalenols with up to four bound hexose units were present in cereal-based products.