Imaging the neural circuitry and chemical control of aggressive motivation

Background  

With the advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in awake animals it is possible to resolve patterns of neuronal activity across the entire brain with high spatial and temporal resolution. Synchronized changes in neuronal activity across multiple brain areas can be viewed as functional neuroanatomical circuits coordinating the thoughts, memories and emotions for particular behaviors. To this end, fMRI in conscious rats combined with 3D computational analysis was used to identifying the putative distributed neural circuit involved in aggressive motivation and how this circuit is affected by drugs that block aggressive behavior.     

Antibacterial wollastonite supported excellent proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cells

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - Biocompatibility and bacterial infections are the primary concerns associated with the current bone graft substitutes. The application of...     

Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Passiflora subpeltata: Characterization and Antibacterial Activity Against Escherichia coli Isolated from Poultry Faeces

The current study was undertaken to investigate the antibacterial (against molecular characterized E. coli isolated from poultry faeces) potential of biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) from Passiflora subpeltata Ortega aqueous leaf extract. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were subjected to physico-chemical characterization to study shape, size and purity by UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The molecular identification of isolated E. coli from faeces samples was carried out by using 16–23s rRNA primers. The results of the physico-chemical characterization revealed that the biosynthesized nanoparticles were of 93.7% purity with an average size between 45 and 50 nm. The ZnO-NPs offered significant inhibition against the isolated Gram-negative E. coli with MIC at 62.5 µg mL^?1 concentration. The antibacterial potential of ZnO NPs against E. coli has also been investigated by the cell viability test, and further the effects of ZnO NPs on bacterial morphological structures was analysed by SEM and TEM.

     

Extraction of Pm(III) from acidic solutions using dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate

Benzene solution of dihexyl N,N-diethyl-carbamoylmethyl phosphonate (CMP) has been used for the extraction of Pm(III) from 0.2 to 6.0M HNO₃. High extraction of Pm(III) was observed between 2 to 4M HNO₃. The species extracted in the organic phase were Pm(NO₃)₃.3CMP and Pm (NO₃)₃ (3-n) CMP.nTBP when the extractants were CMP and CMP+TBP, respectively. Pm could be efficiently backextracted from both organic phases by pH 2.0 HNO₃ solution.     

Extraction of Am(III) by mixture of dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate and tributyl phosphate in benzene from nitric acid solutions

Extraction of Am(III) by dihexyl N,N-diethylcarbamoylmethyl phosphonate (CMP) in benzene from nitric acid solutions (pH 2.0 to 6.0M) has been studied. High extraction of Am(III) by CMP from 2–3M HNO₃ was observed. The species extracted was found to be Am(NO₃)₃·3CMP. The extraction was also done with mixtures of CMP+TBP and CMP+TOPO, where mixed species were extracted in the organic phase. The back-extraction experiments gave an efficient back-extraction of Am(III) by pH 2.0 (HNO₃) from the loaded CMP+TBP phase but a poor back-extraction from the loaded CMP+TOPO phase. The loading of Nd(III) by mixture of CMP and TBP was 50% of the CMP concentrations at a total Nd(III) concentration of 0.182M. The thermodynamic parameters of Am(III) extraction by a mixture of CMP and TBP were evaluated by temperature variation method, which suggests that the two-phase reaction is stabilized by enthalpy and opposed by entropy.     

A STUDY OF THE PHOTODYNAMIC EFFICIENCIES OF SOME EYE LENS CONSTITUENTS

We have studied the photochemical quantum yields of singlet oxygen production (using the RNO bleaching method) and superoxide production (using the EPR-spin trapping method and the SOD-inhibitable ferricytochrome c reduction spectral assay) of kynurenine (Ky), N-formylkynurenine (NFK), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3HK), kynurenic acid (KUA), and the flavins, riboflavin (RF) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Such a study of the photodynamic efficiencies is important since these compounds appear endogenously in the eye. The singlet oxygen quantum yields of the flavins and KUA are high, while Ky and 3HK generate no detectable amounts of singlet oxygen. The superoxide quantum yields of the sensitizers are low compared to their singlet oxygen, and Ky and 3HK produce no detectable amounts of superoxide. The production of the superoxide radical is enhanced in the presence of electron donor molecules such as EDTA and NADH. These results suggest that the production of oxyradicals in the lens may be modulated by the presence of endogenous electron donor molecules such as the coenzymes NADH and NADPH, which are present in significant amounts in some lenses. They also suggest that Ky and 3HK, which are known to be present in aged lenses, might play a protective rather than a deleterious role in the eye.     

Mixed-ligand copper(II) complexes with positive redox potentials

Summary Mixed-ligand complexes formed by reaction of Cu(ClO₄)₂ with 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazine (dppt) as primary ligand and 2,2-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dmp), N,N-bis(pyrid-2-ylmethyl)amine (dipica), N,N-bis(benzimidazol-2-ylmethyl)amine (bba), 1,3-bis(2-benzimidazolyl)-2-thiapropane (bbms) and 1,5-bis(benzimidazolyl)-3-thiapentane (bbes) as the secondary ligands have been isolated. They are of the type [Cu(dppt)L](ClO₄)₂·nH₂O, where n = 0 or 2. All complexes exhibit only one ligand field band and their cryogenic solution e.p.r. spectra are axial, with v_max and g values diagnostic of a square-based geometry. The spectral and redox data are consistent with facial coordination of the tridentate ligands. All the complexes exhibit a positive redox potential (versus n.h.e.). The weak -bonding of dppt, caused by the highly electron-withdrawing phenyl rings, the strong -back bonding involving phen and dmp, and interligand repulsions appear to be responsible for the relatively positive Cu^II/Cu^I redox potentials.     

Symmetrical dialkylsulphoxides in ionic liquid as extractants for uranyl ion: extraction efficacy and aggregation behavior

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - The behavior of three symmetrical sulphoxides, R2SO, where R?=?Di-(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHSO), R?=?dihexyl (DHSO) or...     

Synthesis,structure, characterization and biological evaluation of 3‐substituted 1‐pyridin‐2‐ylimidazo[1,5‐a]pyridine‐based copper(I)–phosphine complexes for anticancer drug screening

Copper(I) complexes of the types [Cu(N–N)(PPh₃)₂]NO₃ (LC41–LC44) and [Cu(N–N)(PPh₃)(NO₃)] (LC45) carrying 3‐substituted 1‐pyridine‐2‐ylimidazo[1,5‐a]pyridine (N–N) derivatives and triphenylphosphine (PPh₃) ligands have been prepared. The synthesized copper(I)–phosphine complexes were fully characterized by NMR, IR, ESI‐MS and UV–visible spectroscopy as well as by cyclic voltammetry. Selected structures such as LC42, LC43 and LC45 were additionally analysed by single‐crystal X‐ray method, which show that copper(I) centre adopts a highly distorted tetrahedral geometry. The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data of the complexes throw light on the nature of metal–ligand bonding. They display dπ–π* metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition and show quasireversible Cu^I/Cu^II metal oxidation. Among the copper(I)–phosphine complexes, LC41–LC44 exhibit moderate cytotoxicity (IC₅₀: 24 h, 67–74 μM; 48 h, 58–70 μM) against human lung epithelial adenocarcinoma A549 cells, whereas LC45 displays the best activity (IC₅₀: 24 h, 42 μM; 48 h, 34 μM) for A549 cancer cell line, which is better than that of the commercial antitumor drug cisplatin. All the complexes also displayed excellent selectivity by being relatively inactive against the human lung epithelial L132 normal cell line with selectivity index (SI) values ranging from 3.4 to 7.4. The complexes block cell cycle progression of A549 cells in G₀/G₁ phase. FACSVerse analyses are suggestive of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and apoptotic cell death induced by the LC41, LC43 and LC45. The induction of apoptosis in A549 cells was shown by Annexin V with propidium iodide (PI) and 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI) staining methods and established the ability of LC41, LC43 and LC45 to accumulate in the cell nuclei.