Piceatannol Protects Brain Endothelial Cell Line (bEnd.3) against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Dysfunction of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is involved in the pathogenesis of many cerebral diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are contributing factors for BBB injury. Piceatannol, a natural ingredient found in various plants, such as grapes, white tea, and passion fruit, plays an important role in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. In this study, we examined the protective effects of piceatannol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) insult in mouse brain endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) cells and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that piceatannol mitigated the upregulated expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and iNOS in LPS-treated bEnd.3 cells. Moreover, piceatannol prevented the generation of reactive oxygen species in bEnd.3 cells stimulated with LPS. Mechanism investigations suggested that piceatannol inhibited NF-κB and MAPK activation. Taken together, these observations suggest that piceatannol reduces inflammation and oxidative stress through inactivating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways on cerebral endothelial cells in vitro.     

Ternary and binary copper(II) complexes: synthesis,characterization, ROS-inductive,proteasome inhibitory,and anticancer properties

Three ternary copper(II) complexes, [Cu(phen)(L-phe)Cl]·2H₂O, [Cu(phen)(L-leu)Cl]·4½H₂O, and [Cu(phen)(L-tyr)Cl]·3H₂O, and four binary copper(II) complexes, [Cu(phen)Cl₂]_, Cu(L-phe)₂·½H₂O, Cu(L-leu)₂·½H₂O, and Cu(L-tyr)₂·H₂O (where phen = 110-phenanthroline, L-phe = L-phenylalanine, L-tyr = L-tyrosine, L-leu = L-leucine and Cl^- = chloride), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, UV–visible, fluorescence spectroscopy), magnetic susceptibility, molar conductivity, and lipophilicity measurement. X-ray diffraction determination of a single crystal of [Cu(phen)(L-tyr)Cl] showed two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, each with the same distorted square pyramidal geometry about copper(II). p-Nitrosodimethylaniline assay revealed that the three ternary complexes were better inducers of reactive oxygen species over time than binary complexes, CuCl₂, and free ligands. All the copper(II) complexes in this series inhibited the three proteolytic activities in the order Trypsin-like > Caspase-like > Chymotrypsin-like. In terms of anticancer properties, the copper(II)-phen complexes had GI50 values of less than 4 μM against MCF-7, HepG2, CNE1 and A549 cancer cell lines, more potent than cisplatin.     

Neuronal RNA granule contains ApCPEB1, a novel cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein, in Aplysia sensory neuron

The cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE)-binding protein (CPEB) binds to CPE containing mRNAs on their 3'' untranslated regions (3''UTRs). This RNA binding protein comes out many important tasks, especially in learning and memory, by modifying the translational efficiency of target mRNAs via poly (A) tailing. Overexpressed CPEB has been reported to induce the formation of stress granules (SGs), a sort of RNA granule in mammalian cell lines. RNA granule is considered to be a potentially important factor in learning and memory. However, there is no study about RNA granule in Aplysia. To examine whether an Aplysia CPEB, ApCPEB1, forms RNA granules, we overexpressed ApCPEB1-EGFP in Aplysia sensory neurons. Consistent with the localization of mammalian CPEB, overexpressed ApCPEB1 formed granular structures, and was colocalized with RNAs and another RNA binding protein, ApCPEB, showing that ApCPEB1 positive granules are RNA-protein complexes. In addition, ApCPEB1 has a high turnover rate in RNA granules which were mobile structures. Thus, our results indicate that overexpressed ApCPEB1 is incorporated into RNA granule which is a dynamic structure in Aplysia sensory neuron. We propose that ApCPEB1 granule might modulate translation, as other RNA granules do, and furthermore, influence memory.     

Liquid chromatographic determination of flumetsulam in soybeans

A liquid chromatography (LC) method with UV detection is reported for the determination of the sulfonamide herbicide flumetsulam in soybeans. The ground soybean sample was partitioned between methanol and hexane. The hexane removed the lipids, and the methanol layer containing the analyte was further partitioned between dichloromethane and aqueous phosphate buffer at pH 7.0. The aqueous layer, containing the analyte, was acidified to pH 2.2 and partitioned with fresh dichloromethane. The dichloromethane layer containing the analyte was evaporated, and the residue was dissolved in the LC mobile phase for analysis. A polar embedded C18 column was used with a mobile phase of pH 2.2 aqueous phosphate buffer-acetonitrile (68 + 32), run isocratically with detection at 225 nm. The average recovery was 82% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 10%. A coefficient of determination of R2 = 0.9992 was achieved for the analyte calibration curve, from 0.005 to 1 microg/mL. The limit of detection, determined from 3 times the standard deviation of 7 replicate extractions of the lowest fortification level (0.01 microg/g), was 0.005 microg/g with an RSD of 22%. LC/electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry in the positive-ion mode was used for identity confirmation of flumetsulam in the fortified soybean extract. The ions at m/z 326, 348, and 129 were observed.     

Conductometric study of precursor compound formation during wet-chemical synthesis of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

Conductometry was employed to study the phase evolution of calcium phosphate compounds during the wet-chemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HA). Calcium hydroxide and orthophosphoric acid were used to prepare HA at various temperatures ranging from 30 to 95 degrees C. The electrical conductivity and pH of the reaction mixture were measured at regular intervals of time during acid addition, and the rate of change of conductivity was used to decipher the end point of the reaction. Our previous studies have shown that the end product of this reaction route yields mildly carbonated crystalline HA. The trend of the change in conductivity with time was similar at all temperatures. The conductivity curves were divided into three regions based on the variation in slope of the curves. The slope of the curves decreased with increasing temperatures in the first two regions, and the slope is greater in the second region than in the first. From the conductivity and pH measurement results, the possible precursor phase was identified and it had the composition Ca(3)(PO(4))(2). The kinetics of phase transformation was also analyzed and compared to previous work. The similarities between this work and the traditionally adapted experimental work for phase formation and transformation kinetics are highlighted, and the novelty in the current work is discussed.     

A memetic algorithm for the multiperiod vehicle routing problem with profit

In this paper, we extend upon current research in the vehicle routing problem whereby labour regulations affect planning horizons, and therefore, profitability. We call this extension the multiperiod vehicle routing problem with profit (mVRPP). The goal is to determine routes for a set of vehicles that maximizes profitability from visited locations, based on the conditions that vehicles can only travel during stipulated working hours within each period in a given planning horizon and that the vehicles are only required to return to the depot at the end of the last period. We propose an effective memetic algorithm with a giant-tour representation to solve the mVRPP. To efficiently evaluate a chromosome, we develop a greedy procedure to partition a given giant-tour into individual routes, and prove that the resultant partition is optimal. We evaluate the effectiveness of our memetic algorithm with extensive experiments based on a set of modified benchmark instances. The results indicate that our approach generates high-quality solutions that are reasonably close to the best known solutions or proven optima, and significantly better than the solutions obtained using heuristics employed by professional schedulers.     

On the kinetics of apatite growth on substrates under physiological conditions

Derived from reaction kinetics, a simple but useful method, based on "apatite forming capacity" or AFC of solutions mimicking blood plasma, is proposed to decipher the rate of calcium phosphate mineralization. Apatite growth rate constants were calculated using this method for a model composite surface varying the volume fraction of synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) in a polymer matrix. Previously reported data for mineralized surfaces on Ta, Ti, and its alloys are also analyzed similarly and compared. Utilizing the growth rate constant, the bioactivity of the materials was indexed in vitro. Complementarily, semiempirical quantum mechanical calculation (ZINDO method) showed that the interaction of cations with TRIS-hydroxymethyl aminomethane molecules in the solution is stronger than that with the polymer substrate considered, but weaker than hydrated Ti and TiO(2) surfaces. This analysis then quantifies for example the extent of polymer inertness and the "bioactivity" of alkali treated Ti. The growth rate constants for the model materials prepared in this work are explained on the basis of localized dissolution of HA, the amount of which simply increases with increasing volume fraction of HA in the composite.     

An adaptive ejection pool with toggle-rule diversification approach for the capacitated team orienteering problem

In the capacitated team orienteering problem (CTOP), we are given a set of homogeneous vehicles and a set of customers each with a service demand value and a profit value. A vehicle can get the profit of a customer by satisfying its demand, but the total demand of all customers in its route cannot exceed the vehicle capacity and the length of the route must be within a specified maximum. The problem is to design a set of routes that maximizes the total profit collected by the vehicles. In this article, we propose a new heuristic algorithm for the CTOP using the ejection pool framework with an adaptive strategy and a diversification mechanism based on toggling between two priority rules. Experimental results show that our algorithm can match or improve all the best known results on the standard CTOP benchmark instances proposed by Archetti et al. (2008).     

Effects of 2‐hydroxyalkyl methacrylates on the styrene miniemulsion polymerizations stabilized by SDS and alkyl methacrylates

The effects of 2‐hydroxyalkyl methacrylates (HEMA and HPMA) on the styrene miniemulsion polymerizations stabilized by SDS/lauryl methacrylate (LMA) or SDS/stearyl methacrylate (SMA) were investigated. A mixed mode of particle nucleation (monomer droplet nucleation and homogeneous nucleation) is operative during polymerization. Homogeneous nucleation plays a crucial role in the polymerizations stabilized by SDS/LMA, whereas monomer droplet nucleation becomes more important in the polymerizations stabilized by SDS/SMA. The polymerization kinetics is insensitive to the type of 2‐hydroxyalkyl methacrylates, but the difference in the relative importance of monomer droplet nucleation and homogeneous nucleation is detected. Incorporation of 1‐pentanol (C₅OH) into the reaction mixture also shows a significant influence on the polymerizations stabilized by SDS/LMA or SDS/SMA. This is attributed to the formation of a close‐packed structure of SDS and C₅OH on the droplet surface, which acts as a barrier to the incoming oligomeric radicals. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3188–3199, 2000