Characterization of novel thermoresponsive poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) electrospun fibers

Polymer Bulletin - In this work, electrospun fibers of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) blends, PBAT/PNIPAAm, with different mass ratios,...     

Should diastasis recti be corrected?

From theoretical considerations animals with a higher protein-fat ratio in the body should have a higher maintenance energy requirement (MEm). The literature on this problem shows a non-uniform picture with deviating results. From the results of a series of experiments it is possible to compare the heat production (HP) of male and female animals of the Vietnamese Sway-back breed pigs which vary quite widely in their body composition. The protein-fat ratio was 1.2 for the male and 0.2 for the female animals. In the experiments 4 male and 4 female animals in the live weight range of 20-33 kg and 33-42 kg, respectively, were involved. The HP measurements were carried out in climatized respiration chambers on two levels of energy intake at ambient temperatures of 6 degrees C, 12 degrees C, 18 degrees C, 24 degrees C, 30 degrees C, and 35 degrees C. The dependence of HP on the ambient temperature has been described by a cubic regression function. Thermoneutral temperatures are lower in the female animals caused by the better insulation effect of the backfat. The difference in HP which was expected by the large difference in body composition, was not found. The absolute protein mass determined the correlation to HP. Certainly the difference increased after lowering the ambient temperature. The influence of different factors on HP is discussed.     

Toward the discovery of novel anti-HIV drugs. Second-generation inhibitors of the cellular ATPase DDX3 with improved anti-HIV activity: synthesis, structure-activity relationship analysis, cytotoxicity studies, and target validation

A hit optimization protocol applied to the first nonnucleoside inhibitor of the ATPase activity of human DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX3 led to the design and synthesis of second-generation rhodanine derivatives with better inhibitory activity toward cellular DDX3 and HIV-1 replication. Additional DDX3 inhibitors were identified among triazine compounds. Biological data were rationalized in terms of structure-activity relationships and docking simulations. Antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of selected DDX3 inhibitors are reported and discussed. A thorough analysis confirmed human DDX3 as a valid anti-HIV target. The compounds described herein represent a significant advance in the pursuit of novel drugs that target HIV-1 host cofactors.     

Gas chromatographic study on high-temperature thermal degradation products of methyl linoleate hydroperoxides

Chromatographic techniques were used to separate secondary products generated by thermal degradation of methyl linoleate hydroperoxides (MLHP). The MLHP were obtained by oxidation, selected, and concentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The purified MLHP were then thermo-degraded in the gas-chromatographic glass liner and analyzed on-line by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The MLHP were also thermodegraded and collected in a short silicic acid-packed column, eluted, separated by TLC, and then analyzed by GC. By considering the elution in TLC, the GC retention times and the GC-MS analyses, it was possible to characterize the mono- and the dioxygenated secondary products, particularly those having a boiling point higher than methyl linoleate. The peaks that corresponded to the mono-oxygenated products (epoxy, hydroxy, and keto) were identified, and, on the basis of their MS spectra, molecular structures were proposed. A specific elution order was suggested for keto derivatives: 9-keto,Δ^10,12- and 13-keto,Δ^9,11-octadecadienoate. The hydroxy derivatives, which show the typical fragmentations of 9-hydroxy,Δ^10,12- and 13-hydroxy,Δ^9,11-octadecadienoate, were also identified. On the other hand, identification of the di-oxygenated compounds was more difficult, and, therefore, it was not possible to indicate each positional isomer; however, their elution order could be epoxy-hydroxy and epoxy-keto derivatives.