Time dependence of 50 Hz magnetic fields in apartment buildings with indoor transformer stations

Twenty-four hour measurements of 50 Hz magnetic fields (MFs) in apartment buildings containing transformer stations have been performed. The apartments were classified into four types, according to their location relative to the transformer room. Temporal correlation coefficients between the MF in various apartments, as well as between MF and transformer load curves, were calculated. It was found that, in addition to their high average MF, the apartments located right above the transformer room also exhibit unique temporal correlation properties.     

Selectively guanidinylated aminoglycosides as antibiotics

The emergence of virulent, drug-resistant bacterial strains coupled with a minimal output of new pharmaceutical agents to combat them makes this a critical time for antibacterial research. Aminoglycosides are a well-studied, highly potent class of naturally occurring antibiotics with scaffolds amenable to modification, and therefore, they provide an excellent starting point for the development of semisynthetic, next-generation compounds. To explore the potential of this approach, we synthesized a small library of aminoglycoside derivatives selectively and minimally modified at one or two positions with a guanidine group replacing the corresponding amine or hydroxy functionality. Most guanidino-aminoglycosides showed increased affinity for the ribosomal decoding rRNA site, the cognate biological target of the natural products, when compared with their parent antibiotics, as measured by an in vitro fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) A-site binding assay. Additionally, certain analogues showed improved minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against resistant bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). An amikacin derivative holds particular promise with activity greater than or equal to the parent antibiotic in the majority of bacterial strains tested.     

Fluorescing Isofunctional Ribonucleosides: Assessing Adenosine Deaminase Activity and Inhibition

The enzymatic conversion of isothiazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine-based adenosine (^tzA) and 2-aminoadenosine (^tz2-AA) analogues to the corresponding isothiazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidine-based inosine (^tzI) and guanosine (^tzG) derivatives is evaluated and compared to the conversion of native adenosine to inosine. Henri–Michaelis–Menten analyses provides the foundation for a high-throughput screening assay, and the efficacy of the assay is showcased by fluorescence-based analysis of ^tzA conversion to ^tzI in the presence of known and newly synthesized inhibitors.     

Chiral Polymers and Polymeric Particles for Enantioselective Crystallization

Chiral polymers and chiral polymeric particles have emerged as a new and exciting field of research in recent years mainly due to their possibly applications in chiral chemistry. This paper reviews the present state of the art regarding production techniques for the synthesis and applications of chiral polymeric particles. The main methods for preparing of chiral polymeric particles such as: direct polymerization, emulsion, precipitation, and suspension polymerization of chiral monomers, are reviewed. Moreover, in this article we also present the use of chiral polymers as chiral templates for the synthesis of chiral mesoporous materials. In this review we highlighted the properties and parameters involved in the preparation of these chiral polymeric materials. The present review focuses mainly on the use of chiral polymer and chiral polymeric particles for enantioselective crystallization and enantioseparation. References of the most relevant literature published by various research groups are provided. Anyway, it is clear that chiral polymeric particles are a distinctive type of chiral nanomaterials that can find many new application in other fields like, chiral drug delivery systems, enantioselective catalysis. We hope that this review article will inspired new researchers in this field and will boost the research dealing on chiral polymeric particles especially in their implementation in new areas in chiral chemistry.     

Eilatin Ru(II) complexes display anti-HIV activity and enantiomeric diversity in the binding of RNA

Eilatin-containing octahedral ruthenium complexes inhibit HIV-1 replication in CD4+ HeLa cells and in human peripheral blood monocytes with IC(50) values of approximately 1 microM. Similar metal complexes that lack eilatin display 15-100-fold lower anti-HIV activities. [Ru(bpy)(2)"pre-eilatin"](2+), a complex that contains a nonplanar analogue of eilatin, shows significantly lower nucleic acid binding and lower anti-HIV activity than eilatin complexes. This result indicates that the extended planar surface presented by eilatin is important for both activities. Rev peptide and ethidium bromide displacement assays are used to probe the nucleic acid affinity and specificity of Lambda- and Delta-[Ru(bpy)(2)eilatin](2+). Two HIV-1 RNA sites are compared and a significant binding preference for the Rev response element over the transactivation response region is found. Simple DNA duplexes show a consistent selectivity for Lambda-[Ru(bpy)(2)eilatin](2+) compared to Delta-[Ru(bpy)(2)eilatin](2+), while RNAs show more diverse enantiomeric selectivities.     

Lignin peroxidase‐catalyzed polymerization and detoxification of toxic halogenated phenols

Halogenated phenols and bisphenols are recognized as being recalcitrant in conventional biological treatments. The current research evaluated lignin peroxidase‐catalyzed oxidation and polymerization as a potential alternative for their detoxification. Gel permeation–HPLC analysis demonstrated the formation of dimers, trimers and tetramers upon oxidation of the target substrates. Polymerization was accompanied by effective detoxification of the aqueous phase during oxidation of 2,4‐dibromophenol, the extent of which correlated with the extent of oxidation and polymerization. Steady state kinetic measurements at a saturating concentration of H₂O₂ revealed high K_m values (270–1100 µmol dm^?3) for the target substrates, reflecting the strong electron‐withdrawing properties of halogen substituents, which increase the oxidation potential of the phenols, resulting in thermodynamically less favorable reactions. However, k_cat values were not dissimilar from non‐halogenated phenols and the rapid oxidation and polymerization suggests that low retention times could be expected in a continuous process for their treatment, in contrast to conventional biological methods. The operational stability of lignin peroxidase was significantly improved by inclusion of redox mediators, which resulted in enhanced oxidation and more rapid reaction rates. However, due to their inherent toxicity, the use of redox mediators impeded toxicity assays. The findings highlight the potential of lignin peroxidase as a possible alternative for the high‐rate treatment of industrial wastewater when conventional methods are ineffective. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Bisexual behavior in male rats treated neonatally with antibodies to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.

Investigated in 3 experiments, the possibility that luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) is involved in the process of sexual differentiation by injecting 163 male Wistar rat pups on Days 1 and 3 of life with specific antibodies to LHRH (AB-LHRH) or with normal rabbit serum. At maturity, Ss treated with AB-LHRH were as fertile as controls and their mount and intromission latencies and the postejaculatory interval were extended only slightly. However, they showed high levels of lordotic behavior, including ear wiggling, when castrated and primed with estrogen or with estrogen plus progesterone. Testosterone propionate, administered neonatally together with AB-LHRH, did not reverse these effects. Ss treated with AB-LHRH and castrated as adults did not respond to estrogen priming by releasing a surge of luteinizing hormone, a result indicating that they did not possess the female type of gonadotropin regulation. Findings indicate that neutralization of endogenous LHRH during neonatal life selectively blocked defeminization of behavior without affecting the process of masculinization. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional asymmetry in schizophrenia: Disengagement and inhibition of return deficits.

This research examined 2 components of visual orienting in medicated schizophrenia patients: the validity effect and the inhibition of return (IOR). In the 1st experiment, patients showed the expected asymmetry in orienting attention, that is, larger validity effect in the right visual field than in the left. However, this asymmetry was due to a deficit in facilitatory processes rather than a disengagement deficit. In addition, patients showed a deficit in IOR. In the 2nd experiment, a 2nd central cue for summoning attention, explicitly, back to the center was used. In this experiment, normal IOR in schizophrenia patients was found. Because it was shown that schizophrenia patients do not have a disengagement deficit, IOR possibly could not be observed because of the increased facilitation in that location. It was proposed that the abnormality in visual attention in schizophrenia is due to a deficit in inhibitory processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)