The title complex, [Cu{μ3-O2CC6H3(NO2)2-3,5}(μ-OH)] n , features zigzag chains in which successive pairs of Cu(II) atoms are connected by OH bridges and bidentate carboxyl-ate ligands, leading to six-membered Cu(O)(OCO)Cu rings. The zigzag chains are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by Cu-O(nitro) bonds. The coordination geometry of the Cu(II) atom is square-pyramidal, with the axial position occupied by the nitro O atom, which forms the longer Cu-O bond. Bifurcated hy-droxy-nitro O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds contribute to the stability of the crystal structure.
In the cation of the title salt, C11H17N2O(+)·C7H8ClN2O2 (-), the piperazine ring adopts a distorted chair conformation and contains a positively charged N atom with quaternary character. Its mean plane makes a dihedral angle of 42.36 (8)° with the phenyl ring of its 2-meth-oxy-phenyl substituent. The 2,4-dioxopyrimidin-1-ide anion is generated by deprotonation of the N atom at the 1-position of the pyrimidine-dione ring. Intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate S(6) ring motifs in both the cation and the anion. In the crystal, N-H⋯O, N-H⋯N and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds are also observed, resulting in a two-dimensional network parallel to the ab plane. The crystal stability is further consolidated by weak C-H⋯π inter-actions.
In the title salt, C6H14N(+)·NO3 (-), the cyclo-hexyl ring adopts a chair conformation. The ammonium group occupies an equatorial position and the crystal struture is stabilized by inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions, resulting in a three-dimensional network.
In the title compound, C19H17N5S, the dihedral angles between the purine ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.009 Å) and the S-bound and methyl-ene-bound phenyl rings are 74.67 (8) and 71.28 (7)°, respectively. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds generate R 2 (2)(8) loops. C-H⋯N inter-actions link the dimers into (100) sheets.
In the title compound, C8H7N3O4 (systematic name: 4-nitro-benzene-1,2-dicarboxamide), each of the substituents is twisted out of the plane of the benzene ring to which it is attached [dihedral angles of 11.36 (2)° for the nitro group, and 60.89 (6) and 34.39 (6)° for the amide groups]. The amide groups are orientated to either side of the least-squares plane through the benzene ring with the amine groups being directed furthest apart. In the crystal, a three-dimensional architecture is established by a network of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.
In the title compound, C8H3N3O2 (systematic name: 4-nitro-benzene-1,2-dicarbo-nitrile), the nitro group is twisted out of the plane of the benzene ring to which it is attached [O-N-Cring-Cring torsion angle = 9.80 (13)°]. In the crystal packing, supra-molecular layers with a zigzag topology in the ac plane are sustained by C-H⋯N inter-actions.
The asymmetric unit of the title cyclic thio-urea derivative, C10H12N2S, comprises two mol-ecules, each of which has a twist about the CH2-CH2 bond within the five-membered ring. The major difference between the independent mol-ecules is manifested in the relative orientations of the five- and six-membered rings [dihedral angles between the least-squares planes = 28.03 (11) and 41.54 (11)°]. A network of C-H⋯π inter-actions consolidates the three-dimensional crystal packing.
Damnacanthal, an anthraquinone compound, is isolated from the roots of Morinda citrifolia L. (noni), which has been used for traditional therapy in several chronic diseases, including cancer. Although noni has long been consumed in Asian and Polynesian countries, the molecular mechanisms by which it exerts several benefits are starting to emerge. In the present study, the effect of damnacanthal on MCF-7 cell growth regulation was investigated. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with damnacanthal for 72 h indicated an antiproliferative activity. The MTT method confirmed that damnacanthal inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells at the concentration of 8.2 μg/ml for 72 h. In addition, the drug was found to induce cell cycle arrest at the G1 checkpoint in MCF-7 cells by cell cycle analysis. Damnacanthal induced apoptosis, determined by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (PI) dual-labeling, acridine-orange/PI dyeing and caspase-7 expression. Furthermore, damnacanthal-mediated apoptosis involves the sustained activation of p21, leading to the transcription of p53 and the Bax gene. Overall, the present study provided significant evidence demonstrating that p53-mediated damnacanthal induced apoptosis through the activation of p21 and caspase-7.
Dillenia (Dilleniaceae) is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in tropical and subtropical trees of Southern Asia, Australasia, and the Indian Ocean Islands. Until now, only eight Dillenia species have been reported to be used traditionally in different countries for various medical purposes. Out of eight species, D. pentagyna (Roxb), D. indica (Linn.) and D. suffruticosa (Griffith Ex. Hook. F. & Thomsom Martelli) have been reported to be used to treat cancerous growth.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of two widely used screening scales: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) among pregnant Peruvian women.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1517 women receiving prenatal care from February 2012 to March 2013. A structured interview was used to collect data using PHQ-9 and EPDS. We examined reliability, construct and concurrent validity between two scales using internal consistency indices, factor structures, correlations, and Cohen׳s kappa.
RESULTS: Both scales had good internal consistency (Cronbach׳s alpha>0.8). Correlation between PHQ-9 and EPDS scores was fair (rho=0.52). Based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA), both scales yielded a two-factor structure. EFA including all items from PHQ-9 and EPDS yielded four factors, namely, "somatization", "depression and suicidal ideation", "anxiety and depression", and "anhedonia". The agreement between the two scales was generally fair at different cutoff scores with the highest Cohen׳s kappa being 0.46.
CONCLUSIONS: Both the PHQ-9 and EPDS are reliable and valid scales for antepartum depression assessment. The PHQ-9 captures somatic symptoms, while EPDS detects depressive symptoms comorbid with anxiety during early pregnancy. Our findings suggest simultaneous administration of both scales may improve identification of antepartum depressive disorders in clinical settings.
MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depressive Disorder/diagnosis*; Female; Humans; Mass Screening/methods*; Middle Aged; Peru; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis*; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods*; Surveys and Questionnaires*; Reproducibility of Results; Depression, Postpartum/diagnosis*; Young Adult; Suicidal Ideation
Oil palm is an important perennial oil crop with an extremely long selection cycle of 10 to 12 years. As such, any tool that speeds up its genetic improvement process, such as marker-assisted breeding is invaluable. Previously, genetic linkage maps based on AFLP, RFLP and SSR markers were developed and QTLs for fatty acid composition and yield components identified. High density genetic maps of crosses of different genetic backgrounds are indispensable tools for investigating oil palm genetics. They are also useful for comparative mapping analyses to identify markers closely linked to traits of interest.
MeSH terms: Chromosome Mapping*; Genotype; Genetic Linkage; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Genome, Plant; Microsatellite Repeats/genetics*; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics*; Arecaceae/genetics*; Quantitative Trait Loci; Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis
To determine the accuracy of bladder volume (BV) measurement and to identify factors that influenced the ultrasound bladder scanner (UBS) measurement of BV in postpartum women compared with transurethral catheterization.
Four new chromone alkaloids, chrotacumines G-J (1-4), have been isolated from the barks of Dysoxylum acutangulum. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated on the basis of NMR and CD data. Chrotacumines G and J (1 and 4) showed osteoclast differentiation inhibitory activity in a dose dependent manner.
HP0986 protein of Helicobacter pylori has been shown to trigger induction of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and TNF-α) through the activation of NF-κB and also to induce Fas mediated apoptosis of human macrophage cells (THP-1). In this study, we unravel mechanistic details of the biological effects of this protein in a murine macrophage environment. Up regulation of MCP-1 and TNF-α in HP0986-induced RAW 264.7 cells occurred subsequent to the activation and translocation of NF-κB to the cell nucleus. Further, HP0986 induced apoptosis of RAW 264.7 cells through Fas activation and this was in agreement with previous observations made with THP-1 cells. Our studies indicated activation of TNFR1 through interaction with HP0986 and this elicited the aforementioned responses independent of TLR2, TLR4 or TNFR2. We found that mouse TNFR1 activation by HP0986 facilitates formation of a complex comprising of TNFR1, TRADD and TRAF2, and this occurs upstream of NF-κB activation. Furthermore, FADD also forms a second complex, at a later stage, together with TNFR1 and TRADD, resulting in caspase-8 activation and thereby the apoptosis of RAW 264.7 cells. In summary, our observations reveal finer details of the functional activity of HP0986 protein in relation to its behavior in a murine macrophage cell environment. These findings reconfirm the proinflammatory and apoptotic role of HP0986 signifying it to be an important trigger of innate responses. These observations form much needed baseline data entailing future in vivo studies of the functions of HP0986 in a murine model.
MeSH terms: Animals; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism*; Cell Membrane/metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Inflammation/pathology*; Macrophages/metabolism*; Macrophages/secretion; Propidium/metabolism; Protein Binding; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/secretion; Signal Transduction*; NF-kappa B/metabolism; Helicobacter pylori/metabolism*; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate/metabolism; Apoptosis*; Chemokine CCL2/secretion; Antigens, CD95/metabolism; I-kappa B Proteins/metabolism; Immunoprecipitation; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I/metabolism*; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2/metabolism; Mice; TNF Receptor-Associated Death Domain Protein/metabolism; Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein/metabolism; Proteolysis
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PURPOSE: This study aimed to understand hypertensive patients' perceptions of and adherence to prescribed medication.
METHODS: A qualitative research study based on 23 purposely selected participants from a community health clinic in Malaysia. The participants underwent in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method.
RESULTS: The participants were presented with six types of perceptions of medication. The majority of the participants had negative perceptions of Western medicine (WM), self-adjusted their prescribed medication with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and concealed their self-adjusting habits from their doctors. Participants who thought positively of WM took their prescribed medication regularly. Most of the participants perceived the nature of WM as not being curative because of its side effects. Patients have the right to choose their preferred medication when they understand their illness.
CONCLUSION: Local health care systems should provide patients with alternative health services that suit their requests.
KEYWORDS: Adherence; Complementary and alternative medicine; Hypertension; Qualitative research
Study site: Klinik kesihatan, Selangor, Malaysia
An analytical method that facilitated the analysis of 11 pharmaceuticals residue (caffeine, prazosin, enalapril, carbamazepine, nifedipine, levonorgestrel, simvastatin, hydrochlorothiazide, gliclazide, diclofenac-Na, and mefenamic acid) with a single pre-treatment protocol was developed. The proposed method included an isolation and concentration procedure using solid phase extraction (Oasis HLB), a separation step using high-performance liquid chromatography, and a detection procedure that applies time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The method was validated for drinking water (DW), surface water (SW), sewage treatment plant (STP) influent and effluent, and hospital (HSP) influent and effluent. The limits of quantification were as low as 0.4, 1.6, 5, 3, 2.2 and 11 ng/L in DW, SW, HSP influent and effluent, STP effluent, and STP influent, respectively. On average, good recoveries higher than 75% were obtained for most of the target analytes in all matrices. Matrix effect was evaluated for all samples matrices. The proposed method successfully determined and quantified the target compounds in raw and treated wastewater of four STPs and three hospitals in Malaysia, as well as in two SW sites. The results showed that a number of the studied compounds pose moderate to high persistency in sewage treatment effluents as well as in the recipient rivers, namely; caffeine, simvastatin, and hydrochlorothiazide. Ten out of 11 compounds were detected and quantified in 13 sampling points. Caffeine was detected with the highest level, with concentrations reaching up to 9099 ng/L in STP influent.
MeSH terms: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*; Hospitals; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Malaysia; Sewage/chemistry*; Time Factors; Water/chemistry*; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods*; Rivers/chemistry*; Solid Phase Extraction/methods
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major health problem worldwide and it will rapidly increase. This disease is characterized by hyperglycemia caused by defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. DM has three types: T1DM, T2M and gestational DM (GDM), of them T2DM is more frequent. Multiple genes and their interactions are involved in insulin secretion pathway. Sulfonylurea receptor encoded by ABCC8 gene, together with inward-rectifier potassium ion channel (Kir6.2) regulates insulin secretion by ATP-sensitive K(+) (KATP) channel located in the plasma membranes. Disruption of these molecules by different mutations is responsible for risk of DM. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ABCC8 gene and their interaction are involved in pathogenicity of DM. This review summarizes the current evidence of contribution of ABC8 genetic variants to the development of DM.