A redetermination of bis­(5,5′-diethyl­barbiturato)bis­(imidazole)cobalt(II)

The title complex, [Co(C8H12N2O3)2(C3H4N2)2], whose structure was first determined by Wang & Craven [(1971). J. Chem. Soc. D, pp. 290–291], has been redetermined with improved precision. A crystallographic twofold rotation axis passes through the Co atom, which is tetrahedrally coordinated by two N atoms from two barbital ligands and two N atoms from two imidazole ligands. The mol­ecules are self-assembled via inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions into a supra­molecular network

Optimiranje podloge za uzgoj i sastava aminokiselina u miceliju gljive Pleurotus cornucopiae SD-01 obogaćenog kromom

Chromium(III) is an essential trace element for humans and animals. Pleutorus cornucopiae SD-01 is a nutritional and functional mushroom containing many kinds of bioactive ingredients. The aims of this work are to optimize the conditions of P. cornucopiae SD-01 cultivation with Cr enrichment in submerged culture by determining the dry cell mass, Cr content in mycelia and the rate of Cr enrichment, and to analyze the amino acid composition of Cr-enriched mycelia. The optimal medium contained (in g/L): potato 200, sucrose 25, yeast extract 4, KH2PO4 1 and MgSO4·7H2O 1. The optimum parameters of liquid culture were temperature 25 °C, cultivation time 6 days, the volume of the medium 100 mL, rotation speed 160 rpm and initial pH=6.5. Under the optimized conditions, the values of the dry cell mass, Cr content in mycelia and the rate of Cr enrichment were (6.63±0.35) g/L, (3670±211) μg/g and (12.15±1.01) % respectively, which were by (23.23±1.22), (18.19±1.06) and (45.68±2.67) % respectively, higher than those in the control. Chromium(III) in Cr-enriched mycelia was mainly combined with protein and polysaccharide. The contents of total amino acids and essential amino acids in Cr-enriched mycelia were increased by (31.25±0.58) and (44.26±0.76) %, respectively.Trovalentni je krom esencijalni element u tragovima, potreban za rast ljudi i životinja. Pleurotus cornucopiae SD-01 hranjiva je gljiva funkcionalnih svojstava, koja sadrži mnoge bioaktivne komponente. Svrha je ovoga rada bila optimirati uvjete uzgoja P. cornucopiae SD-01 u podlozi obogaćenoj kromom, i to određivanjem suhe stanične mase, udjela kroma u miceliju i stupnja obogaćivanja micelija, te analizirati aminokiselinski sastav micelija obogaćenog kromom. Optimalni sastav podloge bio je (u g/L): krumpir 200, saharoza 25, kvaščev ekstrakt 4, KH2PO4 1 i MgSO4·7H2O 1. Utvrđeni su optimalni parametri rasta: temperatura 25 °C, vrijeme uzgoja 6 dana, volumen podloge 100 mL, brzina rotacije 160 rpm i početni pH=6,5. U tim su uvjetima dobivene sljedeće vrijednosti: suha stanična masa od (6,63±0,35) g/L, veća za (23,23±1,22) %; udio kroma u miceliju od (3670±211) mg/g, veći za (18,19±1,06) % i stupanj obogaćivanja micelija kromom od (12,15±1,01) %, što je za (45,68±2,67) % više nego u kontrolnom uzorku. Utvrđeno je da se trovalentni krom u miceliju uglavnom veže za proteine i ugljikohidrate. Ukupni se udio aminokiselina u takvom obogaćenom miceliju povećao za (31,25±0,58) %, a udio esencijalnih aminokiselina za (44,26±0,76) %

Enhanced inhibitory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn mediates antinociceptive effects of TC-2559

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>TC-2559 is a selective α4β2 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist and α4β2 nAChR activation has been related to antinociception. The aim of this study is to investigate the analgesic effect of TC-2559 and its underlying spinal mechanisms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>1) <it>In vivo </it>bioavailability study: TC-2559 (3 mg/kg) had high absorption rate in rats with maximal total brain concentration reached over 4.6 μM within first 15 min after administration and eliminated rapidly with brain half life of about 20 min after injection. 2) <it>In vivo </it>behavioral experiments: TC-2559 exerts dose dependent antinociceptive effects in both formalin test in mice and chronic constriction injury (CCI) model in rats by activation of α4β2 nAChRs; 3) Whole-cell patch-clamp studies in the superficial dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord slices: perfusion of TC-2559 (2 μM) significantly increased the frequency, but not amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). The enhancement of sIPSCs was blocked by pre-application of DHβE (2 μM), a selective α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonist. Neither the frequency nor the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) of spinal dorsal horn neurons were affected by TC-2559.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Enhancement of inhibitory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn via activation of α4β2 nAChRs may be one of the mechanisms of the antinociceptive effects of TC-2559 on pathological pain models. It provides further evidence to support the notion that selective α4β2 subtype nAChR agonist may be developed as new analgesic drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.</p

Shyness Weakens the Agreeableness-Prosociality Association via Social Self-Efficacy: A Moderated-Mediation Study of Chinese Undergraduates

Using a sample of 1383 undergraduate students (Mage = 20.06, Nfemale = 817), this study tested a moderated mediation model in which shyness moderated the association between agreeableness and prosocial behavior, as well as the relation between agreeableness and social self-efficacy (SSE). Results showed (when gender, age, and family socio-economic status were controlled) that agreeableness exerted a positive effect on prosocial behavior (PSB) toward three types of recipients (i.e., family members, friends/acquaintances, strangers), and this effect was mediated by SSE and moderated by shyness. The relationships between agreeableness and PSB were more positive under low shyness than that under high shyness condition. In addition, shyness also moderated the first stage of mediation model (i.e., the agreeableness-SSE association), showing that the relation between agreeableness and SSE was more positive under low shyness than that under high shyness condition. Identifying the moderation effect of shyness provides evidence that personality traits may operate in an interactive manner. This may shed new light on why there are inconsistent findings regarding the agreeableness-prosociality association

Tricine-supported polyoxo(alkoxo)lanthanide cluster {Ln15} (Ln = Eu, Gd, Tb) with magnetic refrigerant and fluorescent properties

A family of polyoxo(alkoxo)lanthanide cluster {Ln15} (Ln = Eu (1), Gd (2), Tb (3)) was successfully isolated via a simple hydrolysis reaction of lanthanide metal ions in the presence of tricine ligands. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that {Ln15} displayed a wheel-like structure with a µ5-chloride anion as a template. Interestingly, each analog showed distinctive functions based on the different Ln(III) ions. Complexes 1 and 3 in the solid state emitted the characteristic fluorescence of Eu(III) or Tb(III). The fluorescence lifetimes of the 5D0 excited state for 1 and the 5D4 excited state for 3 were tested, and the values were 890 and 250 μs, respectively. Meanwhile, gadolinium analog 2 exhibited a magneto-caloric effect at ultralow temperatures with a maximum −ΔSm value of 29.9 J·kg−1·K−1 at 3 K and 7 T

High speed self-testing quantum random number generation without detection loophole

Quantum mechanics provides means of generating genuine randomness that is impossible with deterministic classical processes. Remarkably, the unpredictability of randomness can be certified in a self-testing manner that is independent of implementation devices. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of self-testing quantum random number generation based on an detection-loophole free Bell test with entangled photons. In the randomness analysis, without the assumption of independent identical distribution, we consider the worst case scenario that the adversary launches the most powerful attacks against quantum adversary. After considering statistical fluctuations and applying an 80 Gb $\times$ 45.6 Mb Toeplitz matrix hashing, we achieve a final random bit rate of 114 bits/s, with a failure probability less than $10^{-5}$. Such self-testing random number generators mark a critical step towards realistic applications in cryptography and fundamental physics tests.Comment: 34 pages, 10 figure

A clinically relevant online patient QA solution with daily CT scans and EPID-based in vivo dosimetry: A feasible study on rectal cancer

Adaptive radiation therapy (ART) could protect organs at risk (OARs) while maintain high dose coverage to targets. However, there still lack efficient online patient QA methods. We aim to develop a clinically relevant online patient quality assurance (QA) solution for ART using daily CT scans and electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based in vivo dosimetry. Ten patients with rectal cancer at our center were included. Patients' daily CT scans and portal images were collected to generate reconstructed 3D dose distributions. Contours of targets and OARs were recontoured on these daily CT scans by a clinician or an auto-segmentation algorithm, then dose-volume indices were calculated, and the percent deviation of these indices to their original plans were determined. This deviation was regarded as the metric for clinically relevant patient QA. The tolerance level was obtained using a 95% interval of the QA metric distribution. These deviations could be further divided into anatomically relevant or delivery relevant indicators for error source analysis. Finally, our QA solution was validated on an additional six clinical patients. In rectal cancer, the lower and upper tolerance of the QA metric for PTV {\Delta}D95 (%) were [-3.11%, 2.35%], and for PTV {\Delta}D2 (%) were [-0.78%, 3.23%]. In validation, the 68% for PTV {\Delta}D95 (%) and the 79% for PTV {\Delta}D2 ({%)of the 28 fractions are within tolerances of the QA metrics. By using four or more out-of-tolerance QA metrics as an action level, there were 5 fractions (18%) have four or more out-of-tolerance QA metrics in validation patient dataset. The online patient QA solution using daily CT scans and EPID-based in vivo dosimetry is clinically feasible. Source of error analysis has the potential for distinguishing sources of error and guiding ART for future treatments