7-[(5,5-Dimethyl-2-oxido-1,3,2-dioxaphosphinan-2-yl)­oxy]-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one

The title compound, C15H17O6P, was obtained from a reaction of 4-methyl-7-hy­droxy­coumarin and 2-chloro-5,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphosphinane 2-oxide. There are two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit in which the benzopyran ring system is almost planar [r.m.s. deviation for each molecule = 0.003 Å]. In the crystal, C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking inter­actions [with centroid–centroid distances of 3.743 (3) and 3.727 (3) Å] link the two mol­ecules. The dioxaphospho­rinane ring adopts a chair conformation in both asymmetric molecules

Propofol causes neuronal degeneration in neonatal mice and long-term neurocognitive consequences in adult mice

Purpose: To investigate the effect of propofol on brain development in neonatal mice and long-term neurocognitive impact in adult mice.Method: The offspring of female C57Bl/6 and male CD-1 mice were administered propofol at concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg (treatment group) or normal saline (control) on postnatal day 7. Thereafter, histological and immunohistochemical examinations were performed on the mice brain. Apoptotic assay, neuronal nuclei antigen immunohistochemistry (to assess neuron density), and behavioral and neurocognitive tests were conducted on the adult mice.Results: Propofol induced cellular degeneration and apoptosis in the brains of neonatal mice. It also modulated physiological parameters (pH, PO2, glucose and lactate), among which decreased blood glucose might be associated with cellular degeneration in the brain. Propofol also caused long-term neuronal deficits in adults, which showed impaired neurocognitive functions. Upon reaching adulthood, propofol-treated mice showed slow learning response and poor memory compared to controls.Conclusion: Propofol causes neurodegeneration in neonatal mice and has long-term neurocognitive consequences in adults, indicating that the use of propofol anesthetics in neonates requires careful consideration.Keywords: Anesthesia, Apoptosis, Brain injury, Neonate, Neurodegeneration, Propofo

Differential responses of two rubber tree clones to chilling stress

Chilling stress is one of the most important environmental factors that limit the growth, distribution and yield of rubber tree in China. The effects of chilling stress on the grated plants of two rubber trees clones, GT1 and Wenchang217, were studied by physiological methods in controlled light chamber in order to explore the physiological mechanism of cold tolerance in rubber tree. Our results show a significant change in the tested physiological parameters after chilling treatment between two rubber clones. In comparison with the case of rubber tree clone GT1, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased while superoxide dismutase, especially peroxidase and catalase decreased significantly in the seedlings of rubber tree clone Wenchang217 in response to chilling stress. As the cold tolerance ability of rubber tree clone GT1 is stronger than that of rubber tree clone Wenchang217, activation of oxidative quenching enzyme system should be one of the important factors that determine the cold tolerance of rubber tree.Keywords: Chilling stress, cold tolerance, Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg., physiological parameter, seedlin

Testing and Data Reduction of the Chinese Small Telescope Array (CSTAR) for Dome A, Antarctica

The Chinese Small Telescope ARray (hereinafter CSTAR) is the first Chinese astronomical instrument on the Antarctic ice cap. The low temperature and low pressure testing of the data acquisition system was carried out in a laboratory refrigerator and on the 4500m Pamirs high plateau, respectively. The results from the final four nights of test observations demonstrated that CSTAR was ready for operation at Dome A, Antarctica. In this paper we present a description of CSTAR and the performance derived from the test observations.Comment: Accepted Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA) 1 Latex file and 20 figure

Treating glioblastoma multiforme with selective high-dose liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy induced by repeated focused ultrasound

Feng-Yi Yang1, Ming-Che Teng1, Maggie Lu2, Hsiang-Fa Liang2, Yan-Ru Lee1, Chueh-Chuan Yen3, Muh-Lii Liang4,5, Tai-Tong Wong51Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 2Drug Delivery Laboratory, Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, 3Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, 4Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, 5Department of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, TaiwanBackground: High-dose tissue-specific delivery of therapeutic agents would be a valuable clinical strategy. We have previously shown that repeated transcranial focused ultrasound is able to increase the delivery of Evans blue significantly into brain tissue. The present study shows that repeated pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can be used to deliver high-dose atherosclerotic plaque-specific peptide-1 (AP-1)-conjugated liposomes selectively to brain tumors.Methods: Firefly luciferase (Fluc)-labeled human GBM8401 glioma cells were implanted into NOD-scid mice. AP-1-conjugated liposomal doxorubicin or liposomal doxorubicin alone was administered followed by pulsed HIFU and the doxorubicin concentration in the treated brains quantified by fluorometer. Growth of the labeled glioma cells was monitored through noninvasive bioluminescence imaging and finally the brain tissue was histologically examined after sacrifice.Results: Compared with the control group, the animals treated with 5 mg/kg injections of AP-1 liposomal doxorubicin or untargeted liposomal doxorubicin followed by repeated pulsed HIFU not only showed significantly enhanced accumulation of drug at the sonicated tumor site but also a significantly elevated tumor-to-normal brain drug ratio (P < 0.001). Combining repeated pulsed HIFU with AP-1 liposomal doxorubicin or untargeted liposomal doxorubicin has similar antitumor effects.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that targeted or untargeted liposomal doxorubicin, followed by repeated pulsed HIFU, is a promising high-dose chemotherapy method that allows the desired brain tumor region to be targeted specifically.Keywords: repeated focused ultrasound, interleukin-4 receptor, blood-brain barrier, brain tumor, target drug deliver

Nitrato(1,10-phenanthroline)(1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxyl­ato)copper(II)

In the title complex, [Cu(C3H2N3O2)(NO3)(C12H8N2)], the CuII ion is coordinated by an N and an O atom from a bidentate 1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxyl­ate (TRIA) ligand, two N atoms from a 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) ligand, and an O atom from a nitrate ligand in a slightly distorted square-pyramidal environment. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link mol­ecules into one-dimensional chains propagating along the b axis direction