On the solutions of quasi-linear inclusions of evolution

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Global attractivity without stability for Liénard type systems

We are concerned with some conditions such as the trivial solution of a planar system of differential equations (including the Liénard system) that is globally attractive but not stable. We emphasize the connection with some nonoscillatory conditions. The results are related to the previous ones obtained by Hara in 1993

Metal Complexes of Pharmaceutical Substances

Significant progresses have been made in the inorganic and organic chemistry up to the present concerning the synthesis, characterization, and application of the metal complexes of pharmaceutical substances. From the wide range of fields in which these coordination compounds find their application, many efforts were focused on the study of their importance in the biological processes. The coordination complexes of many pharmaceutical substances having different pharmacological effects e.g., pyrazinamide (PZA), nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinic acid (NIC), theophylline (TEO), captopril (CPL), tolbutamide (TBA), clonidine (CLN), guanfacine (GUAF), etc. with transition metals were synthesized and used in order to improve their pharmacological and pharmacotechnical properties and also for the drug analysis and control. Several techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), X-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, electrochemical methods, thermal methods, and scanning electron microscopy were used for the physicochemical characterization of the complex composition. A significant interest in the development of metal complex-based drugs with unique research and therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities is currently observed in the medicinal inorganic chemistry area

Equisetum arvense

Background. The antimicrobial activity of the Equisetum arvense L. extract and the mechanisms involved in the in vitro effects on endothelial vascular cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress were evaluated. Methods. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, in pretreatment with Equisetum arvense L., caffeic acid, and cathechin, were quantified. Results. The results have shown that Equisetum arvense L. exhibited antibacterial effects only on pathogenic gram-positive cocci. The modulatory activity of Equisetum arvense L. on endothelial cells exposed to hypertonic medium was different and depended on the concentration used. Low concentrations of tested compounds exerted antioxidant effect and diminished the activity of caspase-8 and also increased IκB expression while in high doses, Equisetum arvense L. was prooxidant, induced apoptosis, and decreased IL-6 secretion. Conclusions. These experimental findings suggest that Equisetum arvense L. has antibacterial effects on gram-positive cocci and, administered in low dose, may be a new therapeutic approach for diseases associated with hypertonic conditions or oxidative stress and apoptosis

A Phytocomplex Consisting of Tropaeolum majus L. and Salvia officinalis L. Extracts Alleviates the Inflammatory Response of Dermal Fibroblasts to Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides

Background. The antimicrobial activity and effects of a phytocomplex consisting of Tropaeolum flos (T) and Salviae folium (S) extracts on the cytokine levels and transcription factors on dermal fibroblast BJ exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharides were examined. Methods. In order to select the most optimal combination ratio of the two extracts for using in vitro, the physicochemical characterization of vegetal extract mixtures was performed and the antioxidant and antibacterial activities were evaluated on five different formulations of T : S, namely, 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 2 : 1, 3 : 1, and 1 : 3. The best combination of bioactive compounds with regard to antioxidant and antibacterial activities (T : S 1 : 2) was selected for in vitro evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effect. Human dermal fibroblast BJ cells were treated with two doses of the extract mixture and then exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The levels of the cytokines involved in inflammatory response, namely, interleukin- (IL-) 6, tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, IL-31, and IL-33, were quantified by ELISA, and the expression of transcription factors, namely, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB), and phosphorylated NFκB (pNFκB), were evaluated by western blot analysis. Results. The results have shown that the mixture of T : S 1 : 2 exhibited significant antibacterial effects on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. LPS exposure increased the cytokine levels in BJ cells and enhanced the NFκB expression. The pretreatment of BF cells exposed to LPS with the two doses of the extract mixture markedly inhibited the increase of IL-33 and TNF-α levels and amplified the NFκB expression and its activation, especially with the high dose. The low doses of the extract reduced NFκB expression but increased its activation. Conclusions. These experimental findings suggest that the mixture of T : S 1 : 2 can exert some protection against bacterial infections and inflammation induced by LPS in BJ cells being a good therapeutic option in related conditions associated with inflammation