Poly[bis­(μ2-4,4′-bipyridine)bis­(3-nitro­benzoato)cobalt(II)]

The hydro­thermal reaction of cobalt nitrate with 4,4′-bipyridine and 3-nitro­benzoic acid lead to the formation of the title complex, [Co(C7H4NO4)2(C10H8N2)2]n. In the crystal structure, the CoII atoms are coordinated by two terminal carboxyl­ate anions and four 4,4′-bipyridine ligands within slightly distorted octa­hedra. The CoII atom and one of the two independent 4,4′-bipyridine ligands are located on a twofold rotation axis, while the second independent 4,4′-bipyridine mol­ecule is located on a centre of inversion. One of the two rings of one 4,4′-bipyridine ligand is disordered over two orientations and was refined using a split model [occupancy ratio 0.68 (2):0.32 (2)]. The CoII atoms are connected by the 4,4′-bipyridine ligands into layers, which are located parallel to the ab plane

Hydrodynamical Simulations of the Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1097

NGC 1097 is a nearby barred spiral galaxy believed to be interacting with the elliptical galaxy NGC 1097A located to its northwest. It hosts a Seyfert 1 nucleus surrounded by a circumnuclear starburst ring. Two straight dust lanes connected to the ring extend almost continuously out to the bar. The other ends of the dust lanes attach to two main spiral arms. To provide a physical understanding of its structural and kinematical properties, two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations have been carried out. Numerical calculations reveal that many features of the gas morphology and kinematics can be reproduced provided that the gas flow is governed by a gravitational potential associated with a slowly rotating strong bar. By including the self-gravity of the gas disk in our calculation, we have found the starburst ring to be gravitationally unstable which is consistent with the observation in \citet{hsieh11}. Our simulations show that the gas inflow rate is 0.17 M_\sun yr$^{-1}$ into the region within the starburst ring even after its formation, leading to the coexistence of both a nuclear ring and a circumnuclear disk.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in the Ap

catena-Poly[[tetraaquanickel(II)]-μ3-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato-3′:1:2-κ4 O 1:O 3,O 3′:O 5-[tetraaquanickel(II)]-μ2-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato-2:3κ2 O 1:O 3-[tetraaquanickel(II)]]

The microwave solvothermal reaction of nickel nitrate with trimesic acid provided the title compound, [Ni3(BTC)2(H2O)12]n (BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxyl­ate anion, C9H3O6), which is a metal coordination polymer composed of one-dimensional zigzag chains. The crystal under investigation was ramecically twinned with an approximate twin domain ratio of 1:1. In the asymmetric unit, there are two types of Ni atoms. One of the NiO6 groups (2 symmetry) is coordinated to only one carboxyl­ate group and thus terminal, the other is bridging, forming the coordination polymer. The extended chains are connected by the organic BTC anions via μ 2-linkages. O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π–π inter­actions between the chains [centroid–centroid distance 3.58 (1) Å] induce the complex to mimic a three-dimensional structure

Overexpression of α-enolase correlates with poor survival in canine mammary carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>α-Enolase (ENO1) is a key glycolytic enzyme implicated in the development of many human cancers including breast cancer. Increased expression of ENO1 has recently been reported in estrogen (ER)-positive human breast cancer patients. The present study examined the expression of ENO1 and assessed its significance in canine mammary carcinoma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunohistochemical staining was employed to investigate the expression of ENO1 in 82 cases of canine mammary tumor (32 benign tumors and 50 carcinomas). Quantification of immunohistochemistry was carried out using Quick score and the results showed cytoplasmic ENO1 overexpression in 9 of the 50 carcinomas (18%). Overexpression of ENO1 correlated significantly with shorter cause-specific survival (P = 0.019), but was not associated with ER positivity in canine mammary carcinoma.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that overexpression of ENO1 may be used as a prognostic marker for poor outcome in canine mammary carcinoma.</p

Commensal microflora induce host defense and decrease bacterial translocation in burn mice through toll-like receptor 4

BACKGROUND: Major burn is associated with decreased gut barrier function and increased bacterial translocation (BT). This study is to investigate whether commensal microflora induce host defense and decrease BT in burn mice. METHODS: First, we treated Wild type (WT) mice with antibiotics in drinking water for 4 weeks to deplete gut commensal microflora. At week 3, drinking water was supplemented with lipopolysaccharide (LPS); a ligand for TLR4, to trigger TLRs in gut. The intestinal permeability, glutathione level, NF-κB DNA-binding activity, TLR4 expression of intestinal mucosa, BT to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), and bacterial killing activity of peritoneal cells were measured after thermal injury. Second, lung of animals were harvested for MPO activity and TNFα mRNA expression assay. Third, WT animals were treated with oral antibiotics with or without LPS supplement after burn. At 48 hr after burn, TLR4 expression of intestinal mucosa and bacterial killing activity of cells were examined. Finally, bacterial killing activity and BT to MLNs after thermal injury in C3H/HeJ (TLR4 mutant) mice were measured. RESULTS: Burn induced BT to MLNs in WT mice. Commensal depletion decreased TLR4 expression as well as NF-κB activation of intestine, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity as well as TNFα expression of lung, and bacterial killing activity of peritoneal cells. Oral LPS supplement markedly reduced 81% of burn-induced BT and increased TLR4 expression, MPO activity of lung, as well as bacterial killing activity of peritoneal cells. LPS supplement did not change BT or bacterial killing activity in C3H/HeJ mice. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, commensal microflora induce TLR4 expression of intestine and bacterial killing activity of inflammatory cells in burn. TLR4 ligand increases bacterial killing activity and decreases burn-induced BT. Taken together with the abolition of LPS effect in TLR4 mutant mice, we conclude that commensal microflora induce host defense and decrease bacterial translocation in burn mice through toll-like receptor 4

Elevated Krüppel-like factor 4 transcription factor in canine mammary carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are critical regulators of biological and physiological systems and have been extensively studied for their roles in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival in the context of cancer. Among the KLFs, KLF4 is highly expressed in human breast cancers and plays an oncogenic role. The present study examined the expression of KLF4 and assessed its significance in canine mammary carcinoma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunohistochemistry was employed to investigate the expression of KLF4 in 142 cases of canine mammary tumor. 75 of the 142 (52.8%) cases were histologically confirmed as mammary carcinoma. Quantification of immunohistochemistry was carried out using Quick score which multiply the staining intensity by the percentage of positive cells. High KLF4 expression was identified in 44 of the 75 (59%) dogs with mammary carcinoma and none in the benign cases. High KLF4 expression occurred only in the tumor cells and not the adjacent normal cells in mammary carcinoma (P < 0.001). Moreover, the high expression level of KLF4 expression was statistically associated with poor grade, late stage, histological subtypes of simple and complex carcinoma, and shorter 24-month survival. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also indicated that dogs with high nuclear KLF4 expression had a significantly shorter survival than those with low/moderate KLF4 expression (P = 0.011).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>KLF4 is highly and frequently expressed in canine mammary carcinoma and correlates with a more aggressive phenotype.</p

The Relationship between Brown Adipose Tissue Activity and Neoplastic Status: an 18F-FDG PET/CT Study in the Tropics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has thermogenic potential. For its activation, cold exposure is considered a critical factor though other determinants have also been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between neoplastic status and BAT activity by 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in people living in the tropics, where the influence of outdoor temperature was low.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans were reviewed and the total metabolic activity (TMA) of identified activated BAT quantified. The distribution and TMA of activated BAT were compared between patients with and without a cancer history. The neoplastic status of patients was scored according to their cancer history and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT findings. We evaluated the relationships between the TMA of BAT and neoplastic status along with other factors: age, body mass index, fasting blood sugar, gender, and outdoor temperature.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty of 1740 patients had activated BAT. Those with a cancer history had wider BAT distribution (<it>p </it>= 0.043) and a higher TMA (<it>p </it>= 0.028) than those without. A higher neoplastic status score was associated with a higher average TMA. Multivariate analyses showed that neoplastic status was the only factor significantly associated with the TMA of activated BAT (<it>p </it>= 0.016).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Neoplastic status is a critical determinant of BAT activity in patients living in the tropics. More active neoplastic status was associated with more vigorous TMA of BAT.</p

Structural and cognitive deficits in chronic carbon monoxide intoxication: a voxel-based morphometry study

BACKGROUND: Patients with carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication may develop ongoing neurological and psychiatric symptoms that ebb and flow, a condition often called delayed encephalopathy (DE). The association between morphologic changes in the brain and neuropsychological deficits in DE is poorly understood. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests were conducted on 11 CO patients with DE, 11 patients without DE, and 15 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy subjects. Differences in gray matter volume (GMV) between the subgroups were assessed and further correlated with diminished cognitive functioning. RESULTS: As a group, the patients had lower regional GMV compared to controls in the following regions: basal ganglia, left claustrum, right amygdala, left hippocampus, parietal lobes, and left frontal lobe. The reduced GMV in the bilateral basal ganglia, left post-central gyrus, and left hippocampus correlated with decreased perceptual organization and processing speed function. Those CO patients characterized by DE patients had a lower GMV in the left anterior cingulate and right amygdala, as well as lower levels of cognitive function, than the non-DE patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CO intoxication in the chronic stage showed a worse cognitive and morphologic outcome, especially those with DE. This study provides additional evidence of gray matter structural abnormalities in the pathophysiology of DE in chronic CO intoxicated patients