Sesquiterpenoids in subtribe Centaureinae (Cass.) Dumort (tribe Cardueae, Asteraceae): distribution, 13C-NMR spectral data and biological properties

Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl is one of the biggest and most economically important plant families. The taxonomy and phylogeny of Asteraceae is rather complex and according to the latest and most reliable taxonomic classification of Panero & Funk, based on the analysis of nine chloroplast regions, the family is divided into 12 subfamilies and 35 tribes. One of the largest tribes of Asteraceae is Cardueae Cass. with four subtribes (Carlininae, Echinopinae, Carduinae and Centaureinae) and more than 2500 species. Susanna & Garcia-Jacas have organized the genera of Centaureinae (about 800 species) into seven informal groups, which recent molecular studies have confirmed: 1. Basal genera; 2. Volutaria group; 3. Rhaponticum group; 4. Serratula group; 5. Carthamus group; 6. Crocodylium group; 7. Centaurea group. This review summarizes reports on sesquiterpenoids from the Centaureinae subtribe of the Asteraceae family, as well as the 13C NMR spectral data described in the literature. It further reviews studies concerning the biological activities of these metabolites. For this work, literature data on sesquiterpenes from the Centaureinae subtribe were retrieved with the help of the SciFinder database and other similar data banks. All entries from 1958 until the end of 2011 were considered. This review is addressed to scientists working in the metabolomics field such as chemists, botanists, etc., the spectroscopic data reported make this work a good tool for structural elucidation, the biological section gives useful information to those who wish to study the structure activity relationships

Are electronic appeals the future of fundraising?: An examination of the fiscal data among Boston Ballet's online donors

Research reveals gaps in the knowledge on the rank in priority a nonprofit organization should use when coordinating different annual giving solicitation channels, such as direct mail, digital media, and telefunding. There is also a gap in the way members of an organization’s solicitation pool can be convinced to make donations online rather than through other channels. Boston Ballet is a nonprofit that needs to determine whether or not electronic appeals leading to online donations are the most cost-effective and practical solicitation method to garner increased participation and contributed revenue from individuals. This thesis addresses Boston Ballet’s issue of facing a large operational budget cut and their need to evaluate each solicitation method to prepare their donors and prospects to make annual gifts in the most efficient way possible—online. As Senior Manager of Annual Giving for Boston Ballet, I examined material from empirical and scholarly research through interviews and surveys, and conducted a data mine with revenue and participation figures from the organization’s database. I claim that, in today’s Development practices, electronic appeals have to be used in conjunction with direct mail, telefunding, and social media for a successful annual fund campaign in both contributed revenue and participation. This thesis presents qualitative and quantitative statistics on a critical method of fundraising for Boston Ballet that can be used by other nonprofit organizations across the nation.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201

Cytotoxic Activity and Composition of Petroleum Ether Extract from Magydaris tomentosa (Desf.) W. D. J. Koch (Apiaceae).

The petroleum ether extract of Magydaris tomentosa flowers (Desf.) W. D. J. Koch has been analyzed by GC-MS. It is mainly constituted by furanocoumarins such as xanthotoxin, xanthotoxol, isopimpinellin, and bergaptene. Other coumarins such as 7-methoxy-8-(2-formyl-2-methylpropyl) coumarin and osthole also occurred. The antiproliferative activity of Magydaris tomentosa flower extract has been evaluated in vitro on murine monocyte/macrophages (J774A.1), human melanoma (A375) and human breast cancer (MCF-7) tumor cell lines, showing a major activity against the latter

Modification in CSF specific gravity in acutely decompensated cirrhosis and acute on chronic liver failure independent of encephalopathy, evidences for an early blood-CSF barrier dysfunction in cirrhosis

Although hepatic encephalopathy (HE) on the background of acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with high mortality rates, it is unknown whether this is due to increased blood-brain barrier permeability. Specific gravity of cerebrospinal fluid measured by CT is able to estimate blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier permeability. This study aimed to assess cerebrospinal fluid specific gravity in acutely decompensated cirrhosis and to compare it in patients with or without ACLF and with or without hepatic encephalopathy. We identified all the patients admitted for acute decompensation of cirrhosis who underwent a brain CT-scan. Those patients could present acute decompensation with or without ACLF. The presence of hepatic encephalopathy was noted. They were compared to a group of stable cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. Quantitative brain CT analysis used the Brainview software that gives the weight, the volume and the specific gravity of each determined brain regions. Results are given as median and interquartile ranges and as relative variation compared to the control/baseline group. 36 patients presented an acute decompensation of cirrhosis. Among them, 25 presented with ACLF and 11 without ACLF; 20 presented with hepatic encephalopathy grade ≥ 2. They were compared to 31 stable cirrhosis patients and 61 healthy controls. Cirrhotic patients had increased cerebrospinal fluid specific gravity (CSF-SG) compared to healthy controls (+0.4 %, p < 0.0001). Cirrhotic patients with ACLF have decreased CSF-SG as compared to cirrhotic patients without ACLF (−0.2 %, p = 0.0030) that remained higher than in healthy controls. The presence of hepatic encephalopathy did not modify CSF-SG (−0.09 %, p = 0.1757). Specific gravity did not differ between different brain regions according to the presence or absence of either ACLF or HE. In patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis, and those with ACLF, CSF specific gravity is modified compared to both stable cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. This pattern is observed even in the absence of hepatic encephalopathy suggesting that blood-CSF barrier impairment is manifest even in absence of overt hepatic encephalopathy

Guaianolides from the aerial parts of Centaurea hololeuca

Seven guaianolides were isolated from the acetone extract of the aerial parts of Centaurea hololeuca Boiss. The antifeedant activity of the natural compounds (1–7) and of four chloro derivatives (8–11), synthesized from repin (1) and janerin (3) were tested against larvae of Spodoptera littoralis. Cebellin J (6) and chlorojanerin (11) showed significant antifeedant activity at 100 ppm, whereas at this concentration cebellin G (4) and 15-deschloro-15-hydroxychlorojanerin (7) stimulated feeding. Cebellin G (4) stimulated larvae of S. littoralis to feed at low concentration, but deterred feeding at high concentrations. The addition of chlorine to repin (1) resulted in an increase in antifeedant activity

Modulation of Cyclic AMP Levels in Fallopian Tube Cells by Natural and Environmental Estrogens

Autocrine/paracrine factors generated in response to 17β-estradiol (E2) within the fallopian tube (FT) facilitate fertilization and early embryo development for implantation. Since cyclic AMP (cAMP) plays a key role in reproduction, regulation of its synthesis by E2 may be of biological/pathophysiological relevance. Herein, we investigated whether cAMP production in FT cells (FTCs) is regulated by E2 and environmental estrogens (EE’s; xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens). Under basal conditions, low levels of extracellular cAMP were detectable in bovine FTCs (epithelial cells and fibroblasts; 1:1 ratio). Treatment of FTCs with forskolin (AC; adenylyl cyclase activator), isoproterenol (β-adrenoceptor agonist) and IBMX (phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor) dramatically (>10 fold) increased cAMP; whereas LRE1 (sAC; soluble AC inhibitor) and 2’,5’-dideoxyadenosine (DDA; transmembrane AC (tmAC)) inhibitor decreased cAMP. Comparable changes in basal and stimulated intracellular cAMP were also observed. Ro-20-1724 (PDE-IV inhibitor), but not milrinone (PDE-III inhibitor) nor mmIBMX (PDE-I inhibitor), augmented forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels, suggesting that PDE-IV dominates in FTCs. E2 increased cAMP levels and CREB phosphorylation in FTCs, and these effects were mimicked by EE’s (genistein, 4-hydroxy-2’,4’,6’-trichlorobiphenyl, 4-hydroxy-2’,4’,6’-dichlorobiphenyl). Moreover, the effects of E2 and EE were blocked by the tmAC inhibitor DDA, but not by the ERα/β antagonist ICI182780. Moreover, BAPTA-AM (intracellular-Ca2+ chelator) abrogated the effects of E2, but not genistein, on cAMP suggesting differential involvement of Ca2+. Treatment with non-permeable E2-BSA induced cAMP levels and CREB-phosphorylation; moreover, the stimulatory effects of E2 and EEs on cAMP were blocked by G15, a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) antagonist. E2 and IBMX induced cAMP formation was inhibited by LRE1 and DDA suggesting involvement of both tmAC and sAC. Our results provide the first evidence that in FTCs, E2 and EE’s stimulate cAMP synthesis via GPER. Exposure of the FT to EE’s and PDE inhibitors may result in abnormal non-cyclic induction of cAMP levels which may induce deleterious effects on reproduction