8 research outputs found
Nuts and seeds consumption impact on adolescent obesity: sex-specific associations from 2003 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
The nutritional benefits and immunological advantages of consuming nuts and seeds are well-established. However, the link between nuts and seeds consumption and the susceptibility of being overweight or obese among adolescents is not clear. This study aims to explore this relationship in adolescents aged 12–19. Using a weighted multiple logistic regression model, we analysed data of the Food Patterns Equivalents Database and the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2018. We found a significant association between nuts and seeds consumption and a reduced odds of being overweight or obese in females. Specifically, females who habitually consumed nuts and seeds had lower odds of being overweight or obese (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32–0.94). Additionally, we found an L-shaped relationship between nuts and seeds consumption and appropriate waist-to-height ratio in males. The findings suggest that nuts and seeds consumption may contribute to healthier physical development in adolescents.</p
Discrimination of Metalloproteins by a Mini Sensor Array Based on Bispyrene Fluorophore/Surfactant Aggregate Ensembles
Fluorescent sensor arrays with pattern
recognition ability have been widely used to detect and identify multiple
chemically similar analytes. In the present work, two particular bispyrene
fluorophores containing hydrophilic oligo(oxyethylene) spacer, <b>6</b> and <b>4</b>, were synthesized, but one is with and
the other is without cholesterol unit. Their ensembles with cationic
surfactant (CTAB) assemblies realize multiple fluorescence responses
to different metalloproteins, including hemoglobin, myoglobin, ferritin,
cytochrome <i>c</i>, and alcohol dehydrogenase. The combination
of fluorescence variation at monomer and excimer emission of the two
binary sensor ensembles enables the mini sensor array to provide a
specific fingerprint pattern to each metalloprotein. Linear discriminant
analysis shows that the two-ensemble-sensor-based array could well
discriminate the five tested metalloproteins. The present work realizes
using a mini sensor array to accomplish discrimination of complex
analytes like proteins. They also display a very high sensitivity
to the tested metalloproteins with detection limits in the range of
picomolar concentration
Fluorescent Binary Ensemble Based on Pyrene Derivative and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Assemblies as a Chemical Tongue for Discriminating Metal Ions and Brand Water
Enormous effort has
been put to the detection and recognition of
various heavy metal ions due to their involvement in serious environmental
pollution and many major diseases. The present work has developed
a single fluorescent sensor ensemble that can distinguish and identify
a variety of heavy metal ions. A pyrene-based fluorophore (<b>PB</b>) containing a metal ion receptor group was specially designed and
synthesized. Anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) assemblies
can effectively adjust its fluorescence behavior. The selected binary
ensemble based on <b>PB</b>/SDS assemblies can exhibit multiple
emission bands and provide wavelength-based cross-reactive responses
to a series of metal ions to realize pattern recognition ability.
The combination of surfactant assembly modulation and the receptor
for metal ions empowers the present sensor ensemble with strong discrimination
power, which could well differentiate 13 metal ions, including Cu<sup>2+</sup>, Co<sup>2+</sup>, Ni<sup>2+</sup>, Cr<sup>3+</sup>, Hg<sup>2+</sup>, Fe<sup>3+</sup>, Zn<sup>2+</sup>, Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Al<sup>3+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+</sup>, and
Ba<sup>2+</sup>. Moreover, this single sensing ensemble could be further
applied for identifying different brands of drinking water
Supplemental Material - Effect of overweight/obesity on relationship between fractional exhaled nitric oxide and airway hyperresponsiveness in Chinese elderly patients with asthma
Supplemental Material for Effect of overweight/obesity on relationship between fractional exhaled nitric oxide and airway hyperresponsiveness in Chinese elderly patients with asthma by Fengjia Chen, Yangli Liu, Long-hua Sun, Zhimin Zeng, and Xinyan Huang in International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology</p
Structure-Based Discovery of Negative Allosteric Modulators of the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5
Recently determined
structures of class C G protein-coupled
receptors
(GPCRs) revealed the location of allosteric binding sites and opened
new opportunities for the discovery of novel modulators. In this work,
molecular docking screens for allosteric modulators targeting the
metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) were performed.
The mGlu5 receptor is activated by the main excitatory
neurotransmitter of the nervous central system, L-glutamate, and mGlu5 receptor activity can be allosterically modulated by negative
or positive allosteric modulators. The mGlu5 receptor is
a promising target for the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative
diseases, and several allosteric modulators of this GPCR have been
evaluated in clinical trials. Chemical libraries containing fragment-
(1.6 million molecules) and lead-like (4.6 million molecules) compounds
were docked to an allosteric binding site of mGlu5 identified
in X-ray crystal structures. Among the top-ranked compounds, 59 fragments
and 59 lead-like compounds were selected for experimental evaluation.
Of these, four fragment- and seven lead-like compounds were confirmed
to bind to the allosteric site with affinities ranging from 0.43 to
8.6 μM, corresponding to a hit rate of 9%. The four compounds
with the highest affinities were demonstrated to be negative allosteric
modulators of mGlu5 signaling in functional assays. The
results demonstrate that virtual screens of fragment- and lead-like
chemical libraries have complementary advantages and illustrate how
access to high-resolution structures of GPCRs in complex with allosteric
modulators can accelerate lead discovery
Qualification of LSP1-2111 as a Brain Penetrant Group III Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Orthosteric Agonist
LSP1-2111
is a group III metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist
with preference toward the mGlu4 receptor subtype. This compound has
been extensively used as a tool to explore the pharmacology of mGlu4
receptor activation in preclinical animal behavioral models. However,
the blood–brain barrier penetration of this amino acid derivative
has never been studied. We report studies on the central nervous system
(CNS) disposition of LSP1-2111 using quantitative microdialysis in
rat. Significant unbound concentrations of the drug relative to its <i>in vitro</i> binding affinity and functional potency were established
in extracellular fluid (ECF). These findings support the use of LSP1-2111
to study the CNS pharmacology of mGlu4 receptor activation through
orthosteric agonist mechanisms
Substrate-Mediated C–C and C–H Coupling after Dehalogenation
Intermolecular
C–C coupling after cleavage of C–X
(mostly, X = Br or I) bonds has been extensively studied for facilitating
the synthesis of polymeric nanostructures. However, the accidental
appearance of C–H coupling at the terminal carbon atoms would
limit the successive extension of covalent polymers. To our knowledge,
the selective C–H coupling after dehalogenation has not so
far been reported, which may illuminate another interesting field
of chemical synthesis on surfaces besides <i>in situ</i> fabrication of polymers, i.e., synthesis of novel organic molecules.
By combining STM imaging, XPS analysis, and DFT calculations, we have
achieved predominant C–C coupling on Au(111) and more interestingly
selective C–H coupling on Ag(111), which in turn leads to selective
synthesis of polymeric chains or new organic molecules
The Manufacture of a Homochiral 4‑Silyloxycyclopentenone Intermediate for the Synthesis of Prostaglandin Analogues
A process is described for the synthesis of kilogram
quantities
of homochiral 4-silyloxycyclopentenone (<i>R</i>)-<b>1</b>, a key intermediate useful for the synthesis of a plurality
of prostaglandin analogue drugs. Cyclopentenone (<i>R</i>)-<b>1</b> was synthesized in 14 isolated steps from furfural.
Key steps in the synthesis include a Wittig reaction, Piancatelli
rearrangement, and an enzymatic resolution featuring in situ recycling
of the undesired enantiomer furnishing the desired homochiral alcohol
in ≥99.5% ee. As a retort to the unsatisfactory coformation
of about 8% at best of the <i>trans</i>-olefin in the Wittig
reaction, a change to the order of several steps and the identification
of a recrystallisable, amine salt derivative, <b>2</b>, allowed
the unwanted isomer to be controlled to as low as 0.2%