Modulatory effect of 900 MHz radiation on biochemical and reproductive parameters in rats.

In the present study, the effect of 900 MHz radiation exposure on blood biochemical and reproductive parameters was evaluated in adolescent rats. Male albino Wistar rats (8-10 weeks of age) were exposed to 900 MHz radiation (1hr/day, power density - 146.60 µW/cm2) from a mobile phone for 28 days. On 29th day the animals were euthanized and malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidants (TA) levels and Glutathione-S transferase (GST) activity were studied in the blood. Reproductive parameters such as total sperm count, percentage of non-motile sperms, and sperm morphology were determined. Testes sections were stained with H(et)E staining and their cellular integrity was evaluated. Caspase-3 activity in the testes was also determined. MDA concentration was increased but TA levels and GST activity were not found to be different in 900 MHz group compared to controls. Sperm motility was found to be slightly reduced in 900 MHz group. Percentage of abnormal sperm was significantly elevated in 900 MHz group. Additionally, loss of germ cells particularly spermatocytes and spermatids was found in the testes of 900 MHz group. Testes caspase-3 activity was slightly elevated in 900 MHz exposed rats. Chronic 900 MHz exposure induced oxidative damage in the blood and lead to alterations in reproductive parameters in rats (Fig. 4, Ref. 33).

Ascorbic Acid ameliorates nicotine exposure induced impaired spatial memory performances in rats.

INTRODUCTION: The long lasting behavioural and cognitive impairments in offspring prenatally exposed to nicotine have been confirmed in animal models. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ascorbic acid on prenatal nicotine exposure induced behavioral deficits in male offspring of rats. METHODS: The pregnant Wistar dams were divided into four groups of six rats: control, vehicle control, nicotine and nicotine+ascorbic acid groups. The nicotine group received daily dose of subcutaneous injections of 0.96 mg/kg body weight (bw) nicotine free base throughout gestation. Pregnant dams in nicotine+ascorbic acid group were first given nicotine free base (0.96 mg/kg bw/day; subcutaneous route) followed by ascorbic acid (50 mg/kg bw/day, orally) daily throughout gestation. The cognitive function of male offspring of all the experimental groups was studied using Morris water maze test at postnatal day 40. RESULTS: Prenatal nicotine exposure altered spatial learning and memory in male offspring. However, treatment with ascorbic acid ameliorated these changes in rats. CONCLUSION: Ascorbic acid supplementation was found to be effective in preventing the prenatal nicotine exposure induced cognitive deficits in rat offspring to some extent.

A versatile stable platform for multifunctional applications: synthesis of a nitroDOPA-PEO-alkyne scaffold for iron oxide nanoparticles.

Contemporary magnetic nanoparticle composites are individually designed for specific biomedical applications. We describe the syntheses and characterization of a heterobifunctional polyethylene oxide (PEO) using nitroDOPA as a robust anchoring group on one end and an alkyne as the reactive surface for additional application specific modification.

Quantification of selected aroma-active compounds in strawberries by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography and correlation with sensory descriptive analysis.

Selected aroma-active compounds in strawberries were quantified using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography. Ten strawberry cultivars grown in California and Oregon were studied. The standard curves were built in a synthetic matrix and quantification was achieved using multiple internal standards. Odor activity values (OAVs) of the aroma compounds were calculated to understand their contribution to the overall aroma. Although the concentrations of the aroma compounds varied depending on the cultivars, in general, ethyl butanoate, mesifurane, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, hexyl acetate, and gamma-dodecalactone had the highest OAVs. Descriptive sensory analysis was performed by a trained panel of 10 members. A PCA plot was built to understand the aroma contribution of principal components. The chemical results were compared with sensory data. The OAV of esters correlated well with the floral, pineapple, and banana notes. The green notes did not correlate with the concentration or OAVs of aldehydes or C6 alcohols. It is assumed that the higher amounts of green, sulfur, musty, and waxy notes in some cultivars were due to the lack of fruity notes.

A rare case of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle variation.

An abnormal sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle was encountered bilaterally during routine dissection of the head and neck region of a 60 year old male cadaver. The SCM muscle of both the sides had an additional sternal head arising from the capsule of the sternoclavicular joint and the supero-lateral border of the manubrium sterni. The clinical significance of the present variation is immense, as it might cause difficulty in assessing the vital neurovascular structures of the neck during surgical procedure.

Computer-aided design of selective COX-2 inhibitors: comparative molecular field analysis, comparative molecular similarity indices analysis, and docking studies of some 1,2-diarylimidazole derivatives.

Comparative molecular field analysis and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis were performed on 114 analogues of 1,2-diarylimidazole to optimize their cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective antiinflammatory activities. These studies produced models with high correlation coefficients and good predictive abilities. Docking studies were also carried out wherein these analogues were docked into the active sites of both COX-1 and COX-2 to analyze the receptor ligand interactions that confer selectivity for COX-2. The most active molecule in the series (53) adopts an orientation similar to that of SC-558 (4-[5-(4-bromophenyl)-3-trifluoromethyl-1H-1-pyrozolyl]-1-benzenesulfonamide) inside the COX-2 active site while the least active molecule (101) optimizes in a different orientation. In the active site, there are some strong hydrogen-bonding interactions observed between residues His90, Arg513, and Phe518 and the ligands. Additionally, a correlation of the quantitative structure-activity relationship data and the docking results is found to validate each other and suggests the importance of the binding step in overall drug action.

[Tris(4-tolyl)methyl]benzene.

The crystal structure of the title compound, C(28)H(26), in the monoclinic space group C2/c has a columnar packing arrangement with a 7.20 A axis, a feature common to several tetraphenylmethanes.