Biological Interest Research Articles

Structural applications of the isotropic liquid-phase deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance.

Present review is focused on recent experimental and computational advances of the liquid-phase deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Nowadays, isotropic liquid-phase 2 H NMR became one of the most important instruments for the identification and certification of organic compounds of biological interest together with natural products and biosynthetic molecules. Of special interest are the 2 H NMR biochemical and microbiological applications. This review consists of three main parts. The first part deals with the practical applications of 2 H NMR to organic compounds of biological interest. The second part is connected with natural products and biosynthetic molecules, while the third part exemplifies and outlines 2 H NMR advances in biochemistry and microbiology.

Copper Catalyzed Synthesis of Heterocyclic Molecules via C-N and C-O Bond Formation under Microwaves: A Mini-Review.

Heterocyclic moieties play a significant role in the field of drug discovery. C-N and C-O bond formation reactions are the primary synthetic sequence for the generation of heterocyclic molecules. The generation of C-N and C-O bonds involves the use of mostly Pd or Cu catalysts although other transition metal catalyst's are also involved. However, in C-N and C-O bond formation reactions, several problems were faced such as catalytic systems containing costly ligands, lack of substrate scope, lots of waste generation, and high temperature conditions. So it is imperative to uncover new eco-friendly synthetic strategies. In view of enormous drawbacks, it is important to develop an alternate microwave-assisted synthesis of heterocycles via C-N and C-O bond formation, which provides a short reaction time, tolerance for functional groups, and less waste production. Numerous chemical reactions have been accelerated using microwave irradiation which provides a cleaner reaction profile, lower energy consumption, and higher yields. This review article highlights a comprehensive overview on the potential application of microwave assisted synthetic routes for the synthesis of diverse heterocycles via mechanistic pathways covering the year ranges from 2014 to 2023, along with possible biological interests.

Inventory and Quantitative Assessment of Belyounech Commune Geosites (East of the Site of Biological and Ecological Interest of Jbel Moussa, Northern Moroccan Rif)

Inventory and Quantitative Assessment of Belyounech Commune Geosites (East of the Site of Biological and Ecological Interest of Jbel Moussa, Northern Moroccan Rif)

Synchronization of Phase Oscillators Due to Nonlocal Coupling Mediated by the Slow Diffusion of a Substance

Many systems of physical and biological interest are characterized by assemblies of phase oscillators whose interaction is mediated by a diffusing chemical. The coupling effect results from the fact that the local concentration of the mediating chemical affects both its production and absorption by each oscillator. Since the chemical diffuses through the medium in which the oscillators are embedded, the coupling among oscillators is non-local; it considers all the oscillators depending on their relative spatial distances. We considered a mathematical model for this coupling, when the diffusion time is arbitrary with respect to the characteristic oscillator periods, yielding a system of coupled nonlinear integro-differential equations which can be solved using Green functions for appropriate boundary conditions. In this paper, we show numerical solutions of these equations for three finite domains: a linear one-dimensional interval, a rectangular, and a circular region, with absorbing boundary conditions. From the numerical solutions, we investigate phase and frequency synchronization of the oscillators, with respect to changes in the coupling parameters for the three considered geometries.

Learning and organization of within-session sequences by pigeons (Columba livia).

Most animals engage in complex activities that are the combination of simpler actions expressed over a period of time. The mechanisms organizing such sequential behavior have been of long-standing biological and psychological interest. Previously, we observed pigeons' anticipatory behavior with a within-session sequence involving four choice alternatives suggestive of a potential understanding of the overall order and sequence of the items within a session. In that task, each colored alternative was correct for 24 consecutive trials as presented in a predictable sequence (i.e., A first, then B, then C, then D). To test whether these four already-trained pigeons possessed a sequential and linked representation of the ABCD items, we added a second four-item sequence involving new and distinct colored choice alternatives (i.e., E first for 24 trials, then F, then G, then H) and then alternated these ABCD and EFGH sequences over successive sessions. Over three manipulations, we tested and trained trials composed of combinations of elements from both sequences. We determined that pigeons did not learn any within-sequence associations among the elements. Despite the availability and explicit utility of such sequence cues, the data suggest instead that pigeons learned the discrimination tasks as a series of temporal associations among independent elements. This absence of any sequential linkage is consistent with the hypothesis that such representations are difficult to form in pigeons. This pattern of data suggests that for repeated sequential activities in birds, and potentially other animals including humans, there are highly effective, but underappreciated, clock-like mechanisms that control the ordering of behaviors.

Application of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field and Autofluorescence Lifetime Microscopy of FAD in Lung Cells.

Exposure of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) to live cells is an increasing research interest in biology and medicine. Despite extensive studies, a question still remains as to how effects of application of nsPEF on intracellular functions are different between cancerous cells and normal cells and how the difference can be detected. Herein, we have presented an approach of autofluorescence lifetime (AFL) microscopy of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to detect effects of application of nsPEF having 50 ns of a pulse width, nsPEF(50), on intracellular function in lung cancerous cells, A549 and H661, which show nsPEF(50)-induced apoptosis, and normal cells, MRC-5, in which the field effect is less or not induced. Then, the application of nsPEF(50) is shown to increase the lifetime of FAD autofluorescence in lung cancerous cells, whereas the electric field effects on the autofluorescence of FAD was not significant in normal healthy cells, which indicates that the lifetime measurements of FAD autofluorescence are applicable to detect the field-induced change in intracellular functions. Lifetime and intensity microscopic images of FAD autofluorescence in these lung cells were also acquired after exposure to the apoptosis-inducer staurosporine (STS). Then, it was found that the AFL of FAD became longer after exposure not only in the cancerous cells but also in the normal cells. These results indicate that nsPEF(50) applied to lung cells induced apoptotic cell death only in lung cancerous cells (H661 and A549) but not in lung normal cells (MRC-5), whereas STS induced apoptotic cell death both in lung cancerous cells and in lung normal cells. The lifetime microscopy of FAD autofluorescence is suggested to be very useful as a sensitive detection method of nsPEF-induced apoptotic cell death.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Model Pembelajaran Learning Cycle 5E Terhadap Minat dan Hasil Belajar Biologi Siswa SMA

In connection with the biology learning process, it is known that the activities of some students are less active when the teaching and learning process takes place. Most students only receive information directly from the teacher. The class situation looks very formal and students don't get the opportunity to respond to the material presented, either by asking questions or by other activities, so they don't train students' thinking skills. Thus the objectives to be achieved in this study are: (1) To find out interest and learning outcomes in biology before and after the 5E Learning Cycle learning model is applied (2) to find out whether there is an effect of using the 5E Learning Cycle learning model on interest and learning outcomes in Biology . This type of research is experimental research. Experimental research (Experimental Research) using a quasi-experimental design with the type of One Group Pretest Posttest Design. Based on the results of the research that has been discussed, it can be concluded as follows: Interest in learning biology before being given treatment is in the medium category. After learning by using the 5E learning cycle learning model is in the high category. Student biology learning outcomes before being given treatment were in the low category, after being given treatment were in the high category. There is an effect of using the 5E learning cycle learning model on the interest and learning outcomes of class XI UPT SMA Negeri 1 Palopo.

Michelle Linterman: We are always learning.

Michelle Linterman is a group leader at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK. The research focus of her lab is to understand the fundamental biology of the germinal center response after immunization and infection and how this changes with age. We caught up with Michelle to talk about how her interest in germinal center biology started, the benefits of team science, and her collaboration between the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, New Zealand, and Churchill College, Cambridge.

A method for tritiation of iboxamycin permits measurement of its ribosomal binding

Hydrogen-tritium exchange is widely employed for radioisotopic labeling of molecules of biological interest but typically involves the metal-promoted exchange of sp2-hybridized carbon-hydrogen bonds, a strategy that is not directly applicable to the antibiotic iboxamycin, which possesses no such bonds. We show that ruthenium-induced 2′-epimerization of 2′-epi-iboxamycin in HTO (200 mCi) of low specific activity (10 Ci/g, 180 mCi/mmol) at 80 °C for 18 h affords after purification tritium-labeled iboxamycin (3.55 µCi) with a specific activity of 53 mCi/mmol. Iboxamycin displayed an apparent inhibition constant (Ki, app) of 41 ± 30 nM towards Escherichia coli ribosomes, binding approximately 70-fold more tightly than the antibiotic clindamycin (Ki, app = 2.7 ± 1.1 µM).

The value of Interferon β in multiple sclerosis and novel opportunities for its anti-viral activity: a narrative literature review.

Interferon-beta (IFN-β) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is turning 30. The COVID-19 pandemic rejuvenated the interest in interferon biology in health and disease, opening translational opportunities beyond neuroinflammation. The antiviral properties of this molecule are in accord with the hypothesis of a viral etiology of MS, for which a credible culprit has been identified in the Epstein-Barr Virus. Likely, IFNs are crucial in the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as demonstrated by inherited and acquired impairments of the interferon response that predispose to a severe COVID-19 course. Accordingly, IFN-β exerted protection against SARS-CoV-2 in people with MS (pwMS). In this viewpoint, we summarize the evidence on IFN-β mechanisms of action in MS with a focus on its antiviral properties, especially against EBV. We synopsize the role of IFNs in COVID-19 and the opportunities and challenges of IFN-β usage for this condition. Finally, we leverage the lessons learned in the pandemic to suggest a role of IFN-β in long-COVID-19 and in special MS subpopulations.

Extracellular vesicles in the glioblastoma microenvironment: A diagnostic and therapeutic perspective.

Glioblastoma (GBM), is the most malignant form of gliomas and the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Conventional cancer treatments have limited to no efficacy on GBM. GBM cells respond and adapt to the surrounding brain parenchyma known as tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote tumor preservation. Among specific TME, there are 3 of particular interest for GBM biology: the perivascular niche, the subventricular zone neurogenic niche, and the immune microenvironment. GBM cells and TME cells present a reciprocal feedback which results in tumor maintenance. One way that these cells can communicate is through extracellular vesicles. These vesicles include exosomes and microvesicles that have the ability to carry both cancerous and non-cancerous cargo, such as miRNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and DNA. In this review we will discuss the booming topic that is extracellular vesicles, and how they have the novelty to be a diagnostic and targetable vehicle for GBM.

Metabolism in the tumor cell and beyond

The process of cellular transformation encompasses the acquisition of key and distinctive features, commonly known as hallmarks of cancer. These hallmarks are supported by tumor-intrinsic molecular alterations, as well as changes in the microenvironment. Cellular metabolism represents one of the most intimate connections between a cell and the environment. In turn, metabolic adaptation is a research field of increasing interest in cancer biology. In this viewpoint, I will provide a panoramic perspective of the relevance and repercussions of metabolic alterations in tumors with nonexhaustive illustrative examples and I will speculate about the prospects of cancer metabolism research.

High activities of nickel (II) complexes containing phosphorus-nitrogen ligands in hydrogen transfer reaction of imines using formic acid as a renewable hydrogen source

The catalytic reduction of imines to obtain secondary amines is an important route in the synthesis of molecules of biological or pharmaceutical interest. A series of new nickel (II) complexes bearing phosphorous-nitrogen (P,N) or phosphorous-nitrogen-phosphorous (P,N,P) ligands were characterized and studied as catalysts in hydrogen transfer reaction of imines, using formic acid as a hydrogen source, while avoiding the use of molecular hydrogen (H2). The complexes, of general formula NiCl2(L), [Ni(L)2](CF3SO3)2 (in which L is a P,N ligand) and [NiCl(L)]Cl (in the case of a tridentate PNP ligand), were active catalysts in the imine hydrogen, with turnover frequencies (TOF) up to 373 h−1 with NiCl2L1 complex (L1 = 2-(diphenylphosphinoamino) pyridine) and N-benzylideneaniline as substrate, while a [Ni(L)2](CF3SO3)2 complex bearing the same P,N ligand achieved a slightly lower activity (TOF = 320 h−1). Catalyst recyclability was also studied, achieving near full conversion after four cycles, with a total substrate/catalyst ratio of 1000:1.

The Possible Role of Anoxic Alkaline High Subcritical Water in the Formation of Ferric Minerals, Methane and Disordered Graphitic Carbon in a BARB3 Drilled Sample of the 3.4Ga Buck Reef Chert.

The present article reports Raman spectroscopic observations of siderite, hematite, disordered graphitic carbon and possibly greenalite inside the quartz matrix of a banded iron sample from the BARB3 core drilled inside the 3.4Ga Buck Reef Chert of the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. The article also reports Raman spectroscopic observations of quartz cavities, concluding in the presence of water, methane and sodium hydroxide at high concentration leading to pH ~ 15 inside the inclusion, suggesting an Archean water which was strongly basic. FeIII-greenalite may also be present inside the inclusion. The possible role of anoxic alkaline high subcritical water in the formation of ferric minerals and the CO required for the synthesis of molecules of biological interest has been demonstrated theoretically since 2013 and summarized in the concept of Geobiotropy. The present article experimentally confirms the importance of considering water in its anoxic strongly alkaline high subcritical domain for the formation of quartz, hematite, FeIII-greenalite, methane and disordered graphitic carbon. Methane is proposed to form locally when the carbon dioxide that is dissolved in the Archean anoxic alkaline high subcritical water, interacts with the molecular hydrogen that is emitted during the anoxic alkaline oxidation of ferrous silicates. The carbon matter is proposed to form as deposition from the anoxic methane-rich fluid. A detailed study of carbon matter from diverse origins is presented in a supplementary file. The study shows that the BARB3_23B sample has been submitted to ~ 335°C, a temperature of the high subcritical domain, and that the graphitic structure contains very low amounts of oxygen and no hydroxyl functional groups. The importance of considering the structure of water is applied to the constructions of the Neoproterozoic and Archean banded iron formations. It is proposed that their minerals are produced inside chemical reaction chambers containing ferrous silicates, and ejected from the Earth's oceanic crust or upper mantle, during processes involving subduction events or not.

The Effect of Using Liveworksheets Learning Media on Student Interests and Learning Outcomes in Ecosystem Material

This study aims to determine the effect of using live worksheets learning media on students' interests and learning outcomes in ecosystem material. This study used a qualitative descriptive analysis technique, and the research subject was students of class X A at SMA Muhammadiyah 3 Jember. Based on the observations result, the students in class X A had a low interest in learning biology which affected student learning outcomes. The low interest in learning biology among students can be influenced by several factors, one of those is the use of learning media considered less attractive. One of the learning media that can attract students' interest in learning is live worksheets. Live worksheets are an application that can display material in the form of videos, images, and other interesting symbols that can increase students' interest and enthusiasm for learning. According to the results, the research was done in two cycles, liveworksheets learning media could increase students' learning interest and based on analysis of learning outcomes data in each cycle showed an improvement in learning outcomes.

The history of circadian rhythm research in Austria.

In view of the recent revival of interest in circadian biology and circadian epidemiology at the Medical University of Vienna, it seems appropriate to highlight the rich and pioneering history of circadian research in Austria. Among the forefathers of circadian research in Vienna are Otto Marburg (1874-1948), who discovered important elements of the pineal gland physiology, Robert Hofstätter (1883-1970), who used pineal gland extract in obstetrics/gynecology, and Paul Engel (1907-1997), who discovered that the pineal gland was controlled by light. More recently, Vera Lapin (1920-2007) showed that surgical removal of the pineal gland increased tumor growth, while Franz Waldhauser (*1946) investigated melatonin in conjunction with night work. Michael Kundi (*1950) and his team conducted among the first studies demonstrating differences in rhythms of night workers and early evidence for health impairments among them. Furthermore, Vienna-born Erhard Haus (1926-2013) pioneered the discovery of the role and importance of melatonin in relation to numerous diseases. This rich pioneering contribution of scientists in Vienna or with roots in Vienna is continued today by anew generation of chronobiologists, epidemiologists and clinicians in Vienna whose new insights contribute to the rapidly developing field of circadian rhythms research. Current topics and contributions relate to the impact of circadian rhythm disruption on health, and the application of chronotherapeutic approaches in clinical and preventive settings.

Planning the Future: Greek Students of Secondary Education Choose to Study in Tertiary Education and Their Future Profession: A Quantitative Approach

The decisions that male/female students should make regarding their schooling, are believed to be extremely important, since these decisions will affect the future life of students. Therefore, we attempted to explore the factors that affect students in making education and career related decisions, and which specifically apply to General High School students from various areas in mainland and insular Greece. The research objective is to study the reasons that cause students in Greek secondary education and their parents to decide for students to go to university after finishing school. In more specific, it is attempted to study the following: The factors affecting male and female students in choosing to go on into university, along with the reasons why parents believe that their children want to study, parents' aspirations regarding the career future of their children, factors that determine the students' chances of going to university, as well as factors affecting the future career choices of students according to their attitude.In the first, theoretical, part, the concept of education and career related decision-making is presented. Following that, the factors are presented that underpin both the education and career related decisions of students. Specific reference is made to personal factors, such as biological factors, e.g. gender, physical characteristics, aptitudes, etc., acquired factors, e.g. skills, values, interests, etc., and social factors, which determine education and career related decision-making, such as family, school, etc. This is followed by the second part of the article, which is the research part. In order to inquire into the factors that affect adolescents, when it comes to decisions referring to their education and career, quantitative research was conducted. More specifically, 670 questionnaires were collected from male and female students attending the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades of High School. The research data are analyzed, and to sum up, in the end of the article, the research conclusions will be listed.

Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Virtual and Physical Laboratory Activities and Usage in Secondary Schools

Laboratory experience has been indicated as a crucial component of science teaching for practical skills acquisition and concretization of scientific abstract concepts. However, due to the shortage of physical laboratories, there is a need to integrate virtual labs into teaching as an alternative to physical labs to promote students’ experiential learning, conceptual understanding, attitude and overall performance. The present study explored how students in secondary schools perceive the use of virtual and physical laboratories in learning biology. The study involved 53 biology students from one secondary school in the Ruhango district in Rwanda. The school was purposively selected to participate in this study as it had an equipped physical laboratory with the materials needed during the study. In addition, the school was equipped with a computer lab where each student had access to a computer. This study used a mixed-method research approach. A validated survey questionnaire of closed-ended questions was used to collect quantitative data. Furthermore, a focus group of eight students (four boys and four girls) was used to collect qualitative data. The data collected was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results showed that more students perceived virtual lab activities as easier to perform, more motivating and more interesting than physical lab activities. However, 81% of students stressed that virtual labs should not replace physical labs; rather, both should be used in complementarity as physical lab activities helped them to understand the content more than virtual lab activities. Nevertheless, students pointed out that virtual labs could undoubtedly be very helpful for students whose schools lack physical laboratory equipment. The findings of this study indicate the need for further investigation to compare physical and virtual labs in terms of students’ academic performance and interest in biology.

Strong interactions between highly dynamic lamina-associated domains and the nuclear envelope stabilize the 3D architecture of Drosophila interphase chromatin

BackgroundInteractions among topologically associating domains (TADs), and between the nuclear envelope (NE) and lamina-associated domains (LADs) are expected to shape various aspects of three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure and dynamics; however, relevant genome-wide experiments that may provide statistically significant conclusions remain difficult.ResultsWe have developed a coarse-grained dynamical model of D. melanogaster nuclei at TAD resolution that explicitly accounts for four distinct epigenetic classes of TADs and LAD–NE interactions. The model is parameterized to reproduce the experimental Hi-C map of the wild type (WT) nuclei; it describes time evolution of the chromatin over the G1 phase of the interphase. The simulations include an ensemble of nuclei, corresponding to the experimentally observed set of several possible mutual arrangements of chromosomal arms. The model is validated against multiple structural features of chromatin from several different experiments not used in model development. Predicted positioning of all LADs at the NE is highly dynamic—the same LAD can attach, detach and move far away from the NE multiple times during interphase. The probabilities of LADs to be in contact with the NE vary by an order of magnitude, despite all having the same affinity to the NE in the model. These probabilities are mostly determined by a highly variable local linear density of LADs along the genome, which also has the same strong effect on the predicted positioning of individual TADs -- higher probability of a TAD to be near NE is largely determined by a higher linear density of LADs surrounding this TAD. The distribution of LADs along the chromosome chains plays a notable role in maintaining a non-random average global structure of chromatin. Relatively high affinity of LADs to the NE in the WT nuclei substantially reduces sensitivity of the global radial chromatin distribution to variations in the strength of TAD–TAD interactions compared to the lamin depleted nuclei, where a small (0.5 kT) increase of cross-type TAD–TAD interactions doubles the chromatin density in the central nucleus region.ConclusionsA dynamical model of the entire fruit fly genome makes multiple genome-wide predictions of biological interest. The distribution of LADs along the chromatin chains affects their probabilities to be in contact with the NE and radial positioning of highly mobile TADs, playing a notable role in creating a non-random average global structure of the chromatin. We conjecture that an important role of attractive LAD–NE interactions is to stabilize global chromatin structure against inevitable cell-to-cell variations in TAD–TAD interactions.

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activities of Schiff Bases and Their Transition Metal Complexes

Schiff bases are aldehyde or ketone derivatives that are made by condensation of primary amines and carbonyl compounds and have their carbonyl organization (C = O) replaced by an imine or azomethine organization (>C = N-). Schiff bases are a key ligand elegance in coordination chemistry and are widely used in a variety of fields. Metallic buildings have extra organic action than the relating ligands. Schiff base complexes in particular are particularly intriguing due to their stability, electron-donating potential, photochromic, optical nonlinearity properties, and biological interest. The coordination of Schiff bases with steel ions serves as the foundation for each one. With -NH2 and -COOH coordination sites, amino acids are functionally important in many biological processes and form Schiff bases that easily coordinate with metallic ions when combined with aldehydes or ketones. The majority of Schiff bases derived from amino acids and their metallic complexes exhibit specific pharmacological properties. This assess centers around research related with Schiff base buildings of amino corrosive subordinates throughout the course of recent years. We spotlight the antimicrobial, anticancer and cell reinforcement amino acids of a couple of Schiff base mixtures with nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur contributors and different metallic particles.