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Aims: Ropeginterferon alfa‐2b is a novel, long‐acting pegylated interferon alfa‐2b. We aimed to evaluate its safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Methods: Thirty‐six subjects received single subcutaneous injection of ropeginterferon alfa‐2b at doses ranging from 24 to 270 μg, and 12 subjects received pegylated IFN alfa‐2a subcutaneously at 180 μg. Primary endpoints were safety/PK profiles of ropeginterferon alfa‐2b, while secondary endpoints were to compare PK/PD parameters with pegylated IFN alfa‐2a. Results: Adverse events in ropeginterferon alfa‐2b and pegylated IFN alfa‐2a groups were similar, and most of them were mild or moderate. Mean Cmax increased from 1.78 to 24.84 ng/mL along with the dose escalations in ropeginterferon alfa‐2b groups and was 12.95 ng/mL for pegylated IFN alfa‐2a. At 180 μg, ropeginterferon alfa‐2b showed statistically significant Cmax geometric mean ratio (1.76; P =.0275). Mean Tmax ranged from 74.52 to 115.69 h for ropeginterferon alfa‐2b groups, and was 84.25 h for pegylated IFN alfa‐2a. Mean AUC0‐t increased from 372.3 to 6258 ng•h/mL with the dose escalations in the ropeginterferon alfa‐2b groups, while for pegylated IFN alfa‐2a it was found to be 2706 ng•h/mL in pegylated IFN alfa‐2a. For neopterin and 2′,5′‐oligoadenylate synthase, mean Emax, Tmax and AUC0‐t of ropeginterferon alfa‐2b were similar to those of pegylated IFNα‐2a at 180 μg. Conclusion: Ropeginterferon alfa‐2b up to 270 μg was safe and well tolerated. The PK/PD parameters of ropeginterferon alfa‐2b showed increase in dose–response. Ropeginterferon alfa‐2b had higher drug exposures and showed similar safety profile when compared to pegylated IFN alfa‐2a at the same dose level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and efficient multiresidue method that involves using improved QuEChERS method and liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI–MS/MS) was developed to measure trace levels of sulfonamides in fish tissue. This proposed method was proven to be a powerful, highly sensitive, and environmentally friendly analytical tool that requires minimal sample preparation. The typical MS/MS fragmentation patterns of the [M+H] + were 156 m/z, 108 m/z, and 92 m/z. Separation was performed on HC-C18 columns with a gradient elution by using methanol −5 mM ammonium acetate containing formic acid (pH 3.5). This method was validated and exhibited favorable performance as well as acceptable accuracy (80.2–93.5%), precision (3.82–8.71%), sensitivity (limits of detection (LODs) 0.43–1.22 μg kg −1 , limits of quantification (LOQs) 1.27–3.71 μg kg −1 ; decision limit (CC α ) 1.49–10.9 μg kg −1 , detection capability (CC β ) 1.71–11.4 μg kg −1 ), and an acceptable matrix effect (−18.2–18.4%). This methodology has been successfully applied in analyzing various fish tissue from local markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AF) spin alignment of a 13 monolayer oxidized CoxNi1-x/Cu(001) (x = 0 or 0.05) surface by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and X-ray magnetic linear dichroism photoemission electron microscopy (XMCD-PEEM and XMLD-PEEM). Surface NiO and the underlying Ni (CoxNi1-x) were found to be AF and FM by analyzing the gray scale of XMLD-PEEM and XMCD-PEEM images; this indicates the spin orientation with respect to the polarization of the incident X-ray. We found both collinear and perpendicular alignment of the FM and AF spins. This suggests that the AF NiO is magnetically random, resulting in coercivity enhancement without exchange bias in the surface-oxidized CoxNi1-x/Cu(001) films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 13 monolayer Ni film was deposited on Cu(001) and followed by oxygen exposure at 300 K. It was confirmed that the surface contained Ni oxide with an amorphous atomic arrangement. The magnetization is perpendicular after surface oxidation. The coercivity is substantially enhanced without shifting of the hysteresis loop after field cooling. This could indicate that the NiO is randomly antiferromagnetic or that the Neél temperature of the NiO is above 300 K. This surface oxide leads to surface passivation so that the film is magnetically alive under ambient conditions, which could have useful applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New eunicellin-base diterpenoids, klysimplexins I-T (1-12), were isolated from a cultured soft coral Klyxum simplex. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, particularly in 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The absolute stereochemistry of 4 was determined by Mosher's method. Compounds 9 and 12 have been shown to exhibit cytotoxicity toward a limited panel of cancer cell lines. Compounds 2-6, 10 and 11 were found to display significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein. Compounds 10 and 11 also could effectively reduce the level of COX-2 protein.

Chemical investigation of the octocoral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi, collected at the Dongsha Islands, Taiwan, has led to the isolation of a known ceramide (1) and two new cerebrosides, sarcoehrenosides A (2) and B (4), along with three known cerebrosides (3, 5, and 6). The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Sarcoehrenoside A (2) differs from previously known marine cerebrosides in that it possesses a rare alpha-glucose moiety. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against a small panel of bacteria and for anti-inflammatory activity using RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Acute toxic responses as well as uptake and depuration rates for tributyltin (TBT) and dibutyltin (DBT) were examined in the small planktonic shrimp, Acetes intermedius. The 72-h LC(50) values of TBT and DBT for the shrimp were found to be 18.6 and 82.6 microg L(-1) as tin. The uptake rate constants of TBT and DBT in the shrimp were 0.0006 and 0.0002 L g(-1) h(-1), and the corresponding depuration rate constants were 0.0303 and 0.0106 h(-1), respectively. It appears that real-time ambient TBT pollution status can be more closely reflected in this species. The shrimp may serve as a biomonitor to indicate short-term fluctuations in ambient TBT pollution. A field survey was also conducted to distinguish contrasts in butyltin accumulation under different ambient conditions. These observations provide valuable information for the evaluation of TBT pollution status in the environment using A. intermedius as a biomonitor.

The genomic organization of the chicken CD8alpha gene was investigated to determine the basis of its polymorphism. Contiguous to the CD8alpha gene we identified multiple DNA blocks possessing sequences homologous to CD8alpha. Gene conversions and recombination over evolutionary time among CD8alpha and these CD8alpha homologous genes seem to account for the observed polymorphism. Furthermore, these CD8alpha-like DNAs encode a distinct multigene family of immunoreceptors that have a charged or polar residue in place of the interspecies-conserved CD8alpha transmembrane proline residue and a short cytoplasmic tail nonhomologous to CD8alpha. The identification of this novel multigene family with an organization reminiscent of human killer Ig-like receptors raises compelling questions on their evolutionary relationship among immunoreceptors.