Biomedical sciences publications
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Biomarkers in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
The relative utility of single biomarkers compared to biomarker panels is discussed, along with paradigms for biomarker development, the latter in the context of three large-scale biomarker consortia, the Critical…
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Comparative Molecular Field Analysis of Fenoterol Derivatives Interacting with an Agonist-Stabilized Form of the β(2)-Adrenergic Receptor
The β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) agonist [3H]-(R,R′)-methoxyfenoterol was employed as the marker ligand in displacement studies measuring the binding affinities (Ki values) of the stereoisomers of a series of 4′-methoxyfenoterol analogs in…
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The Hypocretin/Orexin Antagonist Almorexant Promotes Sleep without Impairment of Performance in Rats
To test the hypothesis that less functional impairment results from HcrtR antagonist-induced sleep, we evaluated the performance of rats in the Morris Water Maze in the presence of ALM vs.…
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Design of a Serum Stability Tag for Bioactive Peptides
Here we explored a possibility of designing a serum stability tag made of natural amino acids. We observed that a diproline motif (-Pro-Pro-) shows remarkable stability against serum endopeptidases.
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Human Imaging Studies of Brain Circuitry Disrupted by Alcoholism
Recent scientific advances have provided substantial information on the brain circuits and pathways relevant to various aspects of dependence.
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A Tailoring Algorithm to Optimize Behavior Change
A new algorithm, developed with data from smoking cessation clinical trials and published practice guidelines, is designed to predict the likelihood of abstinence.
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Rapid Identification of Sequences for Orphan Enzymes to Power Accurate Protein Annotation
In this study, we demonstrate how this orphan enzyme “back catalog” is a fertile source for rapidly advancing the state of protein annotation.
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Influence of a Dopamine Pathway Additive Genetic Efficacy Score on Smoking Cessation: Results from Two Randomized Clinical Trials of Bupropion
We aimed to evaluate associations of treatment and an ‘additive genetic efficacy score’ (AGES) based on dopamine functional polymorphisms with time to first smoking lapse and point prevalence abstinence at…
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Distinct Loci in the CHRNA5/CHRNA3/CHRNB4 Gene Cluster Are Associated with Onset of Regular Smoking
This meta-analysis examines early smoking phenotypes and SNPs in the gene cluster to determine: (1) whether the most robust association signal in this region (rs16969968) for other smoking behaviors is…
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In Vivo Investigation of Cardiac Metabolism in the Rat Using MRS of Hyperpolarized [1-C-13] and [2-C-13]Pyruvate
This work investigates changes in the metabolic fate of acetyl-CoA in response to metabolic interventions of DCA-induced increased PDC flux in the fed and fasted state, and increased cardiac workload…
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Extra Cellular Matrix Derived Metabolite Regulates Angiogenesis by FasL Mediated Apoptosis
In this current study the antiangiogenic and pro-apoptotic actions of α1(IV)NC1 and its N- and C- peptides α1S1(IV)NC1, α1S2(IV)NC1 were investigated in-vitro and in-vivo.
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A Role for Cortical nNOS/NK1 Neurons in Coupling Homeostatic Sleep Drive to EEG Slow Wave Activity
These findings support the hypothesis that cortical nNOS/NK1 neurons translate homeostatic sleep drive into up-regulation of NREM δ power through an NO-dependent mechanism.