Medicine by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis: 09/03/16

Σάββατο 3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2016

Deferred Growth Inhibition Assay to Quantify the Effect of Bacteria-derived Antimicrobials on Competition

The deferred growth inhibition assay can be used to assess the competition effect by one bacterial isolate on another. Inhibition is quantified by measuring the zone of clearing around the inhibitor-producing isolate, or qualitatively assessed by determining the visible extent of inhibition.

http://ift.tt/2cdyewy

Reconceptualising Last Glacial Maximum discontinuities: A case study from the maritime deserts of north-western Australia

Publication date: Available online 2 September 2016
Source:Journal of Anthropological Archaeology
Author(s): P. Veth, I. Ward, K. Ditchfield
Understanding discontinuities in the Australian archaeological record currently represents a major challenge for researchers especially where different interpretive frameworks are used to explain the same phenomena. The widespread Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) absence of dated archaeological evidence in desert lowlands is often interpreted as a lack of human occupation. While this scenario may be true in many cases, we believe this inference requires critical re-appraisal. Using case studies from the coastal Carnarvon bioregion, located in a maritime desert of NW Australia, we argue that discontinuities and occupational lacunae may be the result of a variety of different geomorphic and human behavioural processes where the absence of people may be only part of the equation. We argue that, by reconceptualising discontinuities with an explicit multi-scalar focus on depositional regimes and landscape patterns, richer explanations about human occupational patterning at both the local and regional levels can be generated.

http://ift.tt/2ciKwCG

Working with Auditory HEI-OC1 Cells

House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) is one of the few mouse auditory cell lines currently available for research purposes. This protocol describes how to work with HEI-OC1 cells to investigate the cytotoxic effects of pharmacological drugs as well as functional properties of inner ear proteins.

http://ift.tt/2c2Pk0x

Comparison of Three Different Methods for Determining Cell Proliferation in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

This protocol describes the use of three different methods for analyzing cell proliferation in breast cancer cell lines. This includes the use of conventional cell counting, luminescence-based cell viability, and cell counting through the use of a cell imager. Each offers advantages for the reproducible measurement of cell proliferation.

http://ift.tt/2c2Qrgx

A pre-classification strategy based on UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS for metabolic screening and identification of Radix glehniae in rats

Abstract

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have gained increasing popularity in modern society. However, the profiles of TCMs in vivo are still unclear owing to their complexity and low level in vivo. In this study, UPLC-Triple-TOF techniques were employed for data acquiring, and a novel pre-classification strategy was developed to rapidly and systematically screen and identify the absorbed constituents and metabolites of TCMs in vivo using Radix glehniae as the research object. In this strategy, pre-classification for absorbed constituents was first performed according to the similarity of their structures. Then representative constituents were elected from every class and analyzed separately to screen non-target absorbed constituents and metabolites in biosamples. This pre-classification strategy is basing on target (known) constituents to screen non-target (unknown) constituents from the massive data acquired by mass spectrometry. Finally, the screened candidate compounds were interpreted and identified based on a predicted metabolic pathway, well - studied fragmentation rules, a predicted metabolic pathway, polarity and retention time of the compounds, and some related literature. With this method, a total of 111 absorbed constituents and metabolites of Radix glehniae in rats' urine, plasma, and bile samples were screened and identified or tentatively characterized successfully. This strategy provides an idea for the screening and identification of the metabolites of other TCMs.

http://ift.tt/2bNmDos

Glycans and glycoproteins as specific biomarkers for cancer

Abstract

Protein glycosylation and other post-translational modifications are involved in potentially all aspects of human growth and development. Defective glycosylation has adverse effects on human physiological conditions and accompanies many chronic and infectious diseases. Altered glycosylation can occur at the onset and/or during tumor progression. Identifying these changes at early disease stages may aid in making decisions regarding treatments, as early intervention can greatly enhance survival. This review highlights some of the efforts being made to identify N- and O-glycosylation profile shifts in cancer using mass spectrometry. The analysis of single or panels of potential glycoprotein cancer markers are covered. Other emerging technologies such as global glycan release and site-specific glycosylation analysis and quantitation are also discussed.

Graphical Abstract

Steps involved in the biomarker discovery

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Corrigendum to “Analysis of the relationship between the rise-time and the amplitude of single-fibre potentials in human muscles” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 20(6) (2010) 1249–1258]

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Author(s): J. Rodriguez-Falces, J. Navallas, L. Gila, I. Rodríguez, A. Malanda

http://ift.tt/2bTPpkF

Corrigendum to “The peak-to-peak ratio of single-fibre potentials is little influenced by changes in the electrode positions close to the muscle fibre” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 21(3) (2011) 423–432]

Corrigendum to “Effects of changes in the shape of the intracellular action potential on the peak-to-peak ratio of single muscle fibre potentials” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 22(1) (2012) 88–97]

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Author(s): J. Rodriguez-Falces, J. Navallas, L. Gila, I. Latasa, A. Malanda

http://ift.tt/2bTPu7Y

Corrigendum to “Identification procedure in a model of single fibre action potential – Part I: Estimation of fibre diameter and radial distance” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 20(2) (2010) 264–273]

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Author(s): J. Rodriguez-Falces, A. Malanda, L. Gila, I. Rodríguez, J. Navallas

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Corrigendum to “Identification procedure in a model of single fibre action potential – Part II: Global approach and experimental results” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 20(2) (2010) 274–283]

Corrigendum to “Analysis of the peak-to-peak ratio of extracellular potentials in the proximity of excitable fibres” [J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 20(5) (2010) 868–878]

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Author(s): J. Rodriguez-Falces, A. Malanda, L. Gila, I. Rodriguez, J. Navallas

http://ift.tt/2bNiMHV

Data of expression and purification of recombinant Taq DNA polymerase

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 9
Author(s): Na Fang, Niannian Zhong, Yueyang Yang, Yujian Guo, Shaoping Ji
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is widely used in many experimental conditions, and Taq DNA polymerase is critical in PCR process. In this article, the Taq DNA polymerase expression plasmid is reconstructed and the protein product is obtained by rapid purification, ("Rapid purification of high-activity Taq DNA polymerase" (Pluthero, 1993 [1]), "Single-step purification of a thermostable DNA polymerase expressed in Escherichia coli" (Desai and Pfaffle, 1995 [2])). Here we present the production data from protein expression and provide the analysis results of the production from two different vectors. Meanwhile, the purification data is also provided to show the purity of the protein product.

http://ift.tt/2c9YLwh

Proteome data associated with the leaf senescence in Glycine max

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 9
Author(s): Ravi Gupta, Su Ji Lee, Cheol Woo Min, So Wun Kim, Ki-Hun Park, Dong-Won Bae, Byong Won Lee, Ganesh Kumar Agrawal, Randeep Rakwal, Sun Tae Kim
The data presented in this article are associated with the article "Coupling of gel-based 2-DE and 1-DE shotgun proteomics approaches to dig deep into the leaf senescence proteome of Glycine max" (R. Gupta, S.J. Lee, C.W. Min, S.W. Kim, K.-H. Park, D.-W. Bae, et al., 2016) [1]. Leaf senescence is one of the important aspects of the life cycle of a plant that leads to the recycling of nutrients from source to sink cells. To understand the leaf senescence-associated proteins, we used a combination of gel-based 2-DE and 1-DE shotgun proteomic approaches. Here, we display the 2-DE, Mass spectrometry, and Gene ontology data related with the leaf senescence in soybean [1].

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A synthetic Longitudinal Study dataset for England and Wales

Publication date: December 2016
Source:Data in Brief, Volume 9
Author(s): Adam Dennett, Paul Norman, Nicola Shelton, Rachel Stuchbury
This article describes the new synthetic England and Wales Longitudinal Study 'spine' dataset designed for teaching and experimentation purposes. In the United Kingdom, there exist three Census-based longitudinal micro-datasets, known collectively as the Longitudinal Studies. The England and Wales Longitudinal Study (LS) is a 1% sample of the population of England and Wales (around 500,000 individuals), linking individual person records from the 1971 to 2011 Censuses. The synthetic data presented contains a similar number of individuals to the original data and accurate longitudinal transitions between 2001 and 2011 for key demographic variables, but unlike the original data, is open access.

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Dataset on FAP-induced emergence of spontaneous metastases and on the preparation of activatable FAP-targeting immunoliposomes to detect the metastases

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Felista L. Tansi, Ronny Rüger, Claudia Böhm, Roland E. Kontermann, Ulf K. Teichgraeber, Alfred Fahr, Ingrid Hilger
The underlying data demonstrates that fibroblast activation protein (FAP) paves the way for fibrosarcoma cells, which require the proteolysis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membranes to intravasate from implanted subcutaneous primary tumors into blood vessels, be transported to distant organs where they extravasate from the blood vessels, reattach and proliferate to metastases. The data additionally shows that FAP, when overexpressed on fibrosarcoma cells induces their invasion and formation of spontaneous metastases in multiple organs, particularly after subcutaneous co-implantation of the FAP-expressing and wildtype fibrosarcoma. The raw and processed data presented herein is related to a research article entitled "Potential of activatable FAP-targeting immunoliposomes in intraoperative imaging of spontaneous metastases" [1]. Furthermore, evidence for the detection of FAP-expressing tumor cells and cells of the tumor stroma by activatable FAP-targeting liposomes is presented in this dataset.

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Small punch tensile/fracture test data and 3D specimen surface data on Grade 91 ferritic/martensitic steel from cryogenic to room temperature

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Data in Brief
Author(s): Matthias Bruchhausen, Jean-Marc Lapetite, Stefan Ripplinger, Tim Austin
Raw data from small punch tensile/fracture tests at two displacement rates in the temperature range from −196°C to room temperature on Grade 91 ferritic/martensitic steel are presented. A number of specimens were analyzed after testing by means of X-ray computed tomography (CT). Based on the CT volume data detailed 3D surface maps of the specimens were established. All data are open access and available from Online Data Information Network (ODIN)http://ift.tt/2cildk5. The data presented in the current work has been analysed in the research article "On the determination of the ductile to brittle transition temperature from small punch tests on Grade 91 ferritic-martensitic steel" [1].

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3D physiological model of the aortic valve incorporating small coronary arteries

Summary

The diseases of the coronary arteries and the aortic root are still the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. In this study, a 3D global fluid-structure interaction of the aortic root with inclusion of anatomically inspired small coronary arteries using the finite element method is presented. This innovative model allows to study the impact and interaction of root biomechanics on coronary hemodynamics and brings a new understandings to small coronary vessels hemodynamics. For the first time, the velocity profiles and shear stresses are reported in distal coronary arteries as a result of the aortic flow conditions in a global fluid-structure interaction model.

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Aescin reduces oxidative stress and provides neuroprotection in experimental traumatic spinal cord injury

Publication date: Available online 2 September 2016
Source:Free Radical Biology and Medicine
Author(s): Cheng Peng, Kuang Fang, Ju Gong
Aescin has many physiological functions that are highly relevant to spinal cord injury (SCI), including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-oedema, and enhancing vascular tone. The present study investigated the putative therapeutic value of aescin in SCI, with a focus on its neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative properties. Sodium aescinate (1.0mg/kg body weight) or equivalent volume of saline was administered 30min after injury by intravenous injection, with an additional dose daily for seven consecutive days after moderate SCI in rats. After contusion injury of the 8^th thoracic (T8) spinal cord, aescin-treated rats developed less severe hind limb weakness than saline controls, as assayed by the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale, the beam walking test, and a footprint analysis. The improved locomotor outcomes in aescin-treated rats corresponded to markedly decreased immune response, oxidative stress, neuronal loss, axon demyelination, spinal cord swelling, and cell apoptosis, measured around T8 after impact. Our data suggest aescin treatment as a novel, early, neuroprotective approach in SCI. Given the known safety of aescin in clinical applications, the results of this study suggest that it is a good candidate for SCI treatment in humans.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1475: Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Mature Pollen in Triploid and Diploid Populus deltoides

Ploidy affects plant growth vigor and cell size, but the relative effects of pollen fertility and allergenicity between triploid and diploid have not been systematically examined. Here we performed comparative analyses of fertility, proteome, and abundances of putative allergenic proteins of pollen in triploid poplar 'ZhongHuai1' ('ZH1', triploid) and 'ZhongHuai2' ('ZH2', diploid) generated from the same parents. The mature pollen was sterile in triploid poplar 'ZH1'. By applying two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), a total of 72 differentially expressed protein spots (DEPs) were detected in triploid poplar pollen. Among them, 24 upregulated and 43 downregulated proteins were identified in triploid poplar pollen using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation coupled with time of-flight tandem mass spectrometer analysis (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS). The main functions of these DEPs were related with "S-adenosylmethionine metabolism", "actin cytoskeleton organization", or "translational elongation". The infertility of triploid poplar pollen might be related to its abnormal cytoskeletal system. In addition, the abundances of previously identified 28 putative allergenic proteins were compared among three poplar varieties ('ZH1', 'ZH2', and '2KEN8'). Most putative allergenic proteins were downregulated in triploid poplar pollen. This work provides an insight into understanding the protein regulation mechanism of pollen infertility and low allergenicity in triploid poplar, and gives a clue to improving poplar polyploidy breeding and decreasing the pollen allergenicity.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1175: C19-Norditerpenoid Alkaloids from Aconitum szechenyianum and Their Effects on LPS-Activated NO Production

Three new C19-norditerpenoid alkaloids (1–3), along with two known C19-norditerpenoid alkaloids (4–5) have been isolated from Aconitum szechenyianum. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic techniques and chemical methods as szechenyianine A (1), szechenyianine B (2), szechenyianine C (3), N-deethyl-3-acetylaconitine (4), and N-deethyldeoxyaconitine (5). Additionally, compounds 1–5 were tested for the inhibition of NO production on LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 36.62 ± 6.86, 3.30 ± 0.11, 7.46 ± 0.89, 8.09 ± 1.31, and 11.73 ± 1.94 μM, respectively, while the positive control drug dexamethasone showed inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 8.32 ± 1.45 μM. The structure-activity relationship of aconitine alkaloids were discussed.

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Diagnostics, Vol. 6, Pages 33: Evolvable Smartphone-Based Platforms for Point-of-Care In-Vitro Diagnostics Applications

The association of smart mobile devices and lab-on-chip technologies offers unprecedented opportunities for the emergence of direct-to-consumer in vitro medical diagnostics applications. Despite their clear transformative potential, obstacles remain to the large-scale disruption and long-lasting success of these systems in the consumer market. For instance, the increasing level of complexity of instrumented lab-on-chip devices, coupled to the sporadic nature of point-of-care testing, threatens the viability of a business model mainly relying on disposable/consumable lab-on-chips. We argued recently that system evolvability, defined as the design characteristic that facilitates more manageable transitions between system generations via the modification of an inherited design, can help remedy these limitations. In this paper, we discuss how platform-based design can constitute a formal entry point to the design and implementation of evolvable smart device/lab-on-chip systems. We present both a hardware/software design framework and the implementation details of a platform prototype enabling at this stage the interfacing of several lab-on-chip variants relying on current- or impedance-based biosensors. Our findings suggest that several change-enabling mechanisms implemented in the higher abstraction software layers of the system can promote evolvability, together with the design of change-absorbing hardware/software interfaces. Our platform architecture is based on a mobile software application programming interface coupled to a modular hardware accessory. It allows the specification of lab-on-chip operation and post-analytic functions at the mobile software layer. We demonstrate its potential by operating a simple lab-on-chip to carry out the detection of dopamine using various electroanalytical methods.

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 881: Environmental Exposures and Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects millions around the world. The Braak hypothesis proposes that in PD a pathologic agent may penetrate the nervous system via the olfactory bulb, gut, or both and spreads throughout the nervous system. The agent is unknown, but several environmental exposures have been associated with PD. Here, we summarize and examine the evidence for such environmental exposures. We completed a comprehensive review of human epidemiologic studies of pesticides, selected industrial compounds, and metals and their association with PD in PubMed and Google Scholar until April 2016. Most studies show that rotenone and paraquat are linked to increased PD risk and PD-like neuropathology. Organochlorines have also been linked to PD in human and laboratory studies. Organophosphates and pyrethroids have limited but suggestive human and animal data linked to PD. Iron has been found to be elevated in PD brain tissue but the pathophysiological link is unclear. PD due to manganese has not been demonstrated, though a parkinsonian syndrome associated with manganese is well-documented. Overall, the evidence linking paraquat, rotenone, and organochlorines with PD appears strong; however, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and polychlorinated biphenyls require further study. The studies related to metals do not support an association with PD.

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Galaxies, Vol. 4, Pages 23: TimeTubes: Visualization of Polarization Variations in Blazars

Optical polarization provides important clues to the magnetic field in blazar jets. It is easy to find noteworthy patterns in the time-series data of the polarization degree (PD) and position angle (PA). On the other hand, we need to see the trajectory of the object in the Stokes Q U plane when the object has multiple polarized components. In this case, ironically, the more data we have, the more difficult it is to gain any knowledge from it. Here, we introduce TimeTubes, a new visualization scheme to explore the time-series data of polarization observed in blazars. In TimeTubes, the data is represented by tubes in 3D (Q, U, and time) space. The measurement errors of Q and U, color, and total flux of objects are expressed as the size, color, and brightness of the tubes. As a result, TimeTubes allows us to see the behavior of six variables in one view. We used TimeTubes for our data taken by the Kanata telescope between 2008 and 2014. We found that this tool facilitates the recognition of the patterns in blazar variations; for example, favored PA of flares and PA rotations associated with a series of flares.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1173: Effects of Substitution on Solid-State Fluorescence in 9-Aryl-9-methyl-9H-9-silafluorenes

Aromatic groups were incorporated into 9H-9-silafluorene units at the 9-position (mono-9H-silafluorenes) and 9,9′-positions (di-9H-9-silafluorenes). The aryl substituents showed weak conjugation to the 9H-9-silafluorene for 9-aryl substituted ones 1–7 and a 9,9′-phenylene substituted one (compound 8) and they exhibited similar absorption and emission spectra. The 9H-9-silafluorene 10 containing a 5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophenyl) group showed a significantly red-shifted absorption and fluorescence maxima in the solid-state. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies found J-type aggregated structures formed by intermolecular CH–π interactions (ca. 2.6–2.7 Å). Density functional theory (DFT), time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT), and configuration interaction single (CIS) calculations were conducted to explain the observed optical properties.

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Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 892: Infrared Human Posture Recognition Method for Monitoring in Smart Homes Based on Hidden Markov Model

Smart homes are the most important sustainability technology of our future. In smart homes, intelligent monitoring is an important component. However, there is currently no effective method for human posture detection for monitoring in smart homes. So, in this paper, we provide an infrared human posture recognition method for monitoring in sustainable smart homes based on a Hidden Markov Model (HMM). We also trained the model parameters. Our model can be used to effectively classify human postures. Compared with the traditional HMM, this paper puts forward a method to solve the problem of human posture recognition. This paper tries to establish a model of training data according to the characteristics of human postures. Accordingly, this complex problem can be decomposed. Thereby, it can reduce computational complexity. In practical applications, it can improve system performance. Through experimentation in a real environment, the model can identify the different body movement postures by observing the human posture sequence, matching identification and classification process. The results show that the proposed method is feasible and effective for human posture recognition. In addition, for human movement target detection, this paper puts forward a human movement target detection method based on a Gaussian mixture model. For human object contour extraction, this paper puts forward a human object contour extraction method based on the Sobel edge detection operator. Here, we have presented an experiment for human posture recognition, and have also examined our cloud-based monitoring system for elderly people using our method. We have used our method in our actual projects, and the experimental results show that our method is feasible and effective.

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Entropy, Vol. 18, Pages 323: Entropy Base Estimation of Moisture Content of the Top 10-m Unsaturated Soil for the Badain Jaran Desert in Northwestern China

Estimation of soil moisture distribution in desert regions is challenged by the deep unsaturated zone and the extreme natural environment. In this study, an entropy-based method, consisting of information entropy, principle of maximum entropy (PME), solutions to PME with constraints, and the determination of parameters, is used to estimate the soil moisture distribution in the 10 m deep vadose zone of a desert region. Firstly, the soil moisture distribution is described as a scaled probability density function (PDF), which is solved by PME with the constraints of normalization, known arithmetic mean and geometric mean, and the solution is the general form of gamma distribution. A constant arithmetic mean is determined by considering the stable average recharge rate at thousand year scale, and an approximate constant geometric mean is determined by the low flow rate (about 1 cm a year). Followed, the parameters of the scaled PDF of gamma distribution are determined by local environmental factors like terrain and vegetation: the multivariate linear equations are established to qualify the relationship between the parameters and the environmental factors on the basis of nineteen random soil moisture profiles about depth through the application of fuzzy mathematics. Finally, the accuracy is tested using correlation coefficient (CC) and relative error. This method performs with CC larger than 0.9 in more than a half profiles and most larger than 0.8, the relative errors are less than 30% in most of soil moisture profiles and can be as low as less than 15% when parameters fitted appropriately. Therefore, this study provides an alternative method to estimate soil moisture distribution in top 0–10 m layers of the Badain Jaran Desert based on local terrain and vegetation factors instead of drilling sand samples, this method would be useful in desert regions with extreme natural conditions since these environmental factors can be obtained by remote sensing data. Meanwhile, we should bear in mind that this method is challenged in humid regions since more intensive and frequent precipitation, and more vegetation cover make the system much more complex.

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Entropy, Vol. 18, Pages 322: Mechanical Fault Diagnosis of High Voltage Circuit Breakers with Unknown Fault Type Using Hybrid Classifier Based on LMD and Time Segmentation Energy Entropy

In order to improve the identification accuracy of the high voltage circuit breakers' (HVCBs) mechanical fault types without training samples, a novel mechanical fault diagnosis method of HVCBs using a hybrid classifier constructed with Support Vector Data Description (SVDD) and fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering method based on Local Mean Decomposition (LMD) and time segmentation energy entropy (TSEE) is proposed. Firstly, LMD is used to decompose nonlinear and non-stationary vibration signals of HVCBs into a series of product functions (PFs). Secondly, TSEE is chosen as feature vectors with the superiority of energy entropy and characteristics of time-delay faults of HVCBs. Then, SVDD trained with normal samples is applied to judge mechanical faults of HVCBs. If the mechanical fault is confirmed, the new fault sample and all known fault samples are clustered by FCM with the cluster number of known fault types. Finally, another SVDD trained by the specific fault samples is used to judge whether the fault sample belongs to an unknown type or not. The results of experiments carried on a real SF6 HVCB validate that the proposed fault-detection method is effective for the known faults with training samples and unknown faults without training samples.

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The structural connectivity of higher order association cortices reflects human functional brain networks

Publication date: Available online 2 September 2016
Source:Cortex
Author(s): JeYoung Jung, Lauren L. Cloutman, Richard J. Binney, Matthew A. Lambon Ralph
Human higher cognition arises from the main tertiary association cortices including the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. Many studies have suggested that cortical functions must be shaped or emerge from the pattern of underlying physical (white matter) connectivity. Despite the importance of this hypothesis, there has not been a large-scale analysis of the white-matter connectivity within and between these associative cortices. Thus, we explored the pattern of intra- and inter-lobe white matter connectivity between multiple areas defined in each lobe. We defined 43 regions of interest on the lateral associative cortex cytoarchitectonically (6 ROIs in the frontal lobe and 17 ROIs in the parietal lobe) and anatomically (20 ROIs in the temporal lobe) on individuals' native space. The results demonstrated that intra-region connectivity for all 3 lobes was dense and graded generally. In contrary, the inter-lobe connectivity was relatively discrete and regionally specific such that only small sub-regions exhibited long-range connections to another lobe. The long-range connectivity was mediated by 6 major associative white matter tracts, consistent with the notion that these higher cognitive functions arises from brain-wide distributed connectivity. Using graph-theory network analysis we revealed five physically-connected sub-networks, which correspond directly to five known functional networks. This study provides strong and direct evidence that core functional brain networks mirror the brain's structural connectivity.

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Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1171: Characterization of Antifungal Natural Products Isolated from Endophytic Fungi of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana)

Finger millet is an ancient African-Indian crop that is resistant to many pathogens including the fungus, Fusarium graminearum. We previously reported the first isolation of putative fungal endophytes from finger millet and showed that the crude extracts of four strains had anti-Fusarium activity. However, active compounds were isolated from only one strain. The objectives of this study were to confirm the endophytic lifestyle of the three remaining anti-Fusarium isolates, to identify the major underlying antifungal compounds, and to initially characterize the mode(s) of action of each compound. Results of confocal microscopy and a plant disease assay were consistent with the three fungal strains behaving as endophytes. Using bio-assay guided fractionation and spectroscopic structural elucidation, three anti-Fusarium secondary metabolites were purified and characterized. These molecules were not previously reported to derive from fungi nor have antifungal activity. The purified antifungal compounds were: 5-hydroxy 2(3H)-benzofuranone, dehydrocostus lactone (guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone), and harpagoside (an iridoide glycoside). Light microscopy and vitality staining were used to visualize the in vitro interactions between each compound and Fusarium; the results suggested a mixed fungicidal/fungistatic mode of action. We conclude that finger millet possesses fungal endophytes that can synthesize anti-fungal compounds not previously reported as bio-fungicides against F. graminearum.

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Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 893: Is Sustainability Compatible with Profitability? An Empirical Analysis on Family Farming Activity

Sustainability is a social concern and a new strategic factor for productive and economic viability. Nevertheless, research on this subject in a holistic approach is limited, and even to a lesser extent when dealing with family farms. This paper analyzes the impact of different aspects of sustainability (socio-economic characteristics, environmentally respectful practices, and innovation) on profitability. The data collection instruments include a survey questionnaire on farming in Almería, a province in Southeast Spain, and the methodology followed involves a two-step regression model. The main results show how several socio-economic and environmental-innovation features of family farms have positive effects on their economic performance. Among others, profitability increases when there are better educated and younger family farm decision-makers; the farm is specialized and supported by more efficient cooperatives: and, particularly, when the family farm displays greater concern for environmental practices and better disposition towards agroecological innovation.

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Galaxies, Vol. 4, Pages 24: Optical Outburst of the Blazar S4 0954+658 in Early 2015

We analyze the behavior of the BL Lac object S4 0954+658 during an unprecedented bright optical flare in early 2015. The optical flare was accompanied by a powerful γ -ray flare and the detection of very-high-energy γ -ray emission. We analyze total and polarized intensity images obtained with the VLBA at 43 GHz and discover a new bright polarized superluminal knot, which was ejected from the VLBI-core during the peak of the flare.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 1426: Analysis and Compensation for Lateral Chromatic Aberration in a Color Coding Structured Light 3D Measurement System

While color-coding methods have improved the measuring efficiency of a structured light three-dimensional (3D) measurement system, they decreased the measuring accuracy significantly due to lateral chromatic aberration (LCA). In this study, the LCA in a structured light measurement system is analyzed, and a method is proposed to compensate the error caused by the LCA. Firstly, based on the projective transformation, a 3D error map of LCA is constructed in the projector images by using a flat board and comparing the image coordinates of red, green and blue circles with the coordinates of white circles at preselected sample points within the measurement volume. The 3D map consists of the errors, which are the equivalent errors caused by LCA of the camera and projector. Then in measurements, error values of LCA are calculated and compensated to correct the projector image coordinates through the 3D error map and a tri-linear interpolation method. Eventually, 3D coordinates with higher accuracy are re-calculated according to the compensated image coordinates. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified in the following experiments.

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Membranes, Vol. 6, Pages 41: Insights into Surface Interactions between Metal Organic Frameworks and Gases during Transient Adsorption and Diffusion by In-Situ Small Angle X-ray Scattering

The fabrication of molecular gas sieving materials with specific affinities for a single gas species and able to store large quantities of materials at a low or atmospheric pressure is desperately required to reduce the adverse effects of coal and oil usage in carbon capture. Fundamental understanding of the dynamic adsorption of gas, the diffusion mechanisms across thin film membranes, and the impact of interfaces play a vital role in developing these materials. In this work, single gas permeation tests across micro-porous membrane materials, based on metal organic framework crystals grown on the surface of carbon nanotubes (ZiF-8@CNT), were performed for the first time in-situ at the Australian Synchrotron on the small angle X-ray scattering beamline in order to reveal molecular sieving mechanisms and gas adsorption within the material. The results show that specific chemi-sorption of CO2 across the ZiF-8 crystal lattices affected the morphology and unit cell parameters, while the sieving of other noble or noble like gases across the ZiF-8@CNT membranes was found to largely follow Knudsen diffusion. This work demonstrates for the first time a novel and effective technique to assess molecular diffusion at the nano-scale across sub-nano-porous materials by probing molecular flexibility across crystal lattice and single cell units.

http://ift.tt/2c2dOcC

Marine Drugs, Vol. 14, Pages 161: Design and Synthesis of Analogues of Marine Natural Product Galaxamide, an N-methylated Cyclic Pentapeptide, as Potential Anti-Tumor Agent in Vitro

Herein, we report design and synthesis of novel 26 galaxamide analogues with N-methylated cyclo-pentapeptide, and their in vitro anti-tumor activity towards the panel of human tumor cell line, such as, A549, A549/DPP, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 using MTT assay. We have also investigated the effect of galaxamide and its representative analogues on growth, cell-cycle phases, and induction of apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells in vitro. Reckon with the significance of conformational space and N-Me aminoacid (aa) comprising this compound template, we designed the analogues with modification in N-Me-aa position, change in aa configuration from l to d aa and substitute one Leu-aa to d/l Phe-aa residue with respective to the parent structure. The efficient solid phase parallel synthesis approach is employed for the linear pentapeptide residue containing N-Me aa, followed by solution phase macrocyclisation to afford target cyclo pentapeptide compounds. In the present study, all galaxamide analogues exhibited growth inhibition in A549, A549/DPP, SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cell lines. Compounds 6, 18, and 22 exhibited interesting activities towards all cell line tested, while Compounds 1, 4, 15, and 22 showed strong activity towards SMMC-7221 cell line in the range of 1–2 μg/mL IC50. Flow cytometry experiment revealed that galaxamide analogues namely Compounds 6, 18, and 22 induced concentration dependent SMMC-7721 cell apoptosis after 48 h. These compounds induced G0/G1 phase cell-cycle arrest and morphological changes indicating induction of apoptosis. Thus, findings of our study suggest that the galaxamide and its analogues 6, 18 and 22 exerted growth inhibitory effect on SMMC-7721 cells by arresting the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. Compound 1 showed promising anti-tumor activity towards SMMC-7721 cancer cell line, which is 9 and 10 fold higher than galaxamide and reference DPP (cisplatin), respectively.

http://ift.tt/2bSY600

Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 894: Impact of Battery’s Model Accuracy on Size Optimization Process of a Standalone Photovoltaic System

This paper presents a comparative study between two proposed size optimization methods based on two battery's models. Simple and complex battery models are utilized to optimally size a standalone photovoltaic system. Hourly meteorological data are used in this research for a specific site. Results show that by using the complex model of the battery, the cost of the system is reduced by 31%. In addition, by using the complex battery model, the sizes of the PV array and the battery are reduced by 5.6% and 30%, respectively, as compared to the case which is based on the simple battery model. This shows the importance of utilizing accurate battery models in sizing standalone photovoltaic systems.

http://ift.tt/2c2dIBP

IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1475: Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Mature Pollen in Triploid and Diploid Populus deltoides

Mathematics, Vol. 4, Pages 53: Solution for Rational Systems of Difference Equations of Order Three

In this paper, we consider the solution and periodicity of the following systems of difference equations: x n + 1 = y n − 2 − 1 + y n − 2 x n − 1 y n , y n + 1 = x n − 2 ± 1 ± x n − 2 y n − 1 x n , with initial conditions x − 2 , x − 1 , x 0 , y − 2 , y − 1 , and y 0 are nonzero real numbers.

http://ift.tt/2c2eChO

Introduction

Publication date: Available online 2 September 2016
Source:Vaccine
Author(s): Joseph Okeibunor, Richard Mihigo, Pascal Mkanda, Bartholomew Dicky Akanmori

http://ift.tt/2bSY1te

M2SR, a novel live single replication influenza virus vaccine, provides effective heterosubtypic protection in mice

Publication date: Available online 3 September 2016
Source:Vaccine
Author(s): Sally Sarawar, Yasuko Hatta, Shinji Watanabe, Peter Dias, Gabriele Neumann, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Pamuk Bilsel
Despite the annual public health burden of seasonal influenza and the continuing threat of a global pandemic posed by the emergence of highly pathogenic/pandemic strains, conventional influenza vaccines do not provide universal protection, and exhibit suboptimal efficacy rates, even when they are well matched to circulating strains. To address the need for a highly effective universal influenza vaccine, we have developed a novel M2-deficient single replication vaccine virus (M2SR) that induces strong cross-protective immunity against multiple influenza strains in mice. M2SR is able to infect cells and expresses all viral proteins except M2, but is unable to generate progeny virus.M2SR generated from influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) protected mice against lethal challenge with influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1, homosubtypic) and influenza A/Aichi/2/1968 (H3N2, heterosubtypic). The vaccine induced strong systemic and mucosal antibody responses of both IgA and IgG classes. Strong virus-specific T cell responses were also induced. Following heterologous challenge, significant numbers of IFN-γ-producing CD8 T cells, with effector or effector/memory phenotypes and specific for conserved viral epitopes, were observed in the lungs of vaccinated mice. A substantial proportion of the CD8 T cells expressed Granzyme B, suggesting that they were capable of killing virus-infected cells.Thus, our data suggest that M2-deficient influenza viruses represent a promising new approach for developing a universal influenza vaccine.

http://ift.tt/2c2dQ4a

Catalysts, Vol. 6, Pages 132: Synthesis of New Chiral Benzimidazolylidene–Rh Complexes and Their Application in Asymmetric Addition Reactions of Organoboronic Acids to Aldehydes

A series of novel chiral N-heterocyclic carbene rhodium complexes (NHC–Rh) based on benzimidazole have been prepared, and all of the NHC–Rh complexes were fully characterized by NMR and mass spectrometry. These complexes could be used as catalysts for the asymmetric 1,2-addition of organoboronic acids to aldehydes, affording chiral diarylmethanols with high yields and moderate enantioselectivities.

http://ift.tt/2c204vZ

Catalysts, Vol. 6, Pages 133: Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of BiOI as a Photocatalyst Driven by Visible Light

Bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) is an important photoelectric functional material that has a wide range of applications. In particular, it can be used as a photocatalyst that shows photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation. The synthesis procedure and related photocatalytic performance of BiOI have been reported. However, some of its fundamental properties still need to be further investigated. In this article, density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the crystal structure, electronic properties, and optical properties of BiOI. Furthermore, the relationship between the intrinsic properties and the photocatalytic performance of BiOI was investigated. Based on the calculated results of the band structure, density of states, and projected wave function, the molecular-orbital bonding structure of BiOI is proposed. As a semiconductor photocatalyst, BiOI shows slight optical anisotropy in the visible-light region, indicating that it can efficiently absorb visible light if the morphology of BiOI is controlled. After comparing several computational methods, it was found that the generalized-gradient approximation corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (GGA + U) is a suitable computational method for large sized BiOI models (e.g., impurity doping, the surface, and the interface) because it can significantly reduce the computational time while maintaining calculation accuracy. Thus, this article not only provides an in-depth understanding of the fundamental properties of BiOI as a potential efficient photocatalyst driven by visible light, but it also suggests a suitable computational method to investigate these properties.

http://ift.tt/2bL1w94

IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1478: Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) Leaves: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities

The aims of this work were to study the chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pereskia aculeata and to evaluate some biological activities of three leaf extracts. The phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and in vitro antimicrobial and antifungal activities were determined. The methanol extract showed antioxidant activity (EC50 7.09 mg/mL) and high polyphenols content (15.04 ± 0.31 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g). The petroleum ether extract exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, whereas the chloroform extract showed inhibitory activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The petroleum ether and methanol extracts were more effective in inhibiting the growth of Aspergillus versicolor. The possible cytotoxicity of extracts on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cancer cell line and the influence on adenylate cyclase (ADCY) expression was also studied. P. aculeata chloroform extract showed antiproliferative activity with an IC50 value of 262.83 µg/mL. Treatments of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells with 100 µg/mL of methanol extract significantly reduced ADCY1 expression.

http://ift.tt/2bXs3Lt

Genes, Vol. 7, Pages 60: The Telomere/Telomerase System in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases. Cause or Effect?

Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures located at the end of linear chromosomes and telomerase is the enzyme responsible for telomere elongation. Telomerase activity is a key component of many cancer cells responsible for rapid cell division but it has also been found by many laboratories around the world that telomere/telomerase biology is dysfunctional in many other chronic conditions as well. These conditions are characterized by chronic inflammation, a situation mostly overlooked by physicians regarding patient treatment. Among others, these conditions include diabetes, renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc. Since researchers have in many cases identified the association between telomerase and inflammation but there are still many missing links regarding this correlation, the latest findings about this phenomenon will be discussed by reviewing the literature. Our focus will be describing telomere/telomerase status in chronic diseases under the prism of inflammation, reporting molecular findings where available and proposing possible future approaches.

http://ift.tt/2bSLqpR

Water, Vol. 8, Pages 380: Impact of Climate Change on Runoff in the Gilgel Abbay Watershed, the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Hydrological assessment is critical to the successful implementation of adaption measures. In this study, projections of seven global circulation models (GCMs) associated with high and medium–low Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 8.5 and RCP 4.5) for the period 2021–2040 and 2081–2100 were adopted to assess changes on runoffs in the Gilgel Abbay watershed, the upper Blue Nile basin. A weather generator was employed to generate daily temperature and precipitation to drive a hydrological model for impact assessment. Despite the projected magnitude of changes varied among different GCMs and RCPs, increasing runoffs in wet-season and decreasing in dry-season are observed in both periods, mainly attributed to the change in projected precipitation. Such changes are profound in cases of RCP 8.5 with respect to those of RCP 4.5 and in cases of 2081–2100 with respect to those of 2021–2040. Although the increasing runoffs would provide greater inflow to Lake Tana, the increase of precipitation in wet-season would imply a higher possibility of flash floods. On the other hand, decrease runoffs in dry-season further intensify existing shortage of irrigation water demand. These changes will have deleterious consequences on the economic wellbeing of the country and require successful implementation of adaption measures to reduce vulnerability.

http://ift.tt/2c1VUa6

Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 709: Mechanism of Fiscal and Taxation Policies in the Geothermal Industry in China

Geothermal energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy which is gaining importance as an alternative to hydrocarbons. Geothermal energy reserves in China are enormous and it has a huge potential for exploitation and utilization. However, the development of the geothermal industry in China lags far behind other renewable energy sources because of the lack of fiscal and taxation policy support. In this paper, we adopt the system dynamics method and use the causal loop diagram to explore the development mechanism of fiscal and taxation policies in the geothermal industry. The effect of the fiscal and taxation policy on the development of the geothermal industry is analyzed. In order to promote sustainable development of the geothermal industry in China, the government should pay more attention to subsidies for the geothermal industry in the life-cycle stage of the geothermal industry. Furthermore, a plan is necessary to provide a reasonable system of fiscal and taxation policies.

http://ift.tt/2bSLhD3

Molecules, Vol. 21, Pages 1172: The Role of Na/K-ATPase Signaling in Oxidative Stress Related to Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

Na/K-ATPase has been extensively studied for its ion pumping function, but, in the past several decades, has been identified as a scaffolding and signaling protein. Initially it was found that cardiotonic steroids (CTS) mediate signal transduction through the Na/K-ATPase and result in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are also capable of initiating the signal cascade. However, in recent years, this Na/K-ATPase/ROS amplification loop has demonstrated significance in oxidative stress related disease states, including obesity, atherosclerosis, heart failure, uremic cardiomyopathy, and hypertension. The discovery of this novel oxidative stress signaling pathway, holds significant therapeutic potential for the aforementioned conditions and others that are rooted in ROS.

http://ift.tt/2c1VZuj

Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 753: Protection of Reinforced Concrete Structures of Waste Water Treatment Reservoirs with Stainless Steel Coating Using Arc Thermal Spraying Technique in Acidified Water

Waste water treatment reservoirs are contaminated with many hazardous chemicals and acids. Reservoirs typically comprise concrete and reinforcement steel bars, and the main elements responsible for their deterioration are hazardous chemicals, acids, and ozone. Currently, a variety of techniques are being used to protect reservoirs from exposure to these elements. The most widely used techniques are stainless steel plating and polymeric coating. In this study, a technique known as arc thermal spraying was used. It is a more convenient and economical method for protecting both concrete and reinforcement steel bar from deterioration in waste water treatment reservoirs. In this study, 316L stainless steel coating was applied to a concrete surface, and different electrochemical experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of coatings in different acidic pH solutions. The coating generated from the arc thermal spraying process significantly protected the concrete surface from corrosion in acidic pH solutions, owing to the formation of a double layer capacitance—a mixture of Cr3+ enriched with Cr2O3 and Cr-hydroxide in inner and Fe3+ oxide on the outer layer of the coating. The formation of this passive film is defective owing to the non-homogeneous 316L stainless steel coating surface. In the pH 5 solution, the growth of a passive film is adequate due to the presence of un-dissociated water molecules in the aqueous sulfuric acid solution. The coated surface is sealed with alkyl epoxide, which acts as a barrier against the penetration of acidic solutions. This coating exhibits higher impedance values among the three studied acidic pH solutions.

http://ift.tt/2cxnRXR

IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 1478: Pereskia aculeata Muller (Cactaceae) Leaves: Chemical Composition and Biological Activities

Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 330: Toxic Combustion Product Yields as a Function of Equivalence Ratio and Flame Retardants in Under-Ventilated Fires: Bench-Large-Scale Comparisons

In large-scale compartment fires; combustion product yields vary with combustion conditions mainly in relation to the fuel:air equivalence ratio (Φ) and the effects of gas-phase flame retardants. Yields of products of inefficient combustion; including the major toxic products CO; HCN and organic irritants; increase considerably as combustion changes from well-ventilated (Φ < 1) to under-ventilated (Φ = 1–3). It is therefore essential that bench-scale toxicity tests reproduce this behaviour across the Φ range. Yield data from repeat compartment fire tests for any specific fuel show some variation on either side of a best-fit curve for CO yield as a function of Φ. In order to quantify the extent to which data from the steady state tube furnace (SSTF [1]; ISO TS19700 [2]) represents compartment fire yields; the range and average deviations of SSTF data for CO yields from the compartment fire best-fit curve were compared to those for direct compartment fire measurements for six different polymeric fuels with textile and non-textile applications and for generic post-flashover fire CO yield data. The average yields; range and standard deviations of the SSTF data around the best-fit compartment fire curves were found to be close to those for the compartment fire data. It is concluded that SSTF data are as good a predictor of compartment fire yields as are repeat compartment fire test data.

http://ift.tt/2bSIsSs

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Σάββατο 3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2016

Abstract

Abstract

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