bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“We Are More than Our Parents’ Mental Illness”: Narratives from Adult Children
Authors: Patrick Pamela , Reupert Andrea , McLean Louise
Published: March 2019

Although research on children of parents with mental illness is growing, few researchers have examined the long-term impact of parental mental illness on adult children. This study explored the potential impact of growing up with a parent with a mental illness on the parenting role assumed by adult children. The qualitative study included ten participants, who were individually interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) along with member checks were utilised to derive themes from participants’ narratives. Three main themes were identified, including: ‘this is me’, ‘a whole new world’, and ‘because of you’. ‘This is me’ consisted of narratives highlighting how adult children intentionally went about parenting in ways different from their parents, and ‘a whole new world’ captured the salient identity that parenthood served for adult children. The third theme, ‘because of you’ highlighted the challenges adult children faced in their parenting roles as a result of their childhood experience living with a parent with mental illness. Participants highlighted the main challenges to be an absence of a reference point and lack of informal social supports. Recommendations for mental health practitioners and future research are presented in order to develop better ways to support adult children and their families.
Anti-Müllerian Hormone Gene Polymorphism is Associated with Clinical Pregnancy of Fresh IVF Cycles
Authors: Wu Cheng-Hsuan , Yang Shun-Fa , Tsao Hui-Mei , Chang Yu-Jun , Lee Tsung-Hsien , Lee Maw-Sheng
Published: March 2019

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and AMH type II receptor (AMHRII) genes on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. In this prospective cohort study, we genotyped the AMH 146 T > G, AMHRII −482 A > G and AMHRII IVS1 +149 T > A variants in 635 women undergoing their first cycle of controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF. DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of all participants, and the SNPs were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The distributions, frequencies of genes, and correlation with clinical pregnancy of IVF were analyzed. The AMH 146 T > G G/G genotype in women was associated with a lower clinical pregnancy rate (T/T: 55.0%, T/G: 51.8%, G/G: 40.0%; p < 0.05). Women with the AMH 146 T > G GG genotype were half as likely to have a clinical pregnancy compared with women with TT genotypes (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.88, p = 0.014). With multivariate analysis, the AMH 146 T > G GG genotype remains as a significant independent factor to predict clinical pregnancy (p = 0.014). No significant difference was found between AMHRII polymorphisms and clinical pregnancy outcomes of IVF. In conclusion, our results show that AMH 146 T > G seems to be a susceptibility biomarker capable of predicting IVF pregnancy outcomes. Further studies should focus on the mechanism of these associations and the inclusion of other ethnic populations to confirm the findings of this study.
Vitamin D and Public Health
Authors: Scott David , Ebeling Peter R.
Published: March 2019

Since the early 2000’s, interest in vitamin D has grown significantly among the research, clinical and lay communities [...]
GeneAnalytics Pathways and Profiling of Shared Autism and Cancer Genes
Authors: Gabrielli Alexander , Manzardo Ann , Butler Merlin
Published: March 2019

Recent research revealed that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and cancer may share common genetic architecture, with evidence first reported with the PTEN gene. There are approximately 800 autism genes and 3500 genes associated with cancer. The VarElect phenotype program was chosen to identify genes jointly associated with both conditions based on genomic information stored in GeneCards. In total, 138 overlapping genes were then profiled with GeneAnalytics, an analysis pathway enrichment tool utilizing existing gene datasets to identify shared pathways, mechanisms, and phenotypes. Profiling the shared gene data identified seven significantly associated diseases of 2310 matched disease entities with factors implicated in shared pathology of ASD and cancer. These included 371 super-pathways of 455 matched entities reflecting major cell-signaling pathways and metabolic disturbances (e.g., CREB, AKT, GPCR); 153 gene ontology (GO) biological processes of 226 matched processes; 41 GO molecular functions of 78 matched functions; and 145 phenotypes of 232 matched phenotypes. The entries were scored and ranked using a matching algorithm that takes into consideration genomic expression, sequencing, and microarray datasets with cell or tissue specificity. Shared mechanisms may lead to the identification of a common pathology and a better understanding of causation with potential treatment options to lessen the severity of ASD-related symptoms in those affected.
Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin Inhibits Efferocytosis in Human Macrophages and Alters Efferocytic Receptor Signaling
Authors: Pan Zijian , Dumas Eric K. , Lawrence Christina , Pate Lance , Longobardi Sherri , Wang Xiaodong , James Judith A. , Kovats Susan , Farris A. Darise
Published: March 2019

The Bacillus anthracis Edema Toxin (ET), composed of a Protective Antigen (PA) and the Edema Factor (EF), is a cellular adenylate cyclase that alters host responses by elevating cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) to supraphysiologic levels. However, the role of ET in systemic anthrax is unclear. Efferocytosis is a cAMP-sensitive, anti-inflammatory process of apoptotic cell engulfment, the inhibition of which may promote sepsis in systemic anthrax. Here, we tested the hypothesis that ET inhibits efferocytosis by primary human macrophages and evaluated the mechanisms of altered efferocytic signaling. ET, but not PA or EF alone, inhibited the efferocytosis of early apoptotic neutrophils (PMN) by primary human M2 macrophages (polarized with IL-4, IL-10, and/or dexamethasone) at concentrations relevant to those encountered in systemic infection. ET inhibited Protein S- and MFGE8-dependent efferocytosis initiated by signaling through MerTK and αVβ5 receptors, respectively. ET inhibited Rac1 activation as well as the phosphorylation of Rac1 and key activating sites of calcium calmodulin-dependent kinases CamK1α, CamK4, and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein, that were induced by the exposure of M2(Dex) macrophages to Protein S-opsonized apoptotic PMN. These results show that ET impairs macrophage efferocytosis and alters efferocytic receptor signaling.
A novel Microproteomic Approach Using Laser Capture Microdissection to Study Cellular Protrusions
Authors: Gousset Karine , Gordon Ana , Kumar Kannan Shravan , Tovar Joey
Published: March 2019

Cell–cell communication is vital to multicellular organisms, and distinct types of cellular protrusions play critical roles during development, cell signaling, and the spreading of pathogens and cancer. The differences in the structure and protein composition of these different types of protrusions and their specific functions have not been elucidated due to the lack of a method for their specific isolation and analysis. In this paper, we described, for the first time, a method to specifically isolate distinct protrusion subtypes, based on their morphological structures or fluorescent markers, using laser capture microdissection (LCM). Combined with a unique fixation and protein extraction protocol, we pushed the limits of microproteomics and demonstrate that proteins from LCM-isolated protrusions can successfully and reproducibly be identified by mass spectrometry using ultra-high field Orbitrap technologies. Our method confirmed that different types of protrusions have distinct proteomes and it promises to advance the characterization and the understanding of these unique structures to shed light on their possible role in health and disease.
Temporal Splicing Switches in Elements of the TNF-Pathway Identified by Computational Analysis of Transcriptome Data for Human Cell Lines
Authors: Genov Nikolai , Basti Alireza , Abreu Mónica , Relógio Angela
Published: March 2019

Alternative splicing plays an important role in numerous cellular processes and aberrant splice decisions are associated with cancer. Although some studies point to a regulation of alternative splicing and its effector mechanisms in a time-dependent manner, the extent and consequences of such a regulation remains poorly understood. In the present work, we investigated the time-dependent production of isoforms in two Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines of different progression stages (HD-MY-Z, stage IIIb and L-1236, stage IV) compared to a B lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL-HO) with a focus on tumour necrosis factor (TNF) pathway-related elements. For this, we used newly generated time-course RNA-sequencing data from the mentioned cell lines and applied a computational pipeline to identify genes with isoform-switching behaviour in time. We analysed the temporal profiles of the identified events and evaluated in detail the potential functional implications of alterations in isoform expression for the selected top-switching genes. Our data indicate that elements within the TNF pathway undergo a time-dependent variation in isoform production with a putative impact on cell migration, proliferation and apoptosis. These include the genes TRAF1, TNFRSF12A and NFKB2. Our results point to a role of temporal alternative splicing in isoform production, which may alter the outcome of the TNF pathway and impact on tumorigenesis.
Effect of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Coating based on Whey Protein Nanofibrils with TiO2 Nanotubes on the Quality and Shelf Life of Chilled Meat
Authors: Feng Zhibiao , Li Lele , Wang Qiannan , Wu Guangxin , Liu Chunhong , Jiang Bin , Xu Jing
Published: March 2019

Whey protein nanofibrils (WPNFs) can be used in edible films and coatings (EFCs) because of its favorable functional properties, which rely on its well-ordered β-sheet structures, high hydrophobicity, homogeneous structure, and antioxidant activity. In the present study, WPNF-based edible coatings with glycerol (Gly) as plastic and titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) as antimicrobial agents were studied. TNTs not only showed greater antibacterial activity than titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNPs), but also increased interactions with WPNFs. The WPNF/TNT film had a smooth and continuous surface and was homogeneous with good mechanical properties. WPNF/TNT edible coatings (ECs) can help improve lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity, limit microbial growth, reduce weight loss, and extend the shelf life of chilled beef. Given that the WPNF/TNT film components are low cost and show high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, these optimized films have potential applications for various food products, including raw and chilled meat.
Exploration of Catalytic Selectivity for Aminotransferase (BtrR) Based on Multiple Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Liu Ye , Wan Youzhong , Zhu Jingxuan , Li Muxin , Yu Zhengfei , Han Jiarui , Zhang Zuoming , Han Weiwei
Published: March 2019

The aminotransferase from Bacillus circulans (BtrR), which is involved in the biosynthesis of butirosin, catalyzes the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent transamination reaction to convert valienone to β-valienamine (a new β-glycosidase inhibitor for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases) with an optical purity enantiomeric excess value. To explore the stereoselective mechanism of valienamine generated by BtrR, multiple molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for the BtrR/PLP/valienamine and BtrR/PLP/β-valienamine complexes. The theoretical results showed that β-valienamine could make BtrR more stable and dense than valienamine. β-valienamine could increase the hydrogen bond probability and decrease the binding free energy between coenzyme PLP and BtrR by regulating the protein structure of BtrR, which was conducive to the catalytic reaction. β-valienamine maintained the formation of cation-p interactions between basic and aromatic amino acids in BtrR, thus enhancing its stability and catalytic activity. In addition, CAVER 3.0 analysis revealed that β-valienamine could make the tunnel of BtrR wider and straight, which was propitious to the removal of products from BtrR. Steered MD simulation results showed that valienamine interacted with more residues in the tunnel during dissociation compared with β-valienamine, resulting in the need for a stronger force to be acquired from BtrR. Taken together, BtrR was more inclined to catalyze the substrates to form β-valienamine, either from the point of view of the catalytic reaction or product removal.
Every Coin Has Two Sides: Reactive Oxygen Species during Rice–Magnaporthe oryzae Interaction
Authors: Kou Yanjun , Qiu Jiehua , Tao Zeng
Published: March 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in many important processes, including the growth, development, and responses to the environments, in rice (Oryza sativa) and Magnaporthe oryzae. Although ROS are known to be critical components in rice–M. oryzae interactions, their regulations and pathways have not yet been completely revealed. Recent studies have provided fascinating insights into the intricate physiological redox balance in rice–M. oryzae interactions. In M. oryzae, ROS accumulation is required for the appressorium formation and penetration. However, once inside the rice cells, M. oryzae must scavenge the host-derived ROS to spread invasive hyphae. On the other side, ROS play key roles in rice against M. oryzae. It has been known that, upon perception of M. oryzae, rice plants modulate their activities of ROS generating and scavenging enzymes, mainly on NADPH oxidase OsRbohB, by different signaling pathways to accumulate ROS against rice blast. By contrast, the M. oryzae virulent strains are capable of suppressing ROS accumulation and attenuating rice blast resistance by the secretion of effectors, such as AvrPii and AvrPiz-t. These results suggest that ROS generation and scavenging of ROS are tightly controlled by different pathways in both M. oryzae and rice during rice blast. In this review, the most recent advances in the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of ROS accumulation and signaling during rice–M. oryzae interaction are summarized.
KCa3.1 Transgene Induction in Murine Intestinal Epithelium Causes Duodenal Chyme Accumulation and Impairs Duodenal Contractility
Authors: Valero Marta Sofía , Ramón-Gimenez Mariano , Lozano-Gerona Javier , Delgado-Wicke Pablo , Calmarza Pilar , Oliván-Viguera Aida , López Víctor , Garcia-Otín Ángel-Luis , Valero Salvador , Pueyo Esther , Hamilton Kirk L. , Miura Hiroto , Köhler Ralf
Published: March 2019

Abstract: The epithelial intermediate-conductance calcium/calmodulin-regulated KCa3.1 channel is considered to be a regulator of intestine function by controlling chloride secretion and water/salt balance. Yet, little is known about the functional importance of KCa3.1 in the intestinal epithelium in vivo. Our objective was to determine the impact of epithelial-specific inducible overexpression of a KCa3.1 transgene (KCa3.1+) and of inducible suppression (KCa3.1−) on intestinal homeostasis and function in mice. KCa3.1 overexpression in the duodenal epithelium of doxycycline (DOX)-treated KCa3.1+ mice was 40-fold above the control levels. Overexpression caused an inflated duodenum and doubling of the chyme content. Histology showed conserved architecture of crypts, villi, and smooth muscle. Unaltered proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immune reactivity and reduced amounts of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase mediated X-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic cells in villi indicated lower epithelial turnover. Myography showed a reduction in the frequency of spontaneous propulsive muscle contractions with no change in amplitude. The amount of stool in the colon was increased and the frequency of colonic contractions was reduced in KCa3.1+ animals. Senicapoc treatment prevented the phenotype. Suppression of KCa3.1 in DOX-treated KCa3.1− mice caused no overt intestinal phenotype. In conclusion, inducible KCa3.1 overexpression alters intestinal functions by increasing the chyme content and reducing spontaneous contractions and epithelial apoptosis. Induction of epithelial KCa3.1 can play a mechanistic role in the process of adaptation of the intestine.
A Semi-Supervised Based K-Means Algorithm for Optimal Guided Waves Structural Health Monitoring: A Case Study
Authors: Bouzenad Abd Ennour , El Mountassir Mahjoub , Yaacoubi Slah , Dahmene Fethi , Koabaz Mahmoud , Buchheit Lilian , Ke Weina
Published: March 2019

This paper concerns the health monitoring of pipelines and tubes. It proposes the k-means clustering algorithm as a simple tool to monitor the integrity of a structure (i.e., detecting defects and assessing their growth). The k-means algorithm is applied on data collected experimentally, by means of an ultrasonic guided waves technique, from healthy and damaged tubes. Damage was created by attaching magnets to a tube. The number of magnets was increased progressively to simulate an increase in the size of the defect and also, a change in its shape. To test the performance of the proposed method for damage detection, a statistical population was created for the healthy state and for each damage step. This was done by adding white Gaussian noise to each acquired signal. To optimize the number of clusters, many algorithms were run, and their results were compared. Then, a semi-supervised based method was proposed to determine an alarm threshold, triggered when a defect becomes critical.
The Global Legal Entity Identifier System: How Can It Deliver?
Authors: Chan Ka Kei , Milne Alistair
Published: March 2019

We examine the global legal entity identifier (LEI) system for the identification of participants in financial markets. Semi-structured interviews with data professionals revealed the many ways in which the LEI can improve both business process efficiency, and counterparty and credit risk management. Larger social benefits, including the monitoring of systemic financial risk, are achievable if it becomes the accepted universal standard for legal entity identification. Our interviews also review the substantial co-ordination and investment barriers to LEI adoption. To address these, a clear regulatory-led road map is needed for its future development, with widespread application in regulatory reporting.
Surface Modification of Carbon Fibers by Grafting PEEK-NH2 for Improving Interfacial Adhesion with Polyetheretherketone
Authors: Hassan Elwathig. A. M. , Elagib Tienah. H. H. , Memon Hafeezullah , Yu Muhuo , Zhu Shu
Published: March 2019

Due to the non-polar nature and low wettability of carbon fibers (CFs), the interfacial adhesion between CFs and the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) matrix is poor, and this has negative effects on the mechanical properties of CF/PEEK composites. In this work, we established a modification method to improve the interface between CFs and PEEK based chemical grafting of aminated polyetheretherketone (PEEK-NH2) on CFs to create an interfacial layer which has competency with the PEEK matrix. The changed chemical composition, surface morphology, surface energy, and interlaminar shear strength were investigated. After grafting, the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) was improved by 33.4% due to the covalent bonds in the interface region, as well as having good compatibility between the interface modifier and PEEK. Finally, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observation also confirmed that the properties of the modified CF/PEEK composites interface were enhanced. This work is, therefore, a beneficial approach towards enhancing the mechanical properties of thermoplastic composites by controlling the interface between CFs and the PEEK matrix.
Nanomaterial Applications in Photothermal Therapy for Cancer
Authors: Doughty Austin C.V. , Hoover Ashley R. , Layton Elivia , Murray Cynthia K. , Howard Eric W. , Chen Wei R.
Published: March 2019

As a result of their unique compositions and properties, nanomaterials have recently seen a tremendous increase in use for novel cancer therapies. By taking advantage of the optical absorption of near-infrared light, researchers have utilized nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes, gold nanorods, and graphene oxide sheets to enhance photothermal therapies and target the effect on the tumor tissue. However, new uses for nanomaterials in targeted cancer therapy are coming to light, and the efficacy of photothermal therapy has increased dramatically. In this work, we review some of the current applications of nanomaterials to enhance photothermal therapy, specifically as photothermal absorbers, drug delivery vehicles, photoimmunological agents, and theranostic tools.
Superior Wear Resistance in EBM-Processed TC4 Alloy Compared with SLM and Forged Samples
Authors: Zhang Weiwen , Qin Peiting , Wang Zhi , Yang Chao , Kollo Lauri , Grzesiak Dariusz , Prashanth Konda Gokuldoss
Published: March 2019

The wear properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy have drawn great attention in both aerospace and biomedical fields. The present study examines the wear properties of Ti-6Al-4V alloy as prepared by selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM) and conventional forging processes. The SLM and EBM samples show better wear resistance than the forged sample, which correlates to their higher hardness values and weak delamination tendencies. The EBM sample shows a lower wear rate than the SLM sample because of the formation of multiple horizontal cracks in the SLM sample, which results in heavier delamination. The results suggest that additive manufacturing processes offer significantly wear-resistant Ti-6Al-4V specimens in comparison to their counterparts produced by forging.
Computational and Experimental Investigation of Micro-Hardness and Wear Resistance of Ni-Based Alloy and TiC Composite Coating Obtained by Laser Cladding
Authors: Lian Guofu , Zhang Hao , Zhang Yang , Yao Mingpu , Huang Xu , Chen Changrong
Published: March 2019

The influence of processing parameters on the micro-hardness and wear resistance of a Ni-based alloy and titanium carbide (TiC) composite cladding layer was studied. Mathematical models were developed to predict the micro-hardness and wear resistance of the cladding layer by controlling the laser cladding processing parameters. Key processing parameters were the laser power, scanning speed, gas flow, and TiC powder ratio. The models were validated by analysis of variance and parameter optimization. Results show that the micro-hardness is positively correlated with laser power and TiC powder ratio, where the TiC powder ratio shows the most significant impact. The wear volume decreased with an increasing TiC powder ratio. The targets for the processing parameter optimization were set to 62 HRC for micro-hardness and a minimal volume wear. The difference between the model prediction value and experimental validation result for micro-hardness and wear volume were 1.87% and 6.33%, respectively. These models provide guidance to optimize the processing parameters to achieve a desired micro-hardness and maximize wear resistance in a composite cladding layer.
Laser-Assisted Synthesis of Cu-Al-Ni Shape Memory Alloys: Effect of Inert Gas Pressure and Ni Content
Authors: Niedbalski Stefan , Durán Alicia , Walczak Magdalena , Ramos-Grez Jorge A.
Published: March 2019

The paper explores the applicability of laser-assisted synthesis for producing high density Cu-Al-Ni alloys with shape memory characteristics, that could be further developed towards a method of additive manufacturing of large size Cu-based shape memory alloys (SMA). The manufacturing approach consists in laser melting of elemental powder mixture in a controlled atmosphere of varying relative pressure of protective argon gas, producing alloys of 14.2 wt.% Al and Ni content varying between 2 and 4 wt.%. All the fabricated alloys are found to have attained martensitic microstructures capable of SMA specific phase transformations in the temperature range from 85 to 192 °C. Both gas pressure and content of Ni are found to affect the specific transformation temperatures, transformation enthalpies, and mechanical properties. In particular, increasing gas pressure suppresses the austenite to martensite transformation reducing microhardness. In conclusion, the selective laser melting (SLM) employed in this work is shown capable of producing high density Cu-Al-Ni SMA (porosity ≈ 2%).
Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia During a Self-Paced Marathon Attempt in a 15-Year-Old Male Teenager
Authors: Knechtle Beat , Bamert Jonah , Rosemann Thomas , Nikolaidis Pantelis T.
Published: March 2019

Background and objective: The increased participation in endurance sports such as marathon running has attracted scientific interest especially with regard to adult athletes. However, few studies have examined the impact of a marathon race on children and adolescents. Therefore, the aim of the present case study was two-fold: first, to describe pacing during a marathon race, and second, to examine acute responses of blood physiology and biochemistry parameters during the race (i.e., pre- and post-race) as well as five consecutive days after the race. Materials and Methods: Participant was a 15-year-old boy who completed a self-paced marathon attempt for the first time and finished in 5 h 19 m 53 s. Positive pacing (i.e., a running speed that decreased throughout race) with a final end spurt was observed. Results: An increase in fluid intake across race was shown. Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH, i.e., plasma sodium concentration <135 mmol/L) was found post-race. C-reactive protein (CRP) did not correlate either with creatine kinase (CK) (r = 0.457, p = 0.302) or with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (r = 0.156, p = 0.739); however, leukocytes correlated very largely with LDH (r = 0.889, p = 0.007) but not with CK (r = 0.696, p = 0.082). CK and LDH related almost perfectly with creatinine (r = 0.937, p = 0.002 and r = 0.959, p = 0.001, respectively); also, creatinine clearance correlated very largely with CK (r = −0.782, p = 0.038) but not with LDH (r = −0.733, p = 0.061). Leukocytes, aspartate aminotransferase, LDH, and CK deviated from physiological range post-race, but returned to normal values during the five-day recovery period. Conclusions: In summary, a male teenager at the age of 15 years was able to run a marathon in under 6 h without significant harmful effects on health. He developed mild and asymptomatic EAH and an increase in leucocytes, CRP, CK, and LDH as markers of inflammation and skeletal muscle damage. EAH after the marathon was resolved within one day of recovery.
Bee Venom and Its Peptide Component Melittin Suppress Growth and Migration of Melanoma Cells via Inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK Pathways
Authors: Lim Haet Nim , Baek Seung Bae , Jung Hye Jin
Published: March 2019

Malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and highly chemoresistant. Melittin, an amphiphilic peptide containing 26 amino acid residues, is the major active ingredient from bee venom (BV). Although melittin is known to have several biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer effects, its antimelanoma effect and underlying molecular mechanism have not been fully elucidated. In the current study, we investigated the inhibitory effect and action mechanism of BV and melittin against various melanoma cells including B16F10, A375SM and SK-MEL-28. BV and melittin potently suppressed the growth, clonogenic survival, migration and invasion of melanoma cells. They also reduced the melanin formation in α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)-stimulated melanoma cells. Furthermore, BV and melittin induced the apoptosis of melanoma cells by enhancing the activities of caspase-3 and -9. In addition, we demonstrated that the antimelanoma effect of BV and melittin is associated with the downregulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. We also found that the combination of melittin with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ) significantly increases the inhibition of growth as well as invasion in melanoma cells compared to melittin or TMZ alone. Taken together, these results suggest that melittin could be potentially applied for the prevention and treatment of malignant melanoma.
Profiling Metabolites and Biological Activities of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) Juice and its Product Molasses via a Multiplex Metabolomics Approach
Authors: Ali Sara E. , El Gedaily Rania A. , Mocan Andrei , Farag Mohamed A. , El-Seedi Hesham R.
Published: March 2019

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is an important perennial grass in the Poaceae family cultivated worldwide due to its economical and medicinal value. In this study, a combined approach using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was employed for the large-scale metabolite profiling of sugarcane juice and its by-product molasses. The polyphenols were analysed via UPLC-UV-ESI-MS, whereas the primary metabolites such as sugars and organic and amino acids were profiled using NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). UPLC/MS was more effective than NMR spectroscopy or GC/MS for determining differences among the metabolite compositions of the products. Under the optimized conditions, UPLC/MS led to the identification of 42 metabolites, including nine flavonoids, nine fatty acids, and two sterols. C/O Flavone glycosides were the main subclass detected, with tricin-7-O-deoxyhexosyl glucuronide being detected in sugarcane and molasses for the first time. Based on GC/MS analysis, disaccharides were the predominant species in the sugarcane juice and molasses, with sucrose accounting for 66% and 59%, respectively, by mass of all identified metabolites. The phenolic profiles of sugarcane and molasses were further investigated in relation to their in vitro antioxidant activities using free radical scavenging assays such as 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging ability (DPPH), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). In view of its higher total phenolic content (TPC) (196 ± 2.1 mg GAE/100 g extract) compared to that of sugarcane juice (93 ± 2.9 mg GAE/100 g extract), molasses exhibited a substantially higher antioxidant effect. Interestingly, both extracts were also found to inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes, suggesting a possible antihyperglycaemic effect. These findings suggest molasses may be a new source of natural antioxidants for functional foods.
Variability in Catechin and Rutin Contents and Their Antioxidant Potential in Diverse Apple Genotypes
Authors: Shafi Wajida , Mansoor Sheikh , Jan Sumira , Singh Desh , Kazi Mohsin , Raish Mohammad , Alwadei Majed , Mir Javid , Ahmad Parvaiz
Published: March 2019

Catechins and rutin are among the main metabolites found in apple fruit. Sixty apple genotypes, harvested in 2016 and 2017, were analyzed for their phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The HPLC analysis showed that the catechin concentration ranged from 109.98 to 5290.47 µg/g, and the rutin concentration ranged from 12.136 to 483.89 µg/g of apple fruit. The level of DPPH activity ranged from 9.04% to 77.57%, and almost half of the 15 genotypes showed below 30–40% DPPH activity. The apple genotypes ‘Lal Ambri’, ‘Green Sleeves’, and ‘Mallus floribunda’ showed the highest DPPH activity of between 70% and 80%, while ‘Schlomit’, ‘Luxtons Fortune’, ‘Mayaan’, ‘Ananas Retrine’, and ‘Chaubatia ambrose’ showed the lowest ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity (0.02–0.09%). Statistical analysis showed a correlation between DPPH activity and catechin content (r = 0.7348) and rutin content (r = 0.1442). Regarding antioxidant activity, fractionated samples of apple genotypes revealed significant activity comparable to that of ascorbic acid. There was also a consistent trend for FRAP activity among all apple genotypes and a significant positive correlation between FRAP activity and rutin content (r = 0.244). Thus, this study reveals a significant variation in antioxidant potential among apple genotypes. This data could be useful for the development of new apple varieties with added phytochemicals by conventional and modern breeders.
Isothiocyanates and Glucosinolates from Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. (“the Singers’ Plant”): Isolation and in Vitro Assays on the Somatosensory and Pain Receptor TRPA1 Channel
Authors: Borgonovo Gigliola , Zimbaldi Nathan , Guarise Marta , De Nisi Patrizia , De Petrocellis Luciano , Schiano Moriello Aniello , Bassoli Angela
Published: March 2019

Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. is a wild common plant of the Brassicaceae family. It is known as “the singers’ plant” for its traditional use in treating aphonia and vocal disability. Despite its wide use in herbal preparations, the molecular mechanism of action of S. officinale extracts is not known. The plant is rich in glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which are supposed to be its active compounds. Some members of this family, in particular allylisothiocyanate, are strong agonists of the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel, which is involved in the somatosensory perception of pungency as well as in the nociception pathway of inflammatory pain. This study aims to isolate the glucosinolates and isothiocianates from fresh S. officinale to identify the major components and test their activity in in vitro assays with a cloned TRPA1 channel. Samples of cultivated S. officinale have been extracted and the active compounds isolated by column chromatography, HPLC and PTLC. The main components glucoputranjivin, isopropylisothiocyanate and 2-buthylisothiocianate have been tested on TRPA1. The glucosinolates glucoputranjivin and sinigrin turned out to be inactive, while isopropylisothiocyanate and 2-buthylisothiocyanate are potent agonists of TRPA1, with an EC50 in the range of the high potency natural agonists identified so far for this somatosensory channel.
Individual and Combined Effects of Extracellular Polymeric Substances and Whole Cell Components of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii on Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Stability
Authors: Rahman Ashiqur , Kumar Shishir , Bafana Adarsh , Dahoumane Si Amar , Jeffryes Clayton
Published: March 2019

The fresh water microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii bioreduced Ag+ to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via three biosynthetic routes in a process that could be a more sustainable alternative to conventionally produced AgNPs. The AgNPs were synthesized in either the presence of whole cell cultures, an exopolysaccharide (EPS)-containing cell culture supernatant, or living cells that had been separated from the EPS-containing supernatant and then washed before being suspended again in fresh media. While AgNPs were produced by all three methods, the washed cultures had no supernatant-derived EPS and produced only unstable AgNPs, thus the supernatant-EPS was shown to be necessary to cap and stabilize the biogenic AgNPs. TEM images showed stable AgNPs were mostly spherical and showed a bimodal size distribution about the size ranges of 3.0 ± 1.3 nm and 19.2 ± 5.0 nm for whole cultures and 3.5 ± 0.6 nm and 17.4 ± 2.6 nm for EPS only. Moreover, selected area electron diffraction pattern of these AgNPs confirmed their polycrystalline nature. FTIR of the as-produced AgNPs identified polysaccharides, polyphenols and proteins were responsible for the observed differences in the AgNP stability, size and shape. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy indicated carboxylate and amine groups were bound to the AgNP surface.
DFT Computed Dielectric Response and THz Spectra of Organic Co-Crystals and Their Constituent Components
Authors: Bennett Joseph W. , Raglione Michaella E. , Oburn Shalisa M. , MacGillivray Leonard R. , Arnold Mark A. , Mason Sara E.
Published: March 2019

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy has been put forth as a non-contact, analytical probe to characterize the intermolecular interactions of biologically active molecules, specifically as a way to understand, better develop, and use active pharmaceutical ingredients. An obstacle towards fully utilizing this technique as a probe is the need to couple features in the THz regions to specific vibrational modes and interactions. One solution is to use density functional theory (DFT) methods to assign specific vibrational modes to signals in the THz region, coupling atomistic insights to spectral features. Here, we use open source planewave DFT packages that employ ultrasoft pseudopotentials to assess the infrared (IR) response of organic compounds and complex co-crystal formulations in the solid state, with and without dispersion corrections. We compare our DFT computed lattice parameters and vibrational modes to experiment and comment on how to improve the agreement between theory and modeling to allow for THz spectroscopy to be used as an analytical probe in complex biologically relevant systems.
Enactivism and Robotic Language Acquisition: A Report from the Frontier
Authors: Förster Frank
Published: March 2019

In this article, I assess an existing language acquisition architecture, which was deployed in linguistically unconstrained human–robot interaction, together with experimental design decisions with regard to their enactivist credentials. Despite initial scepticism with respect to enactivism’s applicability to the social domain, the introduction of the notion of participatory sense-making in the more recent enactive literature extends the framework’s reach to encompass this domain. With some exceptions, both our architecture and form of experimentation appear to be largely compatible with enactivist tenets. I analyse the architecture and design decisions along the five enactivist core themes of autonomy, embodiment, emergence, sense-making, and experience, and discuss the role of affect due to its central role within our acquisition experiments. In conclusion, I join some enactivists in demanding that interaction is taken seriously as an irreducible and independent subject of scientific investigation, and go further by hypothesising its potential value to machine learning.
The Use of Recycled Carpet in Low-Cost Composite Tooling Materials
Authors: Mishra Kunal , Das Sarat , Vaidyanathan Ranji
Published: March 2019

More than 250,000 metric tons (600 million pounds) of carpet are dumped in landfills every year. That creates a significant concern regarding environmental deterioration and economic liability. It is therefore imperative to develop sustainable post-consumer carpet-based products for high-value engineering applications such as composite tooling. To be considered as an acceptable composite tooling material, the composite needs to meet certain required properties such as a low coefficient of thermal expansion, excellent compressive properties, and high a hardness value after repeated exposure to curing cycles. The tooling composites must also exhibit the ability to endure several curing cycles, without deteriorating the mechanical properties. In the present investigation, post-consumer carpet has been recycled in the form of structural composites for tooling applications. The recycled carpet composites have been reinforced with 0.5 wt.% of graphene nanoplatelets to modify the material properties of the carpet composites. The results from compressive and hardness experiments demonstrate that the recycled carpet preserved its mechanical integrity even after several curing cycles. This indicates that recycled carpet composites have the potential to be a low-cost composite tooling alternative for the industry.
Levinas’s Political Chiasmi: Otherwise than Being as a Response to Liberalism and Fascism, Humanism and Antihumanism
Authors: van Eeden Rikus
Published: March 2019

In this article, I approach the relationship between the ethical and political in Levinas from the perspective of the hermeneutic strategy he employs when engaging with political thought. I argue that, in two key texts—“Reflections on the Philosophy of Hitlerism” and Humanism of the Other—Levinas situates seemingly opposed traditions of political thought in chiastic relation to one another: liberalism and fascism, and humanism and antihumanism, respectively. Furthermore, I argue that Levinas’s views on the relationship between the ethical and political in Otherwise than Being can be read as a response to the chiasmi found in the above texts. The relationship between the ontologies of liberalism and fascism is chiastic, because the latter’s fatal embrace of embodied and historical existence relies on the dualism the former establishes between the subject as transcendent and the body as immanent. Humanism and antihumanism are in chiastic relation in terms of the question of violence. The latter critiques the former for the violence of its Platonist devaluation of historical cultures, and argues instead for the equivalence of cultures; however, in locating intelligibility in structures of which specific cultures are merely configurations, antihumanism repeats the devaluation of specific cultures. In an altered manner, it is, therefore, also a potentially violent view of intercultural relations. Levinas’s analysis of sensible proximity to the human other is an attempt to account for the gravity of culturally situated meaning without turning it into an irrevocable fatality. I argue that the ethical does not detract from the situatedness of intelligibility, but demonstrates that we are bound to our cultural situation, not by fate, but by responsibility.
On Double Value at Risk
Authors: Zhang Wanbing , Zhang Sisi , Zhao Peibiao
Published: March 2019

Value at Risk (VaR) is used to illustrate the maximum potential loss under a given confidence level, and is just a single indicator to evaluate risk ignoring any information about income. The present paper will generalize one-dimensional VaR to two-dimensional VaR with income-risk double indicators. We first construct a double-VaR with ( μ , σ 2 ) (or ( μ , V a R 2 ) ) indicators, and deduce the joint confidence region of ( μ , σ 2 ) (or ( μ , V a R 2 ) ) by virtue of the two-dimensional likelihood ratio method. Finally, an example to cover the empirical analysis of two double-VaR models is stated.
Impact of Climate Variabilities and Human Activities on Surface Water Extents in Reservoirs of Yongding River Basin, China, from 1985 to 2016 Based on Landsat Observations and Time Series Analysis
Authors: Wang Mingli , Du Longjiang , Ke Yinghai , Huang Maoyi , Zhang Jing , Zhao Yong , Li Xiaojuan , Gong Huili
Published: March 2019

Yongding River is the largest river flowing through Beijing, the capital city of China. In recent years, Yongding River Basin (YDRB) has witnessed increasing human impacts on water resources, posing serious challenges in hydrological and ecological health. In this study, remote sensing techniques and statistical time series approaches for hydrological studies were combined to characterize the dynamics and driving factors of reservoir water extents in YDRB during 1985–2016. First, 107 Landsat 4, 5, 7 and 8 images were used to extract surface water extents in YDRB during 1985–2016 using a combination of water indices and Otsu threshold algorithm. Significant positive correlation was found between water extents and the annual inflow for the two biggest reservoirs, the downstream Guanting and upstream Cetian reservoirs, proving their representativeness of surface water availability in this basin. Then, statistical time series approaches including trend-free pre-whitening Mann-Kendall trend test, Pettit change-point test and double mass curve method, which are frequently used in hydrological studies, were adopted to quantify the trend of reservoir water extents dynamics and the relative contributions of climate variability and human activities. Results showed that the water extents in both reservoirs exhibited significant downward trend with change point occurring in 2001 and 2005 for Guanting and Cetian, respectively. About 74%~75% of the shrinkage during the post-change period can be attributed to human activities, among which GDP, population, electricity power production, raw coal production, steel and crude iron production, value of agriculture output, and urban area were the major human drivers. Hydrological connectivity between the upstream Cetian and downstream Guanting reservoirs declined during the post-change period. Since 2012, water extents in both reservoirs recovered as a result of various governmental water management policies including the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The methodology presented in this study can be used for analyzing the dynamics and driving mechanism of surface water resources, especially for un-gauged or poorly-gauged watersheds.
A Pairwise SSD Fingerprinting Method of Smartphone Indoor Localization for Enhanced Usability
Authors: Yang Fan , Xiong Jian , Liu Jingbin , Wang Changqing , Li Zheng , Tong Pengfei , Chen Ruizhi
Published: March 2019

Smartphone indoor localization has attracted considerable attention over the past decade because of the considerable business potential in terms of indoor navigation and location-based services. In particular, Wi-Fi RSS (received signal strength) fingerprinting for indoor localization has received significant attention in the industry, for its advantage of freely using off-the-shelf APs (access points). However, RSS measured by heterogeneous mobile devices is generally biased due to the variety of embedded hardware, leading to a systematical mismatch between online measures and the pre-established radio maps. Additionally, the fingerprinting method based on a single RSS measurement usually suffers from signal fluctuations due to environmental changes or human body blockage, leading to possible large localization errors. In this context, this study proposes a space-constrained pairwise signal strength differences (PSSD) strategy to improve Wi-Fi fingerprinting reliability, and mitigate the effect of hardware bias of different smartphone devices on positioning accuracy without requiring a calibration process. With the efforts of these two aspects, the proposed solution enhances the usability of Wi-Fi fingerprint positioning. The PSSD approach consists of two critical operations in constructing particular fingerprints. First, we construct the signal strength difference (SSD) radio map of the area of interest, which uses the RSS differences between APs to minimize the device-dependent effect. Then, the pairwise RSS fingerprints are constructed by leveraging the time-series RSS measurements and potential spatial topology of pedestrian locations of these measurement epochs, and consequently reducing possible large positioning errors. To verify the proposed PSSD method, we carry out extensive experiments with various Android smartphones in a campus building. In the case of heterogeneous devices, the experimental results demonstrate that PSSD fingerprinting achieves a mean error ∼20% less than conventional RSS fingerprinting. In addition, PSSD fingerprinting achieves a 90-percentile accuracy of no greater than 5.5 m across the tested heterogeneous smartphones