bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Iron Overload and Ferroptosis on Reproductive Disorders in Humans: Implications for Preeclampsia
Authors: Ng Shu-Wing , Norwitz Sam G. , Norwitz Errol R.
Published: July 2019

Iron is an essential element for the survival of most organisms, including humans. Demand for iron increases significantly during pregnancy to support growth and development of the fetus. Paradoxically, epidemiologic studies have shown that excessive iron intake and/or high iron status can be detrimental to pregnancy and is associated with reproductive disorders ranging from endometriosis to preeclampsia. Reproductive complications resulting from iron deficiency have been reviewed elsewhere. Here, we focus on reproductive disorders associated with iron overload and the contribution of ferroptosis—programmed cell death mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation within cell membranes—using preeclampsia as a model system. We propose that the clinical expressions of many reproductive disorders and pregnancy complications may be due to an underlying ferroptopathy (elemental iron-associated disease), characterized by a dysregulation in iron homeostasis leading to excessive ferroptosis.
Risk Factors for Unhealthy Weight Gain and Obesity among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Dhaliwal Khushmol K. , Orsso Camila E. , Richard Caroline , Haqq Andrea M. , Zwaigenbaum Lonnie
Published: July 2019

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by social and communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. Children with ASD are also at a higher risk for developing overweight or obesity than children with typical development (TD). Childhood obesity has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Importantly some key factors that play a mediating role in these higher rates of obesity include lifestyle factors and biological influences, as well as secondary comorbidities and medications. This review summarizes current knowledge about behavioral and lifestyle factors that could contribute to unhealthy weight gain in children with ASD, as well as the current state of knowledge of emerging risk factors such as the possible influence of sleep problems, the gut microbiome, endocrine influences and maternal metabolic disorders. We also discuss some of the clinical implications of these risk factors and areas for future research.
QTL Analysis of Resistance to High-Intensity UV-B Irradiation in Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.)
Authors: Yoon Min Young , Kim Moon Young , Ha Jungmin , Lee Taeyoung , Kim Kyung Do , Lee Suk-Ha
Published: July 2019

High-intensity ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiation is a complex abiotic stressor resulting in excessive light exposure, heat, and dehydration, thereby affecting crop yields. In the present study, we identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to high-intensity UV-B irradiation in soybean (Glycine max [L.]). We used a genotyping-by-sequencing approach using an F6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Cheongja 3 (UV-B sensitive) and Buseok (UV-B resistant). We evaluated the degree of leaf damage by high-intensity UV-B radiation in the RIL population and identified four QTLs, UVBR12-1, 6-1, 10-1, and 14-1, for UV-B stress resistance, together explaining 20% of the observed phenotypic variation. The genomic regions containing UVBR12-1 and UVBR6-1 and their syntenic blocks included other known biotic and abiotic stress-related QTLs. The QTL with the highest logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 3.76 was UVBR12-1 on Chromosome 12, containing two genes encoding spectrin beta chain, brain (SPTBN, Glyma.12g088600) and bZIP transcription factor21/TGACG motif-binding 9 (bZIP TF21/TGA9, Glyma.12g088700). Their amino acid sequences did not differ between the mapping parents, but both genes were significantly upregulated by UV-B stress in Buseok but not in Cheongja 3. Among five genes in UVBR6-1 on Chromosome 6, Glyma.06g319700 (encoding a leucine-rich repeat family protein) had two nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms differentiating the parental lines. Our findings offer powerful genetic resources for efficient and precise breeding programs aimed at developing resistant soybean cultivars to multiple stresses. Furthermore, functional validation of the candidate genes will improve our understanding of UV-B stress defense mechanisms.
EDB-FN Targeted Peptide–Drug Conjugates for Use against Prostate Cancer
Authors: Park Shang Eun , Shamloo Kiumars , Kristedja Timothy A. , Darwish Shaban , Bisoffi Marco , Parang Keykavous , Tiwari Rakesh Kumar
Published: July 2019

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy in men and is the leading cause of cancer-related male mortality. A disulfide cyclic peptide ligand [CTVRTSADC] 1 has been previously found to target extra domain B of fibronectin (EDB-FN) in the extracellular matrix that can differentiate aggressive PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia. We synthesized and optimized the stability of ligand 1 by amide cyclization to obtain [KTVRTSADE] 8 using Fmoc/tBu solid-phase chemistry. Optimized targeting ligand 8 was found to be stable in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 6.5, 7.0, and 7.5) and under redox conditions, with a half-life longer than 8 h. Confocal microscopy studies demonstrated increased binding of ligand 8 to EDB-FN compared to ligand 1. Therefore, we hypothesized that the EDB-FN targeted peptides (1 and 8) conjugated with an anticancer drug via a hydrolyzable linker would provide selective cytotoxicity to the cancer cells. To test our hypothesis, we selected both the normal prostate cell line, RWPE-1, and the cancerous prostate cell lines, PC3, DU-145, LNCaP, and C4-2, to evaluate the anticancer activity of synthesized peptide–drug conjugates. Docetaxel (Doce) and doxorubicin (Dox) were used as anticancer drugs. Dox conjugate 13 containing disulfide linkage showed comparable cytotoxicity versus Dox after 72 h incubation in all the cancer cell lines, whereas it was found to be less cytotoxic on RWPE-1, suggesting that it can act as a Dox prodrug. Doce conjugate 14 was found to be less cytotoxic in all the cell lines as compared to drug alone.
Conceptual Evolution of Cell Signaling
Authors: Nair Arathi , Chauhan Prashant , Saha Bhaskar , Kubatzky Katharina F.
Published: July 2019

During the last 100 years, cell signaling has evolved into a common mechanism for most physiological processes across systems. Although the majority of cell signaling principles were initially derived from hormonal studies, its exponential growth has been supported by interdisciplinary inputs, e.g., from physics, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, and computational fields. As a result, cell signaling has grown out of scope for any general review. Here, we review how the messages are transferred from the first messenger (the ligand) to the receptor, and then decoded with the help of cascades of second messengers (kinases, phosphatases, GTPases, ions, and small molecules such as cAMP, cGMP, diacylglycerol, etc.). The message is thus relayed from the membrane to the nucleus where gene expression ns, subsequent translations, and protein targeting to the cell membrane and other organelles are triggered. Although there are limited numbers of intracellular messengers, the specificity of the response profiles to the ligands is generated by the involvement of a combination of selected intracellular signaling intermediates. Other crucial parameters in cell signaling are its directionality and distribution of signaling strengths in different pathways that may crosstalk to adjust the amplitude and quality of the final effector output. Finally, we have reflected upon its possible developments during the coming years.
Modulation of Nitric Oxide Synthases by Oxidized LDLs: Role in Vascular Inflammation and Atherosclerosis Development
Authors: Gliozzi Micaela , Scicchitano Miriam , Bosco Francesca , Musolino Vincenzo , Carresi Cristina , Scarano Federica , Maiuolo Jessica , Nucera Saverio , Maretta Alessia , Paone Sara , Mollace Rocco , Ruga Stefano , Zito Maria Caterina , Macrì Roberta , Oppedisano Francesca , Palma Ernesto , Salvemini Daniela , Muscoli Carolina , Mollace Vincenzo
Published: July 2019

The maintenance of physiological levels of nitric oxide (NO) produced by eNOS represents a key element for vascular endothelial homeostasis. On the other hand, NO overproduction, due to the activation of iNOS under different stress conditions, leads to endothelial dysfunction and, in the late stages, to the development of atherosclerosis. Oxidized LDLs (oxLDLs) represent the major candidates to trigger biomolecular processes accompanying endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation leading to atherosclerosis, though the pathophysiological mechanism still remains to be elucidated. Here, we summarize recent evidence suggesting that oxLDLs produce significant impairment in the modulation of the eNOS/iNOS machinery, downregulating eNOS via the HMGB1-TLR4-Caveolin-1 pathway. On the other hand, increased oxLDLs lead to sustained activation of the scavenger receptor LOX-1 and, subsequently, to NFkB activation, which, in turn, increases iNOS, leading to EC oxidative stress. Finally, these events are associated with reduced protective autophagic response and accelerated apoptotic EC death, which activates atherosclerotic development. Taken together, this information sheds new light on the pathophysiological mechanisms of oxLDL-related impairment of EC functionality and opens new perspectives in atherothrombosis prevention.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Cancer Progression: New Perspectives and Opportunities
Authors: Scioli Maria Giovanna , Storti Gabriele , D’Amico Federico , Gentile Pietro , Kim Bong-Sung , Cervelli Valerio , Orlandi Augusto
Published: July 2019

Growing importance has been attributed to interactions between tumors, the stromal microenvironment and adult mesenchymal stem cells. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are routinely employed in regenerative medicine and in autologous fat transfer procedures. To date, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the potential pro-oncogenic role of ASC enrichment. Nevertheless, some pre-clinical studies from in vitro and in vivo models have suggested that ASCs act as a potential tumor promoter for different cancer cell types, and support tumor progression and invasiveness through the activation of several intracellular signals. Interaction with the tumor microenvironment and extracellular matrix remodeling, the exosomal release of pro-oncogenic factors as well as the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions are the most investigated mechanisms. Moreover, ASCs have also demonstrated an elective tumor homing capacity and this tumor-targeting capacity makes them a suitable carrier for anti-cancer drug delivery. New genetic and applied nanotechnologies may help to design promising anti-cancer cell-based approaches through the release of loaded intracellular nanoparticles. These new anti-cancer therapies can more effectively target tumor cells, reaching higher local concentrations even in pharmacological sanctuaries, and thus minimizing systemic adverse drug effects. The potential interplay between ASCs and tumors and potential ASCs-based therapeutic approaches are discussed.
Helical-Ribbon and Tape Formation of Lipid Packaged [Ru(bpy)3]2+ Complexes in Organic Media
Authors: Hatakeda Miho , Toohara Souta , Nakashima Takuya , Sakurai Shinichi , Kuroiwa Keita
Published: July 2019

Anionic lipid amphiphiles with [RuII(bpy)3]2+ complex have been prepared. The metal complexes have been found to form ribbon and tape structures depending on chemical structures of lipid amphiphiles. Especially, the composites showed hypochromic effect and induced circular dichroism in organic media, and flexibly and weakly supramolecular control of morphological and optical properties have been demonstrated.
Water Effects on Molecular Adsorption of Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) on Cellulose Nanocrystals Surfaces: Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Gurina Darya , Surov Oleg , Voronova Marina , Zakharov Anatoly , Kiselev Mikhail
Published: July 2019

Models of interaction between a poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) macromolecule and a fragment of Iβ-cellulose were built in a vacuum and water environment. The models were made to interpret the mechanism of interaction of the polymer and cellulose nanocrystals by the classical molecular dynamics method. The structural behavior of a poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) macromolecule in water has been studied in terms of the radius of gyration, atom–atom radial distribution functions and number of hydrogen bonds. It was found that the polymer has a high affinity with the solvent and each monomer unit has on average 0.5 hydrogen bonds. The structural and energy characteristics of the polymer adsorption were investigated at different initial positions of the poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) macromolecule relative to the cellulose fragment. It was observed that the polymer macromolecule was mainly adsorbed on the cellulose fragment in the globular form. Moreover, in the solvent the interaction of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) with the cellulose hydrophobic surface was stronger than that with the hydrophilic one. This study will show that the presence of water makes the interaction between the polymer and cellulose weaker than in a vacuum, and the polymer and cellulose mainly interact through their solvation shells.
Integrated Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and MS/MS-Based Molecular Networking Reveals the Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Phenotypes of the Sea Slater Ligia exotica
Authors: Yue Yang , Zhang Quanbin , Wang Jing
Published: July 2019

The sea slater Ligia exotica is believed to have effects of reducing swelling and relieving pain in Chinese folk medicine. However, the scientific foundation of using the sea slater Ligia spp. as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory material remains elusive. In the present study, various organic extracts from sea slater L. exotica were subjected to biological screening employing in vitro and in vivo models, and chemical phenotypes of the biologically active extract were deciphered by integrated gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling and MS/MS-based molecular networking. The results demonstrated, for the first time, that petroleum ether extract (PE) from L. exotica possessed remarkable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Moreover, intragastric administration of PE at 200 mg/kg produced analgesic effects in both the writhing test and hot plate test. GC-MS analysis revealed that Z-9-hexadecenoic acid and 6-octadecenoic acid dominated in the volatile compositions of PE. Molecular networking (MN) suggested great chemical diversity within L. exotica. In total, 69 known compounds were identified in Ligia extracts by MS/MS spectral matching, and at least 7 analogues from two clusters of nitrogen-containing compounds (MN3,4) were strongly suggested as novel compounds. The molecular families MN1,3,4 were almost exclusively detected in the biologically active PE and ethyl acetate extract (EE). Importantly, various known compounds identified in MN1 were reported to possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in the literature, which may contribute to the observed analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of L. exotica. The present study not only demonstrated the ethnopharmaceutical value of L. exotica for pain-relief in Chinese folk medicine, but also suggested that sea slaters may represent a promising source for discovery of novel analgesic and anti-inflammatory compounds in the near future.
Competing Fluid Forces Control Endothelial Sprouting in a 3-D Microfluidic Vessel Bifurcation Model
Authors: Akbari Ehsan , Spychalski Griffin , Rangharajan Kaushik , Prakash Shaurya , Song Jonathan
Published: July 2019

Sprouting angiogenesis—the infiltration and extension of endothelial cells from pre-existing blood vessels—helps orchestrate vascular growth and remodeling. It is now agreed that fluid forces, such as laminar shear stress due to unidirectional flow in straight vessel segments, are important regulators of angiogenesis. However, regulation of angiogenesis by the different flow dynamics that arise due to vessel branching, such as impinging flow stagnation at the base of a bifurcating vessel, are not well understood. Here we used a recently developed 3-D microfluidic model to investigate the role of the flow conditions that occur due to vessel bifurcations on endothelial sprouting. We observed that bifurcating fluid flow located at the vessel bifurcation point suppresses the formation of angiogenic sprouts. Similarly, laminar shear stress at a magnitude of ~3 dyn/cm2 applied in the branched vessels downstream of the bifurcation point, inhibited the formation of angiogenic sprouts. In contrast, co-application of ~1 µm/s average transvascular flow across the endothelial monolayer with laminar shear stress induced the formation of angiogenic sprouts. These results suggest that transvascular flow imparts a competing effect against bifurcating fluid flow and laminar shear stress in regulating endothelial sprouting. To our knowledge, these findings are the first report on the stabilizing role of bifurcating fluid flow on endothelial sprouting. These results also demonstrate the importance of local flow dynamics due to branched vessel geometry in determining the location of sprouting angiogenesis.
Catalytic Hydrolysis of Phosphate Monoester by Supramolecular Complexes Formed by the Self-Assembly of a Hydrophobic Bis(Zn2+-cyclen) Complex, Copper, and Barbital Units That Are Functionalized with Amino Acids in a Two-Phase Solvent System
Authors: Miyazawa Yuya , Rahman Akib Bin , Saga Yutaka , Imafuku Hiroki , Hisamatsu Yosuke , Aoki Shin
Published: July 2019

We previously reported on the preparation of supramolecular complexes by the 2:2:2 assembly of a dinuclear Zn2+-cyclen (cyclen = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) complex having a 2,2′-bipyridyl linker equipped with 0~2 long alkyl chains (Zn2L1~Zn2L3), 5,5-diethylbarbituric acid (Bar) derivatives, and a copper(II) ion (Cu2+) in aqueous solution and two-phase solvent systems and their phosphatase activities for the hydrolysis of mono(4-nitrophenyl) phosphate (MNP). These supermolecules contain Cu2(μ-OH)2 core that mimics the active site of alkaline phosphatase (AP), and one of the ethyl groups of the barbital moiety is located in close proximity to the Cu2(μ-OH)2 core. The generally accepted knowledge that the amino acids around the metal center in the active site of AP play important roles in its hydrolytic activity inspired us to modify the side chain of Bar with various functional groups in an attempt to mimic the active site of AP in the artificial system, especially in two-phase solvent system. In this paper, we report on the design and synthesis of new supramolecular complexes that are prepared by the combined use of bis(Zn2+-cyclen) complexes (Zn2L1, Zn2L2, and Zn2L3), Cu2+, and Bar derivatives containing amino acid residues. We present successful formation of these artificial AP mimics with respect to the kinetics of the MNP hydrolysis obeying Michaelis–Menten scheme in aqueous solution and a two-phase solvent system and to the mode of the product inhibition by inorganic phosphate.
13-Ethylberberine Induces Apoptosis through the Mitochondria-Related Apoptotic Pathway in Radiotherapy-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Jin Hana , Ko Young Shin , Park Sang Won , Chang Ki Churl , Kim Hye Jung
Published: July 2019

Berberine is reported to have multiple biological effects, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activities, and 13-alkyl-substituted berberines show higher activity than berberine against certain bacterial species and human cancer cell lines. In particular, 13-ethylberberine (13-EBR) was reported to have anti-inflammatory effects in endotoxin-activated macrophage and septic mouse models. Thus, in this study, we aimed to examine the anticancer effects of 13-EBR and its mechanisms in radiotherapy-resistant (RT-R) MDA-MB-231 cells derived from the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells. When we compared the gene expression between MDA-MB-231 and RT-R MDA-MB-231 cells with an RNA microarray, RT-R MDA-MB-231 showed higher levels of anti-apoptotic genes and lower levels of pro-apoptotic genes compared to MDA-MB-231 cells. Accordingly, we examined the effect of 13-EBR on the induction of apoptosis in RT-R MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The results showed that 13-EBR reduced the proliferation and colony-forming ability of both MDA-MB-231 and RT-R MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, 13-EBR induced apoptosis by promoting both intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and by regulating the apoptosis-related proteins involved in the intrinsic pathway, not in the extrinsic pathway. These results suggest that 13-EBR has pro-apoptotic effects in RT-R MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing mitochondrial ROS production and activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, providing useful insights into new potential therapeutic strategies for RT-R breast cancer treatment.
Phenolic Compounds as Promising Drug Candidates in Tuberculosis Therapy
Authors: Mazlun Muhamad Harith , Sabran Siti Fatimah , Mohamed Maryati , Abu Bakar Mohd Fadzelly , Abdullah Zunoliza
Published: July 2019

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains one of the deadliest, infectious diseases worldwide. The detrimental effects caused by the existing anti-TB drugs to TB patients and the emergence of resistance strains of M. tuberculosis has driven efforts from natural products researchers around the globe in discovering novel anti-TB drugs that are more efficacious and with less side effects. There were eleven main review publications that focused on natural products with anti-TB potentials. However, none of them specifically emphasized antimycobacterial phenolic compounds. Thus, the current review’s main objective is to highlight and summarize phenolic compounds found active against mycobacteria from 2000 to 2017. Based on the past studies in the electronic databases, the present review also focuses on several test organisms used in TB researches and their different distinct properties, a few types of in vitro TB bioassay and comparison between their strengths and drawbacks, different methods of extraction, fractionation and isolation, ways of characterizing and identifying isolated compounds and the mechanism of actions of anti-TB phenolic compounds as reported in the literature.
Characterization of the Pathophysiological Role of CD47 in Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Petralia Maria Cristina , Mazzon Emanuela , Fagone Paolo , Russo Andrea , Longo Antonio , Avitabile Teresio , Nicoletti Ferdinando , Reibaldi Michele , Basile Maria Sofia
Published: July 2019

Uveal melanoma (UM) represents the most frequent primary intraocular tumor, however, limited therapeutic options are still available. We have previously shown that cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) is significantly upregulated in UM cells following inflammatory stimuli and that it represents a predictor of disease progression. Here, we aimed to better characterize the pathophysiological role of CD47 in UM. We show that CD47 is not modulated at different cancer stages, although patients with the lowest expression of CD47 show significant better progression-free survival, after correcting for the presence of BAP1, GNAQ, and GNA11 mutations. By stratifying patients based on the expression of CD47 in the tumor, we observed that patients with high levels of CD47 have a significant increase in immune score as compared to patients with low levels of CD47. In particular, deconvolution analysis of infiltrating immune cell populations revealed that a significantly higher number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells can be found in patients with high CD47 levels, with the most enriched populations being the Th2, Treg, and CD8+ Tcm cells. We also show that a large number of transcripts are significantly modulated between the groups of patients with high and low levels of CD47, with a significant enrichment of interferon IFN-alpha regulated genes. The results from this study may propel the development of anti-CD47 therapies for UM patients.
Veronica Plants—Drifting from Farm to Traditional Healing, Food Application, and Phytopharmacology
Authors: Salehi Bahare , Shivaprasad Shetty Mangalpady , V. Anil Kumar Nanjangud , Živković Jelena , Calina Daniela , Oana Docea Anca , Emamzadeh-Yazdi Simin , Sibel Kılıç Ceyda , Goloshvili Tamar , Nicola Silvana , Pignata Giuseppe , Sharopov Farukh , del Mar Contreras María , C. Cho William , Martins Natália , Sharifi-Rad Javad
Published: July 2019

The Veronica genus, with more than 200 species, belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere and in many parts of Southern Hemisphere. These plants are traditionally used in medicine for wound healing, in the treatment of rheumatism, and in different human diseases. This paper reviews the chemical composition of some valuable Veronica species, the possibilities Veronica extracts have in food preservation and as food ingredients, and their functional properties. Veronica species represent a valuable source of biological active secondary metabolites, including iridoid glycosides and phenolic compounds. In particular, due to presence of these phytochemicals, Veronica species exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antimicrobial and antioxidant. In fact, some studies suggest that some Veronica extracts can inhibit foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, but only a few of them were performed in food systems. Moreover, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and other bioactivities were reported in vitro and in vivo. The bioactivity of Veronica plants was demonstrated, but further studies in food systems and in humans are required.
Reactions of Nitroxides, Part 17. Synthesis, Fungistatic and Bacteriostatic Activity of Novel Five- and Six-Membered Nitroxyl Selenoureas and Selenocarbamates
Authors: Zakrzewski Jerzy , Huras Bogumiła , Kiełczewska Anna , Krawczyk Maria , Hupko Jarosław , Jaszczuk Katarzyna
Published: July 2019

The reactions of 3-isoselenocyanato-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-1-oxyl, 3-isoselenocyanatomethyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrrolidine-1-oxyl, and 4-isoselenocyanato-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl with selected amines and alcohols give the corresponding novel nitroxyl selenoureas and selenocarbamates, all bearing a nitroxyl moiety. Synthesized selenoureas and selenocarbamates show significant activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In contrast to piperidine nitroxides, pyrrolidine, five-membered nitroxyl selenoureas and selenocarbamates show excellent antifungal and antibacterial activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria, respectively.
Metamaterial Lensing Devices
Authors: Lv Jiangtao , Zhou Ming , Gu Qiongchan , Jiang Xiaoxiao , Ying Yu , Si Guangyuan
Published: July 2019

In recent years, the development of metamaterials and metasurfaces has drawn great attention, enabling many important practical applications. Focusing and lensing components are of extreme importance because of their significant potential practical applications in biological imaging, display, and nanolithography fabrication. Metafocusing devices using ultrathin structures (also known as metasurfaces) with superlensing performance are key building blocks for developing integrated optical components with ultrasmall dimensions. In this article, we review the metamaterial superlensing devices working in transmission mode from the perfect lens to two-dimensional metasurfaces and present their working principles. Then we summarize important practical applications of metasurfaces, such as plasmonic lithography, holography, and imaging. Different typical designs and their focusing performance are also discussed in detail.
Formation of Unstable and very Reactive Chemical Species Catalyzed by Metalloenzymes: A Mechanistic Overview
Authors: Fernandes Henrique S. , Teixeira Carla S. Silva , Sousa Sérgio F. , Cerqueira Nuno M. F. S. A.
Published: July 2019

Nature has tailored a wide range of metalloenzymes that play a vast array of functions in all living organisms and from which their survival and evolution depends on. These enzymes catalyze some of the most important biological processes in nature, such as photosynthesis, respiration, water oxidation, molecular oxygen reduction, and nitrogen fixation. They are also among the most proficient catalysts in terms of their activity, selectivity, and ability to operate at mild conditions of temperature, pH, and pressure. In the absence of these enzymes, these reactions would proceed very slowly, if at all, suggesting that these enzymes made the way for the emergence of life as we know today. In this review, the structure and catalytic mechanism of a selection of diverse metalloenzymes that are involved in the production of highly reactive and unstable species, such as hydroxide anions, hydrides, radical species, and superoxide molecules are analyzed. The formation of such reaction intermediates is very difficult to occur under biological conditions and only a rationalized selection of a particular metal ion, coordinated to a very specific group of ligands, and immersed in specific proteins allows these reactions to proceed. Interestingly, different metal coordination spheres can be used to produce the same reactive and unstable species, although through a different chemistry. A selection of hand-picked examples of different metalloenzymes illustrating this diversity is provided and the participation of different metal ions in similar reactions (but involving different mechanism) is discussed.
A Ratiometric Fluorescent Nano-Probe for Rapid and Specific Detection of Tetracycline Residues Based on a Dye-Doped Functionalized Nanoscaled Metal–Organic Framework
Authors: Jia Lei , Guo Shengli , Xu Jun , Chen Xiangzhen , Zhu Tinghui , Zhao Tongqian
Published: July 2019

Tetracycline (TC) residues are harmful to the environment and human body, so it is necessary to develop a highly sensitive probe for rapid detection of tetracycline residues. In the present paper, a novel dye-doped porous metal–organic framework (UiO-66)-based multi-color fluorescent nano-probe was designed for sensitive ratiometric detection of tetracycline (TC). In this probe, dye-molecules doped UiO-66 was used as a fluorescent internal standard, and the externally grafted lanthanide Eu3+ complex was used as response signals. The fluorescence of the Eu3+ complex was selectively enhanced with increasing concentrations of TC, which was accompanied by a visual blue-to-red color switch. The nano-probe had a linear response between 0.1 and 6 μM with a lowest detection limit of 17.9 nM, which was much lower than the maximum residue limits set by the United States Food and Drug Administration (676 nM) and the European Union (225 nM). The applicability of this method in the analysis of actual samples was evaluated by the determination of TC in honey and milk samples, indicating satisfactory recovery and good reproducibility. In addition, a cost-effective paper-based probe for rapid and visual detection of TC was developed by fixing the nano-probe on filter papers. With the help of a smartphone camera to capture the fluorescence color, and chromaticity analysis software, the calculation and analysis of red (R) and blue (B) values can be realized, which has the potential for real-time visual detection of TC.
A Mediterranean Diet with Fresh, Lean Pork Improves Processing Speed and Mood: Cognitive Findings from the MedPork Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Wade Alexandra T. , Davis Courtney R. , Dyer Kathryn A. , Hodgson Jonathan M. , Woodman Richard J. , Keage Hannah A. D. , Murphy Karen J.
Published: July 2019

Abstract: Background: The Mediterranean diet may be capable of improving cognitive function. However, the red meat restrictions of the diet could impact long-term adherence in Western populations. The current study therefore examined the cognitive effects of a Mediterranean diet with additional red meat. Methods: A 24-week parallel crossover design compared a Mediterranean diet with 2–3 weekly servings of fresh, lean pork (MedPork) and a low-fat (LF) control diet. Thirty-five participants aged between 45 and 80 years and at risk of cardiovascular disease followed each intervention for 8 weeks, separated by an 8-week washout period. Cognitive function was assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Psychological well-being was measured through the SF-36 Health Survey and mood was measured using the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results: During the MedPork intervention, participants consumed an average of 3 weekly servings of fresh pork. Compared to LF, the MedPork intervention led to higher processing speed performance (p = 0.01) and emotional role functioning (p = 0.03). No other significant differences were observed between diets. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a Mediterranean diet inclusive of fresh, lean pork can be adhered to by an older non-Mediterranean population while leading to positive cognitive outcomes.
The Nutritional Value and Biological Activity of Concentrated Protein Fraction of Potato Juice
Authors: Kowalczewski Przemysław Łukasz , Olejnik Anna , Białas Wojciech , Rybicka Iga , Zielińska-Dawidziak Magdalena , Siger Aleksander , Kubiak Piotr , Lewandowicz Grażyna
Published: July 2019

Potato protein is recognized as one of the most valuable nonanimal proteins due to the high content of essential amino acids. So far, it has not been used in human nutrition on a large scale due to technological limitations regarding its acquisition. In this study, the protein fraction of potato juice was concentrated with the use of membrane separation. The obtained potato juice protein concentrate (PJPC) was characterized in terms of nutritional value and biological activity, and the amino acid composition, mineral content, and antioxidant properties were determined. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxic activity against cancer cells of the gastrointestinal tract was investigated. The results of the present study indicate that PJPC is an excellent source of lysine and threonine, while leucine is its limiting amino acid, with an amino acid score (AAS) of 65%. Moreover, PJPC contains substantial amounts of Fe, Mn, K, and Cu. As demonstrated experimentally, PJPC is also characterized by higher antioxidant potential than potato itself. Biological activity, however, is not limited to antioxidant activity alone. Cytotoxicity studies using a gastric cancer cell line (Hs 746T), a colon cancer cell line (HT-29), and human colon normal cells (CCD 841 CoN) proved that PJPC is characterized by selective activity against cancer cells. It can thus be concluded that the developed method of producing protein concentrate from potato juice affords a product with moderate nutritional value and interesting biological activity.
Synthesis and Photocontrolled Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Azobenzene-Functionalized Perylene Bisimide Derivatives
Authors: Ling Weikang , Cheng Xiaoxiao , Miao Tengfei , Zhang Shuangshuang , Zhang Wei , Zhu Xiulin
Published: July 2019

Azobenzene (Azo) units were successfully introduced into perylene bisimide (PBI) structures in order to realize the photocontrolling of the morphology of the supramolecular assembly of PBI by a photoisomerization process. A total of three Azo-functionalized perylene bisimide derivatives (PBI1, PBI2, and PBI3) with different alkyl chain lengths were designed and synthesized by imidization of 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride with the corresponding amines. The structures of these compounds were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The photoisomerization behaviors of Azo units in PBIs were investigated using ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectroscopy, which were obviously effected by solvents and the alkyl chain length. Furthermore, the photoisomerization of Azo units has the obviously regulatory effect on the morphology of supramolecular assembly of PBIs, especially for the medium-length alkyl chain-linked Azo-functionalized PBI derivative (PBI2). This research realized the photocontrolling of the morphology of the supramolecular assembly of PBI derivatives by photoisomerization of Azo units.
New Perspective on Wood Thermal Modification: Relevance between the Evolution of Chemical Structure and Physical-Mechanical Properties, and Online Analysis of Release of VOCs
Authors: Xu Jiajia , Zhang Yu , Shen Yunfang , Li Cong , Wang Yanwei , Ma Zhongqing , Sun Weisheng
Published: July 2019

Thermal modification (TM) is an ecological and low-cost pretreated method to improve the dimensional stability and decay resistance of wood. This study systematically investigates the relevance between the evolution of chemical structure and the physical and mechanical properties during wood thermal modification processes. Moreover, the volatility of compounds (VOCs) was analyzed using a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TGA-FTIR) and a pyrolizer coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (Py-GC/MS). With an increase of TM temperature, the anti-shrink efficiency and contact angle increased, while the equilibrium moisture content decreased. This result indicates that the dimensional stability improved markedly due to the reduction of hydrophilic hydroxyl (–OH). However, a slight decrease of the moduli of elasticity and of rupture was observed after TM due to the thermal degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose. Based on a TGA-FTIR analysis, the small molecular gaseous components were composed of H2O, CH4, CO2, and CO, where H2O was the dominant component with the highest absorbance intensity, i.e., 0.008 at 200 °C. Based on the Py-GC/MS analysis, the VOCs were shown to be mainly composed of acids, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, furans, alcohols, sugars, and esters, where acids were the dominant compounds, with a relative content of 37.05−42.77%.
Fiber Forming Capability of Binary and Ternary Compositions in the Polymer System: Bacterial Cellulose–Polycaprolactone–Polylactic Acid
Authors: Aydogdu Mehmet Onur , Altun Esra , Ahmed Jubair , Gunduz Oguzhan , Edirisinghe Mohan
Published: July 2019

Bacterial Cellulose (BC) has over recent decades shown great versatility in wound healing dressings, but is difficult to spin fibers with at high concentrations. An investigation into the preparation of bandage-like fibrous meshes is carried out to determine the optimal blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) as a suitable carrier for BC. Using a simple centrifugal spinning setup, polymer blends of PCL, PLA and BC are investigated as a ternary system to determine the most suitable composition with a focus on achieving maximal BC concentration. It is found that BC content in the fibers above 10 wt % reduced product yield. By creating blends of PLA-PCL fibers, we can create a more suitable system in terms of yield and mechanical properties. The fibrous samples are examined for yield, fiber morphology using scanning electron microscopy, mechanical properties using tensile testing and chemical characteristics using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. A fibrous scaffold with > 30 wt % BC was produced with enhanced mechanical properties owing to the blending of PLA and PCL.
Clustering of Wall Geometry from Unstructured Point Clouds Using Conditional Random Fields
Authors: Bassier Maarten , Vergauwen Maarten
Published: July 2019

The automated reconstruction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) objects from point cloud data is still subject of ongoing research. A vital step in the process is identifying the observations for each wall object. Given a set of segmented and classified point clouds, the labeled segments should be clustered according to their respective objects. The current processes to perform this task are sensitive to noise, occlusions, and the associativity between faces of neighboring objects. The proper retrieval of the observed geometry is especially important for wall geometry as it forms the basis for further BIM reconstruction. In this work, a method is presented to automatically group wall segments derived from point clouds according to the proper walls of a building. More specifically, a Conditional Random Field is employed that evaluates the context of each wall segment in order to determine which wall it belongs to. First, a set of classified planar primitives is obtained through algorithms developed in prior work. Next, both local and contextual features are extracted based on the nearest neighbors and a number of seeds that are heuristically determined. The final wall clusters are then computed by decoding the graph. The method is tested on our own data as well as the 2D-3D-Semantics (2D-3D-S) benchmark data of Stanford. Compared to a conventional region growing method, the proposed method reduces the rate of false positives, resulting in better wall clusters. Overall, the method computes a more balanced clustering of the observations. A key advantage of the proposed method is its capability to deal with wall geometry in complex configurations in multi-storey buildings opposed to the presented methods in current literature.
Satellite Image Super-Resolution via Multi-Scale Residual Deep Neural Network
Authors: Lu Tao , Wang Jiaming , Zhang Yanduo , Wang Zhongyuan , Jiang Junjun
Published: July 2019

Recently, the application of satellite remote sensing images is becoming increasingly popular, but the observed images from satellite sensors are frequently in low-resolution (LR). Thus, they cannot fully meet the requirements of object identification and analysis. To utilize the multi-scale characteristics of objects fully in remote sensing images, this paper presents a multi-scale residual neural network (MRNN). MRNN adopts the multi-scale nature of satellite images to reconstruct high-frequency information accurately for super-resolution (SR) satellite imagery. Different sizes of patches from LR satellite images are initially extracted to fit different scale of objects. Large-, middle-, and small-scale deep residual neural networks are designed to simulate differently sized receptive fields for acquiring relative global, contextual, and local information for prior representation. Then, a fusion network is used to refine different scales of information. MRNN fuses the complementary high-frequency information from differently scaled networks to reconstruct the desired high-resolution satellite object image, which is in line with human visual experience (“look in multi-scale to see better”). Experimental results on the SpaceNet satellite image and NWPU-RESISC45 databases show that the proposed approach outperformed several state-of-the-art SR algorithms in terms of objective and subjective image qualities.
Flood Spatial Modeling in Northern Iran Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Comparison between Evidential Belief Functions and Its Ensemble with a Multivariate Logistic Regression Model
Authors: Tien Bui Duie , Khosravi Khabat , Shahabi Himan , Daggupati Prasad , Adamowski Jan , Melesse Assefa M. , Thai Pham Binh , Pourghasemi Hamid , Mahmoudi Mehrnoosh , Bahrami Sepideh , Pradhan Biswajeet , Shirzadi Ataollah , Chapi Kamran , Lee Saro
Published: July 2019

Floods are some of the most dangerous and most frequent natural disasters occurring in the northern region of Iran. Flooding in this area frequently leads to major urban, financial, anthropogenic, and environmental impacts. Therefore, the development of flood susceptibility maps used to identify flood zones in the catchment is necessary for improved flood management and decision making. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an Evidential Belief Function (EBF) model, both as an individual model and in combination with Logistic Regression (LR) methods, in preparing flood susceptibility maps for the Haraz Catchment in the Mazandaran Province, Iran. The spatial database created consisted of a flood inventory, altitude, slope angle, plan curvature, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Stream Power Index (SPI), distance from river, rainfall, geology, land use, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the region. After obtaining the required information from various sources, 151 of 211 recorded flooding points were used for model training and preparation of the flood susceptibility maps. For validation, the results of the models were compared to the 60 remaining flooding points. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and the Area Under the Curve (AUC) was calculated to obtain the accuracy of the flood susceptibility maps prepared through success rates (using training data) and prediction rates (using validation data). The AUC results indicated that the EBF, EBF from LR, EBF-LR (enter), and EBF-LR (stepwise) success rates were 94.61%, 67.94%, 86.45%, and 56.31%, respectively, and the prediction rates were 94.55%, 66.41%, 83.19%, and 52.98%, respectively. The results showed that the EBF model had the highest accuracy in predicting flood susceptibility within the catchment, in which 15% of the total areas were located in high and very high susceptibility classes, and 62% were located in low and very low susceptibility classes. These results can be used for the planning and management of areas vulnerable to floods in order to prevent flood-induced damage; the results may also be useful for natural disaster assessment.
Underwater Image Restoration Based on a Parallel Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wang Keyan , Hu Yan , Chen Jun , Wu Xianyun , Zhao Xi , Li Yunsong
Published: July 2019

Restoring degraded underwater images is a challenging ill-posed problem. The existing prior-based approaches have limited performance in many situations due to the reliance on handcrafted features. In this paper, we propose an effective convolutional neural network (CNN) for underwater image restoration. The proposed network consists of two paralleled branches: a transmission estimation network (T-network) and a global ambient light estimation network (A-network); in particular, the T-network employs cross-layer connection and multi-scale estimation to prevent halo artifacts and to preserve edge features. The estimates produced by these two branches are leveraged to restore the clear image according to the underwater optical imaging model. Moreover, we develop a new underwater image synthesizing method for building the training datasets, which can simulate images captured in various underwater environments. Experimental results based on synthetic and real images demonstrate that our restored underwater images exhibit more natural color correction and better visibility improvement against several state-of-the-art methods.