bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
System Pharmacological Mechanism and Compatibility Laws of Jianghuang from Traditional Chinese Medicine In Blood-Regulating Formulae
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Wang Bolong
Published: May 2020

Background: Jianghuang (JH) is a popular ingredient in blood-regulating traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that could be effective for the treatment of various diseases. We demonstrate the compatibility laws and system pharmacological mechanisms of the key formula containing JH by leveraging data mining of bioinformatics databases.Material/Methods: The compatibility laws of blood-regulating formulae containing JH from the Chinese Traditional Medicine Formula Dictionary were analyzed using a generalized rule induction (GRI) algorithm implemented. The putative target gene and miRNA were retrieved via a combination of the Arrowsmith knowledge discovery tool and FunRich 3.1.3. System pharmacological mechanisms are traced by their protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was conducted using Uniprot, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), STRING 11.0, and KOBAS 3.0.Results: We found that the JH-CX-DG formula (Ligusticum chuanxiong-Angelica sinensis) could represent a key formula containing JH in blood-regulating TCM formulae. The JH-CX-DG formula was observed to directly target AKT, TLR4, caspase-3, PI3K, mTOR, p38 MAPK, VEGF, iNOS, Nrf2, BDNF, NF-κB, Bcl-2, and Bax 13 targets and regulate targets through 13 miRNA. The PPI network and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the JH-CX-DG formula possess potential pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, improving microcirculation, and anti-tumor through the regulation of multiple pathways including PI3K/Akt, MAPK, Toll-like receptor, T cell receptor, EGFR, VEGFR, Apoptosis, HIF-1 (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The JH-CX-DG formula can exert beneficial pharmacological effects through multi-target and multi-pathway interactions. It can be effectively administered for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, microcirculation disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. We found a new effective drug formula through analyzing the compatibility law and systemic pharmacological mechanism of JH. Our study provides a theoretical basis and directions for subsequent research on the JH-CX-DG formula.
Placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a new target for inflammatory and thrombotic events
Authors: Bertero Luca , Borella Fulvio , Botta Giovanni , Carosso Andrea , Cosma Stefano , Bovetti Marialuisa , Carosso Marco , Abbona Giancarlo , Papotti Mauro , Cassoni Paola , Benedetto Chiara
Published: May 2020

Infection by SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to involve a wide range of organs and tissues, leading to a kaleidoscope of clinical conditions. Within this spectrum, an increased rate of preterm deliveries has been reported in women with COVID-19. High expression of proteins (ACE2/TMPRSS2) required for SARS- CoV-2 cell entry has been observed in the maternal-fetal tissues, supporting the possibility of placental viral involvement. A consecutive series of 6 placentas, delivered by 5 women with COVID-19 have been investigated. Three out of six placentas showed changes consistent with chronic villitis, while in one case chronic histiocytic intervillositis was diagnosed. Vascular abnormalities consisting of thrombo- hemorrhagic alterations were identified in the three cases with chronic villitis. These pathological findings: i) provide a basis to explain the higher rate of obstetric complications in these patients; 2) suggest the need to investigate heparin use in COVID-19 affected pregnant patients to prevent adverse outcomes.
Resurrección: una lectura antropológica en clave relacional
Authors: Vila Porras Carolina , Tobón Monsalve Jonathan Stiven
Published: May 2020

El presente artículo de reflexión realiza una lectura sobre la resurrección en clave relacional. Para ello, se parte de la explicación sintética de los paradigmas griego-dual y hebraico-bíblico. Posteriormente, se expone la comprensión de la resurrección en Pablo y en algunos Padres de la Iglesia. Por último, se propone una lectura de la resurrección en clave antropológico-relacional. La temática se analiza desde una revisión documental de la filosofía, la teología y la psicología humanista. Se encuentra que el paradigma griego platónico sobre la inmortalidad del alma, en relación con el paradigma hebraico-bíblico, referente a la integralidad de la persona, sobrepone en la tradición del cristianismo hasta hoy. Además, se halla que la muerte es límite y posibilidad, carencia e identidad; no es acto liberador, sino acontecimiento pleromático.
Inflammation, immunity, and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension; Evidence for complement involvement?
Authors: Frid Maria G , Thurman Joshua M , Hansen Kirk C , Maron Bradley A , Stenmark Kurt R
Published: May 2020

Pulmonary (arterial) hypertension (PH/PAH) is a life-threatening cardiopulmonary disorder. Experimental evidence suggests involvement of inflammatory and autoimmune processes in pathogenesis of PH/PAH, however the triggering and disease-promoting mechanisms remain unknown. The complement system is a key arm of innate immunity implicated in various pro-inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, yet, surprisingly little is known about the role of complement in PH/PAH pathogenesis. The preponderance of the existing data associates complement with PH/PAH via analysis of plasma and does not study the lung directly. Therefore, we aimed to resolve this by analyzing both the mechanisms of local lung-specific complement activation and the correlation of dysregulated plasma complement to clinical outcome in PAH patients. In our recent studies, reviewed herein, we show, for the first time, that  immunoglobulin-driven activation of the complement cascade, specifically its alternative pathway, in the pulmonary perivascular areas, is a key mechanism initiating pro-inflammatory processes in the early stage of experimental hypoxic PH (a form of “sterile inflammation”). In human patients with end-stage PAH, we have demonstrated that perivascular deposition of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and activation of the complement cascade are “longitudinally” persistent in the disease. We also showed, using unbiased network analysis, that plasma complement signaling, including again the Alternative pathway, is a prognostic factor of survival in patients with idiopathic PAH (IPAH). Based on these initial findings, we suggest that vascular-specific, immunoglobulin-driven dysregulated complement signaling triggers and maintains pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH. Future experiments in this area would facilitate discoveries on whether complement signaling can serve both as a biomarker and therapeutic target in PH/PAH.
QUALITY-MODEL CLUSTERING TOOL: A MODULE FOR CLUSTERING PROTEIN MODELS BASED ON QUALITY ATTRIBUTES
Authors: Carvalho Ruan Medina , Rossi Artur Duque , Goliatt Priscila Vanessa Zabala Capriles
Published: May 2020

The process of protein modeling usually involves the production of a variety of structures requiring efficient tools for structure model comparison attempting to choose the best three-dimensional (3D) structure. This paper introduces an alternative method for clustering 3D protein models that, instead of using attributes related to structural alignment to group the data, use quality-attributes of those models to represent and cluster them. This method stands out by removing the need to define a priori a base model for structural alignments. Even so, it is possible to present the most representative structure in each cluster, which is useful for docking or molecular dynamics studies. All the results were statistically analyzed and compared with decisions made by professionals to validate the proposed algorithm. The experiment simulated a usual protein comparative modeling process for different CATH classifications. The calculated variance levels after the dimensional reduction validate the workflow for different protein chain sizes. All the molecular descriptors for the input files are calculated by MHOLline 2.0, an online scientific workflow for studies on bioinformatics and computational biology, available for free on www.mholline2.lncc.br, or hand made using specific programs (e.g., MODELLER, PROCHECK) and adjusting the data to the template specified in this document. The Quality-Model Clustering Tool (QMC) and the data set used in this work are available for download on the git repository github.com/ruanmedina/Quality-Model-Clustering.
OPTIMIZATION OF CROSS-SECTIONAL AREAS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE COLUMNS SUBJECTED TO AXIAL FORCE AND BIAXIAL BENDING VIA GENETIC ALGORITHMS
Authors: Oliveira Cruz Rodrigo , Celso de Castro Lemonge Afonso
Published: May 2020

The sizing of reinforced concrete structures is influenced by high magnitude forces and, as a result of its calculations, some designs may present specifications that are not optimum. In this case, it can occur exaggerated dimensions and an oversized structure resulting in financial losses and material wastes. Thus, it can be applied to the sizing, optimization techniques to achieve the best solution regarding, as an example, efficiency and material costs. This paper presents the optimization of cross-sectional areas of reinforced concrete columns using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) and considering the structure subjected to an axially compressive force and biaxial bending. It was developed an algorithm using the formulation of Araújo (2014) for the sizing associated with Deb’s Genetic Algorithm (2001). The developed software present solutions as cross-sectional areas of a column regarding the minimization of its costs and in which its reinforcement steel positions and diameters are optimized. Its dimensions and concrete resistance may also be optimized as a choice of the designer/engineer. The algorithm was applied to an example and had its solutions compared with other authors. Its results had achieved feasible solutions and shown similar costs.
Thermal performance analysis of net-zero energy building using evolutionary algorithms
Authors: Tavares Gisele Goulart , Ferraz Marcus Vinícius , Loureiro Eric Vargas , Nobre Vitor de Castro , Goliatt Leonardo , Capriles Priscila
Published: May 2020

The zero-energy building, also known as Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB), is based on the concept of an energy-efficient building that balances its total energy using solutions that aim to mitigate CO2 emissions and reduce energy use in the constructions.  Energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings increased between 20% and 40% in developed countries and exceeded the industry and transportation sectors. Due to climate change, by 2050 buildings can consume 20% more energy, with energy performance being the critical element in achieving climate goals and improving energy security. The objective of this paper is to maximize the thermal comfort in an NZEB through the evolutionary algorithm PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization), a technique inspired by the collective intelligence of the animals. For this, different constructive parameters were inserted in a geometric model to identify combinations that offer greater comfort. For the optimization problem of this work, the design parameters were: block type, concrete thickness used in the solid slab, mortar type, window size, door size, and cover type. From the geometric model, an IDF file was generated for the parameterization and subsequent energy simulation of the scenarios created by the PSO in the EnergyPlus software. The exchange of materials and parameter values of the model reached lower hours of discomfort per year in comparison to results obtained in the literature.
WEIGHTED CROSS VALIDATION IN THE SELECTION OF ROBUST REGRESSION MODEL WITH CHANGE-POINT FOR TELEVISION RATING FORECAST
Authors: Huaira Contreras Carlos Alberto , Hasenclever Borges Carlos Cristiano , Borelli Zeller Camila , Romanelli Amanda
Published: May 2020

The paper proposes a weighted cross-validation (WCV) algorithm  to select a linear regression model with change-point under a scale mixtures of normal (SMN) distribution that yields the best prediction results. SMN distributions are used to construct robust regression models to the influence of outliers on the parameter estimation process. Thus, we relaxed the usual assumption of normality of the regression models and considered that the random errors follow a SMN distribution, specifically the Student-t distribution. In addition, we consider the fact that the parameters of the regression model can change from a specific and unknown point, called change-point. In this context, the estimations of the model parameters, which include the change-point, are obtained via the EM-type algorithm (Expectation-Maximization). The WCV method is used in the selection of the model that presents greater robustness and that offers a smaller prediction error, considering that the weighting values come from step E of the EM-type algorithm. Finally, numerical examples considering simulated and real data (data from television audiences) are presented to illustrate the proposed methodology.
AN INTELLIGENT DENGUE HEMORRHAGIC FEVER SEVERITY LEVEL DETECTION BASED ON DEEP NEURAL NETWORK APPROACH
Authors: Pratiwi Dian , Santoso Gatot Budi , Muslimah Leni , Rizki Raden Davin
Published: May 2020

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is one of the most dangerous diseases which often leads to death for the sufferer due to delays or improper handling of the severity that has occurred. In determining that severity level, a specialist analyzes it from the symptoms and blood testing results. This research was developed to produce a system by applying Deep Neural Network approach that is able to give the same analytical ability as a doctor, so that it can give fast and precise decision of dengue handling. The research stages consisted of normalizing data to 0 – 1 intervals by Min-Max method, training data into multilayer networks with fully connected and partially connected schemes to produce the best weights, validating data and final testing. From the use of network parameters as much as 10 input units, 1 bias, 2 hidden layers, 2 output units, learning rate of 0.3, epoch 1000, tolerance rate 0.02, threshold 0.5, the system succeeded in generating a maximum accuracy of 95% in data learning (60 data), 87.5% on data learning and non-learning (40 data), 85% on non-learning data (20 data).
Analyzing Depthwise Convolution Based Neural Network: Study Case in Ship Detection and Land Cover Classification
Authors: Nugroho Kuntoro Adi , Windarto Yudi Eko
Published: May 2020

Various methods are available to perform feature extraction on satellite images. Among the available alternatives, deep convolutional neural network (ConvNet) is the state of the art method. Although previous studies have reported successful attempts on developing and implementing ConvNet on remote sensing application, several issues are not well explored, such as the use of depthwise convolution, final pooling layer size, and comparison between grayscale and RGB settings. The objective of this study is to perform analysis to address these issues. Two feature learning algorithms were proposed, namely ConvNet as the current state of the art for satellite image classification and Gray Level Co-occurence Matrix (GLCM) which represents a classic unsupervised feature extraction method. The experiment demonstrated consistent result with previous studies that ConvNet is superior in most cases compared to GLCM, especially with 3x3xn final pooling. The performance of the learning algorithms are much higher on features from RGB channels, except for ConvNet with relatively small number of features.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE SYSTEM USING WIFI DIRECT AND TEMPORARY WI-FI HOTSPOT
Authors: Pambudi Doni Setio , Bariyah Taufiqotul
Published: May 2020

Manual attendance recording throws away a lot of teaching and administration time from the university. Research on automatic attendance recording that has been done can be divided into biometrics and non-biometrics uses. Almost all methods require additional device that it is costly and inflexible for class changes. The proposed method solves the problems by utilizing the standard features of smartphones that are owned by all student, this method uses Wi-Fi direct for class broadcasting process and temporary Wi-Fi hotspot for verification process. The experimental results show that the proposed method produces the time needed for the initialization process is 14980 ms and the verification process is 3640 ms.
Fully Convolutional Variational Autoencoder For Feature Extraction Of Fire Detection System
Authors: Nugroho Herminarto , Susanty Meredita , Irawan Ade , Koyimatu Muhamad , Yunita Ariana
Published: May 2020

This paper proposes a fully convolutional variational autoencoder (VAE) for features extraction from a large-scale dataset of fire images. The dataset will be used to train the deep learning algorithm to detect fire and smoke. The features extraction is used to tackle the curse of dimensionality, which is the common issue in training deep learning with huge datasets. Features extraction aims to reduce the dimension of the dataset significantly without losing too much essential information. Variational autoencoders (VAEs) are powerfull generative model, which can be used for dimension reduction. VAEs work better than any other methods available for this purpose because they can explore variations on the data in a specific direction.
SEPARATION OF OVERLAPPING OBJECT SEGMENTATION USING LEVEL SET WITH AUTOMATIC INITALIZATION ON DENTAL PANORAMIC RADIOGRAPH
Authors: Adam Safri , Arifin Agus Zainal
Published: May 2020

To extract features on dental objects, it is necessary to segment the teeth. Segmentation is separating between the teeth (objects) with another part than teeth (background). The process of segmenting individual teeth has done a lot of the recently research and obtained good results. However, when faced with overlapping teeth, this is quite challenging. Overlapping tooth segmentation using the latest algorithm produces an object that should be segmented into two objects, instantly becoming one object. This is due to the overlapping between two teeth. To separate overlapping teeth, it is necessary to extract the overlapping object first. Level set method is widely used to segment overlap objects, but it has a limitation that needs to define the initial level set method manually by the user. In this study, an automatic initialization strategy is proposed for the level set method to segment overlapping teeth using hierarchical cluster analysis on dental panoramic radiographs images. The proposed strategy was able to initialize overlapping objects properly with accuracy of 73%.  Evaluation to measure quality of segmentation result are using misscassification error (ME) and relative foreground area error (RAE). ME and RAE were calculated based on the average results of individual tooth segmentation and obtain 16.41% and 52.14%, respectively. This proposed strategy are expected to be able to help separate the overlapping teeth for human age estimation through dental images in forensic odontology.
Visual Recognition Of Graphical User Interface Components Using Deep Learning Technique
Authors: Rahmadi Agyl Ardi , Sudaryanto Aris
Published: May 2020

Graphical User Interface (GUI) building in software development is a process which ideally need to go through several steps. Those steps in the process start from idea or rough sketch of the GUI, then refined into visual design, implemented in coding or prototype, and finally evaluated for its function and usability to discover design problem and to get feedback from users. Those steps repeated until the GUI considered satisfactory or acceptable by the user. Computer vision technique has been researched and developed to make the process faster and easier; for example generating code for implementation, or automatic GUI testing using component images. But among those techniques, there are still few for usability testing purpose. This preliminary research attempted to make the foundation for usability testing using computer vision technique by built minimalist dataset which has images of various GUI components and used the dataset in deep learning experiment for GUI components visual recognition. The experiment results showed deep learning technique suitable for the intended task, with accuracy of 95% for recognition of two different types of components, and accuracy of 72% for six different types of component.
New data on the liverwort flora of the «Skaly Kamenky» geological reserve and its surroundings (the Komi Republic)
Authors: Dulin Mikhail
Published: May 2020

For the first time the liverwort flora of the «Skaly Kamenky» geological reserve and its surroundings (the Komi Republic) was investigated. The annotated list of Marchantiophyta division includes 61 species; one of them is represented by two subspecies. A taxonomic, phytogeographic, ecological (in relation to humidity and acidity of substrate) and eco-coenotic analysis of liverwort flora was carried out. Some of the taxa found were endangered or rare in the Komi Republic.
Thermal reaction norms for development and their photoperiodic modification in the Bryansk population of the european peacock butterfly Inachis io (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)
Authors: Ryshkova Mariya , Lopatina Elena
Published: May 2020

The thermal reaction norms for development (TRN, i.e. the regression coefficient or thermal sensitivity coefficient, the lower developmental threshold and the sum of degree-days) were investigated at 4 temperatures (16, 18, 20 and 22 °C) and 3 photoperiods (18, 16 and 12 hours of light per day) in the Bryansk population of European Peacock butterfly Inachis io. Photoperiodic modification of TRN for caterpillars was found: while the length of the day decreased there was a gradual increase of a lower threshold (10.7, 11.3 and 12.4 °C at 18, 16 and 12 h, respectively) and the slope of the regression line of development rate on temperature to abscissa axis became steeper. This means that there is an increase of the thermal sensitivity of development. Under short-day conditions pupae were lighter than under long days in all temperature regimes. The pupal weight increased with increasing temperature under long- and under short-day conditions. The development of caterpillars is characterized by a lower thermal sensitivity than the development of pupae.
Dynamics of the photosystem II photochemical activity in the developing Brassica nigra L. seeds
Authors: Smolikova Galina , Lebedev Vitaliy , Lopatov Vasiliy , Timoshchuk Valentina , Medvedev Sergei
Published: May 2020

Dynamics of the PS II activity in the pod walls, seed coat and embryo cotyledons at early and middle maturation stages of Brassica nigra L. has been studied using the Junior-PAM fluorometer (Heinz Walz Gmbh, Germany). The maximum quantum yield Fv/Fm, effective quantum yield Y(II) and coefficient of photochemical fluorescence quenching qP have been evaluated. We demonstrated maturation-dependent fluctuation of the PS II activity in the different part of seeds: Fv/Fm, Y(II) and qP decreased in the pod walls and seed coat, but increased in the cotyledons of embryo. During transition from early to middle stage of maturation, the maximal electron transport rate of PS II in the cotyledons increased and reached the maximum at higher level of photosynthetic active radiation. Improving the efficiency of PS II in the developing cotyledons of the embryo can be attributed to adaptation of the chloroplasts to a higher light probably due to the increase of light transmission through the seed coat and pericarp at later stages of seed maturation. Refs 29. Figs. 3.
Landfill gas condensate treatment options to eliminate odor issues and to use water for dust control
Authors: Tasser Christian , Jackson Dave , Kairouz Khalil , Bokor Peter
Published: May 2020

A large landfill-gas-to-power facility retained the authors to provide process evaluation and development support for a conceptual design of a landfill gas condensate (LFGC) treatment system to eliminate odor issues and reduce organic loads to the sewer or use the water for dust control. Based on the operational observations and water quality data, the source of the LFGC is moisture from gas generated by the decay of waste in the landfill that is transmitted to the power generation facilities by way of the landfill gas (LFG) collection system. As part of this project, the authors reviewed the data, and this presentation includes recommendations for long-term treatment solutions so that a permanent system can be designed, bid, procured, and installed. The purpose of the abstract is to present the findings of this analysis of LFGC treatment system alternatives to identify practical, commercially available solutions with the primary goal to reduce odor issues related to LFGC both on-site and in the sewer system, and to reduce water usage at the site for dust control. The method to evaluate the various treatment options was based on treatment efficiency, and capital and life-cycle costs. The conclusion was to continue with pilot testing of the most suitable options, which was anaerobic treatment followed by polishing with a moving bed bioreactor (MBBR) to reuse the product water in cooling towers or for dust control.
To The Question Of The Stay Of Prince Mikhail Olelkovich In Novgorod
Authors: Pashin Sergey S. , Yurshina Victoria A.
Published: May 2020

The article is devoted to the study of the stay of Prince Mikhail Olelkovich in Novgorod in 1470-1471 or rather, the degree of influence that he exerted on subsequent Moscow-Novgorod and Novgorod-Lithuanian relations. This problem was highlighted by Russian historians, however, their research looks like lengthy summary chronicles with intermediate and final comments. The authors of the article believe that such an opinion is based on an uncritical assessment of sources – Russian chronicles. We distinguish four versions of narrative sources with the mention of Mikhail Olelkovich: Novgorod, Pskov, Moscow and Sofia. Particular attention is paid to discrepancies in information in the sources, since it is precisely the discrepancies that help to see the specifics of perception of the events of interest to us by the authors of the sources. The Novgorod annals briefly mention the arrival of Prince Mikhail Olelkovich in Novgorod, without giving an assessment of his actions. The Pskov chroniclers gave detailed chronological guidelines for the prince’s stay in Novgorod and attempted to denigrate him. Official Moscow chroniclers believed that Mikhail Olelkovich was a protege of the Lithuanian prince Casimir in Novgorod.In addition, the dating of events given by Moscow chroniclers does not coincide with the dates of the Pskovites. The literary monument “Slovesa Isbrannija...” as part of the Sofia First and related annals basically repeats the Moscow version of the presentation of events, with the exception of two plots. Sources do not allow clarifying the real role of Mikhail Olelkovich in the events of the 1470s, but the fact that his presence influenced the military campaign of Ivan III to Novgorod in the summer of 1471 is obvious.
West Africa: The Formation Of National Statehood
Authors: Sokova Zinaida N.
Published: May 2020

The article is devoted to the study of the dynamics of political modernization in West Africa in the first decade of independent development. The author analyses the formation of political systems, the emergence of democratic institutions, and the causes of their crisis as well as the emergence of military and civilian authoritarian regimes. The author draws on legislative acts, documents of state authorities and governing bodies, evidence of contemporaries, expert assessments and explores national mechanisms of political leadership and governance using the examples of Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone.
The national specifics of political systems and the characteristics of political culture exclude the possibility of highlighting the “universal” model of power relations that is valid in all countries of the region. At the same time, a comparison of these processes with similar phenomena that took place in other parts of the post-colonial world allows concluding that the development of the political space of West Africa had regionally special features. At the same time, the country approach to the topic made it possible to identify the specific influence of the state and its institutions on the life of society, as well as to form an idea of the variety of forms and methods of political rule.
The significance of the scientific analysis of the formation of national statehood rests upon the incompleteness of our ideas about the ruling groups and their role in the system of public administration in West Africa. The article shows that many politically active groups of society — professional politicians, military men, officials, technocrats, and leaders of religious organizations — joined the struggle for control over state structures. Social conflicts, coupled with ethnic, regional, confessional contradictions, shook the fragile political regimes that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Putative Antimicrobial Peptides in Fish: Using Zebrafish as a Representative
Authors: Chen Xiyang , Yi Yunhai , Bian Chao , You Xinxin , Shi Qiong
Published: May 2020

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of short peptides in vertebrates, independently
or derived from big proteins (AMP precursors), for innate immune adaptation to fight against exogenous
pathogens. Therefore, they provide attractive templates for us to develop new alternatives
to antibiotics, which will relieve the threats of microbial resistance and drug residual. Fish reside in
various environments; however, AMP research in fish have long been lagged behind. These highly
diverse peptides in fish, regardless whether they are digested from proteins or not, constitute a sophisticate
line for host defense. Exploring AMPs’ detailed composition in fish will benefit us with
a better understanding of them in vertebrates. This mini-review presents brief descriptions of
AMPs and their research advances in fish, using zebrafish as the representative and comparing this
model fish with well-studied amphibious mudskippers and tetraploid Atlantic salmon. Common
features and species-specific characteristics among various fish provide valuable genetic resources
for high-throughput development of novel antibiotic alternatives. In addition, the diversity and
heterogeneity in tissue distribution also revealed the complex synergism of AMPs/AMP precursors.
These big datasets of genomes and transcriptomes lay a solid foundation for theoretic researches
and practical applications of AMPs in fish aquaculture and drug development.
Review on the Synthesis and Properties of the Energetic Compound Containing Boron
Authors: Wang Guodong , Suming Jing , Liu Guoqing , Gao Xingyong
Published: May 2020

Boron possesses the second greatest heating value of any element that can be
adopted as an energetic material in the processing of propellants and explosives. It has become
the first choice as a high energy fuel for solid fuel-rich propellants because of its advantages
of high theoretical combustion heat. In the actual condition, the combustion efficiency
of boron-containing fuel-rich propellants is low, and the potential energy of boron
cannot be fully utilized. The compound containing-boron can be used as a new way to improve
the combustion efficiency of fuel-rich propellants. In this paper, the progress in the
synthesis of energetic borides is reviewed from the perspectives of molecular design, synthesis
strategy and route optimization. The situation of the synthesis methods of energetic
borides (nitrogen-rich boron esters, poly(azole)borates, nitroboranes, nitrogen-rich borazines
and azide boron compounds) is reviewed. The research focus and development trend of various boron
compounds are analyzed, and the potential application prospect in the propellant is investigated.
Radix Paeoniae Rubra Ameliorates Lupus Nephritis in Lupus-Like Symptoms of Mrl Mice by Reducing Intercellular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1, Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1, and Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression
Authors: Wang Weijie , Cao Lingyong , Wang Xinchang , Fan Yongsheng
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Vasculitis is the basic pathological change of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR), a traditional Chinese herb with the function of reducing blood stasis, has anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. This study explored the effects of RPR on the kidneys of lupus-like symptoms of mrl (MRL/lpr) mice from the perspective of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1).

Methods:

Eighteen MRL/lpr lupus model mice were randomly divided into three groups, the model control group, prednisone-treated group, and RPR-treated group, and 6 C57BL/ 6 mice were classified as a control group. After the mice had been treated for 12 weeks, the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and PECAM-1in the kidney was determined by immunohistochemistry and Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

Results:

After 12 weeks, there were significant differences in body weight in the model, prednisone and RPR groups compared with the normal group (P <0.05). Pathological observation: Compared with the model group, the proliferation of inflammatory cells infiltrated glomeruli and interstitial cells in prednisone and RPR groups were reduced, and renal pathological damage was reduced. Compared with the model group, urine protein level of prednisone and RPR groups were reduced with no significance (P> 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were significantly reduced in the prednisone group and RPR group compared with the model group (P <0.05 or P <0.01). Meanwhile, the immunohistochemistry expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM- 1 expressed in the kidney were significantly reduced in the prednisone group and RPR group (P <0.01 or P<0.05). However, The mRNA expression level and the immunohistochemistry expressions of PECAM-1 expressed in the kidney were reduced in each treatment group (prednisone group and RPR group), but these differences were not significant (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and PECAM-1 expression in the model group was found to be significantly increased. In addition, RPR could reduce the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and PECAM-1 in MRL/lpr lupus mice as effectively as prednisone, which may result in the dosage reduction of prednisone, thus decreasing the toxicity and improving the efficacy of prednisone - based treatment of SLE.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches and Targets for Treatment of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus
Authors: Borghi Alessandro , Corazza Monica
Published: May 2020

Background:

Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with a huge
impact on a person’s quality of life. A correct therapy is required for relieving symptoms, reversing
signs and preventing further anatomical changes.

Objective:

The main objective of the present paper is to provide suggestions for the best treatment approach,
based on the available evidence. Treatment strategies are divided on the basis of the treatment
phase, distinguishing options for initial, acute or attack treatment and those for long-term, maintenance
treatment.

Methods:

An electronic search was performed using the National Library of Medicine PubMed database.
All the studies evaluating treatment of vulvar lichen sclerosus published in the English literature
were analyzed, including controlled studies, case series, guidelines and reviews.

Results:

Current evidence identifies ultra-potent and potent corticosteroids, administered for 12 weeks,
as the first-line recommended treatment for active VLS. Topical calcineurin inhibitors, tacrolimus and
pimecrolimus, are effective and safe alternatives. Long-term maintenance strategies aimed at preventing
recurrences are required, after the initial treatment phase. Maintenance treatment mostly consists in
topical corticosteroids, administered i) on an “as needed” basis (“reactive” scheme), ii) on a continuative
regimen, iii) on a low-dose, intermittent regimen (“proactive” scheme). Further investigations are
needed for better defining the placement of other options within the VLS therapeutic algorithm, including
retinoids, physical and systemic treatments.

Conclusion:

The available evidence provides useful indications for the management of VLS. Both the
identification of new therapeutic targets and the optimization of the available options represent the
main objectives of future research.
Application of Hairy Root Culture for Bioactive Compounds Production in Medicinal Plants
Authors: Li Caili , Wang Meizhen
Published: May 2020

Medicinal plants are rich sources of natural bioactive compounds used to treat many diseases.
With the development of the health industry, the market demands for Chinese medicine have been
rapidly increasing in recent years. However, over-utilization of herbal plants would cause serious ecological
problems. Therefore, an effective approach should be developed to produce the pharmaceutically
important natural drugs. Hairy root culture induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes has been considered
to be an effective tool to produce secondary metabolites that are originally biosynthesized in the
roots or even in the aerial organs of mature plants. This review aims to summarize current progress on
medicinal plant hairy root culture for bioactive compounds production. It presents the stimulating effects
of various biotic and abiotic elicitors on the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Synergetic
effects by combination of different elicitors or with other strategies are also included. Besides, the
transgenic system has promising prospects to increase bioactive compounds content by introducing
their biosynthetic or regulatory genes into medicinal plant hairy root. It offers great potential to further
increase secondary metabolites yield by the integration of manipulating pathway genes with elicitors
and other strategies. Then advances on two valuable pharmaceuticals production in the hairy root cultures
are illustrated in detail. Finally, successful production of bioactive compounds by hairy root culture
in bioreactors are introduced.
Transfection of TGF-β shRNA by Using Ultrasound-targeted Microbubble Destruction to Inhibit the Early Adhesion Repair of Rats Wounded Achilles Tendon In vitro and In vivo
Authors: Huang Songya , Xiang Xi , Qiu Li , Wang Liyun , Zhu Bihui , Guo Ruiqian , Tang Xinyi
Published: May 2020

Background:

Tendon injury is a major orthopedic disorder. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble
destruction (UTMD) provides a promising method for gene transfection, which can be used for the
treatment of injured tendons.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal transforming growth factor beta
(TGF-β) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) sequence and transfection conditions using UTMD in vitro and
to identify its ability for inhibiting the early adhesion repair of rats wounded achilles tendons in vivo.

Methods:

The optimal sequence was selected analyzing under a fluorescence microscope and quantitative
real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in vitro. In vivo, 40 rats with wounded
Achilles tendons were divided into five groups: (1) control group, (2) plasmid group (3) plasmid + ultrasound
group, (4) plasmid + microbubble group, (5) plasmid + microbubble + ultrasound group, and
were euthanized at 14 days post treatment. TGF-β expression was evaluated using adhesion scores and
pathological examinations.

Results:

The optimal condition for UTMD delivery in vitro was 1W/cm2 of output intensity and a 30%
duty cycle with 60 s irradiation time (P < 0.05). The transfection efficiency of the plasmid in group 5
was higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, the lowest adhesion index score and the
least expression of TGF-β were shown in group 5 (P < 0.05). When compared with the other groups,
group 5 had a milder inflammatory reaction.

Conclusion:

The results suggested that UTMD delivery of TGF-β shRNA offers a promising treatment
approach for a tendon injury in vivo.
Potential Prognostic Predictors and Molecular Targets for Skin Melanoma Screened by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
Authors: Chen Sichao , Liu Zeming , Li Man , Huang Yihui , Wang Min , Zeng Wen , Wei Wei , Zhang Chao , Gong Yan , Guo Liang
Published: May 2020

Aims and Objectives:

Among skin cancers, malignant skin melanoma is the leading cause
of death. Identification of gene markers of malignant skin melanoma associated with survival may
provide new clues for prognosis prediction and treatment. This research aimed to screen out potential
prognostic predictors and molecular targets for malignant skin melanoma.

Introduction:

Information regarding gene expression in skin melanoma and patients’ clinical traits
was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted gene co-expression network
analysis (WGCNA) was applied to build co-expression modules and investigate the association between
the modules and clinical traits. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis was performed for
clinically significant co-expression modules. Hub genes of these modules were validated via Gene
Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and the Human Protein Atlas (http://
www.proteinatlas.org).

Methods:

First, using WGCNA, 9 co-expression modules were constructed by the top 25% differentially
expressed genes (4406 genes) from 77 human melanoma samples. Two co-expression modules
(magenta and blue modules) were significantly correlated with survival months (r = -0.27, p = 0.02;
r = 0.27, p = 0.02, respectively). The results of functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the
magenta module was mainly enriched in the cell cycle process and the blue module was mainly enriched
in the immune response process. Additionally, the GEPIA and Human Protein Atlas results
suggested that the hub genes CCNB2, ARHGAP30, and SEMA4D were associated with relapse-free
survival and overall survival (all p-values < 0.05) and were differentially expressed in melanoma tumors
and normal skin.

Results and Conclusion:

The results provided the framework of co-expression gene modules of skin
melanoma and screened out CCNB2, ARHGAP30, and SEMA4D associated with survival as potential
prognostic predictors and molecular targets of treatment.
A Technical Approach of Solubility Enhancement of Poorly Soluble Drugs: Liquisolid Technique
Authors: Chaudhary Nandini , Tripathi Devika , Rai Awani K.
Published: May 2020

Background:

Solubility is one of the significant pre-formulation properties which regulate the desired concentration of drug in the systemic circulation. Most of the newly discovered chemical entities show poor solubility which consequently leads to poor bioavailability. To enhance the bioavailability of such type of drugs is a big challenge for pharmaceutical scientists. Liquisolid technology is a new and advanced technology used to transform the liquid medication into dry, free-flowing and easily compressible dosage form incorporation with the carrier and coating material.

Objectives:

This review represents the technical perspective of Liquisolid technologies that overcome the demerits of classic formulation strategies and amend the bioavailability of the poorly soluble drug. This technique is also approaches the stability, hygroscopicity and agglomeration issue which are mainly occurring in other techniques for solubility enhancement.

Conclusion:

Several technologies have been utilized to minimize the solubility problem but due to the complicated and expensive machinery fails to achieve the desired bioavailability of the poorly soluble drugs. Therefore, Liquisolid technology has been introduced as an innovative and promising technique that recovers the demerits of classic formulation strategies and also improves the bioavailability of the poorly soluble drug. This article exhibits the technical approach of the liquisolid system by improving the solubility as well as bioavailability of water-insoluble drugs.
Withdrawal Notice: Evaluation of Clinical Profile, Diagnostic Tests, And Prognosis of Crypto-coccal Meningitis in HIV Infected Patients in Western India
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Bishnoi Suresh , Meena Durga Shankar , Bohra Gopal Krishana , Midha Naresh , Chhabra Vivek , Bhambu Sunil Kumar
Published: May 2020

The article has been withdrawn from the journal Infectious Disorders – Drug Targets by the author due to some technical
reasons.

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

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Association Between Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Malignant Brain Edema in Patients With Large Hemispheric Infarction
Authors: Bai Xueling , Wang Changyi , Wang Lu , Jiang Shuai , Zhang Shihong , Liu Ming , Wu Bo
Published: May 2020

Introduction:

Malignant brain edema (MBE) is a life-threatening complication for patients
with large hemispheric infarction (LHI). Stroke-related inflammatory responses may cause
secondary brain injury and lead to brain edema. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a
well-known systemic inflammatory biomarker. The aim of this study was to evaluate if NLR is associated
with MBE in patients with LHI.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis was performed of LHI patients within 24 h from stroke onset
admitted to the Department of Neurology, West China Hospital from January 1, 2017 to
December 31, 2018. Blood samples were collected upon admission. MBE was diagnosed by any
neurological deterioration accompanied by brain edema in follow-up images. Patients were categorized
according to NLR tertiles. Univariate analyses were performed to identify potential confounding
variables and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the
correlation between NLR and MBE.

Results:

A total of 257 patients with a mean age of 68.6 ± 14.0 years were identified. Among
them, 83 (32.3%) patients developed MBE with a median time of one day (interquartile range
[IQR] 0-2 days) from hospital admission. An elevated NLR was related to an increased risk of
MBE when the lowest and highest tertiles were compared (odds ratio 2.27, 95% confidence interval
1.11-4.62, p = 0.024). The risk of MBE increased with the increase of NLR in a dosedependent
manner (p for trend = 0.029). No interaction between potential modifiers and NLR on
MBE was observed.

Conclusions:

Higher NLR was associated with an increased risk of MBE in patients with LHI.