bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principle of Least Psychomotor Action: Modelling Situated Entropy in Optimization of Psychomotor Work Involving Human, Cyborg and Robot Workers
Authors: Fox Stephen , Kotelba Adrian
Published: October 2018

Entropy in workplaces is situated amidst workers and their work. In this paper, findings are reported from a study encompassing psychomotor work by three types of workers: human, cyborg and robot; together with three aspects of psychomotor work: setting, composition and uncertainty. The Principle of Least Psychomotor Action (PLPA) is introduced and modelled in terms of situated entropy. PLPA is founded upon the Principle of Least Action. Situated entropy modelling of PLPA is informed by theoretical studies concerned with connections between information theory and thermodynamics. Four contributions are provided in this paper. First, the situated entropy of PLPA is modelled in terms of positioning, performing and perfecting psychomotor skills. Second, with regard to workers, PLPA is related to the state-of-the-art in human, cyborg and robot psychomotor skills. Third, with regard to work, situated entropy is related to engineering of work settings, work composition and work uncertainty. Fourth, PLPA and modelling situated entropy are related to debate about the future of work. Overall, modelling situated entropy is introduced as a means of objectively modelling relative potential of humans, cyborgs, and robots to carry out work with least action. This can introduce greater objectivity into debates about the future of work.
How to Measure Procedural Knowledge for Solving Biodiversity and Climate Change Challenges
Authors: Richter-Beuschel Lisa , Grass Ingo , Bögeholz Susanne
Published: October 2018

To cope with biodiversity and climate change challenges, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) needs to emphasize knowledge that considers multiple perspectives. Optimizing teacher education requires knowledge about the prerequisites of student teachers. The latter includes content knowledge with respect to Sustainable Development (SD). Apart from situational and conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge (containing solution strategies) is of special interest, but it is much more difficult to measure. Thus, this study aims at developing a refined procedure to measure SD-relevant procedural knowledge and to define a measure for such knowledge, including a suitable benchmark for its evaluation. As SD-relevant knowledge, the SD challenges biodiversity loss and climate change were focused on. For operationalizing these challenges, the highly relevant contexts insects and pollination and peatland use were chosen. For both SD challenges and contexts, potential solution strategies were identified by a literature review. A procedure was then tested to measure procedural knowledge. The procedure includes a two-round expert survey (Delphi approach) with an in-between think-aloud study with student teachers. The described innovative procedure resulted in a measure (18 items) to assess procedural knowledge of student teachers via effectiveness estimations of provided solution strategies. This measure contains procedural knowledge items that are related to prior presented scenarios regarding the two contexts and a benchmark to evaluate these items. The benchmark derives from the second round of the Delphi study. The procedure and the developed final instrument include expertise from multiple disciplines such as ESD, SD, biodiversity, insect and pollination, climate change and peatland use. The sophisticated procedure can be transferred to challenging measurement developments. Furthermore, the measure provided for SD-relevant knowledge can be applied to other target groups in upper secondary and in higher education within ESD.
An Integrated Platform for the Internet of Things Based on an Open Source Ecosystem
Authors: Li YangQun
Published: October 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly part of daily life. However, the development of IoT applications still faces many problems, such as heterogeneity, complex management, and other difficulties. In this paper, first, the open source technologies of IoT are surveyed. We compare these technologies from the point of view of different levels of technical requirements, such as device management, data management, communication, intelligent data processing, security and privacy protection; we also look at requirements of application development and deployment. Second, an IoT integrated development platform architecture for IoT applications based on open source ecosystem is proposed and evaluated in an industrial setting. We applied P2P technology to distributed resource management and blockchain-based smart contract mechanics for resource billing management. The results show that the IoT gateway based on an open source ecosystem had a stable and reliable system performance with a certain data size and concurrency scale. These conditions satisfy the application requirements of the IoT in most sensing environments.
Delineation of Novel Compound Heterozygous Variants in LTBP2 Associated with Juvenile Open Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Saeedi Osamah , Yousaf Sairah , Tsai Joby , Palmer Kathleen , Riazuddin Saima , Ahmed Zubair M.
Published: October 2018

Juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG), which is an uncommon form of primary open angle glaucoma, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder. We report on a family with a recessively inherited form of JOAG. The proband has a superior and an inferior never fiber layer thinning in both the eyes and the nasal visual field (VF) defects in the left eye, which are clinical findings consistent with glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Whole exome sequencing revealed two novel compound heterozygous variants [c.2966C>G, p.(Pro989Arg); c.5235T>G, p.(Asn1745Lys)] in latent transforming growth factor-beta-binding protein 2 (LTBP2) segregating with the phenotype. Both these variants are predicted to replace evolutionary conserved amino acids, have a pathogenic effect on the encode protein, and have very low frequencies in the control databases. Mutations in LTBP2 are known to cause the Weill-Marchesani syndrome and a Weill-Marchesani-like syndrome, which include glaucoma in their clinical presentation. However, to our knowledge, this is the first published case of a JOAG subject associated with recessively inherited variants of LTPB2 and, thus, expands the repertoire of the known genetic causes of JOAG and the phenotypic spectrum of LTBP2 alleles.
Environmental Co-Exposure to Lead and Manganese and Intellectual Deficit in School-Aged Children
Authors: Menezes-Filho José A. , Carvalho Chrissie F. , Rodrigues Juliana L. G. , Araújo Cecília F. S. , Dos Santos Nathália R. , Lima Cássio S. , Bandeira Matheus J. , Marques Breno L. de S. , Anjos Ana Laura S. , Bah Homegnon A. F. , Abreu Neander , Philibert Alline , Mergler Donna
Published: October 2018

Studies have demonstrated that, for urban children, dust represents the main exposure to sources of metals like lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn). We aimed to investigate the exposure to these metals and their association with intellectual deficit in children living in an industrial region. This cross-sectional study recruited volunteers from four elementary schools in the town of Simões Filho, Brazil. We evaluated 225 school-aged children (7–12 years) for blood lead (PbB) and manganese hair (MnH) and toenails (MnTn) by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Child and maternal IQs were estimated using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence (WASI). Median and range PbB were 1.2 (0.3–15.6) μg/dL. MnH and MnTn medians (ranges) were 0.74 (0.16–8.79) μg/g and 0.85 (0.15–13.30) μg/g, respectively. After adjusting for maternal IQ, age and Mn exposure, child IQ drops by 8.6 points for a 10-fold increase in PbB levels. Moreover, an effect modification of Mn co-exposure was observed. In children with low MnTn, association between Pb and child IQ was not significant (β = −6.780, p = 0.172). However, in those with high MnTn, the association was increased by 27.9% (β = −8.70, p = 0.036). Low Pb exposure is associated with intellectual deficit in children, especially in those with high MnTn.
An Improved Healthcare Accessibility Measure Considering the Temporal Dimension and Population Demand of Different Ages
Authors: Ma Lan , Luo Nianxue , Wan Taili , Hu Chunchun , Peng Mingjun
Published: October 2018

Healthcare accessibility has become an issue of social equity. An accurate estimation of existing healthcare accessibility is vital to plan and allocate health resources. Healthcare capacity, population demand, and geographic impedance are three essential factors to measure spatial accessibility. Additionally, geographic impedance is usually represented with a function of travel time. In this paper, the three-step floating catchment area (3SFCA) method is improved from the perspectives of the temporal dimension and population demand. Specifically, the travel time from the population location to the service site is precisely calculated by introducing real-time traffic conditions instead of utilizing empirical speed in previous studies. Additionally, with the utilization of real-time traffic, a dynamic result of healthcare accessibility is derived during different time periods. In addition, since the medical needs of the elderly are higher than that of the young, a demand weight index of demand is introduced to adjust the population demand. A case study of healthcare accessibility in Wuhan shows that the proposed method is effective to measure healthcare accessibility during different time periods. The spatial accessibility disparities of communities and crowdedness of hospitals are identified as an important reference for the balance between the supply and demand of medical resources.
Community Knowledge, Perceived Beliefs and Associated Factors of Mental Distress: A Case Study from Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Gebrekidan Abbay Aradom , Tibebe Mulatu Alemayehu , Azadi Hossein
Published: October 2018

Background: All of society is affected by mental health problems, not just a minor, isolated part. Mental health problems represent a major challenge to the global development of community health. This study examined the community health knowledge, perceived beliefs, and associated factors of mental distress (MD) in Mekelle city in Northern Ethiopia. Methods: The current study used a cross-sectional approach calculating a sample of 260 adults living in the two sub-cities of Mekelle city. To select the sample households in each sub-city, systematic random sampling was used. Self-reported questionnaire (SRQ-20 with a cutoff point of 7), and Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS) instruments were included within the structured questionnaire tool to clarify community occurrence and the level of health mental knowledge. Results: The likelihood of having MD was higher among the study participants who were female, employed, self-employed, and daily alcohol and khat users. The results also showed that the level of mental health knowledge among the participants was low. Conclusions: Factors such as being male, having a higher level of education, and having strong levels of social support were found to be the independent predictors of good mental health and community mental health knowledge.
Involvement of Aquaporins in the Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment of Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Soyfoo Muhammad Shahnawaz , Chivasso Clara , Perret Jason , Delporte Christine
Published: October 2018

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of salivary and lacrimal glands resulting in diminished production of saliva and tears. The pathophysiology of SS has not yet been fully deciphered. Classically it has been postulated that sicca symptoms in SS patients are a double step process whereby lymphocytic infiltration of lacrimal and salivary glands (SG) is followed by epithelial cell destruction resulting in keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Recent advances in the field of the pathophysiology of SS have brought in new players, such as aquaporins (AQPs) and anti AQPs autoantibodies that could explain underlying mechanistic processes and unveil new pathophysiological pathways offering a deeper understanding of the disease. In this review, we delineate the link between the AQP and SS, focusing on salivary glands, and discuss the role of AQPs in the treatment of SS-induced xerostomia.
Role of Computational Methods in Going beyond X-ray Crystallography to Explore Protein Structure and Dynamics
Authors: Srivastava Ashutosh , Nagai Tetsuro , Srivastava Arpita , Miyashita Osamu , Tama Florence
Published: October 2018

Protein structural biology came a long way since the determination of the first three-dimensional structure of myoglobin about six decades ago. Across this period, X-ray crystallography was the most important experimental method for gaining atomic-resolution insight into protein structures. However, as the role of dynamics gained importance in the function of proteins, the limitations of X-ray crystallography in not being able to capture dynamics came to the forefront. Computational methods proved to be immensely successful in understanding protein dynamics in solution, and they continue to improve in terms of both the scale and the types of systems that can be studied. In this review, we briefly discuss the limitations of X-ray crystallography in studying protein dynamics, and then provide an overview of different computational methods that are instrumental in understanding the dynamics of proteins and biomacromolecular complexes.
Identification and Expression Analyses of SBP-Box Genes Reveal Their Involvement in Abiotic Stress and Hormone Response in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)
Authors: Wang Pengjie , Chen Di , Zheng Yucheng , Jin Shan , Yang Jiangfan , Ye Naixing
Published: October 2018

The SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP)-box gene family is a plant-specific transcription factor family. This family plays a crucial role in plant growth and development. In this study, 20 SBP-box genes were identified in the tea plant genome and classified into six groups. The genes in each group shared similar exon-intron structures and motif positions. Expression pattern analyses in five different tissues demonstrated that expression in the buds and leaves was higher than that in other tissues. The cis-elements and expression patterns of the CsSBP genes suggested that the CsSBP genes play active roles in abiotic stress responses; these responses may depend on the abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) signaling pathways. Our work provides a comprehensive understanding of the CsSBP family and will aid in genetically improving tea plants.
Effect of Roasting Levels and Drying Process of Coffea canephora on the Quality of Bioactive Compounds and Cytotoxicity
Authors: Bauer Deborah , Abreu Joel , Jordão Nathállia , Rosa Jeane Santos da , Freitas-Silva Otniel , Teodoro Anderson
Published: October 2018

Coffee is a popular drink consumed all over the world. Besides its long-recognized stimulant effect, it has important nutritional and health effects. However, the type of bean processing modifies the composition of brewed coffee and possibly its bioactivity. In this study, extracts obtained from green and roasted beans of Coffea canephora (Coffea canephora var. robusta) were submitted to spray- or freeze-drying and were tested for antiproliferative activity, using MTT assay, and their influence on the cell cycle and apoptosis by flow cytometry analysis. Moreover, colors and nutrient contents were measured to identify the changes due to the roasting process. The results obtained showed that extracts from green and light roasted beans exhibited strong bioactive capacity. Coffee extracts promoted a decrease in cell viability, modulated cell cycle and induced apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma cell line (DU-145). The level of roasting reduced this property, but the type of drying did not in all cases.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Betula halophila in Response to Salt Stress
Authors: Shao Fenjuan , Zhang Lisha , Wilson Iain W. , Qiu Deyou
Published: October 2018

Soil salinization is a matter of concern worldwide. It can eventually lead to the desertification of land and severely damage local agricultural production and the ecological environment. Betula halophila is a tree with high salt tolerance, so it is of importance to understand and discover the salt responsive genes of B. halophila for breeding salinity resistant varieties of trees. However, there is no report on the transcriptome in response to salt stress in B. halophila. Using Illumina sequencing platform, approximately 460 M raw reads were generated and assembled into 117,091 unigenes. Among these unigenes, 64,551 unigenes (55.12%) were annotated with gene descriptions, while the other 44.88% were unknown. 168 up-regulated genes and 351 down-regulated genes were identified, respectively. These Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) involved in multiple pathways including the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway, ion transport and uptake, antioxidant enzyme, ABA signal pathway and so on. The gene ontology (GO) enrichments suggested that the DEGs were mainly involved in a plant-type cell wall organization biological process, cell wall cellular component, and structural constituent of cell wall molecular function. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment showed that the top-four enriched pathways were ‘Fatty acid elongation’, ‘Ribosome’, ‘Sphingolipid metabolism’ and ‘Flavonoid biosynthesis’. The expression patterns of sixteen DEGs were analyzed by qRT-PCR to verify the RNA-seq data. Among them, the transcription factor AT-Hook Motif Nuclear Localized gene and dehydrins might play an important role in response to salt stress in B. halophila. Our results provide an important gene resource to breed salt tolerant plants and useful information for further elucidation of the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in B. halophila.
Melatonin Improves Oocyte Maturation and Mitochondrial Functions by Reducing Bisphenol A-Derived Superoxide in Porcine Oocytes In Vitro
Authors: Park Hyo-Jin , Park Soo-Yong , Kim Jin-Woo , Yang Seul-Gi , Kim Min-Ji , Jegal Ho-Guen , Kim In-Su , Choo Young-Kug , Koo Deog-Bon
Published: October 2018

Bisphenol A (BPA) is synthetic organic compound that exhibits estrogen-like properties and it induces mitochondrial superoxide production. Melatonin (Mela) protects against BPA-mediated cell damage and apoptosis. However, the antioxidative effects of Mela against BPA-induced superoxide production in porcine oocytes are still not known. In this study, we investigated the antioxidative effects of Mela against BPA-derived superoxide on oocyte maturation in pigs. To investigate the effects of the superoxide specific scavenger, Mito-TEMPO, on porcine oocyte maturation in response to BPA exposure apoptosis proteins, we treated the oocytes with Mito-TEMPO (0.1 µM) after pre-treating them with BPA (75 µM) for 22 h. As expected, the reduction in meiotic maturation and cumulus cell expansion of cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) in the BPA (75 µM) treated group was recovered (p < 0.01) by treatment with Mito-TEMPO (0.1 µM). An increase in the levels of mitochondrial apoptotic proteins (AIF, cleaved Cas 3 and cleaved Parp1) in response to BPA-induced damage was also reduced by Mito-TEMPO treatment in porcine COCs. Interestingly, we confirmed the positive effects of Mela with respect to superoxide production upon BPA exposure during oocyte maturation and also confirmed the reduction in mitochondrial apoptosis in Mela (0.1 µM)-treated porcine COCs. These results provide evidence for the first time that antioxidative effects of Mela on BPA-derived superoxide improve porcine oocyte maturation.
Remotely Monitoring Cancer-Related Fatigue Using the Smart-Phone: Results of an Observational Study
Authors: Klaas Vanessa Christina , Troster Gerhard , Walt Heinrich , Jenewein Josef
Published: October 2018

Cancer related fatigue is a chronic disease that may persist up to 10 years after successful cancer treatment and is one of the most prevalent problems in cancer survivors. Cancer related fatigue is a complex symptom that is not yet explained completely and there are only a few remedies with proven evidence. Patients do not necessarily follow a treatment plan with regular follow ups. As a consequence, physicians lack of knowledge how their patients are coping with their fatigue in daily life. To overcome this knowledge gap, we developed a smartphone-based monitoring system. A developed Android app provides activity data from smartphone sensors and applies experience based sampling to collect the patients’ subjective perceptions of their fatigue and interference of fatigue with the patients’ daily life. To evaluate the monitoring system in an observational study, we recruited seven patients suffering from cancer related fatigue and tracked them over two to three weeks. We collected around 2700 h of activity data and over 500 completed questionnaires. We analysed the average completion of answering the digital questionnaires and the wearing time of the smartphone. A within-subject analysis of the perceived fatigue, its interference and measured physical activity yielded in patient specific fatigue and activity patterns depending on the time of day. Physical activity level correlated stronger with the interference of fatigue than with the fatigue itself and the variance of the acceleration correlates stronger than absolute activity values. With this work, we provide a monitoring system used for cancer related fatigue. We show with an observational study that the monitoring system is accepted by our study cohort and that it provides additional details about the perceived fatigue and physical activity to a weekly paper-based questionnaire.
Pericardial Cyst: Never Too Late to Diagnose
Authors: Lennon Collins Katrina , Zakharious Fady , Mandal Amit K. J. , Missouris Constantinos G.
Published: October 2018

Pericardial cysts are uncommon benign lesions of the middle mediastinum, making up less than 6% of all mediastinal masses. They are often detected as incidental findings on chest imaging and some can resolve spontaneously. Rarely, however, they may cause symptoms of chest pain, right ventricular outflow obstruction, and persistent cough. Furthermore, they may affect cardiac tamponade after acute rupture or cyst haemorrhage resulting in sudden death. We report the case of a 102-year-old woman presenting with urosepsis, in whom routine chest radiography was initially suspicious of advanced bronchial carcinoma. Further imaging supported a diagnosis of one of the largest pericardial cysts described in the literature located in the right parahilar space. The patient was appropriately managed conservatively.
Stock Market Volatility and Trading Volume: A Special Case in Hong Kong With Stock Connect Turnover
Authors: Chan Brian Sing Fan , Cheng Andy Cheuk Hin , Ma Alfred Ka Chun
Published: October 2018

The cross-boundary Shanghai-Hong Kong and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect provides a special data set to study the dynamic relationships among volatility, trading volume and turnover among three stock markets, namely Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. We employ the Granger Causality test with the vector autoregressive model (VAR) to examine whether Stock Connect turnover contributes to future realized volatility and market volume of these three markets. Our results support the evidence of causality from Stock Connect turnover to market volatility and trading volume. The finding of this causality is consistent with the implication of the sequential information arrival model in the literature.
Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation by Means of Plasmonic Resonance Activation in Silica Aerogel Media
Authors: Muñoz Sergio , Navarrete Alexander , Martín Ángel , Dittmeyer Roland , Cocero M. José
Published: October 2018

Surface Plasmon Resonance can be used to activate zinc oxide/copper catalysts in order to perform the carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction by means of light energy, avoiding high-temperature processes. The synthesis and impregnation methods have been designed to fill glass microreactors with ZnO/Cu nanoparticles supported on transparent silica aerogels to maximize the light absorbed by the catalyst. A LED device surrounding the glass microreactors provided white light to activate the catalyst homogeneously throughout the reactor. Temperature, pressure, amount of catalyst and gases flow were studied as possible variables to enhance the process trying to maximize CO2 conversion rates, achieving the best results working at high pressures. The use of transparent SiO2 Aerogels as supports for photocatalytic gas phase reactions even under high-pressure conditions is demonstrated.
Special Issue of the Manufacturing Engineering Society (MES)
Authors: Rubio Eva María , Camacho Ana María
Published: October 2018

Research in the field of materials is very broad, ranging from studies on the structure and properties at the atomic or molecular level to the most complex or sophisticated applications that can be done with them, as well as studies about other aspects related to their processing, use or management. The Special Issue of the Manufacturing Engineering Society (MES), published in the Section “Manufacturing Processes and Systems” of the journal Materials, focuses, mainly, on the applications and key processing aspects of materials, collecting a set of 48 original papers focused on the field of manufacturing engineering and materials processing.
A Very Brief Introduction to Nonnegative Tensors from the Geometric Viewpoint
Authors: Qi Yang
Published: October 2018

This note is a short survey of nonnegative tensors, primarily from the geometric point of view. In addition to basic definitions, we discuss properties of and questions about nonnegative tensors, which may be of interest to geometers.
Discovery Methodology of Novel Conotoxins from Conus Species
Authors: Fu Ying , Li Cheng , Dong Shuai , Wu Yong , Zhangsun Dongting , Luo Sulan
Published: October 2018

Cone snail venoms provide an ideal resource for neuropharmacological tools and drug candidates discovery, which have become a research hotspot in neuroscience and new drug development. More than 1,000,000 natural peptides are produced by cone snails, but less than 0.1% of the estimated conotoxins has been characterized to date. Hence, the discovery of novel conotoxins from the huge conotoxin resources with high-throughput and sensitive methods becomes a crucial key for the conotoxin-based drug development. In this review, we introduce the discovery methodology of new conotoxins from various Conus species. It focuses on obtaining full N- to C-terminal sequences, regardless of disulfide bond connectivity through crude venom purification, conotoxin precusor gene cloning, venom duct transcriptomics, venom proteomics and multi-omic methods. The protocols, advantages, disadvantages, and developments of different approaches during the last decade are summarized and the promising prospects are discussed as well.
Quenching for Microalgal Metabolomics: A Case Study on the Unicellular Eukaryotic Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Kapoore Rahul Vijay , Vaidyanathan Seetharaman
Published: October 2018

Capturing a valid snapshot of the metabolome requires rapid quenching of enzyme activities. This is a crucial step in order to halt the constant flux of metabolism and high turnover rate of metabolites. Quenching with cold aqueous methanol is treated as a gold standard so far, however, reliability of metabolomics data obtained is in question due to potential problems connected to leakage of intracellular metabolites. Therefore, we investigated the influence of various parameters such as quenching solvents, methanol concentration, inclusion of buffer additives, quenching time and solvent to sample ratio on intracellular metabolite leakage from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We measured the recovery of twelve metabolite classes using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in all possible fractions and established mass balance to trace the fate of metabolites during quenching treatments. Our data demonstrate significant loss of intracellular metabolites with the use of the conventional 60% methanol, and that an increase in methanol concentration or quenching time also resulted in higher leakage. Inclusion of various buffer additives showed 70 mM HEPES (4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid) to be suitable. In summary, we recommend quenching with 60% aqueous methanol supplemented with 70 mM HEPES (−40 °C) at 1:1 sample to quenching solvent ratio, as it resulted in higher recoveries for intracellular metabolites with subsequent reduction in the metabolite leakage for all metabolite classes.
Biocatalysis by Transglutaminases: A Review of Biotechnological Applications
Authors: Savoca Maria , Tonoli Elisa , Atobatele Adeola , Verderio Elisabetta
Published: October 2018

The biocatalytic activity of transglutaminases (TGs) leads to the synthesis of new covalent isopeptide bonds (crosslinks) between peptide-bound glutamine and lysine residues, but also the transamidation of primary amines to glutamine residues, which ultimately can result into protein polymerisation. Operating with a cysteine/histidine/aspartic acid (Cys/His/Asp) catalytic triad, TGs induce the post-translational modification of proteins at both physiological and pathological conditions (e.g., accumulation of matrices in tissue fibrosis). Because of the disparate biotechnological applications, this large family of protein-remodelling enzymes have stimulated an escalation of interest. In the past 50 years, both mammalian and microbial TGs polymerising activity has been exploited in the food industry for the improvement of aliments’ quality, texture, and nutritive value, other than to enhance the food appearance and increased marketability. At the same time, the ability of TGs to crosslink extracellular matrix proteins, like collagen, as well as synthetic biopolymers, has led to multiple applications in biomedicine, such as the production of biocompatible scaffolds and hydrogels for tissue engineering and drug delivery, or DNA-protein bio-conjugation and antibody functionalisation. Here, we summarise the most recent advances in the field, focusing on the utilisation of TGs-mediated protein multimerisation in biotechnological and bioengineering applications.
Characteristics and Kinetics of Rosin Pentaerythritol Ester via Oxidation Process under Ultraviolet Irradiation
Authors: Li Yuanlin , Liu Xiongmin , Zhang Qiang , Wang Bo , Yu Chang , Rashid Haroon Ur , Xu Yiming , Ma Li , Lai Fang
Published: October 2018

A self-designed reaction device was used as a promising equipment to investigate the oxidation characteristics and kinetics of rosin pentaerythritol ester (RPE) under UV irradiation. Photo-oxidation kinetics and the initial quantum yield (Φ) of RPE were calculated. The initial oxidation product of the photo-oxidation reaction—peroxide was analyzed by iodimetry. The peroxide concentration is related to the light intensity (I) and the temperature (T), and the increasing T and I would destabilize the RPE by accelerating peroxide forming. Photo-oxidation of RPE follows the pseudo first-order reaction kinetics. The relationship between activation energy and logarithm of light intensity (ln I) is linear, and it is expressed as Ea = −4.937ln I + 45.565. Φ was calculated by the photo-oxidation kinetics, and the average value of Φ was 7.19% in the light intensity range of 200–800 μW cm−2. This research can provide fundamental information for application of RPE, and help obtain a better understanding of the stability of rosin esters.
Synthesis of Novel Shikonin Derivatives and Pharmacological Effects of Cyclopropylacetylshikonin on Melanoma Cells
Authors: Durchschein Christin , Hufner Antje , Rinner Beate , Stallinger Alexander , Deutsch Alexander , Lohberger Birgit , Bauer Rudolf , Kretschmer Nadine
Published: October 2018

Despite much research in the last centuries, treatment of malignant melanoma is still challenging because of its mostly unnoticeable metastatic spreading and aggressive growth rate. Therefore, the discovery of novel drug leads is an important goal. In a previous study, we have isolated several shikonin derivatives from the roots of Onosma paniculata Bureau & Franchet (Boraginaceae) which evolved as promising anticancer candidates. β,β-Dimethylacrylshikonin (1) was the most cytotoxic derivative and exhibited strong tumor growth inhibitory activity, in particular, towards melanoma cells. In this study, we synthesized eighteen novel shikonin derivatives in order to obtain compounds which exhibit a higher cytotoxicity than 1. We investigated their cytotoxic potential against various melanoma cell lines and juvenile skin fibroblasts. The most active compound was (R)-1-(1,4-dihydro-5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxonaphthalen-2-yl)-4-methylpent-3-enyl cyclopropylacetate (cyclopropylacetylshikonin) (6). It revealed significant stronger tumor growth inhibitory activity towards two melanoma cell lines derived from metastatic lesions (WM164 and MUG-Mel2). Further investigations have shown that 6 induced apoptosis caspase-dependently, increased the protein levels of cleaved PARP, and led to double-stranded DNA breaks as shown by phosphorylation of H2AX. Cell membrane damage and cell cycle arrest were not observed.
Nanoliposomes as Vehicles for Astaxanthin: Characterization, In Vitro Release Evaluation and Structure
Authors: Pan Li , Wang Hongyan , Gu Keren
Published: October 2018

Astaxanthin was encapsulated in nanoliposomes by a film dispersion-ultrasonic technique using soybean phosphatidyl choline. The astaxanthin-loaded nanoliposomes displayed advantages in the aspects of high encapsulation efficiency and less particle size with a remarkably homodisperse size distribution. Based on X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry the analysis, it has been demonstrated that there could be interactions of astaxanthin with the lipid bilayer, resulting in the forming of astaxanthin-loaded nanoliposomes. The thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal stability of astaxanthin after encapsulation in nanoliposomes was remarkably enhanced as compared to astaxanthin alone. Furthermore, encapsulation could greatly enhance the water dispersibility of astaxanthin. This study also confirmed that encapsulation of astaxanthin in nanoliposomes could be an effective way to supply astaxanthin continuously in the body. The effects of astaxanthin incorporation on structural changes of the liposomal membrane were investigated through steady-state fluorescence measurements. This study revealed that the incorporation of astaxanthin into the lipid bilayer decreased membrane fluidity, but increased micropolarity in the membrane within a certain range of astaxanthin concentrations. Additionally, it indicated that the encapsulation of astaxanthin in the lipid bilayer could be applied to modulate the structural properties of membranes.
Novel Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Receptor 1 Antagonists through a Pharmacophore-Based Virtual Screening Approach
Authors: Jiang Junhao , Zhou Hui , Jiang Qihua , Sun Lili , Deng Ping
Published: October 2018

As new drugs for the treatment of malignant tumors, transforming growth factor-beta receptor 1 (TGFβR1) antagonists have attracted wide attention. Based on the crystal structure of TGFβR1-BMS22 complex, the pharmacophore model A02 with two hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) and four hydrophobic (HYD) properties was constructed. From the common features of active ligands reported in the literature, pharmacophore model B10 was also generated, which has two aromatic ring centers (RAs) and two HYD properties. The two models have high sensitivity and specificity to the training set, and they are highly consistent in spatial structure. Combining the two pharmacophore models, two novel skeleton structures with potential activity were selected by virtual screening from the DruglikeDiverse, MiniMaybridge, and ZINC Drug-Like databases. Four compounds (YXY01–YXY04) with potential anti-TGFβR1 activity were designed based on the new skeleton structures. In combination with Lipinski’s rules; absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET); and, toxicological properties predicted in the study, YXY01-03 with the novel skeleton, good drug-like properties, and potential activity were finally discovered and may have higher safety relative to BMS22, which may be valuable for further research.
Phytochemical and Biological Profile of Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC.: An Inhibitor of Pancreatic Lipase
Authors: Marrelli Mariangela , Morrone Federica , Argentieri Maria Pia , Gambacorta Lucia , Conforti Filomena , Avato Pinarosa
Published: October 2018

Pancreatic lipase, a key enzyme for lipid absorption, is one of the most important targets for the treatment of obesity, while natural compounds have recently attracted much interest as potential inhibitors of this enzyme. Here, in an attempt to find new effective agents, the methanolic extract from Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC. and its sub-extracts were investigated for their potential inhibitory activity. The ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase was verified through the in vitro evaluation of the prevention of p-nitrophenyl caprylate hydrolysis. The antioxidant activity was also verified by means of DPPH and β-carotene bleaching tests. Compositional profiling revealed that flavonoid glycosides were the main specialized metabolites present in the methanolic extract from the aerial parts of the plant with kaempferol and quercetin representing the two O-glycosylated aglycones. Kaempferol-3-O-β-(2″-O-glucosyl)-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-a-arabinosyl-7-O-rhamnoside were the most abundant flavonols. The crude methanolic extract and the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate sub-extracts showed a strong lipase inhibitory activity, with IC50 values of 2.06 ± 0.02, 1.52 ± 0.02 and 1.31 ± 0.02 mg/mL, respectively. The best capacity to scavenge DPPH radical was detected for the ethyl acetate sub-extract (IC50 = 171.9 ± 1.0 µg/mL), which was also effective in protecting linoleic acid from peroxidation (IC50 = 35.69 ± 2.30 µg/mL). Obtained results support the hypothesis that M. arvensis can be a source of bioactive phytochemicals for the pharmacological inhibition of dietary lipids absorption.
3,5-Diethoxy-3′-Hydroxyresveratrol (DEHR) Ameliorates Liver Fibrosis via Caveolin-1 Activation in Hepatic Stellate Cells and in a Mouse Model of Bile Duct Ligation Injury
Authors: Lee Phil Jun , Park Hye-Jin , Cho Namki , Kim Hong Pyo
Published: October 2018

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Resveratrol, 3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene, is a dietary polyphenol found in natural food products. Here, we evaluated the anti-proliferative effects of a synthetic resveratrol derivative, 3,5-diethoxy-3′-hydroxyresveratrol (DEHR), on HSCs. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses showed that DEHR induces apoptosis through the upregulation of cleaved caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase expression and reduction in the level of an anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2). As caveolin-1 (CAV1), a competitive inhibitor of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), is related to apoptotic proteins in hepatic cells, we focused on the role of CAV1 in DEHR-induced apoptosis in HSCs through Western blot analyses. Our results showed that the inhibitory effect of DEHR on cell viability was stronger in HO-1 siRNA-transfected cells but weakened in CAV1 siRNA-transfected cells. Collagen concentration was significantly reduced, whereas CAV1 expression increased after treatment of a bile duct ligation injury-induced liver fibrosis model with DEHR for four weeks. We confirmed that DEHR treatment significantly reduced fibrous hyperplasia around the central veins, using hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius red staining. DEHR ameliorates liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo, possibly through a mechanism involving CAV1.
Study of The Reaction Mechanism to Produce Nanocellulose-Graft-Chitosan Polymer
Authors: Sanchez-Salvador Jose Luis , Balea Ana , Monte M. Concepcion , Blanco Angeles , Negro Carlos
Published: October 2018

Cellulose and chitin are the most abundant polymeric materials in nature, capable of replacing conventional synthetic polymers. From them, cellulose nano/microfibers (CNFs/CMFs) and chitosan are obtained. Both polymers have been used separately in graft copolymerization but there are not many studies on the use of cellulose and chitosan together as copolymers and the reaction mechanism is unknown. In this work, the reaction mechanism to produce nano/microcellulose-graft-chitosan polymer has been studied. Recycled cellulose pulp was used, with and without a 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl-radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation pretreatment, to produce CNFs and CMFs, respectively. For chitosan, a low-molecular weight product dissolved in an acetic acid solution was prepared. Grafted polymers were synthesized using a microwave digester. Results showed that TEMPO-mediated oxidation as the cellulose pretreatment is a key factor to obtain the grafted polymer CNF-g-CH. A reaction mechanism has been proposed where the amino group of chitosan attacks the carboxylic group of oxidized cellulose, since non-oxidized CMFs do not achieve the desired grafting. 13C NMR spectra, elemental analysis and SEM images validated the proposed mechanism. Finally, CNF-g-CH was used as a promising material to remove water-based inks and dyes from wastewater.
Understanding the Relevance of Aging-Related Tau Astrogliopathy (ARTAG)
Authors: Kovacs Gabor G.
Published: October 2018

Aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) is an umbrella term that encompasses a spectrum of morphological abnormalities seen in astrocytes of the aging brain using immunostaining for pathological forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau. Morphologies of ARTAG include thorn-shaped astrocytes (TSA), and additionally granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFA) characterized by fine granular tau immunoreactivity extending into the astrocytic processes. Thorn-shaped astrocytes can be present in the same brain in subpial, subependymal, perivascular, and white and gray matter locations together with GFAs, which are seen in the gray matter. Primary tauopathies show ARTAG-related morphologies as well, moreover, GFA has been proposed to present a conceptual link between brain ageing and primary tauopathies. Sequential distribution patterns have been recognized for subpial, white and gray matter ARTAG. This either suggests the involvement of astrocytes in the propagation of tau pathology or reflects the consequence of a long-term pathogenic process such as barrier dysfunction, local mechanical impact, or early response to neuronal degeneration. The concept of ARTAG facilitated communication among neuropathologists and researchers, informed biomarker researchers with focus on tau-related indicators and motivated further exploration of the significance of astrocytic lesions in various neurodegenerative conditions.
Effects of Electron Beam Irradiation on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Surface Properties of Some EPDM/Butyl Rubber Composites
Authors: Stelescu Maria Daniela , Airinei Anton , Manaila Elena , Craciun Gabriela , Fifere Nicusor , Varganici Cristian , Pamfil Daniela , Doroftei Florica
Published: October 2018

The effects of electron beam irradiation on the properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)/butyl rubber composites in presence of a polyfunctional monomer were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), and mechanical and surface energy measurements. The samples were exposed over a wide range of irradiation doses (20–150 kGy). The EPDM matrix was modified with butyl rubber, chlorobutyl rubber, and bromobutyl rubber. The gel content and crosslink density were found to increase with the electron beam irradiation dose. The values of the hardness and modulus increased gradually with the irradiation dose, while the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing irradiation dose. The EPDM/butyl rubber composites presented a higher thermal stability compared to the initial EPDM sample. The incorporation of butyl rubbers into the EPDM matrix led to an increase in material hydrophobicity. A similar trend was observed when the irradiation dose increased. The greatest change in the surface free energy and the contact angles occurs at an irradiation dose of 20 kGy. The Charlesby–Pinner plots prove the tendency to crosslinking as the irradiation dose increases.
Critical Issues in Islamic Education Studies: Rethinking Islamic and Western Liberal Secular Values of Education
Authors: Sahin Abdullah
Published: October 2018

This paper examines two sets of interrelated issues informing contemporary discussions on Islam and education that take place within both Muslim majority and minority contexts. The first set of issues concerns the academic conceptualisation of the study of education within diverse historical and contemporary Islamic cultural, intellectual, political, theological and spiritual traditions. After a critical examination of the current literature, the paper suggests that ‘Islamic Education Studies’ offers a distinctive academic framing that incorporates an interdisciplinary empirical and scholarly inquiry strategy capable of generating a body of knowledge and understanding guiding the professional practice and policy development in the field. Lack of conceptual clarity in various current depictions of the field, including ‘Muslim Education’, ‘Islamic Pedagogy’, ‘Islamic Nurture’ and ‘Islamic Religious Pedagogy’, is outlined and the frequent confusion of Islamic Education with Islamic Studies is critiqued. The field of Islamic Education Studies has theological and educational foundations and integrates interdisciplinary methodological designs in Social Sciences and Humanities. The second part of the inquiry draws attention to the lack of new theoretical insights and critical perspectives in Islamic Education. The pedagogic practice in diverse Muslim formal and informal educational settings does not show much variation and mostly is engaged with re-inscribing the existing power relations shaping the society. The juxtaposition of inherited Islamic and borrowed or enforced Western secular educational cultures appears to be largely forming mutually exclusive, antagonistic and often rigid ‘foreclosed’ minds within contemporary Muslim societies. The impact of the educational culture and educational institutions on the formation of resentful Islamic religiosities and the reproduction of authoritarian leadership within the wider mainstream Muslim communities have not been adequately explored. The study stresses the need to have a paradigm shift in addressing this widely acknowledged educational crisis. The formation of a transformative educational culture remains the key to being able to facilitate reflective and critical Muslim religiosities, and positive socio-economic and political change in Muslim majority and minority societies. This inquiry explores a significant aspect of this crisis by re-examining the degree to which Islamic and Western, liberal, secular conceptions and values of education remain irreconcilably divergent or open to a convergent dialogue of exchange, reciprocity and complementarity. The originality of the paper lies in offering a critical rethinking of Islamic Education through mapping the main relevant literature and identifying and engaging with the central theoretical issues while suggesting a new academic framing of the field and its interdisciplinary research agenda.