bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fucoidan Alleviates Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity via Oxidative Stress Inhibition and Nrf2 Translocation
Authors: Wang Yu-qin , Wei Jin-ge , Tu Meng-jue , Gu Jian-guo , Zhang Wei
Published: December 2018

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely used analgesic and antipyretic drug that leads to severe hepatotoxicity at excessive doses. Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown seaweeds, possesses a wide range of pharmacological properties. However, the impacts of fucoidan on APAP-induced liver injury have not been sufficiently addressed. In the present study, male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice aged 6 weeks were subjected to a single APAP (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection after 7 days of fucoidan (100 or 200 mg/kg/day) or bicyclol intragastric administration. The mice continued to be administered fucoidan or bicyclol once per day, and were sacrificed at an indicated time. The indexes evaluated included liver pathological changes, levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) in the liver, and related proteins levels (CYP2E1, pJNK and Bax). Furthermore, human hepatocyte HL-7702 cell line was used to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism of fucoidan. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) translocation in HL-7702 cells were determined. The results showed that fucoidan pretreatment reduced the levels of ALT, AST, ROS, and MDA, while it enhanced the levels of GSH, SOD, and CAT activities. Additionally, oxidative stress-induced phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) and decreased MMP were attenuated by fucoidan. Although the nuclear Nrf2 was induced after APAP incubation, fucoidan further enhanced Nrf2 in cell nuclei and total expression of Nrf2. These results indicated that fucoidan ameliorated APAP hepatotoxicity, and the mechanism might be related to Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress.
Supraoptimal Cytokinin Content Inhibits Rice Seminal Root Growth by Reducing Root Meristem Size and Cell Length via Increased Ethylene Content
Authors: Zou Xiao , Shao Junwei , Wang Qi , Chen Peisai , Zhu Yanchun , Yin Changxi
Published: December 2018

Cytokinins (CKs), a class of phytohormone, regulate root growth in a dose-dependent manner. A certain threshold content of CK is required for rapid root growth, but supraoptimal CK content inhibits root growth, and the mechanism of this inhibition remains unclear in rice. In this study, treatments of lovastatin (an inhibitor of CK biosynthesis) and kinetin (KT; a synthetic CK) were found to inhibit rice seminal root growth in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that endogenous CK content is optimal for rapid growth of the seminal root in rice. KT treatment strongly increased ethylene level by upregulating the transcription of ethylene biosynthesis genes. Ethylene produced in response to exogenous KT inhibited rice seminal root growth by reducing meristem size via upregulation of OsIAA3 transcription and reduced cell length by downregulating transcription of cell elongation-related genes. Moreover, the effects of KT treatment on rice seminal root growth, root meristem size and cell length were rescued by treatment with aminoethoxyvinylglycine (an inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis), which restored ethylene level and transcription levels of OsIAA3 and cell elongation-related genes. Supraoptimal CK content increases ethylene level by promoting ethylene biosynthesis, which in turn inhibits rice seminal root growth by reducing root meristem size and cell length.
Perspectives of RAS and RHEB GTPase Signaling Pathways in Regenerating Brain Neurons
Authors: Schöneborn Hendrik , Raudzus Fabian , Coppey Mathieu , Neumann Sebastian , Heumann Rolf
Published: December 2018

Cellular activation of RAS GTPases into the GTP-binding “ON” state is a key switch for regulating brain functions. Molecular protein structural elements of rat sarcoma (RAS) and RAS homolog protein enriched in brain (RHEB) GTPases involved in this switch are discussed including their subcellular membrane localization for triggering specific signaling pathways resulting in regulation of synaptic connectivity, axonal growth, differentiation, migration, cytoskeletal dynamics, neural protection, and apoptosis. A beneficial role of neuronal H-RAS activity is suggested from cellular and animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent experiments on optogenetic regulation offer insights into the spatiotemporal aspects controlling RAS/mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) or phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) pathways. As optogenetic manipulation of cellular signaling in deep brain regions critically requires penetration of light through large distances of absorbing tissue, we discuss magnetic guidance of re-growing axons as a complementary approach. In Parkinson’s disease, dopaminergic neuronal cell bodies degenerate in the substantia nigra. Current human trials of stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons must take into account the inability of neuronal axons navigating over a large distance from the grafted site into striatal target regions. Grafting dopaminergic precursor neurons directly into the degenerating substantia nigra is discussed as a novel concept aiming to guide axonal growth by activating GTPase signaling through protein-functionalized intracellular magnetic nanoparticles responding to external magnets.
RrGT2, A Key Gene Associated with Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Rosa rugosa, Was Identified Via Virus-Induced Gene Silencing and Overexpression
Authors: Sui Xiaoming , Zhao Mingyuan , Xu Zongda , Zhao Lanyong , Han Xu
Published: December 2018

In this study, a gene with a full-length cDNA of 1422 bp encoding 473 amino acids, designated RrGT2, was isolated from R. rugosa ‘Zizhi’ and then functionally characterized. RrGT2 transcripts were detected in various tissues and were proved that their expression patterns corresponded with anthocyanins accumulation. Functional verification of RrGT2 in R. rugosa was performed via VIGS. When RrGT2 was silenced, the Rosa plants displayed a pale petal color phenotype. The detection results showed that the expression of RrGT2 was significantly downregulated, which was consistent with the decrease of all anthocyanins; while the expression of six key upstream structural genes was normal. Additionally, the in vivo function of RrGT2 was investigated via its overexpression in tobacco. In transgenic tobacco plants expressing RrGT2, anthocyanin accumulation was induced in the flowers, indicating that RrGT2 could encode a functional GT protein for anthocyanin biosynthesis and could function in other species. The application of VIGS in transgenic tobacco resulted in the treated tobacco plants presenting flowers whose phenotypes were lighter in color than those of normal plants. These results also validated and affirmed previous conclusions. Therefore, we speculated that glycosylation of RrGT2 plays a crucial role in anthocyanin biosynthesis in R. rugosa.
The Complex Interplay between Lipids, Immune System and Interleukins in Cardio-Metabolic Diseases
Authors: Bernardi Stella , Marcuzzi Annalisa , Piscianz Elisa , Tommasini Alberto , Fabris Bruno
Published: December 2018

Lipids and inflammation regulate each other. Early studies on this topic focused on the systemic effects that the acute inflammatory response—and interleukins—had on lipid metabolism. Today, in the era of the obesity epidemic, whose primary complications are cardio-metabolic diseases, attention has moved to the effects that the nutritional environment and lipid derangements have on peripheral tissues, where lipotoxicity leads to organ damage through an imbalance of chronic inflammatory responses. After an overview of the effects that acute inflammation has on the systemic lipid metabolism, this review will describe the lipid-induced immune responses that take place in peripheral tissues and lead to chronic cardio-metabolic diseases. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of lipid lowering drugs, as well as the possibility of using anti-inflammatory agents against cardio-metabolic diseases, will be discussed.
Deciphering Auxin-Ethylene Crosstalk at a Systems Level
Authors: Zemlyanskaya Elena V. , Omelyanchuk Nadya A. , Ubogoeva Elena V. , Mironova Victoria V.
Published: December 2018

The auxin and ethylene pathways cooperatively regulate a variety of developmental processes in plants. Growth responses to ethylene are largely dependent on auxin, the key regulator of plant morphogenesis. Auxin, in turn, is capable of inducing ethylene biosynthesis and signaling, making the interaction of these hormones reciprocal. Recent studies discovered a number of molecular events underlying auxin-ethylene crosstalk. In this review, we summarize the results of fine-scale and large-scale experiments on the interactions between the auxin and ethylene pathways in Arabidopsis. We integrate knowledge on molecular crosstalk events, their tissue specificity, and associated phenotypic responses to decipher the crosstalk mechanisms at a systems level. We also discuss the prospects of applying systems biology approaches to study the mechanisms of crosstalk between plant hormones.
The Arabidopsis Ca2+-Dependent Protein Kinase CPK12 Is Involved in Plant Response to Salt Stress
Authors: Zhang Huilong , Zhang Yinan , Deng Chen , Deng Shurong , Li Nianfei , Zhao Chenjing , Zhao Rui , Liang Shan , Chen Shaoliang
Published: December 2018

CDPKs (Ca2+-Dependent Protein Kinases) are very important regulators in plant response to abiotic stress. The molecular regulatory mechanism of CDPKs involved in salt stress tolerance remains unclear, although some CDPKs have been identified in salt-stress signaling. Here, we investigated the function of an Arabidopsis CDPK, CPK12, in salt-stress signaling. The CPK12-RNA interference (RNAi) mutant was much more sensitive to salt stress than the wild-type plant GL1 in terms of seedling growth. Under NaCl treatment, Na+ levels in the roots of CPK12-RNAi plants increased and were higher than levels in GL1 plants. In addition, the level of salt-elicited H2O2 production was higher in CPK12-RNAi mutants than in wild-type GL1 plants after NaCl treatment. Collectively, our results suggest that CPK12 is required for plant adaptation to salt stress.
Mobile Phone Recommender System Using Information Retrieval Technology by Integrating Fuzzy OWA and Gray Relational Analysis
Authors: Wang Shen-Tsu , Li Meng-Hua
Published: December 2018

With the advancement and diversification of information retrieval technology, such technology has been widely applied in recent years in personalized information recommender systems (RSs) and e-commerce RSs in addition to data-mining applications, especially with respect to mobile phone purchases. By integrating the weights of fuzzy ordered weighted averaging (OWA) and gray relational analysis, this research calculated the recommended F1 indices of three weight calculation methods to be 20.5%, 14.36%, and 16.43% after an examination by 30 experimenters. According to the operational results attained by the 30 experimenters, the recommended products obtained by the fuzzy OWA and gray relational analysis calculation method covered the products recommended by the other two weight calculation methods with a higher recommendation effect.
Epigenetic Regulation of Organ Regeneration in Zebrafish
Authors: Zhu Xiaojun , Xiao Chenglu , Xiong Jing-Wei
Published: December 2018

The zebrafish is broadly used for investigating de novo organ regeneration, because of its strong regenerative potential. Over the past two decades of intense study, significant advances have been made in identifying both the regenerative cell sources and molecular signaling pathways in a variety of organs in adult zebrafish. Epigenetic regulation has gradually moved into the center-stage of this research area, aided by comprehensive work demonstrating that DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling complexes, and microRNAs are essential for organ regeneration. Here, we present a brief review of how these epigenetic components are induced upon injury, and how they are involved in sophisticated organ regeneration. In addition, we highlight several prospective research directions and their potential implications for regenerative medicine.
Personalized Medicine and Molecular Interaction Networks in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Current Knowledge
Authors: Morgan Stephen , Duguez Stephanie , Duddy William
Published: December 2018

Multiple genes and mechanisms of pathophysiology have been implicated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting it is a complex systemic disease. With this in mind, applying personalized medicine (PM) approaches to tailor treatment pipelines for ALS patients may be necessary. The modelling and analysis of molecular interaction networks could represent valuable resources in defining ALS-associated pathways and discovering novel therapeutic targets. Here we review existing omics datasets and analytical approaches, in order to consider how molecular interaction networks could improve our understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of this fatal neuromuscular disorder.
The River as an Economic Asset: Settlement and Society in the Xeros Valley in Cyprus
Authors: Papantoniou Giorgos , Vionis Athanasios K.
Published: December 2018

Settled and Sacred Landscapes of Cyprus (SeSaLaC) is a systematic archaeological survey project of the University of Cyprus in the Xeros River valley in the Larnaka district in Cyprus. This article aims to present a first synthesis of the diachronic settlement pattern in the region. After a short introduction on the area and the SeSaLaC project, we attempt to identify and interpret settlement evolution and landscape changes in the region, from early prehistory to Late Antiquity. The contextualisation and evaluation of settlement changes in the Xeros River valley are carried out within a multi-layered framework along the main strands of approach presented in this Land special issue. The presentation and analysis that follows below is a work in progress.
Feature Selection Based on Binary Tree Growth Algorithm for the Classification of Myoelectric Signals
Authors: Too Jingwei , Abdullah Abdul Rahim , Mohd Saad Norhashimah , Mohd Ali Nursabillilah
Published: December 2018

Electromyography (EMG) has been widely used in rehabilitation and myoelectric prosthetic applications. However, a recent increment in the number of EMG features has led to a high dimensional feature vector. This in turn will degrade the classification performance and increase the complexity of the recognition system. In this paper, we have proposed two new feature selection methods based on a tree growth algorithm (TGA) for EMG signals classification. In the first approach, two transfer functions are implemented to convert the continuous TGA into a binary version. For the second approach, the swap, crossover, and mutation operators are introduced in a modified binary tree growth algorithm for enhancing the exploitation and exploration behaviors. In this study, short time Fourier transform (STFT) is employed to transform the EMG signals into time-frequency representation. The features are then extracted from the STFT coefficient and form a feature vector. Afterward, the proposed feature selection methods are applied to evaluate the best feature subset from a large available feature set. The experimental results show the superiority of MBTGA not only in terms of feature reduction, but also the classification performance.
A Model and an Algorithm for a Large-Scale Sustainable Supplier Selection and Order Allocation Problem
Authors: Kim Jong Soo , Jeon Eunhee , Noh Jiseong , Park Jun Hyeong
Published: December 2018

We consider a buyer’s decision problem of sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSS & OA) among multiple heterogeneous suppliers who sell multiple types of items. The buyer periodically orders items from chosen suppliers to refill inventory to preset levels. Each supplier is differentiated from others by the types of items supplied, selling price, and order-related costs, such as transportation cost. Each supplier also has a preset requirement for minimum order quantity or minimum purchase amount. In the beginning of each period, the buyer constructs an SSS & OA plan considering various information from both parties. The buyer’s planning problem is formulated as a mathematical model, and an efficient algorithm to solve larger instances of the problem is developed. The algorithm is designed to take advantage of the branch-and-bound method, and the special structure of the model. We perform computer experiments to test the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The test result confirmed that the algorithm can find a near-optimal solution with only 0.82 percent deviation on average. We also observed that the use of the algorithm can increase solvable problem size by about 2.4 times.
Symmetric Radial Basis Function Method for Simulation of Elliptic Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Thounthong Phatiphat , Khan Muhammad Nawaz , Hussain Iltaf , Ahmad Imtiaz , Kumam Poom
Published: December 2018

In this paper, the symmetric radial basis function method is utilized for the numerical solution of two- and three-dimensional elliptic PDEs. Numerical results are obtained by using a set of uniform or random points. Numerical tests are accomplished to demonstrate the efficacy and accuracy of the method on both regular and irregular domains. Furthermore, the proposed method is tested for the solution of elliptic PDE in the case of various frequencies.
Higher-Order Convolutions for Apostol-Bernoulli, Apostol-Euler and Apostol-Genocchi Polynomials
Authors: He Yuan , Araci Serkan , Srivastava Hari M. , Abdel-Aty Mahmoud
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we present a systematic and unified investigation for the Apostol-Bernoulli polynomials, the Apostol-Euler polynomials and the Apostol-Genocchi polynomials. By applying the generating-function methods and summation-transform techniques, we establish some higher-order convolutions for the Apostol-Bernoulli polynomials, the Apostol-Euler polynomials and the Apostol-Genocchi polynomials. Some results presented here are the corresponding extensions of several known formulas.
Fractional Modeling for Quantitative Inversion of Soil-Available Phosphorus Content
Authors: Fu Chengbiao , Xiong Heigang , Tian Anhong
Published: December 2018

The study of field spectra based on fractional-order differentials has rarely been reported, and traditional integer-order differentials only perform the derivative calculation for 1st-order or 2nd-order spectrum signals, ignoring the spectral transformation details between 0th-order to 1st-order and 1st-order to 2nd-order, resulting in the problem of low-prediction accuracy. In this paper, a spectral quantitative analysis model of soil-available phosphorus content based on a fractional-order differential is proposed. Firstly, a fractional-order differential was used to perform a derivative calculation of original spectral data from 0th-order to 2nd-order using 0.2-order intervals, to obtain 11 fractional-order spectrum data. Afterwards, seven bands with absolute correlation coefficient greater than 0.5 were selected as sensitive bands. Finally, a stepwise multiple linear regression algorithm was used to establish a spectral estimation model of soil-available phosphorus content under different orders, then the prediction effect of the model under different orders was compared and analyzed. Simulation results show that the best order for a soil-available phosphorus content regression model is a 0.6 fractional-order, the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ), root mean square error (RMSE), and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of the best model are 0.7888, 3.348878, and 2.001142, respectively. Since the RPD value is greater than 2, the optimal fractional model established in this study has good quantitative predictive ability for soil-available phosphorus content.
Microbiota in the Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Dieterich Walburga , Schink Monic , Zopf Yurdagül
Published: December 2018

Gut microbiota are permanent residents of humans with the highest concentrations being found in human colon. Humans get the first contact with bacteria at delivery, and microbiota are subject of permanent change during the life. The individual microbiota pattern is highly variable and varying environmental conditions, e.g., diets, antigen exposure, infections, or medication, as well as genetics, age, or hygiene factors, strongly influence the bacterial community. A fine interaction between the host and microbiota determines the outcome of health or disease. The gut immune system is constantly challenged to distinguish between commensal non-invasive bacteria and potential pathogens. Goblet cells produce mucins that prevent most gut bacteria from penetrating through intestinal epithelial barrier, and Paneth cells are the main supplier of anti-microbial defensins. Gut epithelial and immune cells recognize bacteria via surface markers and they initiate an adequate immune answer. A dysbiosis is noticed in several diseases, but the crucial role in pathogenesis has to be proven. Prebiotics or probiotics are discussed as valuable tools to preserve or restore a healthy gut community.
A Novel Energy-Critical Multiaxial Fatigue Life Prediction for Low Cycle Fatigue under Mixed-Mode Loading
Authors: Zhou Jie , Huang Hong-Zhong , Li He
Published: December 2018

Fatigue failure evolution is a process of damage accumulation under continued stresses and forces. The mechanical component is always subjected to various loadings and the lifespan is mainly governed by fatigue. The low cycle fatigue (LCF) is a key failure mode of many components. In order to estimate the LCF life under multiaxial loadings in practical design, a modified model is proposed, based on the Fatemi-Socie (FS) and Smith-Watson-Topper (SWT) models, which considers the effects of shear and tensile behaviours. Then a novel judgment criterion is presented to distinguish the mixed-mode loadings and the procedures to employ the proposed model are also presented. Furthermore, two types of materials (TC4 and GH4169) and comparisons with the FS, Wang-Brown (WB) and redefined SWT (Re-SWT) models are employed to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed model, which has shown more reasonable predictions than the other models.
Equation of State of a Natural Chromian Spinel at Ambient Temperature
Authors: Mi Zhongying , Shi Weiguang , Zhang Lifei , Shieh Sean R. , Liu Xi
Published: December 2018

A natural chromian spinel with the composition (Mg0.48(3)Fe0.52(3))(Fe0.06(1)Al0.28(1)Cr0.66(2))2O4 was investigated up to 15 GPa via synchrotron X-ray diffraction with a diamond-anvil cell at room temperature. No phase transition was clearly observed up to the maximum experimental pressure. The pressure–volume data fitted to the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state yielded an isothermal bulk modulus ( K T 0 ) of 207(5) GPa and its first pressure derivative ( K T 0 ′ ) of 3.2(7), or K T 0 = 202(2) GPa with K T 0 ′ fixed as 4. With this new experimental result and the results on some natural chromian spinels in the literature, a simple algorithm describing the relation between the K T 0 and the compositions of the natural chromian spinels was proposed. To examine this algorithm further, more compression experiments should be performed on natural chromian spinels with different chemical compositions.
Self-Replicating RNA Viruses for RNA Therapeutics
Authors: Lundstrom Kenneth
Published: December 2018

Self-replicating single-stranded RNA viruses such as alphaviruses, flaviviruses, measles viruses, and rhabdoviruses provide efficient delivery and high-level expression of therapeutic genes due to their high capacity of RNA replication. This has contributed to novel approaches for therapeutic applications including vaccine development and gene therapy-based immunotherapy. Numerous studies in animal tumor models have demonstrated that self-replicating RNA viral vectors can generate antibody responses against infectious agents and tumor cells. Moreover, protection against challenges with pathogenic Ebola virus was obtained in primates immunized with alphaviruses and flaviviruses. Similarly, vaccinated animals have been demonstrated to withstand challenges with lethal doses of tumor cells. Furthermore, clinical trials have been conducted for several indications with self-amplifying RNA viruses. In this context, alphaviruses have been subjected to phase I clinical trials for a cytomegalovirus vaccine generating neutralizing antibodies in healthy volunteers, and for antigen delivery to dendritic cells providing clinically relevant antibody responses in cancer patients, respectively. Likewise, rhabdovirus particles have been subjected to phase I/II clinical trials showing good safety and immunogenicity against Ebola virus. Rhabdoviruses have generated promising results in phase III trials against Ebola virus. The purpose of this review is to summarize the achievements of using self-replicating RNA viruses for RNA therapy based on preclinical animal studies and clinical trials in humans.
Optimization of the Extraction Conditions and Biological Evaluation of Dendropanax morbifera H. Lev as an Anti-Hyperuricemic Source
Authors: Cho Seung-Sik , Song Seung-Hui , Choi Chul-Yung , Park Kyung Mok , Shim Jung-Hyun , Park Dae-Hun
Published: December 2018

Dendropanax morbifera H. Levis a medicinal plant native to South Korea, East Asia, and South America. Among some 75 species, one species grows in Korea. In previous studies, D. morbifera extracts with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-complementary and anti-cancer activities were reported. The present study aims to investigate optimization of extraction and evaluation of anti-hyperuricemic effects of D. morbifera leaf and the phytochemicals contained therein. Ethanol and hexane extract were found to display the best xanthine oxidase inhibition among six types of solvent and water extract. The antioxidant effect of the ethanol extract was superior to that of the hexane extract. The DPPH radical scavenging effect of the ethanol and hexane extracts were 81.52 ± 1.57% and 2.69 ± 0.16. The reducing power of the ethanol and hexane extracts were 9.71 ± 0.15 and 0.89 ± 0.01 mg/g equivalent of gallic acid. Total phenols of the ethanol and hexane extracts were 6.53 ± 0.16 and 0.63 ± 0.001 mg/g equivalent of gallic acid. In addition, we compared the two marker compounds from D. morbifera, chlorogenic acid and rutin, which were determined in the ethanol extract at 0.80 ± 0.03% and 0.52 ± 0.01%, respectively. We found that the ethanol extracts showed better xanthine oxidase inhibition than hexane extracts. Especially, ethanol extracts showed higher antioxidant activity than hexane extracts. Based on these results, we selected the ethanol extract as an effective xanthine oxidase inhibitor and confirmed whether ethanol extracts showed xanthine oxidase inhibition in animal experiments. The in vivo mouse study demonstrated that ethanol extract of D. morbifera leaf at the dose of 300 mg/kg could inhibit blood/hepatic xanthine oxidase activity and this result shows that the xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity in vitro is reproduced in vivo. The present study showed that ethanol extract was optimal xanthine oxidase inhibitor which can be applied to prevent diseases related to hyperuricemia.
Inhibitory Effect of an Acidic Peptide on the Activity of an Antimicrobial Peptide from the Scorpion Mesobuthus martensii Karsch
Authors: Shi Wanxia , He Pengchen , Zeng Xian-Chun , Wu Weiwei , Chen Xiaoming
Published: December 2018

Highly acidic peptides with no disulfide bridges are widely present in the scorpion venoms; however, none of them has been functionally characterized so far. Here, we cloned the full-length cDNA of a short-chain highly acidic peptide (referred to as HAP-1) from a cDNA library made from the venom glands of the Chinese scorpion Mesobuthus martensii Karsch. HAP-1 contains 19 amino acid residues with a predicted IP value of 4.25. Acidic amino residues account for 33.3% of the total residues in the molecule of HAP-1. HAP-1 shows 76–98% identities to some scorpion venom peptides that have not yet been functionally characterized. Secondary structure prediction showed that HAP-1 contains a beta-sheet region (residues 9–17), and two coiled coil regions (residues 1–8 and 18–19) located at the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of the peptide, respectively. Antimicrobial assay showed that HAP-1 does not have any effect on the growth of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus AB94004. However, it potently inhibits the antimicrobial activity of a 13-mer peptide from M. martensii Karsch against Staphylococcus aureus AB94004. This finding is the first characterization of the function of such highly acidic peptides from scorpions.
Design, Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of 3-Substituted Ocotillol-Type Derivatives
Authors: Wang Kai-Yi , Zhou Zhi-Wen , Zhang Heng-Yuan , Cao Yu-Cheng , Xu Jin-Yi , Ma Cong , Meng Qing-Guo , Bi Yi
Published: December 2018

Antibiotic resistance has become a serious global problem that threatens public health. In our previous work, we found that ocotillol-type triterpenoid saponin showed good antibacterial activity. Based on preliminary structure-activity relationship, novel serious C-3 substituted ocotillol-type derivatives 7–26 were designed and synthesized. The in vitro antibacterial activity was tested on five bacterial strains (B. subtilis 168, S. aureus RN4220, E. coli DH5α, A. baum ATCC19606 and MRSA USA300) and compared with the tests on contrast. Among these derivatives, C-3 position free hydroxyl substituted compounds 7–14, showed good antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Furthermore, compound 22 exhibited excellent antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) values of 2 μg/mL against MRSA USA300 and 4 μg/mL against B. subtilis. The structure-activity relationships of all current ocotillol-type derivatives our team synthesised were summarized. In addition, the prediction of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties and the study of pharmacophores were also conducted. These results can provide a guide to further design and synthesis works.
Evaluation of the Absorption Behavior of Main Component Compounds of Salt-Fried Herb Ingredients in Qing’e Pills by Using Caco-2 Cell Model
Authors: Lu Jinlan , Liu Ling , Zhu Xingyu , Wu Li , Chen Zhipeng , Xu Zisheng , Li Weidong
Published: December 2018

Qing’e Pills is a Chinese traditional herbal product, which is often used to strengthen muscles and bones in TCM (traditional Chinese Medicine) practice. Its two main component herbs, namely, Cortex Eucommiae and Fructus Psoraleae are both required to be salt-fried according to TCM theory. We have evaluated the effects of salt-frying treated herbs on Caco-2 cell uptake behavior for those active ingredients of Qing’e Pills. By investigating of various variables, including MTT, temperature, inhibitors, pH, salt concentration and herb processing methods, we tried to clarify whether the salt-processing on herbs was necessary or not. Results showed that, compared to other processing methods, the salt-frying process significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced the absorption of effective components of Qing’e Pills. The way that psoralen, isopsoralen, psoralenoside and geniposide acid entered Caco-2 cells at low concentrations was via passive diffusion. These components were not substrates of P-glycoprotein. It demonstrated that the salt-frying process not only enhanced the concentration of active components in herb extract, but also changed their absorption behaviors. Nevertheless, the mechanism of absorption behavior changing needs to be further investigated.
An Assessment of Computational Methods for Calculating Accurate Structures and Energies of Bio-Relevant Polysulfur/Selenium-Containing Compounds
Authors: Nikoo Sahar , Meister Paul J. , Hayward John J. , Gauld James W.
Published: December 2018

The heavier chalcogens sulfur and selenium are important in organic and inorganic chemistry, and the role of such chalcogens in biological systems has recently gained more attention. Sulfur and, to a lesser extent selenium, are involved in diverse reactions from redox signaling to antioxidant activity and are considered essential nutrients. We investigated the ability of the DFT functionals (B3LYP, B3PW91, ωB97XD, M06-2X, and M08-HX) relative to electron correlation methods MP2 and QCISD to produce reliable and accurate structures as well as thermochemical data for sulfur/selenium-containing systems. Bond lengths, proton affinities (PA), gas phase basicities (GPB), chalcogen–chalcogen bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE), and the hydrogen affinities (HA) of thiyl/selenyl radicals were evaluated for a range of small polysulfur/selenium compounds and cysteine per/polysulfide. The S–S bond length was found to be the most sensitive to basis set choice, while the geometry of selenium-containing compounds was less sensitive to basis set. In mixed chalcogens species of sulfur and selenium, the location of the sulfur atom affects the S–Se bond length as it can hold more negative charge. PA, GPB, BDE, and HA of selenium systems were all lower, indicating more acidity and more stability of radicals. Extending the sulfur chain in cysteine results in a decrease of BDE and HA, but these plateau at a certain point (199 kJ mol−1 and 295 kJ mol−1), and PA and GPB are also decreased relative to the thiol, indicating that the polysulfur species exist as thiolates in a biological system. In general, it was found that ωB97XD/6-311G(2d,p) gave the most reasonable structures and thermochemistry relative to benchmark calculations. However, nuances in performance are observed and discussed.
[2+2+2] Annulation of N-(1-Naphthyl)acetamide with Two Alkynoates via Cleavage of Adjacent C–H and C–N Bonds Catalyzed by an Electron-Deficient Rhodium(III) Complex
Authors: Terasawa Jyunichi , Shibata Yu , Fukui Miho , Tanaka Ken
Published: December 2018

It has been established that an electron-deficient cationic CpE-rhodium(III) complex catalyzes the non-oxidative [2+2+2] annulation of N-(1-naphthyl)acetamide with two alkynoates via cleavage of the adjacent C–H and C–N bonds to give densely substituted phenanthrenes under mild conditions (at 40 °C under air). In this reaction, a dearomatized spiro compound was isolated, which may support the formation of a cationic spiro rhodacycle intermediate in the catalytic cycle. The use of N-(1-naphthyl)acetamide in place of acetanilide switched the reaction pathway from the oxidative [2+2+2] annulation-lactamization via C–H/C–H cleavage to the non-oxidative [2+2+2] annulation via C–H/C–N cleavage. This chemoselectivity switch may arise from stabilization of the carbocation in the above cationic spiro rhodacycle by the neighboring phenyl and acetylamino groups, resulting in the nucleophilic C–C bond formation followed by β-nitrogen elimination.
Plant Vascular Tissues—Connecting Tissue Comes in All Shapes
Authors: Hellmann Eva , Ko Donghwi , Ruonala Raili , Helariutta Ykä
Published: December 2018

For centuries, humans have grown and used structures based on vascular tissues in plants. One could imagine that life would have developed differently without wood as a resource for building material, paper, heating energy, or fuel and without edible tubers as a food source. In this review, we will summarise the status of research on Arabidopsis thaliana vascular development and subsequently focus on how this knowledge has been applied and expanded in research on the wood of trees and storage organs of crop plants. We will conclude with an outlook on interesting open questions and exciting new research opportunities in this growing and important field.
Effect of Control Horizon in Model Predictive Control for Steam/Water Loop in Large-Scale Ships
Authors: Zhao Shiquan , Maxim Anca , Liu Sheng , De Keyser Robin , Ionescu Clara
Published: December 2018

This paper presents an extensive analysis of the properties of different control horizon sets in an Extended Prediction Self-Adaptive Control (EPSAC) model predictive control framework. Analysis is performed on the linear multivariable model of the steam/water loop in large-scale watercraft/ships. The results indicate that larger control horizon values lead to better loop performance, at the cost of computational complexity. Hence, it is necessary to find a good trade-off between the performance of the system and allocated or available computational complexity. In this original work, this problem is explicitly treated as an optimization task, leading to the optimal control horizon sets for the steam/water loop example. Based on simulation results, it is concluded that specific tuning of control horizons outperforms the case when only a single valued control horizon is used for all the loops.
The Cup of God’s Wrath: Libation and Early Christian Meal Practice in Revelation
Authors: Warren Meredith J C
Published: December 2018

This article examines how the use of libation imagery, such as bowls (phialai) and wine, in the Book of Revelation to showcase the ways in which early Christians negotiated the language of sacrifice into their own praxis. As opposed to embracing libation imagery, as occurs in other New Testament texts (e.g., Luke’s cup in 22:20; Philippians 2:17), Revelation uses such imagery to point to wrong religious practice. Libation practice is used as a metaphor for God’s wrath (e.g., “wine poured … unmixed into the cup of [God’s] anger” in Revelation 14:10); the libations that are poured out in the vision of the Bowls of Wrath, in chapter 16, pour out plagues. The implications of this judgmental imagery for early Christian hearers of this text in Asia Minor, and for their own meal practices, are significant. I argue that the edicts against the Thyatirans and the Pergamians in the letters of Revelation refer to their use of wine in Eucharistic practice—a practice which John condemns.
Data Exchange Interoperability in IoT Ecosystem for Smart Parking and EV Charging
Authors: Karpenko Anastasiia , Kinnunen Tuomas , Madhikermi Manik , Robert Jeremy , Främling Kary , Dave Bhargav , Nurminen Antti
Published: December 2018

Many domains are trying to integrate with the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, such as public administrations starting smart city initiatives all over the world. Cities are becoming smart in many ways: smart mobility, smart buildings, smart environment and so on. However, the problem of non-interoperability in the IoT hinders the seamless communication between all kinds of IoT devices. Different domain specific IoT applications use different interoperability standards. These standards are usually not interoperable with each other. IoT applications and ecosystems therefore tend to use a vertical communication model that does not allow data sharing horizontally across different IoT ecosystems. In 2014, The Open Group published two domain-independent IoT messaging standards, O-MI and O-DF, aiming to solve the interoperability problem. In this article we describe the practical use of O-MI/O-DF standards for reaching interoperability in a mobile application for the smart city context, in particular for the Smart Mobility domain, electric vehicle (EV) charging case study. The proof-of-concept of the smart EV charging ecosystem with mobile application user interface was developed as a part of an EU (Horizon 2020) Project bIoTope.
Gas Sensing Properties of In2O3 Nano-Films Obtained by Low Temperature Pulsed Electron Deposition Technique on Alumina Substrates
Authors: Addabbo Tommaso , Bruzzi Mara , Fort Ada , Mugnaini Marco , Vignoli Valerio
Published: December 2018

Nanostructured Indium(III) oxide (In2O3) films deposited by low temperature pulsed electron deposition (LPED) technique on customized alumina printed circuit boards have been manufactured and characterized as gas sensing devices. Their electrical properties have monitored directly during deposition to optimize their sensing performance. Experimental results with oxidizing (NO2) as well as reducing (CO) gases in both air and inert gas carriers are discussed and modeled.
Intention Estimation Using Set of Reference Trajectories as Behaviour Model
Authors: Muhammad Naveed , Åstrand Björn
Published: December 2018

Autonomous robotic systems operating in the vicinity of other agents, such as humans, manually driven vehicles and other robots, can model the behaviour and estimate intentions of the other agents to enhance efficiency of their operation, while preserving safety. We propose a data-driven approach to model the behaviour of other agents, which is based on a set of trajectories navigated by other agents. Then, to evaluate the proposed behaviour modelling approach, we propose and compare two methods for agent intention estimation based on: (i) particle filtering; and (ii) decision trees. The proposed methods were validated using three datasets that consist of real-world bicycle and car trajectories in two different scenarios, at a roundabout and at a t-junction with a pedestrian crossing. The results validate the utility of the data-driven behaviour model, and show that decision-tree based intention estimation works better on a binary-class problem, whereas the particle-filter based technique performs better on a multi-class problem, such as the roundabout, where the method yielded an average gain of 14.88 m for correct intention estimation locations compared to the decision-tree based method.
A Fiber Bragg-Grating-Based Miniature Sensor for the Fast Detection of Soil Moisture Profiles in Highway Slopes and Subgrades
Authors: Cao Dingfeng , Fang Hongyuan , Wang Fuming , Zhu Honghu , Sun Mengya
Published: December 2018

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based aluminum oxide tube packed sensor (ATPS) was developed for the fast detection of the soil moisture profile in highway slopes and subgrades. The novel ATPS consists of an aluminum oxide tube with a diameter of 5 mm, an optical fiber containing a quasi-distributed FBG sensors, a “U”-shaped resistance wire, and a flange. There are four 0.9-mm diameter holes in the ATPS. Laboratory experiments were carried out to calibrate the relationship between the thermal response of ATPS and the soil moisture content. Two laboratory rainfall validation model tests were performed to validate the ATPS for capturing the soil moisture profile in highway slopes and subgrades. During the validations, the accuracy of the ATPS was quantified, and water infiltration through grassy and grassless ground surfaces were investigated. The calibrations indicate that the ATPS can detect and record real-time changes in the highway slope and subgrade moisture after rainfall, and reveal the most dangerous zones that occur at the connection between different construction materials. The average measurement accuracy of soil moisture monitoring was 0.015 m3/m3. Please note that the connection is where cracks form easily and the soil hydraulic conductivity increases significantly. The test results also indicate that grassy cover (lawn) significantly prevents water infiltration during the first few minutes of rainfall (twelve minutes in this study), after which, however, the infiltration rate drops sharply. The influence of lawn on water infiltration depends on the soil structure, hydraulic conductivity, and rainfall time. In summary, due to its small size and fast detection, the ATPS is a portable probe that can be used for moisture monitoring in highway slopes and subgrades.
A Path Loss and Shadowing Model for Multilink Vehicle-to-Vehicle Channels in Urban Intersections
Authors: Nilsson Mikael G. , Gustafson Carl , Abbas Taimoor , Tufvesson Fredrik
Published: December 2018

The non line-of-sight (NLOS) scenario in urban intersections is critical in terms of traffic safety—a scenario where Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication really can make a difference by enabling communication and detection of vehicles around building corners. A few NLOS V2V channel models exist in the literature but they all have some form of limitation, and therefore further research is need. In this paper, we present an alternative NLOS path loss model based on analysis from measured V2V communication channels at 5.9 GHz between six vehicles in two urban intersections. We analyze the auto-correlation of the large scale fading process and the influence of the path loss model on this. In cases where a proper model for the path loss and the antenna pattern is included, the de-correlation distance for the auto-correlation is as low as 2–4 m, and the cross-correlation for the large scale fading between different links can be neglected. Otherwise, the de-correlation distance has to be much longer and the cross-correlation between the different communication links needs to be considered separately, causing the computational complexity to be unnecessarily large. With these findings, we stress that vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) simulations should be based on the current geometry, i.e., a proper path loss model should be applied depending on whether the V2V communication is blocked or not by other vehicles or buildings.
Landslide Susceptibility Assessment Using Integrated Deep Learning Algorithm along the China-Nepal Highway
Authors: Xiao Liming , Zhang Yonghong , Peng Gongzhuang
Published: December 2018

The China-Nepal Highway is a vital land route in the Kush-Himalayan region. The occurrence of mountain hazards in this area is a matter of serious concern. Thus, it is of great importance to perform hazard assessments in a more accurate and real-time way. Based on temporal and spatial sensor data, this study tries to use data-driven algorithms to predict landslide susceptibility. Ten landslide instability factors were prepared, including elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, plan curvature, vegetation index, built-up index, stream power, lithology, precipitation intensity, and cumulative precipitation index. Four machine learning algorithms, namely decision tree (DT), support vector machines (SVM), Back Propagation neural network (BPNN), and Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) are implemented, and their final prediction accuracies are compared. The experimental results showed that the prediction accuracies of BPNN, SVM, DT, and LSTM in the test areas are 62.0%, 72.9%, 60.4%, and 81.2%, respectively. LSTM outperformed the other three models due to its capability to learn time series with long temporal dependencies. It indicates that the dynamic change course of geological and geographic parameters is an important indicator in reflecting landslide susceptibility.
The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Performance in Competitive Sports: A Meta-Analytical Investigation
Authors: Kopp Alexandra , Jekauc Darko
Published: December 2018

Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered as a factor influencing sport performance. The research findings are inconsistent with respect to the size and even the direction of the relationship, however. In order to summarise the available evidence, we conducted a meta-analysis examining the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and sports performance in competitive sports. A systematic literature search was conducted in June 2018. We identified 21 studies targeting EI and sports performance in competitive sports. We calculated correlation (r) to estimate the effect of the relationship. A random effects model was used to interpret findings. The meta-analysis of 22 effect sizes on the response of 3.431 participants found a small but significant relationship between EI and sports performance (r = 0.16). Additionally, the conceptualisation of EI (ability concept, trait concept, or mixed-model concept), type of publication, citation counts, and publication date turned out not to be significant moderators. Overall, the result is encouraging regarding the value of EI as a possible predictor in sports performance.