bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals mechanisms of pre-fertilization barriers during water lily cross breeding
Authors: Sun Chun-Qing , Chen Fa-Di , Teng Nian-Jun , Yao Yue-Mei , Shan Xi , dai zhongliang
Published: July 2019

Background

In water lily (Nymphaea) hybrid breeding, breeders often encounter non-viable seeds, which make it difficult to transfer desired or targeted genes of different Nymphaea germplasm. We found that pre-fertilization barriers were the main factor in the failure of the hybridization of Nymphaea. The mechanism of low compatibility between the pollen and stigma remains unclear; therefore, we studied the differences of stigma transcripts and proteomes at 0, 2, and 6 hours after pollination (HAP). Moreover, some regulatory genes and functional proteins that may cause pre-fertilization barriers in Nymphaea were identified.

Results

RNA-seq was performed for three comparisons (2 vs 0 HAP, 6 vs 2 HAP, 6 vs 0 HAP), and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was 8,789 (4,680 were up-regulated), 6,401 (3,020 were up-regulated), and 11,284 (6,148 were up-regulated), respectively. Using label-free analysis, 75 (2 vs 0 HAP) proteins (43 increased and 32 decreased), nine (6 vs 2 HAP) proteins (three increased and six decreased), and 90 (6 vs 0 HAP) proteins (52 increased and 38 decreased) were defined as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed that the DEGs and DEPs were mainly involved in cell wall organization or biogenesis, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) metabolism, hydrogen peroxide decomposition and metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, secondary metabolism, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.

Conclusions

These results indicated that genes involved in regulation and gene pathways involved in stress response might overlap in the process of pollination process forming the hybridization barrier in Nymphaea. These results indicate that the pollen tube entering stigma tissue was very similar to the process of external injury, further suggesting that these genes involved in defense and stress response were necessary in the early stage of interaction between the pollen and stigma. This study strengthens our understanding of the mechanism of pre-fertilization barriers in Nymphaea at the molecular level, and provides a theoretical basis for overcoming the pre-fertilization barriers in Nymphaea in the future.
Choreographing life-experiences of balance control in people with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: LaGrone Sofie , Joseph Conran , Johansson Hanna , Enberg Birgit , Franzén Erika
Published: July 2019

Background
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Reduced balance is one of the cardinal symptoms of PD, predisposing people living with PD to experience difficulties with the execution of tasks and activities, as well as hindering their involvement in life situations.

Objective
The aim of this study was to explore how deficits in balance control manifest in everyday life and how it is managed by people with PD (PwPD).

Design
Qualitative description was used.

Methods
In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 participants, between the ages of 46 to 83 years, with mild to severe PD. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, following an inductive approach.

Results
One theme emerged from the analysis: Increased planning—choreographing life. Within this overarching theme, two categories were identified, namely Limitations in mobility and New restricted functioning in everyday life, each with 3-4 sub-categories. The categories described how PwPD handled decreased balance control in their everyday life by using motor and cognitive strategies as a consequence of not trusting their body’s capacity to control balance. Activities in everyday life, as well as the ability to partake in leisure and social activities were affected.

Conclusion
People with mild to severe PD used strategies to handle decreased balance and they choreographed their lives around their individual current state of mobility and balance. The knowledge gained from this study can be used to develop targeted interventions addressing the nuances of balance deficits in everyday life.
The effect of simulation-based education on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric patients: An observational study
Authors: Hough Judith , Levan Daniel , Steele Michael , Kelly Kristine , Dalton Megan
Published: July 2019

The Australian Physiotherapy Council mandates that physiotherapy clinical education be sufficient to produce graduates who are competent to practice across the lifespan. Due to a lack of opportunities for paediatric clinical placements, there is a risk of graduates not having the opportunity to develop competency in paediatric physiotherapy. To address this risk, simulation-based education (SBE) has been proposed as an additional educational strategy, and despite encouraging evidence for its use in physiotherapy education, there is limited evidence supporting its use specifically in paediatric populations. The aims of this research were to investigate the effect of SBE on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric clients, and to determine student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy. Three interactive SBE sessions were run during the undergraduate paediatric physiotherapy unit at the campus of one Australian university. Self-efficacy was surveyed before and after each session, to determine confidence in clinical skills, clinical decision-making, treatment preparation and planning, communication skills; evaluating and modifying interventions, and interprofessional practice. Student satisfaction with SBE as a learning strategy was surveyed after the final SBE session. For the 164 participants included in this study, self-efficacy survey response rate varied from 77-96% for each session. Significant increases in mean student self-efficacy were recorded for all questions (p<0.001). A total of 139 (85%) responded to the reactionnaire with 78.6% indicating they were very satisfied with SBE as a learning strategy. Written comments from 41 participants identified ‘experience’ as the primary theme.
Conclusion: SBE had a significant positive effect on student self-efficacy in the physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric clients. Students also perceived SBE to be a valuable learning experience. Future research is needed to investigate whether SBE improves student performance and how SBE compares to standard educational methods.
Bacterial profile, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and associated risk factors of urinary tract infection among clinically suspected children attending at Felege-Hiwot Comprehensive and Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A prospective study
Authors: Fenta Adugna , Dagnew Mulat , Belachew Teshome , Eshetie Setegn
Published: July 2019

Background

Urinary tract infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in children. Understanding the characteristics of uropathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in a particular setting can provide evidence for appropriate management of cases. The aim of this study was to assess the bacterial profile of urinary tract infection, their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and associated factors among clinically suspected children attending at Felege-Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February-April, 2019. A systematic sampling technique was employed. A mid-stream urine sample was inoculated on cystine lactose electrolyte deficient media and incubated for 24-48 hours.Sub culturing was done on Mac-Conkey and blood agar. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was done on Muller-Hinton agar. A binary logistic regression model was used to see the association between dependent and independent factors.A p-value<0.05 at 95% CI was considered as statistically significant.

Results

The overall prevalence of urinary tract infection was 16.7% (95% CI 12.4-21.1). Both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial isolates were recovered with the rate of 44/50 (88%) and 6 (12%) respectively. Among Gram-negative isolates, E.coli (56%) was the predominant while S. saprophyticus(6%) wasprevalent among Gram-positive bacterial isolates.Overall, a high level of resistance to ampicillin, Augmentin, and tetracycline was observed with the rate of 100%, 68.16%, 65.91% respectively. About 66% of multidrug resistance was observed (95% CI 52-78). Having a history of urinary tract infection (P-0.003, AOR 1.86-22.15) and male uncircumcision(p-0.00, AOR 5.5-65.35) were the independent variables that associate for urinary tract infections.

Conclusion

The prevalence of urinary tract infection among children was high and considerably a high proportion of multidrug resistance was observed in the present study. This result will have a significant impact on selection of appropriate antimicrobial agents for the treatment of urinary tract infection.
A detailed in silico analysis of secondary metabolite biosynthesis clusters in the genome of the broad host range plant pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Graham-Taylor Carolyn , Kamphuis Lars G , Derbyshire Mark
Published: July 2019

Background

The broad host range pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infects over 400 plant species and causes substantial yield losses in crops worldwide. Secondary metabolites are known to play important roles in the virulence of plant pathogens, but little is known about the secondary metabolite repertoire of S. sclerotiorum. In this study, we predicted secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in the genome of S. sclerotiorum and analysed their expression during infection of Brassica napus using an existing transcriptome data set. We also investigated their sequence diversity among a panel of 25 previously published S. sclerotiorum isolate genomes.

Results

We identified 80 putative secondary metabolite clusters. Over half of the clusters contained at least three transcriptionally coregulated genes. Comparative genomics revealed clusters homologous to clusters in the closely related plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea for production of carotenoids, hydroxamate siderophores, DHN melanin and botcinic acid. We also identified putative phytotoxin clusters that can potentially produce the polyketide sclerin and an epipolythiodioxopiperazine. Secondary metabolite clusters were enriched in subtelomeric genomic regions, and those containing paralogues showed a particularly strong association with repeats. The positional bias we identified was borne out by intraspecific comparisons that revealed putative secondary metabolite genes suffered more presence absence polymorphisms and exhibited a significantly higher sequence diversity than other genes.

Conclusions

These data suggest that S. sclerotiorum produces numerous secondary metabolites during plant infection and that their gene clusters undergo enhanced rates of mutation, duplication and recombination in subtelomeric regions. The microevolutionary regimes leading to S. sclerotiorum secondary metabolite diversity have yet to be elucidated. Several potential phytotoxins documented in this study provide the basis for future functional analyses.
Genome wide association mapping and candidate gene analysis for hundred seed weight in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]
Authors: Zhao Xue , Dong Hairan , Chang Hong , Zhao Jingyun , Teng Weili , Qiu Lijuan , Han Yingpeng , Li Wenbin
Published: July 2019

Background: The hundred seed weight (HSW) is one of the yield components of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] and is especially critical for various soybean food types. In this study, a representative sample consisting of 185 accessions was selected from Northeast China and analysed in three tested environments to determine the quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) of HSW through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Result: A total of 24,180 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with minor allele frequencies greater than 0.2 and missing data less than 3% were utilized to estimate linkage disequilibrium (LD) levels in the tested association panel. Thirty-four association signals were identified as associated with HSW via GWAS. Among them, nineteen QTNs were novel, and another fifteen QTNs were overlapped or located near the genomic regions of known HSW QTL. A total of 237 genes, derived from 31 QTNs and located near peak SNPs from the three tested environments in 2015 and 2016, were considered candidate genes, were related to plant growth regulation, hormone metabolism, cell, RNA, protein metabolism, development, starch accumulation, secondary metabolism, signalling, and the TCA cycle, some of which have been found to participate in the regulation of HSW. A total of 106 SNPs from 16 candidate genes were significantly associated with HSW in soybean. Conclusions: The identified loci with beneficial alleles and candidate genes might be valuable for the molecular network and MAS of HSW.
RISK ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS (CCP) IN PRODUCTION OF NATURAL INTESTINAL CASINGS
Authors: Kuzlyakina Yulya A. , Yurchak Zoya A. , Kryuchenko Elizaveta A. , Kuznetsova Oksana A.
Published: July 2019

Implementation of the HACCP system in enterprises manufacturing natural intestinal casings is topical for ensuring high quality and confidence in safety of manufactured products. The paper examines hazardous factors in production of natural intestinal casings, analyzes risks with assessment of the probability of hazardous factor occurrence. To this end, a Pareto chart was constructed, unacceptable risks were determined, CCPs were revealed using the decision tree, critical control limits were established for each CCP and the requirements for their monitoring were specified. In addition, the paper gives risk analysis for the stage «salting» with expert assessment of the severity of consequences from realization of a certain hazardous factor and the probability of this realization for each risk. The risk of microbial growth due to addition of the insufficient amount of salt was classified as a biological factor with the severity of consequences 3 and the probability of realization 3. The risk of microbial growth due to violation of the temperature-humidity conditions and duration of holding on a site is also a biological factor with the severity of consequences 3 and the probability of realization 2. These stages are assigned to CCPs. Using the Pareto chart, the factors that had the highest effect on safety and quality of natural intestinal casings were grouped; with that, the percentage ratio of the revealed hazardous factors was established: biological/chemical/physical/allergens 65/20/15/0 for the whole technological process.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF CASINGS
Authors: Eveleva Vera V. , Cherpalova Tatyana M. , Shipovskaya Elena A.
Published: July 2019

The article presents the results of substantiation of composition of technological aids for treatment of casings, which provides an increase in microbiological safety of the finished product. The study objects were samples of casings with signs of microbial spoilage, provided by the manufacturer, and prototypes of technological aids for treatment of casings obtained in VNIIPD. Parameters studied: microbial contamination of casings; titratable acidity, active acidity, density of test samples of the technological aids, surface tension and efficiency of aqueous solutions of the samples. Microbial contamination was determined using methods generally accepted in veterinary and sanitary examination; titratable acidity — titrimetric method; active acidity (pH) — potentiometric method; density — densimetric method; surface tension — ring method (du Noüy method). It was found that the surface microbial contamination of defective intestinal membranes includes the following microorganisms: Bacillus spp., Enterococcus spp. and Micrococcus spp. Among the microorganisms the most resistant to various types of treatment are Bacillus spp. microorganisms. It was established, that the samples of the tested synthesized prototypes of technological aids with most effective antimicrobial action were samples based on lactate-, acetate- and propionate-containing additives, including polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride and alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride. It was shown, that test prototypes 9, 19, and 28, which include polyhexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride, alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and polyvinylpyrrolidone, have rather high antagonistic activity against test cultures of L. monocitogenes, E. coli, St. aureus, Sal. typhimurium with the folowing concentration — (600 × 106 CFU/ml). Minimum effective concentrations of solutions of technological aids for treatment of casings vary from 0,6 % up to 2,5 %. It was established that minimum effective concentration of solutions of technological aids for treatment of casings corresponds to concentration of the solution with maximum adsorption of the resulting complexes on the surface of the liquid-air phase boundary. Treatment of defective casings with aqueous solutions of the agents with concentrations of 2.5 % for 30 minutes provides suppression of growth of all detected spoilage microorganisms, including Bacillus spp.
Pembuatan Cuka Alami Buah Salak dan Pisang Kepok Beserta Kulitnya Teknik Fermentasi
Authors: Febriani Dwi Ratna , Azizati Zidni
Published: July 2019

Cuka adalah suatu zat yang dibuat dari berbagai bahan yang bergula atau berpati melalui fermentasi alkohol yang diikuti oleh fermentasi asetat. Cuka yang beredar di masyarakat biasanya terbuat dari bahan-bahan kimia yang berbahaya bagi tubuh,  secara industri dengan menggunakan metode sintesis kimia murni. Untuk itu perlu dibuat inovasi alami dalam pembuatan cuka buah yaitu salak dan pisang kepok beserta kulitnya. Buah salak dan pisang kepok merupakan buah yang banyak terdapat di berbagai wilayah Indonesia yang mengandung kadar karbohidrat yang tinggi sehinggga dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku pembuatan cuka. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui efektifitas pembuatan cuka alami buah salak dan pisang kepok beserta kulitnya dengan teknik fermentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa kadar asam cuka sebesar 0,042 %, memiliki aroma yang kurang sedap,larutan berwarna putih dan nilai pH 4,5 sehingga belum memenuhi kadar cuka yang dipasarkan dan dikonsumsi masyarakat  yaitu minimal 4 %(4 g asam asetat per 100 ml)
Preparation of nitric acid modified powder activated carbon to remove trace amount of Ni(II) in aqueous solution
Authors: Su Peidong , Zhang Junke , Tang Jiawei , Zhang Chunhui
Published: July 2019

The present study investigated the preparation of nitric acid modified powder activated carbon (MPAC) and its adsorption of trace amounts of Ni(II) from aqueous solution. Results showed that raw powder activated carbon modified with 15% nitric acid (MPAC-15%) had the most developed pore structure and the highest adsorption efficiency for Ni(II) in aqueous solution. For MPAC-15%, the pore width was dominated by micropores with pore width about 1 nm and the total amount of chemical functional groups of MPAC-15% was 0.6630 mmol/g. Ni(II) adsorption tests indicated that the highest adsorption efficiency of MPAC-15% was 98%. The adsorption saturation time of MPAC-15% was about 120 min and the pH-dependent adsorption test showed that neutral conditions (6.5 < pH < 7.5) were suitable for Ni(II) adsorption. The adsorption kinetic analysis revealed that the pseudo-second order adsorption model fitted the adsorption process significantly. Thus, Ni(II) adsorption by MPAC-15% was dominated not only by physical adsorption via highly developed micropores but also by chemical adsorption between Ni(II) and surface functional groups. Adsorption isotherm analysis illustrated the Langmuir model was favorable for the adsorption of Ni(II), with R2 = 0.9874.
Barriers and Facilitators to Event Greening Practices within the Corporate Sphere
Authors: Devenish Katherine , Moital Miguel
Published: July 2019

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to event greening within the corporate sphere, attempting to reveal factors which expedite and impede event greening. A case-study approach was utilised by interviewing six members of staff of a UK corporate event organisation. Although many barriers were present, potential facilitators were also uncovered. A lack of management support and formal policies as well as knowledge and resources acted as barriers to corporate event greening within the case-study organisation. Financial resources were also a facilitator, together with clients and temporal changes, therefore more barriers than facilitators were discovered. Many barriers were interconnected, appearing to stem from a short-term cost-benefit perspective. Recommendations for practice and for research are suggested.
Heterogeneity and Proliferative and Differential Regulators of NG2-glia in Physiological and Pathological States
Authors: Zhang Zuo , Zhou Hongli , Zhou Jiyin
Published: July 2019

NG2-glia, also called Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs), account for approximately
5%-10% of the cells in the developing and adult brain and constitute the fifth major cell
population in the central nervous system. NG2-glia express receptors and ion channels involved in
rapid modulation of neuronal activities and signaling with neuronal synapses, which have functional
significance in both physiological and pathological states. NG2-glia participate in quick signaling
with peripheral neurons via direct synaptic touches in the developing and mature central nervous
system. These distinctive glia perform the unique function of proliferating and differentiating into
oligodendrocytes in the early developing brain, which is critical for axon myelin formation. In response
to injury, NG2-glia can proliferate, migrate to the lesions, and differentiate into oligodendrocytes
to form new myelin sheaths, which wrap around damaged axons and result in functional recovery.
The capacity of NG2-glia to regulate their behavior and dynamics in response to neuronal
activity and disease indicate their critical role in myelin preservation and remodeling in the physiological
state and in repair in the pathological state. In this review, we provide a detailed summary of
the characteristics of NG2-glia, including their heterogeneity, the regulators of their proliferation,
and the modulators of their differentiation into oligodendrocytes.
The Journey of Thiazolidinediones as Modulators of PPARs for the Management of Diabetes: A Current Perspective
Authors: Ahsan Waquar
Published: July 2019

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs) also known as glitazone receptors are a family of receptors that regulate the expression of genes and have an essential role in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism apart from other functions. PPARs come in 3 sub-types: PPAR-α, PPAR-β/δ and PPAR-γ - with PPAR-γ having 2 isoforms - γ1 and γ2. Upon activation, the PPARs regulate the transcription of various genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism, adipocyte differentiation, increasing insulin sensitivity, prevention of oxidative stress and to a certain extent, modulation of immune responses via macrophages that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Hence, PPARs are an attractive molecular target for designing new anti-diabetic drugs. This has led to a boost in the research efforts directed towards designing of PPAR ligands - particularly ones that can selectively and specifically activate one or more of the PPAR subtypes. Though, PPAR- γ full agonists such as Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are well established agents for dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), the side effect profile associated with TZDs has potentiated an imminent need to come up with newer agents that act through this pathway. Several newer derivatives having TZD scaffold have been designed using structure based drug designing technique and computational tools and tested for their PPAR binding affinity and efficacy in combating T2D and some have shown promising activities. This review would focus on the role of PPARs in the management of T2D; recently reported TZD derivatives which acted as agonists of PPAR- γ and its subtypes and are potentially useful in the new drug discovery for the disease.
Ethosomes for Dermal Administration of Natural Active Molecules
Authors: Natsheh Hiba , Vettorato Elisa , Touitou Elka
Published: July 2019

:

Ethosomes are nanovesicular carriers for dermal administration. Phospholipids, ethanol at relatively
high concentrations (up to 50%) and water are their main components. Ethosomes are what we call “soft vesicles”
with fluid bilayers due to the presence of ethanol. The composition and structure of the vesicles augment their
ability to entrap molecules with various physicochemical properties and deliver them to the deep strata of skin.
Since their first design, ethosomal systems have been extensively investigated for a wide range of applications.

:

This review focuses on work carried out in vitro, in vivo in animal models and in humans in clinical studies, with
ethosomal formulations containing natural active molecules for the treatment of skin disorders. Skin bacterial and
fungal infections, skin inflammation, acne vulgaris, arthritis, and skin cancer are examples of disorders managed
successfully by ethosomal systems. Furthermore, Ethosomes loaded with a number of naturally occurring compounds
for cosmetic applications are also reported. The efficient treatments together with a good safety profile
and lack of toxicity or irritation paved the way towards the development of new dermal therapies.
Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutic Potential of Agonists, Antagonists and Allosteric Modulators of A1 Adenosine Receptor: Current Status and Perspectives
Authors: Deb Pran Kishore , Deka Satyendra , Borah Pobitra , Abed Sara N. , Klotz Karl-Norbert
Published: July 2019

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside, responsible for the regulation of a wide range of physiological and pathophysiological conditions by binding with four G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), namely A1, A2A, A2B and A3 adenosine receptors (ARs). In particular, A1 AR is ubiquitously present, mediating a variety of physiological processes throughout the body, thus represents a promising drug target for the management of various pathological conditions. Agonists of A1 AR are found to be useful for the treatment of atrial arrhythmia, angina, type-2 diabetes, glaucoma, neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression and Huntington’s disease, whereas antagonists are being investigated for the treatment of diuresis, congestive heart failure, asthma, COPD, anxiety and dementia. However, treatment with full A1 AR agonists has been associated with numerous challenges like cardiovascular side effects, off-target activation as well as desensitization of A1 AR leading to tachyphylaxis. In this regard, partial agonists of A1 AR have been found to be beneficial in enhancing insulin sensitivity and subsequently reducing blood glucose level, while avoiding severe CVS side effects and tachyphylaxis. Allosteric enhancer of A1 AR is found to be potent for the treatment of neuropathic pain, culminating the side effects related to off-target tissue activation of A1 AR. This review provides an overview of the medicinal chemistry and therapeutic potential of various agonists/partial agonists, antagonists and allosteric modulators of A1 AR, with a particular emphasis on their current status and future perspectives in clinical settings.
Current Status in the Design and Development of Agonists and Antagonists of Adenosine A3 Receptor as Potential Therapeutic Agents
Authors: Mailavaram Raghu P. , Al-Attraqchi Omar H.A. , Kar Supratik , Ghosh Shinjita
Published: July 2019

Adenosine receptors (ARs) belongs to the family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) that are responsible
for the modulation of a wide variety of physiological functions. The ARs are also implicated in many
diseases such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular and renal diseases. The adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) has
emerged as a potential drug target for the progress of new and effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of
various pathological conditions. This receptor’s involvement in many diseases and its validity as a target has been
established by many studies. Both agonists and antagonists of A3AR have been extensively investigated in the last
decade with the goal of developing novel drugs for treating diseases related to immune disorders, inflammation,
cancer, and others. In this review, we shall focus on the medicinal chemistry of A3AR ligands, exploring the
diverse chemical classes that have been projected as future leading drug candidates. Also, the recent advances in
the therapeuetic applications of A3AR ligands are highlighted.
Polyphenol-Rich Foods and Osteoporosis
Authors: Chisari Emanuele , Shivappa Nitin , Vyas Shraddha
Published: July 2019

Background:

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease affecting the bone mineral density and thus compromise
the strength of the bones. Disease prevention through diet is the objective of the study and discussion.
Among the several nutrients investigated, the intake of phenols seems to influence bone mineral density by acting
as free radical scavengers, preventing oxidation-induced damage to bone cells. In addition, the growing understanding
of the bone remodelling process supports the theory that inflammation significantly contributes to the
etiopathogenesis of osteoporosis.

Methods:

To provide an overview of current evidence on polyphenol-rich foods and osteoporosis prevention we
made a comprehensive review of the literature focusing on the state of art of the topic.

Results:

Some polyphenol-rich foods, including olive oil, fruit and vegetable, tea and soy, seem to be beneficial
for preventing osteoporosis disease and its progression. The mechanism is still partly unknown and may involve
different pathways which include inflammation and other disease reactions.

Conclusion:

However, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms regulating the molecular
interaction between osteoporosis incidence and progression and polyphenol-rich foods. The current evidence
suggests that dietary intervention with polyphenol rich foods may be useful to prevent incidence and progression
of this condition.
Wogonin Alleviates Hyperglycemia Through Increased Glucose Entry into Cells Via AKT/GLUT4 Pathway
Authors: Khan Shahzad , Kamal Mohammad A.
Published: July 2019

:

Insulin resistance and type 2 Diabetes mellitus resulting in chronic hyperglycemia is a major health
problem in the modern world. Many drugs have been tested to control hyperglycemia which is believed to be the
main factor behind many of the diabetes-related late-term complications. Wogonin is a famous herbal medicine
which has been shown to be effective in controlling diabetes and its complications. In our previous work, we
showed that wogonin is beneficial in many ways in controlling diabetic cardiomyopathy. In this review, we
mainly explained wogonin anti-hyperglycemic property through AKT/GLUT4 pathway. Here we briefly discussed
that wogonin increases Glut4 trafficking to plasma membrane which allows increased entry of glucose and
thus alleviates hyperglycemia.

Conclusion:

Wogonin can be used as an anti-diabetic and anti-hyperglycemic drug and works via AKT/GLUT4
pathway.
Alcohol-mediated Reduction of Biomass-derived Furanic Aldehydes via Catalytic Hydrogen Transfer
Authors: Xu Yufei , Long Jingxuan , He Jian , Li Hu
Published: July 2019

With the depletion of fossil energy, liquid biofuels are becoming one of the effective
alternatives to replace fossil fuels. The catalytic transfer and hydrogenation of
biomass-based furanic compounds into fuels and value-added chemicals has become a
spotlight in this field. Gas hydrogen is often used as the H-donor for the hydrogenation
reactions. It is a very straightforward and simple method to implement, but sometimes it
comes with the danger of operation and the difficulty of regulation. In recent years, diverse
liquid hydrogen donor reagents have been employed in the catalytic transfer hydrogenation
(CTH) of biomass. Amongst those H-donors, alcohol is a kind of green and benign
reagent that has been used in different biomass conversion reactions. This type of
reagent is very convenient to use, and the involved operation process is safe, as compared
to that of H2. In this review, the application of alcohols as liquid H-donors in the catalytic transfer hydrogenation
of biomass-derived furanic compounds is depicted, and the representative reaction mechanisms are discussed.
Emphasis is also laid on the selective control of product distribution in the described catalytic systems.
Identification of a Potential Inhibitor Targeting MurC Ligase of the Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain through Structure-Based Virtual Screening Approach and In Vitro Assay
Authors: Messaoudi Abdelmonaem , Zoghlami Manel , Basharat Zarrin , Sadfi-Zouaoui Najla
Published: July 2019

Background & Objective:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows resistance to a large number of
antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporin. According to the World Health
Organization global report published in February 2017, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is on the priority list
among resistant bacteria, for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. Peptidoglycan serves as a
good target for the discovery of novel antimicrobial drugs.

Methods:

Biosynthesis of peptidoglycan is a multi-step process involving four mur enzymes. Among
these enzymes, UDP-N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine ligase (MurC) is considered to be an excellent target
for the design of new classes of antimicrobial inhibitors in gram-negative bacteria.

Results:

In this study, a homology model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurC ligase was generated and
used for virtual screening of chemical compounds from the ZINC Database. The best screened inhibitor
i.e. N, N-dimethyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,3-benzodiazole-5-sulfonamide was then validated experimentally
through inhibition assay.

Conclusion:

The presented results based on combined computational and in vitro analysis open up
new horizons for the development of novel antimicrobials against this pathogen.
Computational Analysis of the Primary and Secondary Structure of Amidases in Relation to their pH Adaptation
Authors: Thakur Neerja , Sharma Nikhil , Kumar Vijay , Bhalla Tek Chand
Published: July 2019

Background:

Amidases are ubiquitous enzymes and biological functions of these enzymes
vary widely. They are considered to be synergistically involved in the synthesis of a wide variety of
carboxylic acids, hydroxamic acids and hydrazides, which find applications in commodity chemicals
synthesis, pharmaceuticals agrochemicals and wastewater treatments.

Methods:

They hydrolyse a wide variety of amides (short-chain aliphatic amides, mid-chain amides,
arylamides, α-aminoamides and α-hydroxyamides) and can be grouped on the basis of their catalytic
site and preferred substrate. Despite their economic importance, we lack knowledge as to how these
amidases withstand elevated pH and temperature whereas others cannot.

Results:

The present study focuses on the statistical comparison between the acid-tolerant, alkali tolerant
and neutrophilic organisms. In silico analysis of amidases of acid-tolerant, alkali tolerant and neutrophilic
organisms revealed some striking trends as to how amino acid composition varies significantly.
Statistical analysis of primary and secondary structure revealed amino acid trends in amidases of
these three groups of bacteria. The abundance of isoleucine (Ile, I) in acid-tolerant and leucine (Leu, L)
in alkali tolerant showed the aliphatic amino acid dominance in extreme conditions of pH in acidtolerant
and alkali tolerant amidases.

Conclusion:

The present investigation insights physiochemical properties and dominance of some crucial
amino acid residues in the primary and secondary structure of some amidases from acid-tolerant,
alkali tolerant and neutrophilic microorganisms.
Theoretical Computations on the Pyrolysis of Alkyl (dithio)acetates
Authors: Zhu Xun , Jian Chen , Zhou Xiuqin , Asiri Abdullah M. , Alamry Khalid A. , Wu Ping , Huang Zhihao
Published: July 2019

The pyrolysis of methyl alkyl esters I to III and dithioesters IV to VI were theoretically calculated.
All possible pyrolysis paths were considered. Both esters and dithioesters presented three potential
paths via six-, four- and five-membered ring transition states, respectively. The calculation processes
were calculated using MP2/6-31G(d) set. In-depth theoretical analyses were also presented, including
NBO related analyses, synchronicities, and charge distributions, to reveal the detailed pyrolysis
process.
Di[(R)-2-ethylhexyl] Phthalate, a Bioactive Metabolite First Isolated from Three Different Bacillus Species, and its Synthesis
Authors: Castro Miriam , Jiménez Jacqueline , Ortiz Aurelio , Sansinenea Estibaliz
Published: July 2019

:

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most common phthalate ester, which has been
used as a plasticizer for the production of numerous polymers, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Many other groups have synthesized meso-DEHP indicating interest in this molecule, but we are the
first to synthesize enantiomerically pure di[(R)-2-ethylhexyl] phthalate. We report herein, for the first
time, the isolation - from the cultures of Bacillus thuringiensis, B. subtilis, and B. velezensis strains - of
di[(R)-2-ethylhexyl] phthalate, enantiomerically pure and in good yields: its biological activity against
bacteria and fungi was probed and for the first time its synthesis was done.
Flavones as a Privileged Scaffold in Drug Discovery: Current Developments
Authors: Boniface Pone K. , Elizabeth Ferreira I.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Flavones are one of the main subclasses of flavonoids with diverse pharmacological properties. They have been reported to possess antimalarial, antimicrobial, anti-tuberculosis, anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities, among others.

Objective:

The present review summarizes the recent information on the pharmacological properties of naturally occurring and synthetic flavones.

Method:

Scientific publications referring to natural and synthetic flavones in relation to their biological activities were hand-searched in databases such as SciFinder, PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Science Direct, Wiley, ACS, SciELO, Springer, among others.

Results:

As per the literature, seventy-five natural flavones were predicted as active compounds with reference to their IC50 (<20 µg/mL) in in vitro studies. Also, synthetic flavones were found active against several diseases.

Conclusion:

As per the literature, flavones are important sources for the potential treatment of multifactorial diseases. However, efforts toward the development of flavone-based therapeutic agents are still needed. The appearance of new catalysts and chemical transformations is expected to provide avenues for the synthesis of unexplored flavones, leading to the discovery of flavones with new properties and biological activities.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Molecular Docking Studies of N-Acylated Butyro and Valerolactam Derivatives with Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Activities
Authors: Quimque Mark Tristan J. , Mandigma Mark John P. , Lim Justin Allen K. , Budde Simon , Dahse Hans-Martin , Villaflores Oliver B. , Hallare Arnold V. , Macabeo Allan Patrick G.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Electrophilic compounds bearing Michael acceptors present great promise
in anticancer drug discovery.

Methods:

Drawing inspirations from cytotoxic Piper lactam alkaloids, twelve N-acylated butyro- and
valerolactams were prepared and evaluated for antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities against the
normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), chronic human myeloid leukemia cells (K-
562), and Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) cells used as model cell lines. Molecular docking of bioactive
derivatives was performed against tyrosine kinase.

Results:

Results of the MTT assay showed the crotonylated (5) and nitro-containing cinnamoyl (8)
butyrolactams, and, the crotonylated (10), trifluoromethylated (13), and chlorinated (14) cinnamoyl
valerolactam derivatives as the most antiproliferative against human myeloid leukemia cells. The
trifluoromethylated cinnamoyl valerolactam (13) displayed the best selectivity on K-562 cells. Molecular
docking studies of 13 against tyrosine kinase provided evidence as tyrosine kinase inhibitor,
having comparable binding energy and receptor interaction with imatinib.

Conclusion:

The presence of electrophilic N-acrylic moieties contributes to the potential of a compound
as inspiration to develop anti-leukemia drugs.
Effect of Fortification with Snail Meat Powder on Physicochemical Properties and Shelf-life of Sorghum-wheat Buns
Authors: Agengo Fredrick B. , Onyango Arnold N. , Serrem Charlotte A. , Okoth Judith
Published: July 2019

Background:

Formulation of composite flours from wheat and non-wheat flours has been proposed as the most desirable way to improve the nutritional quality in diets, promote food security and lower the cost of baked products.

Objective:

This study evaluated the effect of fortification with snail meat powder on physicochemical properties and shelf-life of sorghum-wheat buns.

Methods:

Buns were prepared by replacing a part of sorghum-wheat flour with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of snail meat powder. Physical properties including volume, density, baking loss, yield, weight, hardness and colour, the proximate analyses including moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and ash and mineral composition of iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and copper were analyzed for the buns. In vitro protein digestibility was determined by pepsin digestion. Plate count agar and potato dextrose agar were respectively used for enumeration of bacterial and fungal flora in the buns during storage. Shelf-life determination was based on the number of days before the production of off flavours and fungal infestation.

Results:

Compositing sorghum-wheat flour with snail meat powder progressively improved the density, baking loss, yield, weight and texture of the buns. Protein, fat, ash, energy, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and copper contents were also increased. Fortification of buns at 5% and 25% with SMP improved in vitro protein digestibility by 16% and 22%, respectively. Maximum bacterial count in buns was below the International Microbiological Standard recommended units for dry and ready to eat foods of 103 cfu/g.

Conclusion:

Buns composited with snail meat powder showed a considerable potential to be used as protein rich foods in preventing protein energy malnutrition among young children.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Digital Mammography Images Using Automatic Detection for the Region of Interest
Authors: Ramadan Saleem Z. , El-Banna Mahmoud
Published: July 2019

Background:

One of the early screening methods of breast cancer that is still used today
is mammogram due to its low cost. Unfortunately, this low cost accompanied with low performance
rate also.

Methods:

The low performance rate in mammograms is associated with low capability in determining
the best region from which the features are extracted. Therefore, we offer an automatic
method to detect the Region of Interest in the mammograms based on maximizing the area under
receiver operating characteristic curve utilizing Genetic Algorithms.

:

The proposed method had been applied to the MIAS mammographic database, which is widely
used in literature. Its performance had been evaluated using four different classifiers; Support Vector
Machine, Naïve Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor and Logistic Regression classifiers.

Results & Conclusion:

The results showed good classification performances for all the classifiers
used due to the rich information contained in the features extracted from the automatically selected
Region of Interest.
A Drug Decision Support System for Developing a Successful Drug Candidate Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Onay Aytun , Onay Melih
Published: July 2019

Background:

Virtual screening of candidate drug molecules using machine learning techniques plays a key role in pharmaceutical industry to design and discovery of new drugs. Computational classification methods can determine drug types according to the disease groups and distinguish approved drugs from withdrawn ones.

Introduction:

Classification models developed in this study can be used as a simple filter in drug modelling to eliminate potentially inappropriate molecules in the early stages. In this work, we developed a Drug Decision Support System (DDSS) to classify each drug candidate molecule as potentially drug or non-drug and to predict its disease group.

Methods:

Molecular descriptors were identified for the determination of a number of rules in drug molecules. They were derived using ADRIANA.Code program and Lipinski's rule of five. We used Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to classify drug molecules correctly according to the types of diseases. Closed frequent molecular structures in the form of subgraph fragments were also obtained with Gaston algorithm included in ParMol Package to find common molecular fragments for withdrawn drugs.

Results:

We observed that TPSA, XlogP Natoms, HDon_O and TPSA are the most distinctive features in the pool of the molecular descriptors and evaluated the performances of classifiers on all datasets and found that classification accuracies are very high on all the datasets. Neural network models achieved 84.6% and 83.3% accuracies on test sets including cardiac therapy, anti-epileptics and anti-parkinson drugs with approved and withdrawn drugs for drug classification problems.

Conclusion:

The experimental evaluation shows that the system is promising at determination of potential drug molecules to classify drug molecules correctly according to the types of diseases.
Catalytic Dimerization of Bio-Based 5-methylfurfuryl Alcohol to Bis(5-methylfuran-2-yl) Methane with a Solid Acidic Nanohybrid
Authors: Jin Duo , Fang Chengjiang , Li Yuanzhong , Shi Yuanhui , Liu Yan , Li Hu , Yang Song
Published: July 2019

Background::

Liquid C8-C15 long-chain alkanes, as the main components of jet fuels or
diesel, can be synthetized from abundant and renewable biomass derivatives by extending the carbon-
chain length through cascade C-C coupling over acidic catalysts and hydrodeoxygenation over
metal particles.

Objective::

This research aims to develop a carbon-increasing catalytic process through the dimerization
of 5-methylfurfuryl alcohol to produce the C11 oxygenate bis(5-methylfuran-2-yl) methane.

Method::

In this work, 5-methylfurfural, derivable from sugars, could be reduced to the expensive 5-
methylfurfuryl alcohol over Cs2CO3 using an eco-friendly hydride polymethylhydrosiloxane. In the
subsequent carbon-increasing process, a solid acidic nanocatalyst 3-chlorpyridine phosphotungstic
acid (3-ClPYPW) was developed to be efficient for the conversion of 5-methylfurfuryl alcohol to
bis(5-methylfuran-2-yl) methane under mild reaction conditions.

Results::

A good bis(5-methylfuran-2-yl) methane yield of 51.6% was obtained using dichloromethane
as a solvent at a low temperature of 70°C in 11 h. The solid nanocatalyst was able to be
reused for at least four cycles without a remarkable loss of catalytic activity. The kinetic study
proved that the reaction is a first-order reaction with apparent activation energy (Ea) of 41.10 kJ
mol-1, while the thermodynamic study certified that the reaction is non-spontaneous and endothermic.

Conclusion::

A novel catalytic pathway for the synthesis of BMFM (C11 oxygenate) by the one-pot
process was successfully developed over solid acidic nanocatalysts 3-ClPYPW.