bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Red Grape Pomace Rich in Polyphenols Diet Increases the Antioxidant Status in Key Organs—Kidneys, Liver, and Spleen of Piglets
Authors: Chedea Veronica Sanda , Palade Laurentiu Mihai , Pelmus Rodica Stefania , Dragomir Catalin , Taranu Ionelia
Published: April 2019

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of a diet containing 5% dried GP on the antioxidant status (total antioxidant status (TAS), antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase-CAT, superoxide dismutase-SOD, and gluthatione peroxidase-GPx), and lipid peroxidation) on the key organs of the liver, kidneys, and spleen in relation to health status as indicated by blood biochemical parameters and total polyphenol content in the blood, organs (liver, spleen, kidney, mesenteric lymph nodes, heart, and brain) and Longissimus dorsi muscle in piglets. The GP diet results in a significant increase of TAS in the liver, spleen, and kidneys, with increased CAT activity in the spleen and kidneys, increased SOD activity in the liver, kidneys, and spleen, and increased GPx activity in the kidneys, as well as a decrease in lipid peroxidation in the liver and kidneys. The GP included in the piglets’ feed contained polyphenols that showed antioxidant activity and were absorbed in the plasma, contributing to maintaining the good health of the animals. The inclusion of 5% GP inclusion in the diets of piglets is beneficial for overall normal blood constituent metabolism and helps to maintain piglet health by increasing the polyphenol content in blood plasma and antioxidant activity in the liver, spleen, and kidneys.
Antioxidants and Male Fertility: From Molecular Studies to Clinical Evidence
Authors: Martin-Hidalgo David , Bragado Maria Julia , Batista Ana R. , Oliveira Pedro F. , Alves Marco G.
Published: April 2019

Spermatozoa are physiologically exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a pivotal role on several sperm functions through activation of different intracellular mechanisms involved in physiological functions such as sperm capacitation associated-events. However, ROS overproduction depletes sperm antioxidant system, which leads to a condition of oxidative stress (OS). Subfertile and infertile men are known to present higher amount of ROS in the reproductive tract which causes sperm DNA damage and results in lower fertility and pregnancy rates. Thus, there is a growing number of couples seeking fertility treatment and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) due to OS-related problems in the male partner. Interestingly, although ART can be successfully used, it is also related with an increase in ROS production. This has led to a debate if antioxidants should be proposed as part of a fertility treatment in an attempt to decrease non-physiological elevated levels of ROS. However, the rationale behind oral antioxidants intake and positive effects on male reproduction outcome is only supported by few studies. In addition, it is unclear whether negative effects may arise from oral antioxidants intake. Although there are some contrasting reports, oral consumption of compounds with antioxidant activity appears to improve sperm parameters, such as motility and concentration, and decrease DNA damage, but there is not sufficient evidence that fertility rates and live birth really improve after antioxidants intake. Moreover, it depends on the type of antioxidants, treatment duration, and even the diagnostics of the man’s fertility, among other factors. Literature also suggests that the main advantage of antioxidant therapy is to extend sperm preservation to be used during ART. Herein, we discuss ROS production and its relevance in male fertility and antioxidant therapy with focus on molecular mechanisms and clinical evidence.
Insertion of a Graphene Oxide Layer into a Cu/SiO2/Pt Structure to Overcome Performance Degradation in a Vaporless Environment
Authors: Liu Chih-Yi , Lai Chun-Hung , Lin Chao-Cheng , Yang Chih-Peng
Published: April 2019

A Cu/SiO2/Pt structure is usually used to study the resistive memory properties of an electrochemical resistive random access memory. It can be reversibly switched between low- and high-resistance states by using DC voltages in the atmosphere. However, its resistive switching behavior disappears in a vaporless environment because no conducting filaments can be formed within the Cu/SiO2/Pt structure. This study inserted a graphene oxide (GO) layer to fabricate a Cu/GO/SiO2/Pt structure that could be resistively switched in a vaporless environment. The X-ray photoelectron spectra depth profile of the Cu/GO/SiO2/Pt structure showed that oxygen-related groups of the GO film reacted with the Cu electrode. The GO film assisted Cu ionization in a vaporless environment, and Cu ions could migrate in an electrical field to the Pt electrode. Cu conducting filaments were formed and ruptured by different polarity voltages, and the resistance of the Cu/GO/SiO2/Pt structure could be reversibly switched in a vaporless environment. A schematic model was proposed to explain the switching mechanisms in the atmosphere and a vaporless environment.
Development of an Assistant System of Clean Intermittent Catheterization for Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction Patients
Authors: Huang Chun-Ming , Wang Jhih-Cheng , Chen Jia-Jin , Du Yi-Chun , Chen Jing-Yi
Published: April 2019

Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) is one of the methods currently used to prevent overdistention of the bladder in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction (NBD). It is also helpful in preventing urinary tract infection and retaining the function of the bladder. Voiding diary and social behavior are necessary for the patients to maintain their physical and mental health, nevertheless there are currently no good assistant systems to help them achieve these goals. In this study, we propose a CIC assistant system with the functions of recording and tracking the voided volume and accessible lavatory. The aim of this study is to assess the effects from the 12 patients who joined the proposed system. Information collected from participants included their demographics, past medicals, injury characteristics, current and past bladder managements, and any NBD related complications. The results indicate that most patients felt relieved that they could know the voided volume and track their history easily. Moreover, the accessible lavatory function of the proposed system could reduce time consumption by 43.1% in finding the suitable lavatory, thus the desire and willingness of patients to travel increased from 25% to 75% after using the system. The proposed system could help doctors with clinical diagnoses, and help patients to understand more about the history of their catheterization volume and time period. This study provided essential information and design for future investigation.
Multiparty Dynamics and Failure Modes for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Manheim David
Published: April 2019

An important challenge for safety in machine learning and artificial intelligence systems is a set of related failures involving specification gaming, reward hacking, fragility to distributional shifts, and Goodhart’s or Campbell’s law. This paper presents additional failure modes for interactions within multi-agent systems that are closely related. These multi-agent failure modes are more complex, more problematic, and less well understood than the single-agent case, and are also already occurring, largely unnoticed. After motivating the discussion with examples from poker-playing artificial intelligence (AI), the paper explains why these failure modes are in some senses unavoidable. Following this, the paper categorizes failure modes, provides definitions, and cites examples for each of the modes: accidental steering, coordination failures, adversarial misalignment, input spoofing and filtering, and goal co-option or direct hacking. The paper then discusses how extant literature on multi-agent AI fails to address these failure modes, and identifies work which may be useful for the mitigation of these failure modes.
Heterogeneity in Circulating Tumor Cells: The Relevance of the Stem-Cell Subset
Authors: Agnoletto Chiara , Corrà Fabio , Minotti Linda , Baldassari Federica , Crudele Francesca , Cook William Joseph James , Di Leva Gianpiero , d’Adamo Adamo Pio , Gasparini Paolo , Volinia Stefano
Published: April 2019

The release of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) into vasculature is an early event in the metastatic process. The analysis of CTCs in patients has recently received widespread attention because of its clinical implications, particularly for precision medicine. Accumulated evidence documents a large heterogeneity in CTCs across patients. Currently, the most accepted view is that tumor cells with an intermediate phenotype between epithelial and mesenchymal have the highest plasticity. Indeed, the existence of a meta-stable or partial epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) cell state, with both epithelial and mesenchymal features, can be easily reconciled with the concept of a highly plastic stem-like state. A close connection between EMT and cancer stem cells (CSC) traits, with enhanced metastatic competence and drug resistance, has also been described. Accordingly, a subset of CTCs consisting of CSC, present a stemness profile, are able to survive chemotherapy, and generate metastases after xenotransplantation in immunodeficient mice. In the present review, we discuss the current evidence connecting CTCs, EMT, and stemness. An improved understanding of the CTC/EMT/CSC connections may uncover novel therapeutic targets, irrespective of the tumor type, since most cancers seem to harbor a pool of CSCs, and disclose important mechanisms underlying tumorigenicity.
CYFRA 21-1 in Lymph Node Fine Needle Aspiration Washout Improves Diagnostic Accuracy for Metastatic Lymph Nodes of Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Lee Jeongmin , Park Hye Lim , Jeong Chan-Wook , Ha Jeonghoon , Jo Kwanhoon , Kim Min-Hee , Han Jeong-Sun , Lee Sohee , Bae Jaseong , Jung Chan Kwon , Jung So Lyung , Kang Moo Il , Lim Dong-Jun
Published: April 2019

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and washout thyroglobulin (Tg) measurements are the standard for evaluating a metastatic lymph node (LN) in thyroid cancer. However, patients rarely benefit from these procedures due to false results. This study aims to identify a reliable biomarker that significantly improves the diagnosis of metastatic LNs, in addition to FNAC and washout Tg. This study analyzed 130 LNs that were suspected to have metastases on thyroid ultrasonography, from June 2016 to December 2017. All subjects underwent FNAC, washout Tg measurements and a new biomarker, washout Cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) measurement. The final LN outcomes were confirmed by surgical histology, repeat FNAC, or follow-up image. The diagnostic values of the presence of washout CYFRA 21-1 for diagnosing metastatic LNs were evaluated according to final LN outcomes. Among the 130 LNs, 42 were metastatic lesions and 88 were benign. The washout CYFRA 21-1 levels were significantly higher in metastatic LNs than in benign LNs. In contrast to the findings of washout Tg, washout CYFRA 21-1 showed little overlap between benign and malignant LNs, and its diagnostic cutoff values were not affected by surgery. The combinations of FNAC and washout CYFRA 21-1 showed higher sensitivity (91.9%), specificity (96.5%), negative predictive value (98.8%), and diagnostic accuracy (94.2%) than FNAC with washout Tg. The combination of FNAC, washout Tg, and washout CYFRA 21-1 showed the best sensitivity (98.8%). When washout CYFRA 21-1 was applied to the discordant results that were observed between FNAC and washout Tg, 20 of 22 LNs were correctly diagnosed. Washout CYFRA 21-1 measurements in thyroid LNs provide a diagnostic modality.
SVR12 Higher than 97% in GT3 Cirrhotic Patients with Evidence of Portal Hypertension Treated with SOF/VEL without Ribavirin: A Nation-Wide Cohort Study
Authors: Mangia Alessandra , Cenderello Giovanni , Copetti Massimiliano , Verucchi Gabriella , Piazzolla Valeria , Lorusso Celeste , Santoro Rosanna , Squillante Maria Maddalena , Orlandini Alessandra , Minisini Rosalba , Ciancio Alessia
Published: April 2019

In clinical trials, a sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) pangenotypic single-tablet regimen was associated with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates at 12 weeks (SVR12) after the end of treatment, regardless of genotype and fibrosis stage. No real-life data on genotype 3 (GT3) cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension are available. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of SOF/VEL in GT3 cirrhotics with portal hypertension. Patients with GT3 and advanced cirrhosis were treated for 12 weeks with SOF/VEL without ribavirin at five different centers in Italy from June 2017 to August 2018 and their SVR12 was assessed. Of the 227 GT3 cirrhotics evaluated, 205 met the inclusion criteria and 111 had transient elastography results ≥20 KPa. SVR12 was 97.6% (95% CI 94.4–98.9), rates were 99.1% (95% CI 95.7–99.8) in patients with ≥20 KPa and 95.8% (95% CI 89.5–98.3) in those with <20 KPa (p = 0.18). Analyzed by presence of esophageal varices, the SVR12 rates were 98.4% (95% CI 91.4–99.7) and 97.1% (95% CI 92.9–98.9) in patients without and with varices, respectively (p = 1.0). In real life, SOF/VEL GT3 cirrhotic patients with evidence of portal hypertension can achieve SVR12 levels comparable to those of patients without portal hypertension. These SVR12 rates are similar to what is reported in compensated cirrhosis treated within clinical trials.
Transcriptomic Response to 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D in Human Fibroblasts with or without a Functional Vitamin D Receptor (VDR): Novel Target Genes and Insights into VDR Basal Transcriptional Activity
Authors: Costa Pedro L. F. , França Monica M. , Katayama Maria L. , Carneiro Eduardo T. , Martin Regina M. , Folgueira Maria A. K. , Latronico Ana C. , Ferraz-de-Souza Bruno
Published: April 2019

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates vitamin D actions beyond bone health. While VDR activation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D) leads to robust transcriptional regulation, less is known about VDR actions in the absence of 1,25D. We analyzed the transcriptomic response to 1,25D in fibroblasts bearing a severe homozygous hereditary vitamin D resistant rickets-related p.Arg30* VDR mutation (MUT) and in control fibroblasts (CO). Roughly 4.5% of the transcriptome was regulated by 1,25D in CO fibroblasts, while MUT cells without a functional VDR were insensitive to 1,25D. Novel VDR target genes identified in human fibroblasts included bone and cartilage factors CILP, EFNB2, and GALNT12. Vehicle-treated CO and MUT fibroblasts had strikingly different transcriptomes, suggesting basal VDR activity. Indeed, oppositional transcriptional effects in basal conditions versus after 1,25D activation were implied for a subset of target genes mostly involved with cell cycle. Cell proliferation assays corroborated this conjectured oppositional basal VDR activity, indicating that precise 1,25D dosage in target tissues might be essential for modulating vitamin D actions in human health.
New Texture Descriptor Based on Modified Fractional Entropy for Digital Image Splicing Forgery Detection
Authors: Jalab Hamid A. , Subramaniam Thamarai , Ibrahim Rabha W. , Kahtan Hasan , Noor Nurul F. Mohd
Published: April 2019

Forgery in digital images is immensely affected by the improvement of image manipulation tools. Image forgery can be classified as image splicing or copy-move on the basis of the image manipulation type. Image splicing involves creating a new tampered image by merging the components of one or more images. Moreover, image splicing disrupts the content and causes abnormality in the features of a tampered image. Most of the proposed algorithms are incapable of accurately classifying high-dimension feature vectors. Thus, the current study focuses on improving the accuracy of image splicing detection with low-dimension feature vectors. This study also proposes an approximated Machado fractional entropy (AMFE) of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to effectively capture splicing artifacts inside an image. AMFE is used as a new fractional texture descriptor, while DWT is applied to decompose the input image into a number of sub-images with different frequency bands. The standard image dataset CASIA v2 was used to evaluate the proposed approach. Superior detection accuracy and positive and false positive rates were achieved compared with other state-of-the-art approaches with a low-dimension of feature vectors.
Optimization of Nickel-Based Catalyst Composition and Reaction Conditions for the Prevention of Carbon Deposition in Toluene Reforming
Authors: Park No-Kuk , Lee Young Jin , Kwon Byung Chan , Lee Tae Jin , Kang Suk Hwan , Hong Bum Ui , Kim Taejin
Published: April 2019

In this study, nickel-based reforming catalysts were synthesized for the reforming of toluene, a major component of thinners and widely used as an organic solvent. The reaction characteristics of these catalysts were investigated by both steam reforming and auto-thermal reforming. Reforming aromatic hydrocarbons like toluene to produce synthesis gas is difficult because carbon deposition also occurs, and the deposition of carbon lowers the activity of the catalyst and causes a pressure drop during the reaction process. In order to maintain a stable reforming process, a catalytic reaction technique capable of suppressing carbon deposition is required. Steam reforming and auto-thermal reforming of toluene were used in this study, and the temperature of the catalyst bed was remarkably reduced, due to a strong endothermic reaction during the reforming process. By using scanning electric microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and temperature-programmed oxidation analysis, it is shown that carbon deposition was markedly generated due to a catalyst bed temperature decrease. In this study, optimum conditions for catalyst composition and the reforming reaction are proposed to suppress the formation of carbon on the catalyst surface, and to remove the generated carbon from the process. In addition, ceria and zirconia were added as catalytic promoters to inhibit carbon deposition on the catalyst surface, and the carbon deposition phenomena according to the catalyst’s promoter content were investigated. The results showed that the carbon deposition inhibition function of CeO2, via its redox properties, is insignificant in steam reforming, but is notably effective in the auto-thermal reforming of toluene.
Facilely Synthesized NiCo2O4/NiCo2O4 Nanofile Arrays Supported on Nickel Foam by a Hydrothermal Method and Their Excellent Performance for High-Rate Supercapacitance
Authors: Yedluri Anil Kumar , Araveeti Eswar Reddy , Kim Hee-Je
Published: April 2019

NiCo2O4 nanoleaf arrays (NCO NLAs) and NiCo2O4/NiCO2O4 nanofile arrays (NCO/NCO NFAs) material was fabricated on flexible nickel foam (NF) using a facile hydrothermal approach. The electrochemical performance, including the specific capacitance, charge/discharge cycles, and lifecycle of the material after the hydrothermal treatment, was assessed. The morphological and structural behaviors of the NF@NCO NLAs and NF@NCO/NCO NFAs electrodes were analyzed using a range of analysis techniques. The as-obtained nanocomposite of the NF@NCO/NCO NFAs material delivered outstanding electrochemical performance, including an ultrahigh specific capacitance (Cs) of 2312 F g−1 at a current density of 2 mA cm−2, along with excellent cycling stability (98.7% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at 5 mA cm−2). These values were higher than those of NF@NCO NLAs (Cs of 1950 F g−1 and 96.3% retention). The enhanced specific capacitance was attributed to the large electrochemical surface area, which allows for higher electrical conductivity and rapid transport between the electrons and ions as well as a much lower charge-transfer resistance and superior rate capability. These results clearly show that a combination of two types of binary metal oxides could be favorable for improving electrochemical performance and is expected to play a major role in the future development of nanofile-like composites (NF@NCO/NCO NFAs) for supercapacitor applications.
Design of Permanent-Magnet Linear Generators with Constant-Torque-Angle Control for Wave Power
Authors: Eriksson Sandra
Published: April 2019

This paper presents a simulation method for direct-drive permanent-magnet linear generators designed for wave power. Analytical derivations of power and maximum damping force are performed based on Faraday’s law of induction and circuit equations for constant-torque-angle control. Knowledge of the machine reactance or the load angle is not needed. An aim of the simulation method is to simplify comparison of the maximum damping force, losses, and cost between different generator designs at an early design stage. A parameter study in MATLAB based on the derived equations is performed and the effect of changing different generator parameters is studied. The analytical calculations are verified with finite element method (FEM) simulations and experiments. An important conclusion is that the copper losses and the maximum damping force are mainly dependent on the rated current density and end winding length. The copper losses are inherently large in a slow-moving machine so special consideration should be taken to decrease the end winding length. It is concluded that the design of the generator becomes a trade-off between material cost versus high efficiency and high maximum damping force.
Short Rotation Eucalypts: Opportunities for Biochar
Authors: Rockwood Donald L. , Ellis Martin F. , Liu Ruliang , Zhao Fengliang , Ji Puhui , Zhu Zhiqiang , Fabbro Kyle W. , He Zhenli , Cave Ronald D.
Published: April 2019

Eucalypts can be very productive when intensively grown as short rotation woody crops (SRWC) for bioproducts. In Florida, USA, a fertilized, herbicided, and irrigated cultivar planted at 2471 trees/ha could produce over 58 green mt/ha/year in 3.7 years, and at 2071 trees/ha, its net present value (NPV) exceeded $750/ha at a 6% discount rate and stumpage price of $11.02/green mt. The same cultivar grown less intensively at three planting densities had the highest stand basal area at the highest density through 41 months, although individual tree diameter at breast height (DBH) was the smallest. In combination with an organic fertilizer, biochar improved soil properties, tree leaf nutrients, and tree growth within 11 months of application. Biochar produced from Eucalyptus and other species is a useful soil amendment that, especially in combination with an organic fertilizer, could improve soil physical and chemical properties and increase nutrient availability to enhance Eucalyptus tree nutrition and growth on sandy soils. Eucalypts produce numerous naturally occurring bioproducts and are suitable feedstocks for many other biochemically or thermochemically derived bioproducts that could enhance the value of SRWCs.
Clinical and Molecular Differences between 4-Year-Old Monozygous Male Twins Mosaic for Normal, Premutation and Fragile X Full Mutation Alleles
Authors: Pandelache Alison , Baker Emma K , Aliaga Solange M. , Arpone Marta , Forbes Robin , Stark Zornitza , Francis David , Godler David E.
Published: April 2019

This study describes monozygotic (MZ) male twins with fragile X syndrome (FXS), mosaic for normal size (NS: <44 CGGs), premutation (PM: 55–199 CGG) and full mutation (FM alleles ≥ 200) alleles, with autism. At 4 years of age chromosomal microarray confirmed monozygosity with both twins showing an XY sex complement. Normal size (30 CGG), PM (99 CGG) and FM (388–1632 CGGs) alleles were detected in Twin 1 (T1) by standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot testing, while only PM (99 CGG) and FM (672–1025) alleles were identified in Twin 2 (T2). At ~5 years, T2 had greater intellectual impairments with a full scale IQ (FSIQ) of 55 and verbal IQ (VIQ) of 59, compared to FSIQ of 62 and VIQ of 78 for T1. This was consistent with the quantitative FMR1 methylation testing, revealing 10% higher methylation at 80% for T2; suggesting that less active unmethylated alleles were present in T2 as compared to T1. AmplideX methylation PCR also identified partial methylation, including an unmethylated NS allele in T2, undetected by standard testing. In conclusion, this report demonstrates significant differences in intellectual functioning between the MZ twins mosaic for NS, PM and FM alleles with partial FMR1 promoter methylation.
Impact of Electronic Health Record Systems on Prescribing Errors in Pediatric Clinics
Authors: Gildon Brooke L. , Condren Michelle , Hughes Christine C.
Published: April 2019

Medication errors are commonly reported in the pediatric population. While evidence supports the use of e-prescribing to prevent certain errors, prescribing with an electronic health record (EHR) system is not devoid of errors. Furthermore, the majority of EHRs are not equipped with functionalities addressing pediatric needs. This study analyzes three unique EHRs in three pediatric clinics. It describes the functionality of each system and identifies errors found in e-prescribed prescriptions. Finally, the study estimates the proportion of e-prescribing errors that could have been avoided if those EHRs had met requirements set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The number of prescriptions reviewed for Clinics 1, 2, and 3, respectively, were: 477, 408, and 633 with total error rates of 13.2%, 8.8%, and 6.6%. The clinic EHRs included 21%, 26%, and 47% of the AAP pediatric requirements for safe and effective e-prescribing for children. If all AAP elements had been included in the EHRs, over 83% of errors in the examined e-prescriptions could have been prevented. This study demonstrates that EHR systems used by many pediatric clinic practices do not meet the standard set forth by the AAP. To ensure our most vulnerable population is better protected, it is imperative that medical technology tools adequately consider pediatric needs during development and that this is reflected in selected EHR systems.
Consumer Attitudes Towards Environmental Concerns of Meat Consumption: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sanchez-Sabate Ruben , Sabaté Joan
Published: April 2019

Meat consumption is a major contributor to global warming. Given the worldwide growing demand of meat, and the severe impact of meat production on the planet, reducing animal protein consumption is a matter of food security and public health. Changing consumer food behavior is a challenge. Taste preferences, culinary traditions and social norms factor into food choices. Since behavioral change cannot occur without the subject’s positive attitude based on reasons and motivations, a total of 34 papers on consumer attitudes and behavior towards meat consumption in relation to environmental concerns were examined. The results show that consumers aware of the meat impact on the planet, willing to stop or significantly reduce meat consumption for environmental reasons, and who have already changed their meat intake for ecological concerns are a small minority. However, environmental motives are already appealing significant proportions of Westerners to adopt certain meat curtailment strategies. Those who limit meat intake for environmental reasons are typically female, young, simply meat-reducer (not vegan/vegetarian), ecology-oriented, and would more likely live in Europe and Asia than in the U.S.
1,2,4-Oxadiazole/2-Imidazoline Hybrids: Multi-target-directed Compounds for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases and Cancer
Authors: Shetnev Anton , Baykov Sergey , Kalinin Stanislav , Belova Alexandra , Sharoyko Vladimir , Rozhkov Anton , Zelenkov Lev , Tarasenko Marina , Sadykov Evgeny , Korsakov Mikhail , Krasavin Mikhail
Published: April 2019

Replacement of amide moiety with the 1,2,4-oxadiazole core in the scaffold of recently reported efflux pump inhibitors afforded a novel series of oxadiazole/2-imidazoline hybrids. The latter compounds exhibited promising antibacterial activity on both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens) strains. Furthermore, selected compounds markedly inhibited the growth of certain drug-resistant bacteria. Additionally, the study revealed the antiproliferative activity of several antibacterial frontrunners against pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma (PANC-1) cell line, as well as their type-selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitory profile.
Insights into Actin-Myosin Interactions within Muscle from 3D Electron Microscopy
Authors: Taylor Kenneth A. , Rahmani Hamidreza , Edwards Robert J. , Reedy Michael K.
Published: April 2019

Much has been learned about the interaction between myosin and actin through biochemistry, in vitro motility assays and cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) of F-actin, decorated with myosin heads. Comparatively less is known about actin-myosin interactions within the filament lattice of muscle, where myosin heads function as independent force generators and thus most measurements report an average signal from multiple biochemical and mechanical states. All of the 3D imaging by electron microscopy (EM) that has revealed the interplay of the regular array of actin subunits and myosin heads within the filament lattice has been accomplished using the flight muscle of the large water bug Lethocerus sp. The Lethocerus flight muscle possesses a particularly favorable filament arrangement that enables all the myosin cross-bridges contacting the actin filament to be visualized in a thin section. This review covers the history of this effort and the progress toward visualizing the complex set of conformational changes that myosin heads make when binding to actin in several static states, as well as the fast frozen actively contracting muscle. The efforts have revealed a consistent pattern of changes to the myosin head structures as determined by X-ray crystallography needed to explain the structure of the different actomyosin interactions observed in situ.
Improved Prediction of Regulatory Element Using Hybrid Abelian Complexity Features with DNA Sequences
Authors: Wu Chengchao , Chen Jin , Liu Yunxia , Hu Xuehai
Published: April 2019

Deciphering the code of cis-regulatory element (CRE) is one of the core issues of current biology. As an important category of CRE, enhancers play crucial roles in gene transcriptional regulations in a distant manner. Further, the disruption of an enhancer can cause abnormal transcription and, thus, trigger human diseases, which means that its accurate identification is currently of broad interest. Here, we introduce an innovative concept, i.e., abelian complexity function (ACF), which is a more complex extension of the classic subword complexity function, for a new coding of DNA sequences. After feature selection by an upper bound estimation and integration with DNA composition features, we developed an enhancer prediction model with hybrid abelian complexity features (HACF). Compared with existing methods, HACF shows consistently superior performance on three sources of enhancer datasets. We tested the generalization ability of HACF by scanning human chromosome 22 to validate previously reported super-enhancers. Meanwhile, we identified novel candidate enhancers which have supports from enhancer-related ENCODE ChIP-seq signals. In summary, HACF improves current enhancer prediction and may be beneficial for further prioritization of functional noncoding variants.
Concomitant Nrf2- and ATF4-Activation by Carnosic Acid Cooperatively Induces Expression of Cytoprotective Genes
Authors: Mimura Junsei , Inose-Maruyama Atsushi , Taniuchi Shusuke , Kosaka Kunio , Yoshida Hidemi , Yamazaki Hiromi , Kasai Shuya , Harada Nobuhiko , Kaufman Randal J. , Oyadomari Seiichi , Itoh Ken
Published: April 2019

Carnosic acid (CA) is a phytochemical found in some dietary herbs, such as Rosmarinus officinalis L., and possesses antioxidative and anti-microbial properties. We previously demonstrated that CA functions as an activator of nuclear factor, erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor in human and rodent cells. CA enhances the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and antioxidant genes, such as HO-1 in an Nrf2-dependent manner in U373MG human astrocytoma cells. However, CA also induces NGF gene expression in an Nrf2-independent manner, since 50 μM of CA administration showed striking NGF gene induction compared with the classical Nrf2 inducer tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) in U373MG cells. By comparative transcriptome analysis, we found that CA activates activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) in addition to Nrf2 at high doses. CA activated ATF4 in phospho-eIF2α- and heme-regulated inhibitor kinase (HRI)-dependent manners, indicating that CA activates ATF4 through the integrated stress response (ISR) pathway. Furthermore, CA activated Nrf2 and ATF4 cooperatively enhanced the expression of NGF and many antioxidant genes while acting independently to certain client genes. Taken together, these results represent a novel mechanism of CA-mediated gene regulation evoked by Nrf2 and ATF4 cooperation.
Relevance of Preoperative Hyperbilirubinemia in Patients Undergoing Hepatobiliary Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Wronka Karolina Maria , Grąt Michał , Stypułkowski Jan , Bik Emil , Patkowski Waldemar , Krawczyk Marek , Zieniewicz Krzysztof
Published: April 2019

Preoperative hyperbilirubinemia is known to increase the risk of mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to characterize the associations between the preoperative bilirubin concentration and the risk of postoperative mortality and severe complications to guide decision-making regarding preoperative biliary drainage. Eighty-one patients undergoing liver and bile duct resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma between 2005 and 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Postoperative mortality and severe complications, defined as a Clavien–Dindo grade of ≥III, were the primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. The severe postoperative complications and mortality rates were 28.4% (23/81) and 11.1% (9/81), respectively. Patients with preoperative biliary drainage had significantly lower bilirubin concentrations (p = 0.028) than did those without. The preoperative bilirubin concentration was a risk factor of postoperative mortality (p = 0.003), with an optimal cut-off of 6.20 mg/dL (c-statistic = 0.829). The preoperative bilirubin concentration was a risk factor of severe morbidity (p = 0.018), with an optimal cut-off of 2.48 mg/dL (c-statistic = 0.662). These results indicate that preoperative hyperbilirubinemia is a major risk factor of negative early postoperative outcomes of patients who undergo surgical treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma and may aid in decision-making with respect to preoperative biliary drainage.
Effects of Supplementation of a Pre-workout on Power Maintenance in Lower Body and Upper Body Tasks in Women
Authors: Lane Michael Timothy , Byrd Mark Travis , Bell Zachary , Hurley Tyler
Published: April 2019

Currently there is a lack of research into how women respond to pre-workout supplementation. The effects of supplements on exercise performance in women, specifically to power, must be performed. This study investigated the effects of supplementation on power production and maintenance during a high-intensity cycle ergometry sprint performance, vertical jump performance, and bench press performance in women. It also investigated the effects of supplementation on power production and the maintenance of upper and lower body tasks in women. A total of 23 females (22.9 ± 3.6 years, 175.6 ± 6.5 cm, 86.9 ± 15.1 kg, 19.1 ± 8.4 body fat percentage (BF%) (mean ± std. dev.)) were familiarized with the testing protocol and maximal bench press performances were attained (49.5 ± 15.4 kg). Utilizing a double-blind crossover design, subjects completed three trials of: Five countermovement vertical jumps, a high-intensity cycle sprint protocol, which consisted of 10 maximal, five second cycle ergometer sprints. Subjects performed a velocity bench press test, utilizing 80% of their predetermined one repetition maximum (1RM) for 10 sets of three repetitions for maximal speed. For 20 min prior to each trial, the subjects ingested, in a randomized order, a pre-workout supplement (Supp), placebo+150 mg caffeine (Caff), or a placebo (PL). Peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and minimum power (MNP) were recorded for each sprint. Maximal velocity from each set was also recorded. Bike sprint and bench press data were normalized to the placebo trial for analysis. Blood lactate (bLa−) was measured immediately prior to each testing session, within 2 min of the completion of the last cycle sprint and following the bench press test. Bike sprint and bench press testing showed no significant differences through the testing sessions, but did significantly decline over test battery (p < 0.05). Vertical jump performance and lactate levels were not significantly different. Supplementation with a pre-workout supplement or placebo with caffeine 20 min prior to participation showed no positive benefits to performance in female participants.
Voltage-Controlled Magnetic Anisotropy MeRAM Bit-Cell over Event Transient Effects
Authors: Maciel Nilson , Marques Elaine C. , Naviner Lirida , Cai Hao , Yang Jun
Published: April 2019

Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) effect has been introduced to achieve robust non-volatile writing control with an electric field or a switching voltage. However, continuous technology scaling down makes circuits more susceptible to temporary faults. The reliability of VCMA-MTJ-based magnetoelectric random access memory (MeRAM) can be impacted by environmental disturbances because a radiation strike on the access transistor could introduce write and read failures in 1T-1MTJ MeRAM bit-cells. In this work, Single-Event Transient (SET) effects on a VCMA-MTJ-based MeRAM in 28 nm FDSOI CMOS technology are investigated. Results show the minimum SET charge Q c required to reach the access transistor associated with the striking time that can lead to an unsuccessful switch, that is, an error in the writing process (write failure). The synchronism between the fluctuations of the magnetic field in the MTJ free layer and the moment of the write pulse is also analyzed in terms of SET robustness. Moreover, results show that the minimum Q c value can vary more than 100 % depending on the magnetic state of the MTJ and the width of the access transistor. In addition, the most critical time against the SET occurrence may be before or after the write pulse depending on the magnetic state of the MTJ.
Towards Robust Text Classification with Semantics-Aware Recurrent Neural Architecture
Authors: Škrlj Blaž , Kralj Jan , Lavrač Nada , Pollak Senja
Published: April 2019

Deep neural networks are becoming ubiquitous in text mining and natural language processing, but semantic resources, such as taxonomies and ontologies, are yet to be fully exploited in a deep learning setting. This paper presents an efficient semantic text mining approach, which converts semantic information related to a given set of documents into a set of novel features that are used for learning. The proposed Semantics-aware Recurrent deep Neural Architecture (SRNA) enables the system to learn simultaneously from the semantic vectors and from the raw text documents. We test the effectiveness of the approach on three text classification tasks: news topic categorization, sentiment analysis and gender profiling. The experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms the approach without semantic knowledge, with highest accuracy gain (up to 10%) achieved on short document fragments.
Weak Partial b-Metric Spaces and Nadler’s Theorem
Authors: Kanwal Tanzeela , Hussain Azhar , Kumam Poom , Savas Ekrem
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this paper is to define the notions of weak partial b-metric spaces and weak partial Hausdorff b-metric spaces along with the topology of weak partial b-metric space. Moreover, we present a generalization of Nadler’s theorem by using weak partial Hausdorff b-metric spaces in the context of a weak partial b-metric space. We present a non-trivial example which show the validity of our result and an application to nonlinear Volterra integral inclusion for the applicability purpose.
The Relationship between Dietary Vitamin K and Depressive Symptoms in Late Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Large Cohort Study
Authors: Bolzetta Francesco , Veronese Nicola , Stubbs Brendon , Noale Marianna , Vaona Alberto , Demurtas Jacopo , Celotto Stefano , Cacco Chiara , Cester Alberto , Caruso Maria Gabriella , Reddavide Rosa , Notarnicola Maria , Maggi Stefania , Koyanagi Ai , Fornaro Michele , Firth Joseph , Smith Lee , Solmi Marco
Published: April 2019

Few studies assessed the associations between dietary vitamin K and depressive symptoms. We aimed to investigate the association between dietary vitamin K and depressive symptoms in a large cohort of North American People. In this cross-sectional analysis, 4,375 participants that were aged 45–79 years from the Osteoarthritis Initiative were included. Dietary vitamin K intake was collected through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and categorized in quartiles. Depressive symptoms were diagnosed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) ≥ 16. To investigate the associations between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms, logistic regression analysis were run, which adjusted for potential confounders. Overall, 437 (=10%) subjects had depressive symptoms. After adjusting for 11 confounders, people with the highest dietary vitamin K intake had lower odds of having depressive symptoms (OR = 0.58; 95%CI: 0.43–0.80). This effect was only present in people not taking vitamin D supplementation. In conclusion, higher dietary vitamin K intake was significantly associated with a lower presence of depressive symptoms, also after accounting for potential confounders. Future longitudinal research is required to explore the directionality of the association.
Micronutrients Deficiencies in 374 Severely Malnourished Anorexia Nervosa Inpatients
Authors: Hanachi Mouna , Dicembre Marika , Rives-Lange Claire , Ropers Jacques , Bemer Pauline , Zazzo Jean-Fabien , Poupon Joël , Dauvergne Agnès , Melchior Jean-Claude
Published: April 2019

Introduction: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex psychiatric disorder, which can lead to specific somatic complications. Undernutrition is a major diagnostic criteria of AN which can be associated with several micronutrients deficiencies. Objectives: This study aimed to determinate the prevalence of micronutrients deficiencies and to compare the differences between the two subtypes of AN (restricting type (AN-R) and binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP)). Methods: We report a large retrospective, monocentric study of patients hospitalized in a highly specialized nutrition unit between January 2011 and August 2017 for severe malnutrition treatment in the context of anorexia nervosa. Results: Three hundred and seventy-four patients (360 (96%) women, 14 (4%) men), age: 31.3 ± 12.9 years, Body Mass Index (BMI) 12.5 ± 1.7 kg/m2 were included; 253 (68%) patients had AN-R subtype while, 121 (32%) had AN-BP. Zinc had the highest deficiency prevalence 64.3%, followed by vitamin D (54.2%), copper (37.1%), selenium (20.5%), vitamin B1 (15%), vitamin B12 (4.7%), and vitamin B9 (8.9%). Patients with AN-BP type had longer disease duration, were older, and had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p < 0.001, p = 0.029, p = 0.009), when compared with AN-R type, patients who instead, had significantly higher Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) levels (p < 0.001, p < 0.021). In the AN-BP subgroup, as compared to AN-R, lower selenium (p < 0.001) and vitamin B12 plasma concentration (p < 0.036) were observed, whereas lower copper plasma concentration was observed in patients with AN-R type (p < 0.022). No significant differences were observed for zinc, vitamin B9, vitamin D, and vitamin B1 concentrations between the two types of AN patients. Conclusion: Severely malnourished AN patients have many micronutrient deficiencies. Differences between AN subtypes are identified. Micronutrients status of AN patients should be monitored and supplemented to prevent deficiencies related complications and to improve nutritional status. Prospective studies are needed to explore the symptoms and consequences of each deficiency, which can aggravate the prognosis during recovery.
Data-Based Prediction and Stochastic Analysis of Entrained Flow Coal Gasification under Uncertainty
Authors: Ahmad Iftikhar , Ayub Ahsan , Mohammad Nisar , Kano Manabu
Published: April 2019

Entrained flow gasification is a commonly used method for conversion of coal into syngas. A stable and efficient operation of entrained flow coal gasification is always desired to reduce consumption of raw materials and utilities, and achieve higher productivity. However, uncertainty in the process hinders the stability and efficiency. In this work, a quantitative analysis of the effect of uncertainty on the conversion efficiency of the entrained flow gasification is performed. A data-driven, i.e., ensemble, model of the process was developed to predict conversion efficiency of the process. Then sensitivity analysis methods, i.e., Sobol and Fourier amplitude sensitivity test, were used to analyze the effect of each individual process variables on conversion efficiency. For analyzing the collective impact of uncertainty in process variables on conversion efficiency, a non-intrusive polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) method was used. The PCE predicts probability distribution of the conversion efficiency. Reliability of the process was determined on the basis of percentage of the probability distribution falling within control limits. Measured data is used to derive the control limits for off-line reliability analysis. For on-line reliability analysis of the process, measured data is not available so a just-in-time method, i.e., k–d tree, was used. The k–d tree searches the nearest neighbor sample from a database of historical data to determine the control limits.
2D Rotation-Angle Measurement Utilizing Least Iterative Region Segmentation
Authors: Cao Chenguang , Ouyang Qi
Published: April 2019

When geometric moments are used to measure the rotation-angle of plane workpieces, the same rotation angle would be obtained with dissimilar poses. Such a case would be shown as an error in an automatic sorting system. Here, we present an improved rotation-angle measurement method based on geometric moments, which is suitable for automatic sorting systems. The method can overcome this limitation to obtain accurate results. The accuracy, speed, and generality of this method are analyzed in detail. In addition, a rotation-angle measurement error model is established to study the effect of camera pose on the rotation-angle measurement accuracy. We find that a rotation-angle measurement error will occur with a non-ideal camera pose. Thus, a correction method is proposed to increase accuracy and reduce the measurement error caused by camera pose. Finally, an automatic sorting system is developed, and experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of our methods. The experimental results show that the rotation angles are accurately obtained and workpieces could be correctly placed by this system.