bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stilbene derivatives as new perspective in antifungal medicinal chemistry
Authors: De Filippis Barbara , Ammazzalorso Alessandra , Amoroso Rosa , Giampietro Letizia
Published: February 2019

The high incidence and mortality of invasive fungal infections and serious drug resistance have become a global public health issue. There is an urgent need for alternative antimicrobials to control fungal infections and targeting it by antifungal substances from the natural sources represents a promising new strategy for the development of novel antifungal agents. Resveratrol (3,5,4′‐trihydroxy‐trans‐stilbene) is a phytoalexin produced by plant species in response to environmental stress or pathogenic attacks. It has many known and potential therapeutic applications in human general homeostasis; it mediates a great number of biological responses relevant for human health such as anticancer, cardio and neuroprotective, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. Resveratrol is a natural antifungal agent, therefore it can be considered as a scaffold for designing structural relatives potentially capable of mediating more intense responses in a more specific way. Also, stilbenes produced by several plants may be useful lead structure for the chemical synthesis of antifungal. Their antifungal potential represents a useful solution to the drug resistance and side effect complications that occur after pharmacological treatment of infectious diseases. The purpose of this review is to present an overview on resveratrol derivatives, both natural and synthetic, with antifungal activity and summarize the chemical structure and the therapeutic versatility of stilbene‐containing compounds.
Shared and unique features of bacterial communities in native forest and vineyard phyllosphere
Authors: Miura Toshiko , Sánchez Roland , Castañeda Luis E. , Godoy Karina , Barbosa Olga
Published: February 2019

Phyllosphere bacteria have received little attention despite their important roles in shaping plant performance traits. In this study, we characterize the bacterial communities on leaves of native trees inhabiting sclerophyllous forests in central Chile, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Additionally, we provide profiles of bacterial communities on grape leaves and berries of organic and conventional vineyards. Results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis showed that 45% of OTUs were shared across forest leaves, grape leaves, and grape berries. Conventional management had higher number of OTUs shared with forest leaves than organic management. In addition, grape leaves subjected to conventional management had higher alpha diversity than those with organic management, while no significant effect of agricultural management was observed in grape berries. Indicator analysis showed that Bdellovibrio, Beijerinckia, and Spirosoma were typical for forest leaves, whereas Enhydrobacter, Delftia, Proteiniclasticum, Arsenicicoccus, and Alkaliphilus were typical for the vineyard phyllosphere. Regarding agricultural managements, Beijerinckia, Sedimentibacter, Nesterenkonia, Gluconobacter, Conexibacter, and Anaeromyxobacter were typical for conventional grape leaves, whereas no genus‐level indicator was found for organic vineyard leaves. These results provide new insights of the diversity patterns of the phyllosphere microbiome in native and cultivated lands and suggest that both of these microbiomes are connected and integrated systems.
NT‐proBNP is a weak indicator of cardiac function and haemodynamic response to exercise in chronic heart failure
Authors: Parovic Milos , Okwose Nduka C. , Bailey Kristian , Velicki Lazar , Fras Zlatko , Seferovic Petar M. , MacGowan Guy A. , Jakovljevic Djordje G.
Published: February 2019

Aims

N‐terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) plays an important role in diagnosis and management of heart failure. The aim of the present study was to assess haemodynamic response to exercise and to evaluate the relationship between NT‐proBNP, cardiac function, and exercise tolerance in chronic heart failure.

Methods and results

A single‐centre, cross‐sectional pilot study recruited 17 patients with chronic heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (age 67 ± 7 years) and 20 healthy volunteers (age 65 ± 12 years). The NT‐proBNP was measured in the heart failure group. All participants completed maximal graded cardiopulmonary exercise stress testing coupled with gas exchange (using metabolic analyser for determination of exercise tolerance, i.e. peak O2 consumption) and continuous haemodynamic measurements (i.e. cardiac output and cardiac power output) using non‐invasive bioreactance technology. Heart failure patients demonstrated significantly lower peak exercise cardiac function and exercise tolerance than healthy controls, i.e. cardiac power output (5.0 ± 2.0 vs. 3.2 ± 1.2 W, P < 0.01), cardiac output (18.2 ± 6.3 vs. 13.5 ± 4.0 L/min, P < 0.01), heart rate (148 ± 23.7 vs. 111 ± 20.9 beats/min, P < 0.01), and oxygen consumption (24.3 ± 9.5 vs. 16.8 ± 3.8 mL/kg/min, P < 0.01). There was no significant relationship between NT‐proBNP and cardiac function at rest, i.e. cardiac power output (r = −0.28, P = 0.28), cardiac output (r = −0.18, P = 0.50), and oxygen consumption (r = −0.18, P = 0.50), or peak exercise, i.e. cardiac power output (r = 0.18, P = 0.49), cardiac output (r = 0.13, P = 0.63), and oxygen consumption (r = −0.05, P = 0.84).

Conclusions

Lack of a significant and strong relationship between the NT‐proBNP and measures of cardiac function and exercise tolerance may suggest that natriuretic peptides should be considered with caution in interpretation of the severity of cardiac dysfunction and functional capacity in chronic heart failure.
Rationale and design of the European multicentre study on Stem Cell therapy in IschEmic Non‐treatable Cardiac diseasE (SCIENCE)
Authors: Paitazoglou Christina , Bergmann Martin W. , Vrtovec Bojan , Chamuleau Steven A.J. , van Klarenbosch Bas , Wojakowski Wojtek , Michalewska‐Włudarczyk Aleksandra , Gyöngyösi Mariann , Ekblond Annette , Haack‐Sørensen Mandana , Jaquet Kai , Vrangbæk Karsten , Kastrup Jens ,   on behalf of the SCIENCE Investigators
Published: February 2019

Aims

Ischaemic heart failure (IHF) patients have a poor prognosis even with current guideline‐derived therapy. Intramyocardial injections of autologous or allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells might improve cardiac function leading to better clinical outcome.

Methods

The SCIENCE (Stem Cell therapy in IschEmic Non‐treatable Cardiac diseasE) consortium has initiated a Horizon 2020 funded multicentre phase II study in six European countries. It is a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial testing the safety and efficacy of allogeneic Cardiology Stem Cell Centre Adipose‐derived Stromal Cells (CSCC_ASC) from healthy donors or placebo in 138 symptomatic IHF patients. Main inclusion criteria are New York Heart Association class II–III, left ventricular ejection fraction < 45% and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide levels > 300 pg/mL. Patients are randomized in a 2:1 pattern to receive intramyocardial injections of either CSCC_ASC or placebo. CSCC_ASC and placebo treatments are prepared centralized at Rigshospitalet in 5 mL vials as an off‐the‐shelf product. Vials are distributed to all clinical partners and stored in nitrogen vapour tanks ready to be used directly after thawing. A total of 100 × 106 CSCC_ASC or placebo are injected directly into viable myocardium in the infarct border zone using the NOGA XP system (BDS, Cordis, Johnson & Johnson, USA). Primary endpoint is a centralized core‐laboratory assessed change in left ventricular end‐systolic volume at 6‐month follow‐up measured by echocardiography. The trial started in January 2017, 58 patients were included and treated until July 2018.

Conclusion

The SCIENCE trial will provide clinical data on efficacy and safety of intramyocardial cell therapy of allogeneic adipose‐derived stromal cells from healthy donors in patients with IHF.
Luminescent Nanothermometers Obtained by Post‐Synthetic Modification of Metal‐Organic Framework MIL‐68
Authors: Abdelhameed Reda M. , Ananias Duarte , Silva Artur M. S. , Rocha João
Published: February 2019

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) bearing lanthanide ions are excellent platforms for designing luminescent thermometers. However, so far, post‐synthetic modification of MOFs linkers has not been explored as a route to produce such thermometers, despite its potential to design the lanthanide coordination sphere and, thus, tune the emission properties of the material. Here, nanocrystals of MIL‐68‐NH2 were post‐synthetically modified via a cross‐linking reaction with 1,4‐Bis{4‐[(E)‐3‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)prop‐2‐enoyl]phenoxy}butane (HL), followed by coordination to Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions. The luminescence properties of the material were assessed. Tb90Eu10‐MIL‐68‐HL was found to be an excellent cryogenic (< 100 K) ratiometric luminescent nanothermometer exhibiting a maximum relative sensitivity of 9.4 % K–1 at 12 K.
Multi‐objective optimization of green urea production
Authors: Alfian Mohammad , Purwanto Widodo W.
Published: February 2019

The availability of natural gas as feedstock for nitrogen fertilizer production continues to decline, while its price increases, encouraging the search for renewable feedstocks for the future green urea industry. Renewable feedstocks include waste biomass, hydrogen from solar PV‐electrolysis, and the combination of these feedstocks with natural gas. The selection of a green production strategy is a critical step in the trade‐off between economic and environmental considerations. The aim of this work was to propose a green urea production strategy using a multi‐objective optimization (MOO) model to minimize production costs and environmental impacts by considering the future cost development of technologies and feedstock price for each technology in the time frame of 2020‐2050. The results show that green urea production can reduce production costs and greenhouse gas emissions, compared to conventional urea production. Biomass gasification technology fulfills the minimum requirements for production cost and CO2 emissions from 2020 to 2035 and combined biomass gasification‐PV electrolysis without battery technology is the optimum process from 2040 to 2050.
Morphodynamic interactions of continental shelf, beach and dunes: the Cabopino dune system in southern Mediterranean Spain
Authors: Malvárez Gonzalo , Navas Fatima , Guisado‐Pintado Emilia , Jackson Derek W.T.
Published: February 2019

The complex morphodynamic interactions between nearshore, shoreface and dune systems are usually simplified by studying these zones and their associated processes in isolation. However, the established relationships between each of them suggests that an integrated approach is required to examine the genesis, evolution and adaptation of the entire morphodynamic system. The Cabopino dune system in the southern Spanish Mediterranean Sea provides a clear example of a linked morphodynamic system in which a relatively large dune system has been generated and grown through the supply of sediments from an adjacent littoral supply environment. Here, we present a conceptual model of how the nearshore has provided suitable conditions for beach and dune development. We purport that synchronization of sediment activation in the marine and aeolian sections of the system have played a major role in this microtidal setting in which temporal aspects are not only tied to storm action, but to large sedimentary features moving alongshore. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Perfluoralkyl Substances on a Multigenerational Scale: A Case Study with Chironomus riparius (Diptera, Chironomidae)
Authors: Marziali Laura , Rosignoli Federica , Valsecchi Sara , Polesello Stefano , Stefani Fabrizio
Published: February 2019

A multigenerational test with Chironomus riparius was performed to assess long-term effects on life-traits of exposure to selected perfluoroalkyl compounds: perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS). These persistent contaminants are widespread in aquatic ecosystems at low concentrations, possibly exerting long-term toxicity. Larvae of C. riparius of a native population were exposed for 10 generations to 10 μg/L nominal concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and PFBS, comparable with the maximum values found in European rivers. All treatments showed reduced growth at most/several generations. No effects on survival, development, and reproduction were found. A final tolerance-induction test was performed exposing the pre-exposed experimental cohorts to 100 µg/L PFOS and 150 µg/L PFOA for a whole life cycle. Factorial analysis of variance revealed no difference between treatments (i.e., PFOS vs PFOA), indicating no induced tolerance. Instead, organisms pre-exposed to PFBS were the most stressed, followed by those pre-exposed to PFOA and PFOS, with earlier emergence and reduced adult weight. The results may be related to general stress and genetic erosion induced by long-term laboratory culture, but also to long-term toxicant exposure. However, no effects at the population level (population growth rate) were proved, and thus a toxicity risk in real ecosystems at the tested concentrations seems unlikely. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;00:1–12. © 2019 SETAC

Abstract

A 10-generation laboratory exposure of Chironomus riparius to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) at concentrations comparable to maximum values found in European rivers highlighted a slight growth reduction. However, effects at the population level were not proved. PFASs = perfuoroalkyl substances.
Sensitivity of the Marine Calanoid Copepod Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus to Copper, Phenanthrene, and Ammonia
Authors: Kennedy Alan J. , Biber Thomas W. , May Lauren R. , Lotufo Guilherme R. , Farrar J. Daniel , Bednar Anthony J.
Published: February 2019

There are limited acute toxicity test methods for native North American marine species that are considered zooplankton for their entire life cycle. Examples of standardized marine zooplankton methods include mussel, bivalve, and echinoderm development tests that use a relatively short-lived planktonic larval stage, chronic life-cycle toxicity tests using epibenthic copepods, and a 24-h Acartia tonsa copepod test method. The objectives of the present study were to: 1) develop and evaluate a novel, 48-h acute toxicity test method using the marine North American copepod Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus that is planktonic for its entire life cycle, and 2) determine the sensitivity of P. pelagicus relative to commonly tested marine toxicity test species. The average (±1 standard deviation) median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for copper (Cu), phenanthrene, and un-ionized ammonia were 32 ± 15 µg/L, 161 ± 51 µg/L, and 1.08 ± 0.30 mg NH3/L, respectively. These results placed P. pelagicus on the more sensitive end of Cu and phenanthrene species sensitivity distributions. The copepod was less sensitive to un-ionized ammonia than commonly tested marine species. This finding suggests that the acute P. pelagicus test method will allow a focus on assessing the impacts of persistent contaminants of concern with less confounding impact from naturally occurring ammonia released to the water from sources such as suspended sediments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1221–1230. Published 2019 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films Can Predict the Toxicity of Metal Mixtures to Two Microalgae: Validation for Environmental Monitoring in Antarctic Marine Conditions
Authors: Koppel Darren J. , Adams Merrin S. , King Catherine K. , Jolley Dianne F.
Published: February 2019

Anthropogenic contamination in the Antarctic near-shore marine environment is a challenge for environmental managers because of its isolation, high costs associated with monitoring and remediation activities, and the current lack of Antarctic-specific ecotoxicological data. The present study investigated the application of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) with a Chelex-100 binding resin for metal contaminant assessment in Antarctic marine conditions. Diffusion coefficients for cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), determined at 1 °C, ranged between 2.1 and 2.6×10–6 cm2/s and were up to 32% lower than those derived by theoretical calculations. Competition of metals on the DGT binding resin was observed at subsaturation concentrations, reducing the effective capacity for metal uptake by approximately 60%. The lability of the dissolved (0.45 µm filterable) Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn metal fraction to DGT was generally >90% and unaffected by the presence of the Antarctic marine microalga Phaeocystis antarctica. Both DGT and dissolved metal concentrations gave equivalent mixture toxicity predictions in independent action and concentration addition models to P. antarctica and Cryothecomonas armigera; that is, predictions using DGT-labile concentrations also showed antagonism to P. antarctica, which agrees with previously determined mixture interactivity. The benefits of DGT over traditional sampling techniques (i.e., discrete water sampling) include lower method detection limits (MDLs), in situ assessment, and time-averaged concentrations which capture pulses of contamination typical of the Antarctic near-shore marine environment. The present study provides MDLs and recommended minimum deployment times to guide field deployments in Antarctica. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1323–1333. © 2019 SETAC

Abstract

Diffusive gradients in thin films–measured metal concentrations are used to predict the toxicity of metal mixtures to two Antarctic marine microalgae. DGT = diffusive gradients in thin films.
A novel project‐and‐forward relay‐assisted mixed RF‐FSO system design and its performance evaluation
Authors: Khanna Himanshu , Aggarwal Mona , Ahuja Swaran
Published: February 2019

The outage and error performance of a radio frequency (RF)‐free space optical (FSO) asymmetric two‐hop link using project‐and‐forward relaying protocol is evaluated in this paper. We suggest a multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO)‐RF channel with multiple source and relay antennas for simultaneous transmission over the RF link followed by an FSO channel that supports point‐to‐point transmission over a single FSO link. Furthermore, the source to relay RF link is modeled by Nakagami‐m fading distribution to represent different channel fading conditions often encountered in various applications, while the FSO channel is affected by atmospheric turbulence characterized by Gamma‐Gamma fading, path loss, and misalignment errors. The performance of the system is investigated considering the impact of these parameters. We derive the mathematical expressions that are obtained in closed form for the probability density function and cumulative distribution function of the instantaneous signal‐to‐noise ratio for the Nakagami‐m faded MIMO‐RF link in terms of Meijer's G‐function. Using the aforementioned statistical results, we derive a novel closed‐form expression for the outage probability of the system. We also evaluate the average‐bit‐error‐rate performance for different coherent and noncoherent modulation schemes, and obtain novel mathematical results in closed form for the same.
Selection of solvent for extraction of antioxidant components from Cynanchum auriculatum, Cynanchum bungei, and Cynanchum wilfordii roots
Authors: Wu Cheng‐Dong , Zhang Ming , He Ming‐Tao , Gu Min‐Feng , Lin Mei , Zhang Gen
Published: February 2019

In east Asia, “Baishouwu” has been used as an herbal drug and functional dietary supplement for hundreds of years. Actually, “Baishouwu” is the common name of the roots of Cynanchum auriculatum, Cynanchum bungei, and Cynanchum wilfordii. In the present study, roots of these three specie were extracted and then fractionated using petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), and water. DPPH scavenging experiments revealed high antioxidant activity of DCM and EA fractions of C. bungei and the EA fraction of C. wilfordii. Treatments with these three fractions significantly reduced malondialdehyde content in heat‐stressed Daphnia magna, validating in vivo antioxidant activity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC‐MS) analyses demonstrated that the chemical components of fractions extracted from C. bungei, C. bungei, and C. wilfordii were different. Further determination of total phenol and total flavonoids contents showed that DCM and EA fractions of C. bungei and EA fraction of C. wilfordii had much higher contents of total phenol and total flavonoids, which might be the reason to explain their strong antioxidant activity. Overall, the present study suggested that these three plants have different chemical components and biological activities. They could not be used as the same drug.
Zircon U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of the intrusions from the Sadaigoumen Mo deposit in the northern margin of the North China Craton: Implications for mineralization process and tectonic evolution
Authors: Wang Chengyang , Sun Zhenjun , Liu Guanghu , Yu Jiajia , Liu Jie
Published: February 2019

The Sadaigoumen Mo deposit is a typical porphyry‐type deposit which is located in the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), China. Mineralization of the deposit mainly occurs as finely disseminated within the host granites. To get a better understanding of the ore‐forming process of the deposit and the genetic link between mineralization and host igneous rocks, we report LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb and whole‐rock major and trace elements data from the magmatic rocks which are exposed in the mining area. LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb analyses yield weighed mean ages of 239.5 ± 0.58 Ma for alkali‐feldspar granites and 1872.8 ± 5.1 Ma for porphyritic granodiorite. The porphyritic granodiorite, which was previously considered to be part of the Hongqiyingzi Group, is redefined as Palaeoproterozoic highly fractionated I‐type granites: (1) They have high contents of SiO2 (69.57–72.21 wt.%) and Al2O3 (13.24–13.90 wt.%) and high Na2O + K2O (up to 7.1 wt.%) and FeOT/MgO values (6.7 to 7.7), and (2) significant depletion of Eu, Sr, Ba, P, and Ti elements; (3) compared with typical A‐type granites, they have lower Ga (around 20.5 ppm) and 10000 × Ga/Al values (around 2.8); the Triassic alkali‐feldspar granite samples also show highly fractionated I‐type geochemical signatures with high Na2O + K2O (8.40–8.50 wt.%), FeO*/MgO (12.67–13.49), and Ga/Al (2.58–2.81) ratios. The higher ∑REE values (>199.69 ppm) and depletions of Nb, Ta, and Ba make it different from typical A‐type granites. By comparative analysis of geochemical data, we believed that the ca. 1872.8 Ma porphyritic granodiorite formed in a tectonic environment resembling that of magmatic arc granites and the ca. 239.5 Ma alkali‐feldspar granite formed in syn‐collisional settings which is related to closure of Palaeo‐Asian Ocean. Our new data, combined with previous studies, allow us to speculate that the Triassic alkali‐feldspar granite is directly related to the Mo mineralization in this area.
Overweight and obesity during adolescence increases the risk of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Landberg Anna , Fält Anna , Montgomery Scott , Sundqvist Pernilla , Fall Katja
Published: February 2019

While overweight among adults has been linked with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk, little is known about the potential influence of overweight and obesity during adolescence. To ascertain if adolescent body mass index is associated with subsequent risk of RCC, we identified a cohort of 238,788 Swedish men who underwent mandatory military conscription assessment between 1969 and 1976 at a mean age of 18.5 years. At the time of conscription assessment, physical and psychological tests were performed including measurements of height and weight. Participants were followed through linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry to identify incident diagnoses of RCC. The association between body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) at conscription assessment and subsequent RCC was evaluated using multivariable Cox regression. During a follow‐up of up to 37 years, 266 men were diagnosed with RCC. We observed a trend for higher RCC risk with increasing BMI during adolescence, where one‐unit increase in BMI conferred a 6% increased risk of RCC (95% CI 1.01–1.10). compared to normal weight men (BMI 18.5‐ < 25), men with overweight (BMI 25‐ < 30) or obesity (BMI ≥30) had hazard ratios for RCC of 1.76 (95% CI 1.16–2.67) and 2.87 (95% CI 1.26–6.25), respectively. The link between overweight/obesity and RCC appear to be already established during late adolescence. Prevention of unhealthy weight gain during childhood and adolescence may thus be a target in efforts to decrease the burden of RCC in the adult population.
First trimester glycosylated hemoglobin as a predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Arbib Nissim , Shmueli Anat , Salman Lina , Krispin Eyal , Toledano Yoel , Hadar Eran
Published: February 2019

Objective

To evaluate the potential role of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) as an early biomarker for gestational diabetes.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis, healthy women who went on to give birth to a singleton newborn in a tertiary medical center in Petach Tikva, Israel, underwent measurement of HbA1C in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks of pregnancy) between August 1, 2007, and December 31, 2014. Women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, HbA1C ≥6.5%, and/or fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dL were excluded, as were women whose glucose levels had already been tested before 24 weeks of pregnancy. Data were extracted from a maternal and neonatal database. The primary outcome measure was the association between first trimester HbA1C and adverse pregnancy outcome, primarily, gestational diabetes.

Results

The cohort included 142 women. HbA1C concentration was linearly and inversely correlated to length of gestation (r=−0.317, P<0.001). Higher HbA1C was associated with gestational diabetes. An HbA1C concentration of ≥5.45% predicted gestational diabetes with 83.3% sensitivity, 69% specificity, and gave positive and negative predictive values of 53% and 90.8%, respectively.

Conclusion

Early pregnancy HbA1C could serve as a predictor of gestational diabetes. Ideally, HbA1C should be considered in multi‐parameter prediction models to enhance accuracy.
Peptide‐modified bone repair materials: Factors influencing osteogenic activity
Authors: Liao Jie , Wu Shuai , Li Kun , Fan Yubo , Dunne Nicholas , Li Xiaoming
Published: February 2019

Many factors have been demonstrated as having an influencing effect on the osteogenic activity of the peptide‐modified bone repair materials. However, most of studies only focus on one or two aspects that result in an incomplete direction for materials preparation, characterization, and performance evaluation. In this review, we reported several factors through summarizing previous research studies, which are mainly centered on three aspects: (1) the characteristics of peptide immobilized on the surface of matrix (e.g., type and length of sequence, structure, and density); (2) the combination mode between peptide and matrix (including covalent binding in selective or nonselective immobilization, and noncovalent binding through simple absorption or mixing with the matrix, and other factors in covalent binding); and (3) the properties of the matrix (including surface structure and morphology, dimension, mechanical properties, hydrophobic–hydrophilic balance, adsorbing proteins on materials), and the other possible influencing factors such as binding to other peptides. In addition, attentions were paid to the introduction and the discussion of newest studies and the analysis of mechanism. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2019.
Gastrodin attenuates neuroinflammation in DOI‐induce Tourette syndrome in rats
Authors: Long Hongyan , Wang Chunyan , Ruan Jie , Zhang Mengjiao , Huang Yaruo
Published: February 2019

Objective

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder. Its clinical manifestations are involuntary and recurrent muscle twitch, resulting in motor twitch and occurrence twitch. Traditional Chinese medicine has obvious advantages in treating TS. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of gastrodin on 1‐(2,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐iodophenyl)‐2‐aminopropane (DOI)‐induced TS in rats.

Methods

TS model was induced by DOI. Behaviors in TS rats were detected. The striatum, serum inflammatory factors interleukin‐6, interleukin‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor‐a were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot technique was used to detect the expressions of TLR/NF‐κB and TLR/MAPK signaling pathways in the striatum.

Results

Gastrodin can significantly improve behavioral changes of TS rats induced by DOI, reduce inflammatory factors in serum and striatum in TS rats, and inhibit activation of TLR/NF‐κB and TLR/MAPK signaling in striatum in TS rats.

Conclusion

Gastrodin can significantly relieve the TS induced by DOI in rats. Its mechanism is related to the inhibition of striatal TLR/NF‐κB and TLR/MAPK signaling activation.
RETRACTED: Silencing of HAS2‐AS1 mediates PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in glioma
Authors: Zhao Zhenyi , Liang Tiansong , Feng Shijun
Published: February 2019

Hyaluronan synthase 2 (HAS2)‐AS1 (natural antisense transcript of HAS2) functions as oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma, breast cancer, and osteosarcoma. The role of HAS2‐AS1 in glioma remains unknown. In our research, HAS2‐AS1 expression was elevated in glioma tissues compared with normal brain tissues. Moreover, high levels of HAS2‐AS1 expression was observed in patients with glioma with high WHO grade (III‐IV) or large tumor size ( > 4 cm). The survival analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas showed glioma cases with high HAS2‐AS1 expression that had shorter disease‐free survival time and overall survival time than those with low HAS2‐AS1 expression. In vitro studies suggested that knocking down HAS2‐AS1 expression inhibited glioma cell viability, migration, and invasion through phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. In conclusion, HAS2‐AS1 may be considered as a predictor for clinical outcome and a potential therapeutic target in glioma.
Mitochondria in gastric epithelial cells are the key targets for NSAIDs‐induced injury and NGF cytoprotection
Authors: Ahluwalia Amrita , Jones Michael K. , Hoa Neil , Tarnawski Andrzej S.
Published: February 2019

Gastric epithelial cells are important components of mucosal protection and targets of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)‐induced injury. Diclofenac (DFN) is one of the most widely used NSAIDs; however, even its short‐term use can induce gastric erosions and ulcers. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been reported to act not only on neuronal cells but also on endothelial cells; however, its action on gastric epithelial cells is unknown. This study was aimed to determine, whether NGF can protect gastric epithelial cells against DFN‐induced injury, and to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms with a focus on mitochondria, survivin, and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1). Cultured normal rat gastric mucosal epithelial cells 1 (RGM1) were treated with phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS; control), NGF (100 ng/mL) and/or DFN (0.25‐1.00 mM) for 4 hours. We examined: (1) cell injury by confocal microscopy; (2) cell death/survival using Calcein AM live cell tracking dye; (3) mitochondrial structure and membrane potential function using MitoTracker in live cells; and (4) expression of NGF, its receptor ‐ tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA), survivin and IGF‐1 by immunostaining. DFN treatment of RGM1 cells for 4 hours caused extensive cell injury, mitochondrial disintegration, reduced cell viability (from 94 ± 3% in controls to 14 ± 4% in 0.5 mM DFN‐treated cells; P < 0.001), and expression of survivin and IGF‐1. NGF treatment significantly increased survivin and IGF‐1 expression by 41% and 75%, respectively versus PBS controls. Pretreatment with NGF before DFN treatment reduced mitochondrial damage and cell death by 73% and 82%, respectively versus treatment with DFN alone (all P < 0.001). This study also showed the presence of high‐affinity TrkA receptors in the plasma membrane and mitochondria of RGM1 cells indicating novel actions of NGF.
RNASEL 1623A>C variant is associated with the risk of prostate cancer in African descendants
Authors: Wang Jian , Yuan Wei , Yue Chuang , Dai Feng , Gao Shenglin , Mi Yuanyuan , Bai Yu , Zhang Lifeng , Zuo Li , Wu Xingyu , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2019

Association between ribonuclease L (RNASEL) gene 1623A>C polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility has been assessed in large quantities of studies but with controversial conclusions. We undertook a pooled analysis containing 7397 PCa cases and 6088 control subjects to assess the correlation between RNASEL 1623A>C polymorphism and PCa risk. Moreover, we used enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to test the serum RNASEL expression among patients enrolled in our centers and in‐silico tools were also utilized. The overall results of our analysis indicated a positive relationship between 1623A>C variant and PCa risk (allelic contrast, odds ratio [OR] = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02‐1.12; Pheterogeneity = 0.575; CC vs AA, OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.03‐1.26; Pheterogeneity = 0.217; CC + CA vs AA, OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.01‐1.19; Pheterogeneity = 0.303; and CC vs CA + AA, OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.00‐1.17; Pheterogeneity = 0.298). In ethnicity subgroup analysis, similar results were especially indicated in African descendants. In addition, serum RNASEL levels in PCa cases with CC + CA genotypes were higher than those with AA genotypes. Our present study showed evidence that RNASEL 1623A>C polymorphism is related to PCa risk, especially in African descendants.
Possible molecular mechanisms of glucose‐lowering activities of Momordica charantia (karela) in diabetes
Authors: Pahlavani Naseh , Roudi Fatemeh , Zakerian Mohsen , Ferns Gordon A , Navashenaq Jamshid Gholizadeh , Mashkouri Amir , Ghayour‐Mobarhan Majid , Rahimi Hamidreza
Published: February 2019

Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent metabolic disorder which is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance, with a relative or absolute insulin deficiency and profound changes in the metabolism of macronutrients. Traditional and complementary medicine is therapeutic strategies that have both been applied to improving glycemic control. Momordica charantia is one of the plant‐based, folk medicines that used for improving glycemic control. We aimed to review, the effects of M. charantia on blood glucose with a clarification of the molecular pathways involved. Of the compounds derived from the plants, the insulin‐like peptide, charantin, and the alkaloid vicine, have been reported to have hypoglycemic effects. Different mechanisms contribute to the antidiabetic activities of M. charantia, these include increasing pancreatic insulin secretion, decreasing insulin resistance and increasing peripheral and skeletal muscle cell glucose utilization, inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption and suppressing of key enzymes in the gluconeogenic pathways.
Racial discrimination, John Henryism coping, and behavioral health conditions among predominantly poor, urban African Americans: Implications for community‐level opioid problems and mental health services
Authors: Jones Shawn C. T. , Brooks Jennifer H. , Milam Adam J. , Barajas Clara B. , LaVeist Thomas A. , Kane Erika , Furr‐Holden C. Debra M.
Published: February 2019

The current study examined the relationship between John Henryism Active Coping (JHAC), experiences of racial discrimination, and behavioral health outcomes in a community sample of 319 Black adults. Assessments included primary health care screenings as well as self‐reported survey questions to assess JHAC, experiences of discrimination, and self‐reported behavioral health. Logistic regression models, adjusted for control variables, found a significant relationship between JHAC and having an opioid problem (odds ratio [OR] = 0.95, p = 0.003) and needing mental health services (OR = 0.95, p < 0.001), such that higher levels of coping were associated with lower odds of reporting an opioid problem and needing mental health services. Notably, racial discrimination was not significantly independently associated with behavioral health. Implications for interventions and community programming are discussed.
Cervical cancer in pregnancy: Analysis of the literature and innovative approaches
Authors: Perrone Anna Myriam , Bovicelli Alessandro , D'Andrilli Giuseppina , Borghese Giulia , Giordano Antonio , De Iaco Pierandrea
Published: February 2019

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies diagnosed during pregnancy although, fortunately, it is a rare event. In majority of cases, the management of cervical cancer in pregnant women is not different from nonpregnant women and prognosis seems not compromised by pregnancy. The association between cancer and pregnancy appears to be a significant challenge for women and specialists and the decisions about therapy must be individualized and taken by a multidisciplinary team. This review is focused on cervical cancer in pregnancy. The aim is to discuss the diagnosis, potential biomarkers and molecular aspects, therapeutic approaches, and prognosis from intraepithelial cervical neoplasia to invasive cervical cancer (early and advanced stages) in different gestational ages. We provide an overview of the current literature regarding the treatment strategies of concurrent pregnancy and cervical cancer cases and we propose some clinical advices to help clinicians to manage this condition. A mention about the effects of the conservative therapy (as conization) on fertility, the human papillomavirus vaccine in pregnant women and our center's experience with obstetrical and oncological outcomes are reported.
Mesenchymal stem cell basic research and applications in dog medicine
Authors: Gugjoo Mudasir Bashir , Amarpal Amarpal , Sharma Gutulla Taru
Published: February 2019

The stem cells, owing to their special characteristics like self‐renewal, multiplication, homing, immunomodulation, anti‐inflammatory, and dedifferentiation are considered to carry an “all‐in‐one‐solution” for diverse clinical problems. However, the limited understanding of cellular physiology currently limits their definitive therapeutic use. Among various stem cell types, currently mesenchymal stem cells are extensively studied for dog clinical applications owing to their readily available sources, easy harvesting, and ability to differentiate both into mesodermal, as well as extramesodermal tissues. The isolated, culture expanded, and characterized cells have been applied both at preclinical as well as clinical settings in dogs with variable but mostly positive results. The results, though positive, are currently inconclusive and demands further intensive research on the properties and their dependence on the applications. Further, numerous clinical conditions of dog resemble to that of human counterparts and thus, if proved rewarding in the former may act as basis of therapy for the latter. The current review throws some light on dog mesenchymal stem cell properties and their potential therapeutic applications.
Generation of insulin‐producing hepatocyte‐like cells from human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells as an alternative source of islet cells
Authors: Beikmohammadi Leila , Bandehpour Mojgan , Hashemi Seyed Mahmoud , Kazemi Bahram
Published: February 2019

Islet cell transplantation, as a treatment of type 1 diabetes, has a lot of complexity such as allograft rejections and an insufficient number of donors. The liver can be used as a replacement for endogenous insulin production. Hepatocytes can inherently respond to glucose levels and secrete proteins. Utilization of mesenchymal stem cells for curing diabetes represents a major focus of recent investigations. As a new choice for transplantation, we have proposed glucose‐regulated insulin‐producing hepatocyte‐like cells, which produce insulin dependent on glucose levels. We have transfected human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells with the special construct, which included homology arms and glucose‐responsive elements upstream of the minimum liver‐type pyruvate kinase promoter‐directed insulin gene. Then, we have differentiated these transfected cells to hepatocyte‐like cells by using serial exposure of different inducing material and exogenous growth factors. Immunofluorescence analyses have demonstrated the expression of albumin, cytokeratin‐18, Hep‐Par1, α‐fetoprotein, and insulin. The expression of hepatocyte marker genes in the differentiated cells was confirmed by reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction. Interestingly, flow cytometry results showed that approximately 60% of the insulin‐producing hepatocyte‐like cells were simultaneously cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and insulin positive. CYP3A4 is a significant enzyme found in mature liver tissue. This confirmed that the differentiation and the transfection procedures were done correctly. They were functionally active by releasing insulin in response to elevated glucose concentrations in vitro. These applicable cells could be used in the liver for cell therapy of diabetes.
New therapy with XLQ® to suppress chronic prostatitis through its anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative activities
Authors: Yang Feiya , Meng Lingquan , Han Panpan , Chen Dexi , Wang Mingshuai , Jiang Yongguang , Wu Yanqiao , Wu Yiling , Xing Nianzeng
Published: February 2019

Chronic prostatitis is a common urological disease. The etiology of this disease and effective therapy for its treatment are yet to be elucidated. We investigated the functions of XLQ® in chronic nonbacterial prostatitis using a complete Freund's adjuvant‐induced rat model. Prostates and blood samples were collected for further evaluation after oral gavage with XLQ
® or a vehicle for 4 weeks. The results showed that XLQ
® significantly decreased the prostate index, ameliorated the histopathologic changes, and reduced CD3+ and CD45+ cell infiltration in the prostate stroma. Further study showed that XLQ
® suppressed the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐17A, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, and tumor necrosis factor‐α. XLQ
® showed a strong antioxidant capacity by enhancing the activities of antioxidative enzymes (e.g., total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and decreasing the level of lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde). Moreover, XLQ
® can suppress the activation of nuclear factor‐κB and P38‐mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways. In summary, XLQ
® has affirmative effects on chronic prostatitis, which could be attributed to its anti‐inflammatory and antioxidative capacities. On the basis of these results, XLQ
® can be developed as an effective and safe therapy for chronic prostatitis.
Effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on co‐cultured ovarian carcinoma cells
Authors: Li Xiufeng , Li Zongming
Published: February 2019

Ovarian carcinoma is mainly treated by surgery aided by chemotherapy. If supplemented by stem cells treatment, its recurrence rate and mortality rate will be decreased. This is a new therapy. In this study, ovarian cancer cells were cultured together with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs), and the interactions between them were observed. The results showed that the survival rates of UCMSCs increased to 83.8 ± 2.2% from 56.5 ± 5.5%, and the survival rates of ovarian cancer cells decreased to 16.2 ± 2.2% from 43.5 ± 5.5% with the progression of the cultural time from 24 to 96 hr. There was a significant difference between them (p < .05). It revealed that UCMSCs could inhibit the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells.
CRTAM+ NK cells endowed with suppressor properties arise in leukemic bone marrow
Authors: Ramírez-Ramírez Dalia , Padilla-Castañeda Sandra , Galán-Enríquez Carlos Samuel , Vadillo Eduardo , Prieto-Chávez Jessica Lakshmi , Jiménez-Hernández Elva , Vilchis-Ordóñez Armando , Sandoval Antonio , Balandrán Juan Carlos , Pérez-Tapia Sonia Mayra , Ortiz-Navarrete Vianney , Pelayo Rosana
Published: February 2019

Due to their increasing rates of morbidity and mortality, childhood malignancies are considered a global health priority, with acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs) showing the highest incidence worldwide. Control of malignant clone emergence and the subsequent normal-leukemic hematopoietic cell out-competition require antitumor monitoring mechanisms. Investigation of cancer surveillance innate cells may be critical to understand the mechanisms contributing in either disease progression or relapse, and to promote displacement of leukemic hematopoiesis by the normal counterpart. We report here that NK cell production is less and low hematopoietic progenitor numbers contribute to this defect. By investigating the expression of the activation molecule class I restricted T-cell associated molecule (CRTAM) along the hematopoietic lineage differentiation pathway, we have identified lymphoid precursor populations coexpressing CD34, CD56/CD3/CD19, and CRTAM as the earliest developmental stage where activation may take place in specialized niches that display the ligand nectin-like-2. Of note, bone marrow (BM) from patients with ALL revealed high contents of preactivated CD56high NK cells expressing CRTAM and endowed with an exhaustion-like phenotype and the functional capability of producing IL-10 and TGF-β in vitro. Our findings suggest, for the first time, that the tumor microenvironment in ALL directly contribute to exhaustion of NK cell functions by the CRTAM/Necl-2 interaction, and that the potential regulatory role of exhausted-like NK cells may favor malignant progression at the expense of anti-tumor responses. Phenotypic and functional identity of this unique suppressor-like NK cell population within the leukemic BM would be of special interest for the pathobiology of ALL and development of targeting strategies.