bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study on the Sliding Friction for Coiled Tubing and High-Pressure Hose in a Cuttings Bed During Microhole-Horizontal-Well Drilling
Authors: Song Xianzhi , Pang Zhaoyu , Xu Zhengming , Li Gensheng , Sun Baojiang , Zhu Zhaopeng , Yang Ruiyue , Lyu Zehao
Published: January 2019

Microhole–horizontal–well–drilling technology is a high–efficiency and low–cost technology that has developed rapidly in recent years. However, during microhole–horizontal–well drilling, cuttings deposit easily at the bottom of the wellbore because of gravity and nonrotation of the pipe. The pipe sliding on the cuttings bed will cause extremely serious friction between the pipe and cuttings bed, which is an important limiting factor on the extended length of the microhole horizontal wellbore. Therefore, it is necessary to study the influencing factors and establish a model for evaluating the friction between the pipe and cuttings bed. In this study, laboratory experiments on the sliding friction between pipe and cuttings bed were conducted. By analyzing the comprehensive sliding–friction coefficient (CSFC) between the pipe and cuttings bed, the effects of dimensionless buried depth (0.2 to 1.0) and average cuttings size (0.249 to 2.667 mm) on the CSFC between the pipe and cuttings bed were obtained. CSFC is a function of dimensionless buried depth and relative roughness in the developed model. The results suggest that the sliding–friction resistance between the pipe and cuttings bed increases as the buried depth of pipe increases or the average cuttings size decreases. We propose a model for estimating the CSFC using experimental data and the least–squares method. The predictions show good agreement with the experimental data within suitable ranges of models. This work is expected to provide the basis for predicting the friction resistance between the pipe and cuttings bed.
A Unified Model To Predict Flowing Pressure and Temperature Distributions in Horizontal Wellbores for Different Energized Fracturing Fluids
Authors: Xu Zhengming , Wu Kan , Song Xianzhi , Li Gensheng , Zhu Zhaopeng , Sun Baojiang
Published: January 2019

Energized fracturing fluids, including foams, carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen (N2), are widely used for multistage fracturing in horizontal wells. However, because density, rheology, and thermal properties are sensitive to temperature and pressure, it is important to understand the flow and thermal behaviors of energized fracturing fluids along the wellbore. In this study, a unified steady-state model is developed to simulate the flow and thermal behaviors of different energized fracturing fluids and to investigate the changes of fluid properties from the wellhead to the toe of the horizontal wellbore. The velocity and pressure are calculated using continuity and momentum equations. Temperature profiles of the whole wellbore/formation system are obtained by simultaneously solving energy equations of different thermal regions. Temperature, pressure, and energized-fluid properties are coupled in both depth and radial directions using an iteration scheme. This model is verified against field data from energized-fluid-injection operations. The relative average errors for pressure and temperature are less than 5%. The effects of injection pressure, mass-flow rate, annulus-fluid type, foam quality, and proppant volumetric concentration on pressure and temperature distributions are analyzed. Influence degrees of these operating parameters on the bottomhole pressure (BHP) for different energized fracturing fluids are calculated. The required injection parameters at the surface to achieve designed bottomhole treating parameters for different energized fracturing fluids are compared. The results of this study might help field operators to select the most-suitable energized fluid and further optimize energized-fluid-fracturing treatments.
How Effective Is Carbon Dioxide as an Alternative Fracturing Fluid?
Authors: Li Sanbai , Zhang Dongxiao
Published: January 2019

Massive hydraulic fracturing requires an enormous consumption of water and introduces many potential environmental issues. In addition, water-based fluid tends to be trapped in formations, reducing oil/gas-phase relative permeability, and causes clay-mineral swelling, which lowers absolute permeability. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is seen as a promising alternative working fluid that poses no formation-damage risk, and it can stimulate more-complex and extensive fracture networks. However, very little, if any, extant research has quantitatively analyzed the effectiveness of CO2 fracturing, except for some qualitative fracturing experiments that are based on acoustic emissions. In this study, we systematically examine water and CO2 fracturing, and compare their performance on the basis of a rigorously coupled geomechanics and a fluid-heat-flow model. Parameters investigated include fluid viscosity, compressibility, in-situ stress, and rock permeability, illustrating how they affect breakdown pressure (BP) and leakoff, as well as fracturing effectiveness. It is found that (1) CO2 has the potential to lower BP, benefiting the propagation of fractures; (2) water fracturing tends to create wider and longer tensile fractures compared with CO2 fracturing, thereby facilitating proppant transport and placement; (3) CO2 fracturing could dramatically enhance the complexity of artificial fracture networks even under high-stress-anisotropy conditions; (4) thickened CO2 tends to generate simpler fracture networks than does supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2), but still more-complex fracture networks than fresh water; and (5) the alternative fracturing scheme (i.e., SC-CO2 fracturing followed by thickened-CO2 fracturing) can readily create complex fracture networks and carry proppant to keep hydraulic fractures open. This study reveals that, for intact reservoirs, water-based fracturing can achieve better fracturing performance than CO2 fracturing; however, for naturally fractured reservoirs, CO2 fracturing can constitute an effective way to stimulate tight/shale oil/gas reservoirs, thereby improving oil/gas production.
Multiple-line Chemotherapy and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhang Hua , Yang Jie , Deng Yan-ming , Zhao Ning , Liang Jian-miao , Yang Shuang , Zhang Shun-da , Feng Wei-neng
Published: January 2019

Aim:

To analyse the clinical outcomes of patients with lung cancer treated with first and
multiple-line chemotherapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

Patients & Methods:

The present study included a total of 89 patients of whom lung cancer was
histologically confirmed between July 2016 and September 2017. Patients’ demographics,
chemotherapy/TKI treatment details and clinical outcomes were retrieved. The progression-free
survivals (PFS) after first-line and multiple-line treatments were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier
analysis with log-rank test. Risk factors for progressive disease (PD) were identified using Cox
multivariate regression model.

Results:

A total of 50 males and 39 females were enrolled. About 90% of the tumors were
histologically classified as adenocarcinoma, and 77/89 cases (86.5%) were at TNM stage IV. The
median PFS for the first-line treatment was 6.17 months. After first-line treatment, more favourable
PFS was observed in patients who had prior surgery of lung cancer (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis
showed that patients who had received no prior surgical treatment for lung cancer were at higher risk
of PD (OR, 4.311; 95% CI, 1.836 to 10.120; P = 0.0008). Besides, in patients with driver mutations,
those who received no TKI treatment were under higher risk of PD compared to those who had been
treated with TKI (OR, 4.876; 95% CI, 1.877 to 12.666; P = 0.0011). The median PFS for the
multiple-line treatment was 24.67 months. After multiple-line treatments, favourable PFS was
associated with tumor histological types of adenocarcinoma (P = 0.041), genetic lesions at exon 19
of EGFR (P = 0.001) and fourth-line treatment (P = 0.001). Risk factors for PD after multiple-line
treatments were no prior surgery for lung cancer (OR, 3.335; 95% CI, 1.158 to 9.605; P = 0.0256),
no TKI use in multiple-line treatment (OR, 10.095; 95% CI, 2.405 to 42.378; P = 0.0016), and being
treated by first-line treatment alone (OR, 30.421; 95% CI, 4.813 to 192.269; P = 0.0003).

Conclusion:

The present study demonstrated the benefits of TKI in patients with advanced lung
cancer, providing insights into the refinement of the management strategy.
Analysis of Four Types of Leukemia Using Gene Ontology Term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway Enrichment Scores
Authors: Lu Jing , Zhang YuHang , Wang ShaoPeng , Bi Yi , Huang Tao , Luo Xiaomin , Cai Yu-Dong
Published: January 2019

Aim and Objective:

Leukemia is the second common blood cancer after lymphoma, and
its incidence rate has an increasing trend in recent years. Leukemia can be classified into four types:
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic
leukemia (CLL), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). More than forty drugs are applicable to
different types of leukemia based on the discrepant pathogenesis. Therefore, the identification of
specific drug-targeted biological processes and pathways is helpful to determinate the underlying
pathogenesis among such four types of leukemia.

Methods:

In this study, the gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and
Genomes (KEGG) pathways that were highly related to drugs for leukemia were investigated for the
first time. The enrichment scores for associated GO terms and KEGG pathways were calculated to
evaluate the drugs and leukemia. The feature selection method, minimum redundancy maximum
relevance (mRMR), was used to analyze and identify important GO terms and KEGG pathways.

Results:

Twenty Go terms and two KEGG pathways with high scores have all been confirmed to
effectively distinguish four types of leukemia.

Conclusion:

This analysis may provide a useful tool for the discrepant pathogenesis and drug design
of different types of leukemia.
Design, Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of New Thiazole-Tetrazole or Triazole Hybrid Glycosides Targeting CDK-2 via Structure-Based Virtual Screening
Authors: Kassem Asmaa F. , Abbas Eman M. H. , El-Kady Dina S. , Awad Hanem M. , El-Sayed Wael A.
Published: January 2019

Background & Objective:

The target tetrazole glycosides were synthesized by construction of ring system by cycloaddition reaction of benzothiazole-linked nitrile derivative and sodium azide followed by N-glycosylation process and deprotection.

Methods:

The triazole glycosides were prepared by applying click approach involving dipolar cycloaddition of benzothiazole possessing alkyne functionality and different glycosyl azides. The products incorporating acyclic analogs of sugar moieties were synthesized through alkylation using acyclic oxygenated halides.

Results:

The anticancer activity was studied against human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7) and human normal Retina pigmented epithelium cells (RPE-1). High activities were revealed by three compounds with IC50 values 11.9-16.5 µM compared to doxorubicin (18.6 µM) in addition to other four derivatives with good inhibition activities.

Conclusion:

Enzyme docking investigation was performed into cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2); a potential target for cancer medication. Compounds which have possessed highest activities revealed good fitting inside the binding site of the protein molecular surface and showed minimum binding energy.
Selective Anti-proliferative Activity of Indole Alkaloids from Rhazya stricta Decne Leaves
Authors: Abdul-Hameed Zainab H. , Alarif Walied M. , Omer Abdulkader M.S. , El Omri Abdelfatteh , Ayyad Seif-Eldin N. , Badria Farid A. , Neamatallah Thikryat , Bawakid Nahed O.
Published: January 2019

:

Rhazya stricta is a rich indole alkaloid medicinal plant species, that is used in traditional
medicine particularly in Middle East countries to treat inflammations, diabetes, rheumatism, and skin
disorders. The alkaloid plant extract of R. stricta was fractionated on aluminum oxide column and further
purified by different chromatographic methods. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds
were elucidated by interpretation of their 1D and 2D NMR, IR, UV and MS spectral data. The potential
antitumor effect was examined against three cancer cell lines; HCT-116-colon cancer, PC-3-prostate
cancer and HepG2-liver cancer as well as a control cell line (Vero) using MTT assay. Two new indole
alkaloids, identified as 16-epi-stemmadenine-N-oxide (1) and stemmadenine-N-methyl (2), along with
the known indole alkaloid 20-epi-antirhine (3) were isolated from the leaves of Rhazya stricta. Compound
2, stemmadenine-N-methyl exhibited a reasonable selectivity index and a broad anticancer effect
against the examined cell lines with IC50 35.0±0.7, 35.0±0.6, 40.0±0.7and 79.0±1.0 μM, respectively.
Furthermore, the effect of stemmadenine-N-methyl was evaluated on cell migration using woundhealing
assay. It significantly hindered cell migration and delayed-wound healing. 16-epistemmadenine-
N-oxide and stemmadenine-N-methyl are new indole alkaloids isolated from the leaves
of Rhazya stricta, of which stemmadenine-N-methyl selectively inhibited the proliferation of three different
cancer cell lines. In addition, it prevented cell migration and delayed wound-healing. Further
studies are required to confirm the mechanism by which this promising alkaloid exhibits its antitumor
activity.
Highly Efficient Michael Reactions of Nitroolefins by Grinding Means
Authors: Cui Dong-Xiao , Li Yue-Dan , Zhu Jun-Chao , Jia Yan-Yan , Wen Ai-Dong , Wang Ping-An
Published: January 2019

Aim and Objective:

The direct β-functionalization of trans-β-nitroolefins by Michael reaction is regarded
as an efficient way to provide precursors for β-functional amines. However, Michael additions by grinding
means with solvent-free conditons are rarely reported. We have developed facile access to
β-functional nitroalkanes by grinding means under solvent-free conditions.

Materials and Methods:

From commercially available materials including ethyl 2-nitroacetate, alkyl
2-cyanoacetates and malononitrile, the grinding reactions between these above-mentioned activated methylenecompounds
and various trans-β-nitroolefins were performed at room temperature and solvent-free conditions.

Results:

A highly efficient direct Michael reaction of nitroolefins by simple grinding means has been
developed. Various trans-nitrostyrenes were easily converted into corresponding β-functional nitroalkanes in
excellent yields within 5~10 min (up to 36 examples).

Conclusion:

Herein, we have developed a simple and efficient way to β-functional nitroalkanes through
Michael reactions by grinding means. The grinding Michael reaction is fast, clean and stable and these Michael
adducts could be easily converted into the other amino compounds served as building blocks in organic
synthesis.
Grinding Synthesis of Pyrazolyl-Bis Coumarinyl Methanes Using Potassium 2-Oxoimidazolidine-1,3-diide
Authors: Hematinezhad Kazem , Nikpassand Mohammad , Fekri Leila Zare
Published: January 2019

Aim and Objective:

Potassium 2-oxoimidazolidine-1,3-diide (POImD) as a novel and reusable catalyst
was used for the synthesis of pyrazolyl-bis coumarinyl methanes by a nucleophilic addition reaction of
synthetized pyrazolecarbaldehyde and two equivalents of 4-hydroxycoumarin under grinding. The catalyst can
be reused and recovered several times without loss of activity. This method provides several advantages such
as eco-friendliness, simple work-up and shorter reaction time as well as excellent yields. All of the synthesized
compounds were characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses.

Material and Method:

Synthetized pyrazole carbaldehyde 1a (1 mmol), 4-hydroxycoumarin 2 (2 mmol), 1
mmol of POImD and 10mL of H2O were ground in a mortar by a pestle for 30-90 minutes. After the completion
of the reaction, as monitored by TLC on silica gel using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (1:2), the mixture was allowed
to cool to room temperature. After completion of the reaction, we extracted the product with
CH2Cl2/H2O. This was followed by separation of phases, evaporation of the organic phase and recrystallization
of the residue with 50 mL of ethanol/H2O (1:1). The pure product was then obtained in 87 to 96% yield. The
aqueous phase was concentrated under reduced pressure to recover the catalyst for subsequent use.

Results:

To continue our ongoing studies to synthesize heterocyclic and pharmaceutical compounds by mild,
facile and efficient protocols, herein we wish to report our experimental results on the synthesis of pyrazolylbis
coumarinyl methanes, using various synthetized pyrazole carbaldehydes and 4-hydroxycoumarin in the
presence of POImD in aqueous media at room temperature.

Conclusion:

Finally, we developed an efficient, fast and convenient procedure for the three-component synthesis
of pyrazolyl-bis coumarinyl methanes through the reaction of pyrazole carbaldehydes and 4-
hydroxycoumarin, using POImD as a novel and reusable catalyst. The remarkable advantage offered by this
method is that the catalyst is non-toxic, inexpensive, easy to handle and reusable. A short reaction time, simple
work-up procedure, high yields of product with better purity and the green aspect by avoiding a hazardous solvent
and a toxic catalyst are the other advantages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the
synthesis of pyrazolyl-bis coumarinylmethane derivatives using potassium 2-oxoimidazolidine-1,3-diide (POImD).
Solanum nigrum Anticancer Effect Through Epigenetic Modulations in Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Shirkavand Atefeh , Boroujeni Zahra N. , Aleyasin Seyed A.
Published: January 2019

Background:

DNA methylation plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression
in mammalian cells and often occurs at CpG islands in the genome. It is more reversible
than genetic variations and has therefore attracted much attention for the treatment of many diseases,
especially cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Solanum nigrum
Extract (SNE) on the methylation status of the VIM and CXCR4 genes in breast cancer cell lines.

Methods:

The Trypan blue assay was used to study the effect of SNE at various concentrations of
0, 0.1, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5 mg/ml for 48 h on the survival of three human breast cancer cell lines
MCF7, MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-231. Methylation status of VIM and CXCR4 genes in breast
cancer cell lines was assessed by Methylation-Specific PCR (MSP) method. Also, methylation
changes of VIM and CXCR4 genes in breast cancer cell lines after treatment with 0.1 mg/ml of
SNE for 6 days were analyzed by MSP method. To confirm the effect of SNE on methylation of
VIM and CXCR4 genes, Real-Time PCR was performed.

Results:

The Trypan blue assay results indicated that treatment with SNE reduced cell viability in
a dose-dependent manner in breast cancer cells. Our results showed that treatment of breast cancer
cells with 0.1 mg/ml of SNE hypermethylated the VIM, CXCR4 genes and significantly reduced
the expression levels of their mRNA (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Our findings reveal for the first time the impact of SNE on the methylation of breast
cancer cells.
Should the Ultrasound of Hands be a Component of Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission Criteria?
Authors: Nessrine Akasbi , Siham Driouach , Meryem Baya , Samira El Fakir , Taoufik Harzy
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

The definition of remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is still difficult
to determine. An ultrasound of the hands may be important in helping confirm clinical remission.

Objective:

This study’s aim was to evaluate the interest in using an ultrasound of the hands to confirm
clinical remission, as well as comparing the various remission scores (DAS 28 VS, DAS 28
CRP, and SDAI) and the ultrasound data, in order to deduce the most accurate score to confirm this
remission.

Methods:

In this prospective monocentric study, we studied patients with rheumatoid arthritis in
clinical remission, according to DAS 28 VS, for at least 3 months without corticosteroid therapy.
An ultrasound mode B / Doppler of the hands was taken by an experienced rheumatologist, involving
22 joints: wrists, Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints and proximal interphalangeal joints (PPI)
bilaterally.

Results:

Fifty-one patients were included. They were classified in remission according to DAS 28
VS as well as DAS 28 CRP, whereas the remission according to SDAI was achieved in 66.7% of
our patients. Synovial hypertrophy and power Doppler were present in respectively 65% and 25%
of the patients. SDAI was the most accurate score to confirm RA remission (p < 0.003).

Conclusion:

SDAI appears to be the most appropriate score for the definition of remission in
rheumatoid arthritis, but despite the use of the latter, ultrasound synovitis may still be present. Further
work deserves to be done to clarify the value of ultrasound evaluation in the definition of RA
remission.
In Vitro Metabolic Profiling of Periplogenin in Rat Liver Microsomes and its Associated Enzyme-kinetic Evaluation
Authors: Feng Yingshu , Wan Jinyi , Chen Baoding , Zhu Yuan , Firempong Caleb Kesse , Feng Chunlai , Imai Teruko , Xu Ximing , Yu Jiangnan
Published: January 2019

Background:

Periplogenin, an active ingredient in Cortex Periplocae, is widely noted for its
multiple biological activities; however, the metabolism of this compound has been scarcely investigated.
The present report proposed the in vitro metabolic profiling and reaction pathways of periplogenin in rat
liver microsomes.

Method and Results:

The metabolites of periplogenin in rat liver microsomes were analyzed. Two main
metabolites, namely 14-hydroxy-3-oxo-14β-carda-4, 20 (22)-dienolide and 5, 14-dihydroxy-3-oxo-5β,
14β-card-20(22)-enolide were identified by HPLC-MSn, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. HPLC method was
established for the simultaneous determination of periplogenin and its related metabolites (M0, M1 and
M2), which was performed on Waters ODS column with a methanol-water solution (53:47, v/v) as mobile
phase and descurainoside as an internal standard at 220 nm. The linearity ranges of M0, M1 and
M2 were 0.64-820.51, 0.68-864.86 and 0.64-824.74 μM respectively with the regression coefficient
(R2) above 0.9995. The limits of quantitation for these metabolites (M0, M1 and M2) were 0.18, 0.22
and 0.15 μM respectively. The developed method was also accurate (with relative errors of -3.6% to
3.2%) and precise (with relative standard deviations below 7.9%). The recoveries of the three analytes
were above 85.7% with stability in the range of -2.4% to 3.6%. The enzyme-kinetic parameters of
periplogenin including Vmax (6.08 ± 0.19 nmol/mg protein/min), Km (288.62 ± 14.54 μM) and Clint
(21 ± 1.0 μL/min/mg protein) were calculated using nonlinear regression analysis.

Conclusion:

These findings significantly highlighted the metabolic pathways of periplogenin and also
provided some reference data for future pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.
Elimination of Fluoride, Arsenic, and Nitrate from Water Through Adsorption onto Nano-adsorbent: A Review
Authors: Patel Ravi Kumar , Kumar Sanjay , Chawla Amit Kumar , Mondal Prasenjit , Neelam  , Teychene Benoit , Pandey Jitendra K.
Published: January 2019

Fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate are considered as major pollutants of water around the world,
affecting millions of people mainly through the potable groundwater. Presence of these contaminants
in drinking water can cause health issues like dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, blackfoot disease,
blue-baby syndrome, reproductive disorders, skin cancer, thyroid dysfunction, hypertension etc. The
removal of fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate is mainly carried out through ion-exchange, membrane, adsorption,
and other chemical treatments. Owing to the cost competitiveness, energy consumption and
customized operating procedure, adsorption has been a popular choice for the removal of these contaminants.
The adsorbent based on natural material either in native form or modified at the surface,
have gained the momentum to be utilized for fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate free drinking water because
of their adequate disposability. Recently, adsorbent of nanomaterial has shown the significant
potential for water treatment because of their higher surface area and tailored selectivity. Nanoadsorbents
prepared by wet-chemical precipitation, co-precipitation, sol-gel, electro-coextrusion,
hydrothermal, thermal refluxing methods etc. can be effectively employed at comparatively lower
concentration for water treatment. The adsorption capacity, durability, recyclability, and toxicity of
nano-adsorbent are further explored particularly, at commercial scale. The present article is mainly
aimed to provide a comprehensive review about the applicability and challenges associated with the
use of nano-adsorbents for the removal of fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate with a brief discussion on
options and future perspective to meet the challenges of complexity for the selection of environmentfriendly
adsorbents.
Lentiviral-Mediated Overexpression of MicroRNA-141 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jun-He , Xia Hai-Bin
Published: January 2019

Background:

Esophageal Carcinoma (EC) is the eighth most common cancer worldwide. Numerous studies have highlighted a vital role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the development of EC. However, the mechanism of microRNA (miRNA)-141 in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown.

Objective:

In this study, we explored the effects of miRNA-141 on EC cell proliferation, apoptosis, xenograft tumour growth and their possible mechanisms.

Methods :

A lentivirus-vector-expressing miRNA-141 was constructed, and a TE-1 cell line of ESCC with a stable expression of miRNA-141 was transfected and screened. The miRNA-141 expression level was detected using qRT-PCR. Effects of miRNA-141 overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. Using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, a direct interaction between miRNA-141 and the 3'-Untranslated Region (UTR) of YAP1 and SOX17 was confirmed. Tumour xenograft experiment in nude mice was used to detect the tumour growth, and the effects of miRNA-141 overexpression on YAP1 and SOX17 were analysed using Western blot.

Results:

We found that miRNA-141 was highly expressed in TE-1 cells, and miRNA-141 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. Moreover, the miRNA-141 group showed significantly increased tumour growth ability, luciferase activities and expression levels of YAP1 and SOX17 in the miRNA-141group were significantly down-regulated.

Conclusion:

miRNA-141 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in ESCC by downregulating the expression level of YAP1 and SOX17, indicating that miRNA-141 may be a potential molecular target for the treatment of ESCC.
Crocetin and Crocin from Saffron in Cancer Chemotherapy and Chemoprevention
Authors: Colapietro Alessandro , Mancini Andrea , D'Alessandro Anna Maria , Festuccia Claudio
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

Cancer is a disorder which has a powerful impact on the quality life and life expectancy despite the increase in drugs and treatments available for cancer patients. Moreover, many new therapeutic options are known to have adverse reactions without any improvement in outcome than before. Nowadays, natural products or plant derivatives are used as chemoprevention drugs and chemotherapy is the new approach that uses specific cell premalignant transformation in the malignant form. Natural substances derived from plants, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids and others, can be biologically active and have a wide spectrum of effects. The protective effects of Saffron carotenoids (crocin and crocetin) have been extensively studied mainly for their antioxidant properties, however, they have various other biological activities including tumor growth inhibition with the induction of cell death.

Methods:

The relevant information on Saffron and its carotenoids was collected from scientific databases (such as PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct). To identify all published articles in relation to saffron, crocin and crocetin, in different types of cancer, no language restriction has been used.

Results:

To date, crossing the words saffron and cancer, approximately 150 articles can be found. If crossing is made between crocin and cancer, approximately 60 articles can be found. With the crossing between crocetin and cancer, the number is approximately 55, while between carotenoids and cancer, the number exceeds 16.000 reports. In all the papers published to date, there are evidences that saffron and its carotenoids exert chemopreventive activity through anti-oxidant activity, cancer cells apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, enhancement of cell differentiation, modulation of cell cycle progression and cell growth, modulation of tumor metabolism, stimulation of cell-to-cell communication and immune modulation.

Conclusion:

Here, we have tried to offer an up-to-date overview of pre-clinical experimental investigations on the potential use of the main carotenoids of saffron in tumor models and focus the attention on the molecular mechanisms involved.
PZQ Therapy: How Close are we in the Development of Effective Alternative Anti-schistosomal Drugs?
Authors: Aruleba Raphael Taiwo , Adekiya Tayo Alex , Oyinloye Babatunji Emmanuel , Masamba Priscilla , Mbatha Londiwe Simphiwe , Pretorius Ashley , Kappo Abidemi Paul
Published: January 2019

Today schistosomiasis, caused mainly by the three major schistosome species (S. mansoni, S. haematobium and S. japonicum), has for many decades and still continues to be on a rapid and swift rise globally, claiming thousands of lives every year and leaving 800 million people at the risk of infection. Due to the high prevalence of this disease and the steady increase in the infection rates, praziquantel (PZQ) remains the only effective drug against this acute disease although it has no effect on the juvenile schistosome parasite. However, no significant approaches have been made in recent years in the discovery of new or alternative drugs and unfortunately, resistance to this drug has been reported in some parts of the world. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new drug for this debilitating disease. In this review, a brief history of past, present, and new promising anti-schistosomal drugs is presented.
A Magnesium-based Nanobiocomposite Processed by a Novel Technique Combining High Shear Solidification and Hot Extrusion
Authors: Razavi Mehdi , Huang Yan
Published: January 2019

Background: Most of the currently available Mg-based biomaterials corrode too fast in the
physiological environment, causing many problems including hydrogen bubble release and premature
mechanical failure. It is commonly recognized that high biodegradation rate is the major factor limiting
their clinical applications.

Objective: The present research aims to develop a new magnesium (Mg)-based biomaterial with a controlled
biodegradation rate.

Methods: A magnesium-hydroxyapatite (Mg-1.61Zn-0.18Mn-0.5Ca/1HA) nanocomposite was developed
by a novel technique which combines high shear solidification and hot extrusion, followed by
heat treatment. The microstructure and biodegradation rate of the nanocomposite in HBSS Hanks’ Balanced
Salt Solution were assessed. Biodegradation behaviour was studied using electrochemical corrosion
and immersion test. Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy
Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the surface microstructure, biodegradation
morphology and to analyse the biodegradation products. Few patents were also cited in the article.

Results: Under the optimized procedure of high shear solidification, extrusion and heat treatment at
400°C, the Mg-1.61Zn-0.18Mn-0.5Ca/1HA exhibited a satisfactory biodegradation rate of 0.12±0.04
mm/year.

Conclusion: This technology shows a potential of breakthrough innovation in the manufacturing of
Mg-based biomaterials with a decreased biodegradation rate.
Ochratoxin A Removal by Lactobacillus Plantarum V22 in Synthetic Substrates
Authors: A. Moncalvo , R. Dordoni , A. Silva , M.D. Fumi , S. Di Piazza , G. Spigno
Published: January 2019

Background:

Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxin which may occur in wines characterised by higher pH than the average. In the last decades the mechanisms responsible for ochratoxin A reduction by lactic acid bacteria have been investigated and identified as mainly cell walls adsorption and / or enzymatic conversion to ochratoxin-α, a non-toxic metabolite. Since lactic acid bacteria are involved in the malolactic fermentation during the wine-making process, selected starter cultures could be exploited to guarantee safe ochratoxin A level in wines also from contaminated grapes. A lactic acid bacteria strain (Lactobacillus plantarumV22) was previously selected for its ability of both degrading ochratoxin A and carrying out malolactic fermentation at high pH.

Objective:

This study was aimed at assessing if the selectedL. plantarumstrain, can reduce ochratoxin A because it can use it as a carbon source.

Methods:

L. plantarumV22 was grown in the presence of ochratoxin A in two different synthetic substrates, with or without malic acid, monitoring the reduction of ochratoxin A and the presence of ochratoxinαas an indicator for a toxin enzymatic hydrolysis. The presence of residual not hydrolysed ochratoxin A bound to the bacteria cell walls was also evaluated to quantify the ochratoxin A removal due to simple adsorption.

Result:

A significant reduction of 19.5 ± 2.0% in ochratoxin A concentration was observed only in the presence of malic acid. The quantified fraction of ochratoxin A adsorbed on cell walls was irrelevant and the metabolite ochratoxinαcould not be detected.

Conclusion:

There is a possibility thatL. plantarumV22 can degrade ochratoxin A through a not yet identified metabolic pathway.
BAX Gene Overexpression in the Tongue Could Warn of Infection Risk due to Periodontal Pathogens
Authors: Orrù Germano , Muggironi Francesca , Mameli Antonello , Demontis Cristina , Arcadu Bastiana , Scano Alessandra , Denotti Gloria , Piras Vincenzo , Girometta Carolina , Zeza Blerina , Pilloni Andrea
Published: January 2019

Background:

Different host proteins play a central role in cell response during bacterial infections, the Bcl-2-Associated X protein (BAX) and Vascular Cell Adhesion Protein 1 (VCAM-1) are often reported in infective primary events during cell injury.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of these two proteins as biomarkers of oral bacterial infection, with particular emphasis on the tongue, which plays an important role in microbial homeostasis in the mouth.

Methods:

Twenty-nine patients were recruited and divided according to the Periodontal Index (CPI), 4 of them were severely compromised periodontal patients. Oral hygiene, gingival tissues and plaque presence were evaluated clinically. The laboratory analysis carried out on tongue tissue included: total bacterial genomes, proportion of specific periopathogens and BAX -VCAM-1 expression rate, while Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) were measured in saliva.

Results:

Neither tongue microbiological status nor salivary ROS level corresponded with the state of disease. VCAM-1 mRNA expression rate was comparable in all patients but, on the contrary, BAX expression resulted high in periodontally-compromised patients and appears related to periodontal status in the analyzed subjects.

Conclusion:

This preliminary work suggests that the BAX protein is a possible candidate in a prognostic marker study for oral diseases started by periodontal bacteria. For example, none of the evaluated clinical and microbiological parameters could predict the presence, prognosis or recurrence of periodontal diseases. This biomarker could be a valuable tool in determining the risk, diagnosis and prognosis of this human illness.
Authentication of Frozen Chilean Blue Mussel (Mytilus chilensis) Commercialized in the Town of Osorno, Southern Chile, Using PCR-RFLP Analysis
Authors: Colihueque Nelson , Espinoza René , Parraguez Margarita
Published: January 2019

Background:

DNA-based technologies are reliable authentication methods for food
products, enabling the detection of fraud, non-intentional substitution and control of mislabeling.
The Chilean blue mussel (Mytilus chilensis) is a seafood commercialized in Chile under different
formats, including packages of frozen specimens. In this format, the valves of mussels are removed
during processing, thus impeding identification of the product by the consumer due to the lack of
external characters.

Objective:

To assess the authenticity of frozen Chilean blue mussels commercialized in southern
Chile, particularly in the town of Osorno.

Methods:

Six commercial brands of frozen Chilean blue mussel were authenticated by the Polymerase
Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, based on
the analysis of an 18S rDNA fragment.

Results:

Restriction patterns obtained indicate that three brands (50%) proved to be 100% authentic,
given that all specimens contained in the package were Chilean blue mussels. The other three
brands (50%) contained specimens of other commercial mytilids, particularly the cholga mussel
(Aulacomya ater), in a variable percentage (12.5-50%).

Conclusion:

This study based on the PCR-RFLP method provides evidence that Chilean blue mussels
commercialized in a town located in southern Chile lack authenticity. This finding highlights
the necessity for national producers to improve the production and/or packaging processes of this
seafood. The authentication of commercial mussels is a matter of consumer interest and has been
described in a recent patent on this issue that proposes an alternative methodology.
Probabilistic and Fuzzy based Efficient Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Agarwal Madan Mohan , Saini Hemraj , Govil Mahesh Chandra
Published: January 2019

Background:

The performance of the network protocol depends on number of parameters
like re-broadcast probability, mobility, the distance between source and destination, hop count,
queue length and residual energy, etc.

Objective:

In this paper, a new energy efficient routing protocol IAOMDV-PF is developed based
on the fixed threshold re-broadcast probability determination and best route selection using fuzzy
logic from multiple routes.

Methods:

In the first phase, the proposed protocol determines fixed threshold rebroadcast probability.
It is used for discovering multiple paths between the source and the destination. The threshold
probability at each node decides the rebroadcasting of received control packets to its neighbors
thereby reducing routing overheads and energy consumption. The multiple paths list received from
the first phase and supply to the second phase that is the fuzzy controller selects the best path. This
fuzzy controller has been named as Fuzzy Best Route Selector (FBRS). FBRS determines the best
path based on function of queue length, the distance between nodes and mobility of nodes.

Results:

Comparative analysis of the proposed protocol named as "Improved Ad-Hoc On-demand
Multiple Path Distance Vector based on Probabilistic and Fuzzy logic" (IAOMDV-PF) shows that
it is more efficient in terms of overheads and energy consumption.

Conclusion:

The proposed protocol reduced energy consumption by about 61%, 58% and 30% with
respect to FF-AOMDV, IAOMDV-F and FPAOMDV routing protocols, respectively. The proposed
protocol has been simulated and analyzed by using NS-2.
A Review Study of Modified Swarm Intelligence: Particle Swarm Optimization, Firefly, Bat and Gray Wolf Optimizer Algorithms
Authors: Igiri Chinwe P. , Singh Yudhveer , Poonia Ramesh C.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Limitations exist in traditional optimization algorithms. Studies show that
bio-inspired alternatives have overcome these drawbacks. Bio-inspired algorithm mimics the characteristics
of natural occurrences to solve complex problems. Particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithm,
bat algorithms, gray wolf optimizer, among others are examples of bio-inspired algorithms.
Researchers make certain assumptions while designing these models which limits their performance
in some optimization domains. Efforts to find a solution to deal with these challenges leads to the
multiplicity of variants.

Objective:

This study explores the improvement strategies in four popular swarm intelligence in the
literature. Specifically, particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithm, bat algorithm, and gray wolf
optimizer. It also tries to identify the exact modification position in the algorithm kernel that yielded
the positive outcome. The primary goal is to understand the trends and the relationship in their performance.

Methods:

The best evidence review methodology approach is employed. Two ancient but valuable
and two recent and efficient swarm intelligence, are selected for this study.

Results:

Particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithm, bat algorithm, and gray wolf optimizer exhibit
local optima entrapment in their standard states. The same enhancement strategy produced effective
outcome across these four swarm intelligence. The exact approach is chaotic-based optimization. However,
the implementation produced the desired result at different stages of these algorithms.

Conclusion:

Every bio-inspired algorithm comprises two or more updating functions. Researchers
need a proper guide on what and how to apply a strategy for an optimum result.
Importance of Feature Selection and Data Visualization Towards Prediction of Breast Cancer
Authors: Krishnamurthi Rajalakshmi , Aggrawal Niyati , Sharma Lokendra , Srivastava Diva , Sharma Shivangi
Published: January 2019

Background:

Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancers among women
and the leading cause of death among them. Countries like United States, England and Canada have
reported a high number of breast cancer patients every year and this number is continuously increasing
due to detection at later stages. Hence, it is very important to create awareness among women
and develop such algorithms which help to detect malignant cancer. Several research studies have
been conducted to analyze the breast cancer data.

Objective:

This paper presents an effective method in predicting breast cancer and its stage and will
also analyze the performance of different supervised learning algorithms such as Random Classifier,
Chi2 Square test used in order to predict. The paper focuses on the three important aspects such as
the feature selection, the corresponding data visualisation and finally making a prediction call on different
machine learning models.

Methods:

The dataset used for this work is breast cancer Wisconsin data taken from UCI library.
The dataset has been used to show the different 32 features which are all important and how it can
be achieved using data visualisation. Secondly, after the feature selection, different machine learning
models have been applied.

Conclusion:

The machine learning models involved are namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), KNearest
Neighbour (KNN), Random Forest, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Neural Network
using Perceptron (NNP). This has been done to check which type of model is better under what conditions.
At different stages several charts have been plotted and eliminated based on relative comparison.
Results have shown that Random Tree classifier along with Chi2 Square proves to be an efficient
one.
Prediction of high CPT yielding ecotypes of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. in Western Ghats using Ecological Niche Modeling
Authors: Hannah Cordilea , Priya Joyce Sudandara , N. Kasthuri Bhai
Published: January 2019

Camptothecin (CPT) is one of anticancer drug that is widely used for treating various cancers. In India, the drug is primarily sourced from natural habitats of the red listed species Nothapodytes nimmoniana. Ecological niche models are potential tools to define and predict the “ecological niche” of a species that exhibit ecological variations. The predicted ecological niche of a species indicates their survival fitness against Bioclimatic variables. The habitat suitability was predicted using Maxent for different ecotypes of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham.) Mabb. In this study the synonymised populations of N. nimmoniana in the Western Ghats were cogitated as five different ecotypes. The predicted habitat suitability of different ecotypes were evaluated and correlated against CPT content using high performance thin layer chromatography. The study shows a significant positive correlation between the predicted habitat quality and chemical content. The ecotypes growing in sites predicted as highly suitable showed high content of camptothecin compared to those growing in poorly suitable sites. Thereby enabling precise identification of “chemical hot-spots” which will eventually establish a strong foot hold on monoculture of the species, an effort towards conservation.
Perceived Treatment Satisfaction and Effectiveness Facilitators Among Patients With Chronic Health Conditions: A Self-Reported Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Volpicelli Leonard Kathryn , Robertson Courtney , Bhowmick Amrita , Herbert Leslie Beth
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Approximately 50% of patients are nonadherent to prescribed medications. Patient perception regarding medication effectiveness has been linked to improved adherence. However, how patients perceive effectiveness is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to elucidate factors associated with perceived treatment satisfaction and effectiveness among patients with chronic health conditions.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive study using a cross-sectional survey design. We administered a Web-based survey to participants with migraine, multiple sclerosis (MS), or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients were recruited from established online communities of Health Union. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and comparison tests were used to examine outcomes.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 1820 patients: 567 with migraine, 717 with MS, and 536 with RA. The majority of participants were female (1644/1820, 90.33%), >40 years old (1462/1820, 80.33%), and diagnosed >5 years ago (1189/1820, 65.33%). Treatment satisfaction and perceived medication effectiveness were highly correlated (r=0.90, P<.01). Overall, three temporal factors were positively correlated with satisfaction or perceived effectiveness: time on current medication (satisfaction rs=0.22, P<.01; effectiveness rs=0.25, P<.01), time since diagnosis (satisfaction rs=0.07, P<.01; effectiveness rs=0.09, P<.01), and time on treatment (effectiveness rs=0.08, P<.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings validated the strong relationship between treatment satisfaction and perceived effectiveness. Understanding the (1) positive relationship between time and treatment satisfaction and effectiveness and (2) factors associated with determining medication effectiveness can help clinicians better understand the mindset of patients regarding treatment. Clinicians may be better prepared to elicit patient beliefs, which influence medication adherence, for people diagnosed with chronic health conditions.