bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overexpression of an aquaporin gene PvPIP2;9 increased leaf length, improved drought tolerance and water use efficiency and affected other PIP2 genes’ expression in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wen Wuwu , Li Hui , Lu Qiyu , Xu Bin , Huang Bingru
Published: December 2019

Background: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a prime candidate for non-grain-based bioenergy feedstock production. Improved the drought tolerance and higher water use efficiency are important traits for its successful field establishment and production especially in marginal land. Aquaporins are key channels and regulators for water transportation and maintenance of cellular water status. In this study, the functional role of an aquaporin gene, PvPIP2;9, in switchgrass drought tolerance was studied.Results: Expression of PvPIP2;9 was regulated by the diurnal oscillation and osmotic stress. Constitutive over-expressing PvPIP2;9 in switchgrass significantly improved its drought tolerance and water use efficiency with less electrolyte leakage rates but higher relative water contents, photochemical efficiencies, and chlorophyll contents. Moreover, expression patterns of all 14 switchgrass PIP2 subfamily genes were checked in wildtype and transgenic plants during the water-withdrawal treatment, and the result showed that over-expressing PvPIP2;9 also affected transcript levels of most other PIP2 genes. Conclusions: Together, this study showed that improved drought tolerance and higher water use efficiency can be achieved by manipulating the expression level of PvPIP2;9 and also suggested PIP2 subfamily genes were transcriptionally regulated in a coordinated manner.
Investigation of the antigenicity and protective efficacy of Leishmania promastigote membrane antigens in search of potential diagnostic and vaccine candidates against visceral leishmaniasis
Authors: Ejazi Sarfaraz Ahmad , Ghosh Smriti , Bhattacharyya Anirban , Kamran Mohd , Das Sonali , Bhowmick Sudipta , Rahaman Mehebubar , Goswami Rama Prosad , Ali Nahid
Published: December 2019

BackgroundVisceral leishmaniasis (VL), a parasitic disease causes serious medical consequences if treatment is delayed. Despite a decline in the number of VL cases in the Indian Subcontinent, commencement of the disease in newer areas continues to be a major concern. Although serological diagnosis mainly by immunochromatographic tests has been found to be effective, test for cure in different phases of treatment is still desired. Even though good prophylactic response has been obtained in murine models by a number of vaccine candidates, few have been proposed for human use. MethodsIn this study, nine antigenic components (31, 34, 36, 45, 51, 63, 72, 91 and 97 kDa) of Leishmania promastigote membrane antigens, LAg, were electroeluted and evaluated through ELISA to diagnose and distinguish active VL from one month cured and six month past infection. Further, to investigate the immunogenicity of electroeluted proteins, humans PBMCs of cured VL patients were stimulated with 31, 34, 51, 63, 72, and 91 kDa proteins.ResultsWe found that 34 and 51 kDa fractions show 100% sensitivity and specificity with healthy controls and other diseases. After six months post treatment antibodies to 72 and 91 kDa antigens show a significant decline to almost normal levels. This suggests that 34 and 51 kDa are efficient in diagnosis whereas 72 and 91 kDa may be used to monitor treatment outcome. In another study, 51 and 63 kDa proteins demonstrated maximum ability for up-regulate IFN-g and IL-12 with minimum induction of IL-10 and TGF-β. The results indicating that 51 and 63 kDa proteins could be strong candidates for human immunization against VL. In contrast, 34 and 91 kDa demonstrated a reverse profile and may not be a good vaccine candidate. ConclusionsThe present study accounts our search for new biomarkers for tests of clinical cure as well as effective immunoprophylactic candidates for VL vaccination.
Can direct smear results that are routinely collected at health centre level be used for monitoring the impact of mass drug administration with praziquantel on schistosomiasis in Burundi? A preliminary assessment
Authors: BIZIMANA Paul , POLMAN Katja , ORTU Giuseppina , KRIT Meryam , NSABIYUMVA Frédéric , NKESHIMANA Audace , BIJABUKA Urlich , NIBAKIRE Marceline , GEERTRUYDEN Jean-Pierre VAN
Published: December 2019

BackgroundIntestinal schistosomiasis is still a public health problem in Burundi. Since 2008, annual mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel have been rolled out in 11 endemic districts. The national programme relies on school based surveys with Kato-Katz (KK) to monitor the impact of MDA. We explored whether routine data on intestinal schistosomiasis as determined by direct fecal smears (DS) at health centre (HC) level could be used.MethodsWe collected routine incidence data on intestinal schistosomiasis from the Burundian National Health Information System. These data concerned the number of intestinal schistosomiasis cases as detected by DS examination in the HC of all 45 sanitary districts (SD) between 2011 and 2015. A temporal trends analysis was performed using mixed Negative Binomial regression. Sanitary districts with MDA campaigns with praziquantel (n=11) were compared with those without (n=34). In addition, KK-based prevalence data from a school-based national mapping in 2014 were compared with the DS-based incidence data in the 45 SD.ResultsIn the 11 SD applying MDA with praziquantel, the incidence rate decreased significantly for the years 2014 (β2014=-0.826, p=0.010) and 2015 (β2015=-1.294, p<0.001) and for the five-year period (β=-0.286, p<0.001), whereas in the 34 districts without MDA, there was no significant trend (β=-0.087, p=0.219). In most of the 45 SD, the low prevalences based on KK in school children were confirmed by low incidence rates based on DS in the HC.ConclusionsThe results of this preliminary study suggest that routine surveillance data at HC level, may be able to monitor the impact of MDA with praziquantel on intestinal schistosomiasis in Burundi. However, more sensitive POC diagnostic tests, such as the POC-CCA assay are desirable when moving from control to elimination of schistosomiasis. Elimination of intestinal schistosomiasis calls for integration of adequate diagnosis and treatment into routine activities of primary health care facilities.
Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping As a Marker of Endothelial Function and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Pediatric-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Chang Joyce C , Xiao Rui , Meyers Kevin E , Mercer-Rosa Laura , Natarajan Shobha S , Weiss Pamela F , Knight Andrea M
Published: December 2019

Background: Loss of the normal nocturnal decline in blood pressure (BP), known as non-dipping, is a potential measure of cardiovascular risk identified by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We sought to determine whether non-dipping is a useful marker of abnormal vascular function and subclinical atherosclerosis in pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE). Methods: Twenty subjects 9-19 years of age with pSLE underwent ABPM, peripheral endothelial function testing, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity/analysis for aortic stiffness, and carotid intima-media thickness. We assessed the prevalence of non-dipping and other ABPM abnormalities. Pearson or Spearman rank correlation tests were used to evaluate relationships between nocturnal BP dipping, BP load (% of abnormally elevated BPs over 24-hours) and vascular outcome measures. Results: The majority (75%) of subjects had inactive disease, with mean disease duration of 3.2 years (±2.1). The prevalence of non-dipping was 50%, which occurred even in the absence of nocturnal or daytime hypertension. Reduced diastolic BP dipping was associated with poorer endothelial function (𝒓 0.5, p=0.04). Intima-media thickness was significantly greater in subjects with non-dipping (mean standard deviation score of 3.0 vs 1.6, p=0.02). In contrast, higher systolic and diastolic BP load were associated with increased aortic stiffness (𝜌 0.6, p=0.01 and 𝜌 0.7, p<0.01, respectively), but not with endothelial function or intima-media thickness. Conclusion: In a pSLE cohort with low disease activity, isolated nocturnal BP non-dipping is prevalent and associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic changes. In addition to hypertension assessment, ABPM has a promising role in risk stratification and understanding heterogeneous mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in pSLE.
Intravenous delivery of enzalutamide based on high drug loading multifunctional graphene oxide nanoparticles for castration-resistant prostate cancer therapy
Authors: Jiang Wenjun , Chen Jiyuan , Gong Chunai , Wang Yuanyuan , Gao Yuan , Yuan Yongfang
Published: December 2019

Background: Enzalutamide (Enz) has shown limited bioavailability via oral administration and is easy for patients to develop into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) due to resistance to 18-24 months of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Moreover, it is hard to delivery Enz for low drug loading (DL) and encapsulation efficiency (EE). Therefore, we developed a multifunctional enzalutamide-loaded graphene oxide nanosystem (TP-GQDss/Enz) for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) intravenous treatment, with high drug loading efficiency and good biocompatibility.Methods: Aminated graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were first cross-linked via a disulfide bond into a graphene quantum dot derivative of approximately 200 nm (GQDss), which was further functionalized with a tumour-targeting peptide and PEG to form TP-GQDss. Enz was loaded into TP-GQDss for in vitro and in vivo study.Results: The results showed that high drug-loading efficiency was achieved by TP-GQDss via π-π electron interaction. TP-GQDss could be rapidly internalized by CRPC cells via endocytosis. Moreover, Enz in TP-GQDss could promote the inhibition of cell growth in vitro against CRPC cells, while TP-GQDss alone did not show any obvious cytotoxicity on CRPC cells after 24 h of incubation. Further, TP-GQDss exhibited an enhanced cancer-targeting ability and alleviated the side effects of Enz in vivo. Conclusions: The multifunctional nanocarrier constructed here could accomplish controlled Enz release and serve as a intravenous therapy platform for CRPC.
CTNNBIP1 modulates keratinocyte differentiation through promoting the transcription of β-catenin/TCF-complex downstream genes
Authors: Wang Chang , Wang Haizhen , Peng Youhua , Zeng Bijun , Zhang Yujin , Tang Xueyong , Mi Lan , Pan Yi , Yang Zhibo
Published: December 2019

Background: During psoriasis initiation and development, deregulations in signaling pathways and gene expression are observed. Methods: Herein, we downloaded seven sets of microarray mRNA expression profiles showing differentially-expressed genes in psoriasis lesion skin and non-lesion skin tissues and three sets of RNA-seq data and analyzed these online data attempting to screen for crucial genes related to keratinocyte differentiation and psoriasis development. Results: The expression of catenin beta interacting protein 1 (CTNNBIP1) was remarkably downregulated within psoriasis lesion skin tissue samples compared to that within non-lesion skin tissues based on both online data and experimental results. In response to a period of different therapies, respectively, CTNNBIP1 expression could be rescued in lesion skin tissues. Within IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice, CTNNBIP1 silence further aggravated psoriatic phenotypes. In human immortalized keratinocytes, HaCaT cells, CTNNBIP1 silence significantly inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation. Regarding the molecular mechanism, CTNNBIP1 silence in HaCaT cells promoted β-catenin nucleus translocation, enhanced the transcriptional activity of TCF4, and increased β-catenin/TCF-complex downstream c-Myc and cyclin D1 proteins while decreased the late differentiation marker filaggrin. In contrast to CTNNBIP1, the expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 showed to be dramatically upregulated within psoriasis lesion tissue samples than that within non-lesion tissue samples. Within tissues, c-Myc and cyclin D1 showed to be negatively correlated with CTNNBIP1, respectively. Conclusions: We identify CTNNBIP1 as an abnormally downregulated gene in psoriasis. CTNNBIP1 silence significantly disturbs the differentiation of keratinocytes through promoting the transcription of β-catenin/TCF-complex downstream genes.
Cloacal swabs and alcohol bird specimens are good proxies for compositional analyses of gut microbial communities of Great tits (Parus major)
Authors: Bodawatta Kasun H , Puzejova Katerina , Sam Katerina , Poulsen Michael , Jønsson Knud A.
Published: December 2019

Background: Comprehensive studies of wild bird microbiomes are often limited by difficulties of sample acquisition. However, widely used non-invasive cloacal swab methods and under-explored museum specimens preserved in alcohol provide promising avenues to increase our understanding of wild bird microbiomes, provided that they accurately portray natural microbial community compositions. To investigate this assertion, we used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of Great tit (Parus major) gut microbiomes to compare 1) microbial communities obtained from dissected digestive tract regions and cloacal swabs, and 2) microbial communities obtained from freshly dissected gut regions and from samples preserved in alcohol for two weeks or two months, respectively. Results: We found no significant differences in alpha diversities in communities of different gut regions and cloacal swabs (except in OTU richness between the dissected cloacal region and the cloacal swabs), or between fresh and alcohol preserved samples. However, we did find significant differences in beta diversity and community composition of cloacal swab samples compared to different gut regions. Despite these quantitative differences, swab samples qualitatively captured the bacterial diversity throughout the gut better than any single compartment. Bacterial community compositions of alcohol-preserved specimens did not differ significantly from freshly dissected samples, although some low-abundant taxa were lost in the alcohol preserved specimens. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that widely used non-invasive cloacal swabs qualitatively depict the gut microbiota composition without having to collect birds to extract the full digestive tract. Secondly, the satisfactory depiction of gut microbial communities in alcohol preserved samples opens up for the possibility of using an enormous resource readily available through museum collections to characterize bird gut microbiomes. The use of extensive museum specimen collections of birds for microbial gut analyses would allow for investigations of temporal patterns of wild bird gut microbiomes, including the potential effects of climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Overall, the utilization of cloacal swabs and museum alcohol specimens can positively impact bird gut microbiome research to help increase our understanding of the role and evolution of wild bird hosts and gut microbial communities.
Perancangan Sistem Informasi Konsultasi Akademik Berbasis Website
Authors: Manuhutu Melda , Wattimena Juneth
Published: December 2019

In this era of modernization, a successful consultation process can increase its efficiency and effectiveness by utilizing information technology that has been successfully developed by the internet. The development of computer technology, encouraged communities and groups to compete to improve the quality of their services in various fields. Awareness of this must also be used by the Higher Education Institution as a student provider. The computerized Academic Consultation System that is used through the internet network is needed to facilitate students to carry out the coaching process together with academic advisors. This system is very easy to control and evaluate as a whole based on the College Leaders or other implementers at the Faculty level. The system development model used in this study is model prototypes and data collected through observation, interviews and literature. The programming language used is PHP and the software interface for designing using Adobe Dreamweaver CS. Making a database using MySQL with the XAMMP application. The system testing was using black box testing and the results found that the system can run well and in accordance with their respective functions.
Penentuan Lokasi Tempat Pembuangan Sementara Sampah Menggunakan Metode Brown Gibson Berbasis Sistem Informasi Geografis
Authors: Sihotang Dony Martinus , Tarus Karen N.V , Widiastuti Tiwuk
Published: December 2019

The problem of waste has not been handled well, especially in cities, including the city of Kupang. Placing the right location of the trash can be one of solutions to the waste problem. The purpose of this study is to combine decision support systems and geographic information systems to determine the location of TPS locations. There are two stages of analysis, the Brown Gibson method to determine which alternative is best for construction temporary landfill and the second analysis using the GIS approach to determine suitable point. The alternative is Neigborhoods (RT) in the Nefonaek, Kupang. The results showed that in the RT22, RT17, and RT18 which is outside the buffer area were selected as the best candidates for the new location of TPS. The system is tested in two ways, testing the blackbox using questionnaire on two respondents, and the accuracy that compares the results of the system and the results of expert. From the results of the blackbox testing, the percentage values for each GUI, Function, and information obtained were 94%, 92.5%, and 97.5%. And from Accuracy testing, obtained the value of accuracy on the first staff is 86.67% and for the second staff the accuracy value is 80%. From the two staffs obtained an average accuracy of 83.34%.
Sistem Evaluasi Bahan Pembelajaran Menggunakan Metode DEMATEL dan ANP
Authors: Permadi Ginanjar Setyo , Vitadiar Tanhella Zein , Kistofer Terdy
Published: December 2019

Evaluation of learning that will be given or is being given to diagnose success and failure in understanding teaching material. The failure to provide learning can be caused by the use of teaching methods or inappropriate media, and the delivery language that is difficult to understand. By applying information technology in evaluating learning materials, an evaluation system can be developed to assess and improve the quality of learning materials with certain criteria. So the problem of failure in the learning process can be known based on the learning material used. This study uses the DEMATEL and ANP methods as a basis for decision making by evaluating lecturer learning materials with a sample of 12 teachers. The DEMATEL method helps process data which is then forwarded by the ANP method in identifying interdependent relationships between criteria. With the use of the DEMATEL and ANP methods, it is expected to be able to assist in evaluating learning materials with the aim of always trying to provide good learning material based on factors or criteria that should be. The results of the study obtained a pair-level matrix Consistency Ratio (CR) value of 0.0661. Furthermore, calculating alternative ranking weights can be seen in Table 5. Furthermore, the results of the evaluation are used as further improvement efforts and to find out where there are unsuccessful outcomes in learning. Thus can be continuous between the objectives and the final results of teaching
Effects of complex movements on the brain as a result of increased decision-making
Authors: Wolfgang Schöllhorn , Fabian Horst
Published: December 2019

Non-linearity is considered to be an essential property of complex systems. The associated high sensitivity of the result on the constraints leads to fundamental problems of a system description based on variables selected in the reductionist tradition. The attempt to compensate the problems by averaging data leads to the neglect of the individual and the moment. However, both is of enormous importance for effective therapy, training, and learning. The theory of differential learning suggests an alternative approach to dealing with these problems. With constantly changing complex whole-body movements, extensive decisions are demanded from the learner, which lead to brain states through an overstraining of the working memory, as it were, as they are also known after mindfulness meditation.
Automatic condition monitoring of electromechanical system based on MCSA, spectral kurtosis and SOM neural network
Authors: Mohamed Zair , Chemseddine Rahmoune , Djamel Benazzouz , Azeddine Ratni
Published: December 2019

Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis play the most important role in industrial applications. The gearbox system is an essential component of mechanical system in fault identification and classification domains. In this paper, we propose a new technique which is based on the Fast-Kurtogram method and Self Organizing Map (SOM) neural network to automatically diagnose two localized gear tooth faults: a pitting and a crack. These faults could have very different diagnostics; however, the existing diagnostic techniques only indicate the presence of local tooth faults without being able to differentiate between a pitting and a crack. With the aim to automatically diagnose these two faults, a dynamic model of an electromechanical system which is a simple stage gearbox with and without defect driven by a three phase induction machine is proposed, which makes it possible to simulate the effect of pitting and crack faults on the induction stator current signal. The simulated motor current signal is then analyzed by using a Fast-Kurtogram method. Self-organizing map (SOM) neural network is subsequently used to develop an automatic diagnostic system. This method is suitable for differentiating between a pitting and a crack fault.
Damage detection in concrete gravity dams using signal processing algorithms based on earthquake vibrations
Authors: Esmaielzadeh Sajad , Ahmadi Hassan , Hosseini Seyed Abbas
Published: December 2019

In structural engineering, damage detection in concrete gravity dams (CGDS) is a practical problem. Dam destruction can have severe financial consequences and may even lead to fatalities. Therefore, structural health monitoring in advance is crucial. In this regard, a well-known CGD, namely the Pine Flat Dam, has been chosen for the Finite Element Modeling. In this paper, damage is induced in the dam neck through elasticity modulus reduction by 40 % and 80 %. In addition, after applying Northridge earthquake, the acceleration in structure nodes for intact and damaged cases are recorded in vector formats. Using various methods, such as Discrete-time Fourier Transform (DTFT), Wavelet transform and Wiener transform, the differences between these two signals are investigated. The standard deviation (S.D.) of variations is chosen as the performance metric and is applied to the signal amplitude between intact and damage observations/signals. The reason why several signal processing algorithms are used is finding an approach which shows more clearly the differences caused by the destruction. This is evaluated via S.D. values for different algorithms. The results confirm the superiority of DTFT over other given algorithms. DTFT has a negligible outperformance (approximately zero dB) with respect to the Wavelet transform in both the crest and the lower nodes of the dam. This rate for DTFT and Wavelet is 10dB higher than that of Wiener and 35 dB in comparison with the simple amplitude difference. Moreover, the detection thresholds for the given methods are compared, and it is verified that the DTFT and Wavelet indicate the best performance.
Fine-grained fault recognition method for shaft orbit of rotary machine based on convolutional neural network
Authors: Wu Bo , Feng Songlin , Sun Guodong , Xu Liang , Ai Chenghan
Published: December 2019

In the fault diagnosis of the shaft orbit of rotating machinery, there are few prejudgments about the severity of the faults, which is very important for fault repair. Therefore, a fine-grained recognition method is proposed to detect different severity faults by shaft orbit. Since different shaft orbits represent different type and different severity of faults, the convolutional neural network (CNN) is applied for identifying the shaft orbits to recognize the type and severity of the fault. The recognition rate of proposed fine-grained fault identification method is 97.96 % on the simulated shaft orbit database, and it takes only 0.31 milliseconds for the recognition of single sample. Experimental result indicated that the classification performance of the proposed method are better than the traditional machine learning models. Moreover, the method is applied for the identification of the measured shaft orbits of rotor with different degree of imbalance faults, and the testing accuracy of the experiments in measured shaft orbits is 97.14 %, which has verified the effectiveness of the proposed fine-grained fault recognition method.
Design and real time implementation of nonlinear sliding surface with the application of super-twisting algorithm in nonlinear sliding mode control for twin rotor MIMO system
Authors: E. R. Lisy , Nandakumar M. , R. Anasraj
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes the design of a nonlinear sliding surface based on the principle of variable damping concept for 2-degree of freedom Twin Rotor Multiple input Multiple output System (2-dof TRMS). The implementation of the designed nonlinear sliding surface in real time is demonstrated. Super-twisting algorithm is applied in nonlinear sliding mode control. The nonlinear sliding surface enables the system trajectory to be highly robust and with the application of super-twisting algorithm in nonlinear sliding mode controller (SMC), the designed controller has minimized the problem of chattering considerably. The system is modeled in such a way that it includes all nonlinearities and coupling effects. A decoupler is designed to nullify the coupling effect. This scheme is capable of reducing both the settling time and peak overshoot simultaneously for 2-dof TRMS. The scheme also reduces the chattering. The proposed method is compared with the design using PID controller. The applicability of the designed nonlinear sliding surface and nonlinear SMC with super-twisting algorithm have been tested both in simulation and in real time. This research paper is mainly dealing with the modeling of Twin rotor MIMO system by including all nonlinearities and coupling effects, the decoupler design for 2-dof TRMS, the design of nonlinear sliding surface for 2-dof TRMS and application of super-twisting algorithm in nonlinear sliding mode control for 2-dof TRMS.
Source localization in reverberation environment based on improved equivalent sound source near-field acoustic holography algorithm
Authors: Zhang Hongyu , Guo Wenyong , Han Jianggui , Chen Hantao
Published: December 2019

The compressive-equivalent source method near-field acoustic holography (C-ESM) is disturbed by reverberation in the enclosed space such as room and cabin, which leads to large reconstruction error and disturbs the judgment of sound source position. In order to solve this problem, an improved C-ESM algorithm based on room impulse response (RIR) is proposed to filter out reverberation interference in this paper. Different from the original equivalent source method, the improved algorithm constructs the transfer function through the room impulse response to establish the relationship between the equivalent source and the sound pressure on any plane in space, and the sparse signal reconstruction method of the compressive sensing technology is used to obtain the strength of the equivalent source. Then the transfer function to any plane of space is established according to the free field Green’s function, to eliminate the interference of reverberation and improve the effect of sound source location. The accuracy and effectiveness of the improved method are verified by preliminary numerical simulation. And the results show that compared with the original algorithm, this method has obvious advantages in sound source localization in a reverberant field.
Research on vertical vibration of hot rolling mill under screw-down-strip combined excitation
Authors: Xiao Biao , Yan Xiaoqiang
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we find the violent vibration of the hot rolling mill is induced by the combination of the screw-down system and the strip, explain how the srew-down-strip combined excitation effects the rolling mill, and introduce an effective method to restrain the vibration. First, two experiments, stripless rolling and turning off the screw-down system, are conducted, the first experiment simulates the rolling process without strip and the second experiment simulates the rolling process without the screw-down system, the results indicate that the rolling mill vibration is induced by the srew-down-strip combined excitation. Then, to explain this phenomenon, the mathematical model of the rolling mill under screw-down-strip combined excitation is proposed, we find that few excitation frequency components can induce more response frequency components, therefore it’s more possible to approach the natural frequency of the rolling mill. Finally, a vibration suppression method is introduced by eliminating some specified frequency components of the screw-down system with a filter, and the result shows that the vibration decreased by 98.7 %.
Linguaculturological Features of the Images of the Celestial World in the Russian Poetry of the 1990’s
Authors: Dutbayeva S. S.
Published: December 2019

Modern philology studies language at the junction of different directions, e.g. hermeneutics and cultural studies, cognitive linguistics and literary criticism, linguaculturology and textology, etc. As a rule, combined methods provide the most interesting results. The article describes the images of the sky / heaven in the Russian poetry of the late XX century, the period of Russian history known as “the dashing nineties”. Contemporary poets seemed to have a very peculiar perception of that period. Their vision of traditional mythological and cultural symbols differed from commonly accepted interpretations. They described Russia as a dead woman or as a man at a crossroads, while the sky was a lost paradise that retained the peace and tranquility that are not to be found on the earth any more. The gap between heaven and earth is shown by the chaos of birdcalls, machinery noise, and nuclear clouds. Heaven and earth are connected by the World Tree, which unites the macroand microcosm. Man seeks balance and harmony but cannot find them. In the 1990’s, mankind was repeating the stage it had passed in the early XX century, when cherry orchards gave place to railways, and the old world order was coming to an end. In such periods, people do not look at the sky for solace; they mind their own step and see heaven reflected in the rails. The poetry of the 1990’s is filled with deep symbolism. The present analysis revealed several image clusters of the sky: mythological, religious, culturological, philosophical (eschatological), scientific and technological, and folklore. These clusters are interconnected and complement each other.
Trade Correspondence between Kumyk Feudal Lords with the Russian Military Administration in the Caucasus in the 1740’s–1760’s (Based on the Materials of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Dagestan)
Authors: Abdusalamov M.-P. B.
Published: December 2019

The research was based on the documents of funds 339 "Campaign Office of Lieutenant General A. P. Devits" and 379 "Kizlyar commandant". The documents were obtained from the Central State Archive of the Republic of Dagestan. The paper focuses on the trade correspondence between Kumyk rulers with the Russian military authorities in the Caucasus in the 1740’s–1760’s. The documents of the Campaign Office of Lieutenant General A. P. Devits and the Kizlyar curfew archive illustrate that the trade and economic ties between the Kumyks and Russia grew quite intensive by the middle of the XVIII century. Most part of the material has never been studied before. Kumyk rulers were interested in trade with the city of Kizlyar, as well as other Russian cities. The subsistence economy of Kumykia could not fully provide for the growing domestic needs of the local population, e.g. industrial products. According to their letters to the Kizlyar commandants, the Kumyk rulers sought to create favorable conditions for the local merchants – savdagars – in order to protect them from highway robberies. The gradual integration of the Kumyk lands into the all-Russian market contributed to their economic growth and the development of the productive forces in the region. At the same time, the trade was mutually beneficial. The savdagars imported raw silk, madder, and cotton, which were important for the development of domestic Russian industry.
Historical Background of Formation and Development of Medieval Cities in Zhetysu (Semirechye) and South Kazakhstan
Authors: Zinyakov N. M.
Published: December 2019

The present research was based on archaeological and written sources and featured the prerequisites of medieval urbanization of Zhetysu, or Semirechye, and South Kazakhstan. The local urbanization was influenced by political, economic, and social processes. In the political sphere, the factors included: onset and development of state units; political and ideological inclusion of society; better external security; regulation of legal and tax activities, which created a single economic mechanism for reproductive economy, etc. In the economic sphere, the important factors of urban development corresponded with the so-called second stage of the agrarian revolution, i.e. transition from primitive to intensive manual agriculture; use of arable tools with iron ploughshares and sled animals; popularization of irrigation; cultivation of grain and industrial crops; better storage and grain processing, etc. As for the social sphere, the period was marked by degradation of tribal relations. As a result, early class society was beginning to form. This new type of social relations was based not on family ties but on economic contacts, which contributed to the formation of the social structure of medieval cities, e.g. strata of artisans, merchants, administrative elite, priests, etc. The analysis of sources showed that the main historical prerequisites for the urban development of Semirechye and South Kazakhstan were formed in the early Middle Ages. However, their formation was rather irregular and depended on the exact area.
Pumping optimization of coastal aquifers using probabilistic search – case study: Quaternary aquifer of El-Arish Rafah, Egypt
Authors: El-Ghandour Hamdy A. , Elbeltagi Emad
Published: December 2019

The increased pumping of freshwater from coastal aquifers, to meet growing demands, causes an environmental problem called saltwater intrusion. Consequently, proper management schemes are necessary to tackle such a situation and permit the optimal development of coastal groundwater basins. In this research, a probabilistic search algorithm, namely Probabilistic Global Search Lausanne (PGSL), is used to calculate optimal pumping rates of unconfined coastal aquifer. The results of using PGSL are compared with a stochastic search optimization technique, Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (SFLA). The finite element method is applied to simulate the hydraulic response of the steady state homogenous aquifer. The lower and upper (LU) decomposition method is adapted to invert the conductance matrix, which noticeably decreases the computation time. The results of both the PGSL and the SFLA are verified through the application on the aquifer system underlying the City of Miami Beach in the north of Spain. Multiple independent optimization runs are carried out to provide more insightful comparison outcomes. Consequently, a statistical analysis is performed to assess the performance of each algorithm. The two optimization algorithms are then applied on the Quaternary aquifer of El-Arish Rafah area, Egypt. The results show that both algorithms can effectively be used to obtain nearly global solutions compared with other previous published results.
Exploring the water quality driving mechanism in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China
Authors: Wang Hua , Kaisam John Paul , Fang Shaowen , Deng Yanqing , Li Bao , Shen Yuhan
Published: December 2019

Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake and typical river-connected lake in China, was selected as a research area. A method was first proposed to quantitatively explore the mechanisms driving water quality evolution, in which the weights of horizontal boundary input, self-purification, vertical atmospheric deposition and sediment release could be determined. A two-dimensional water environment model for Poyang Lake was developed in the framework of the Finite Volume Method and calibrated against the field investigated data. Four typical months in a common-water year were determined for numerical experiments to investigate the temporal and spatial water quality driving mechanisms in Poyang Lake. The results suggested that boundary input and self-purification have the greatest effect on dominating the water quality in Poyang Lake, followed by atmospheric deposition and sediment release. The driving weights of these four factors are 57.2%, 26.5%, 9.3%, and 7.0%, respectively. However, the impact on lake water quality of external water quality, aquatic ecosystem structure, precipitation distribution, and meteorological conditions, which are attributed to the disparities in geographical situation, varied significantly with seasons and locations.
Mathematical modeling of the flow of a volleyball ball
Authors: Kakorin Aleksandr Vasil'evich
Published: December 2019

Volleyball serves can be divided into power, planning and mounted. Power serve achievements are characterized by high initial velocity, gliding type serves are characterized by irregular ball movement, and the goal of promotion is to land the ball on the side of the nearest opponent, possibly in the net. There is no theoretical analysis of these innings in the literature. The article examines the power and mounted feed.
A PotentIn Vitroα-Amylase Inhibitory Action ofHaplophyllum tuberculatumExtracts
Authors: Chaoua Housseyn , Khacheba Ihcen , Boussoussa Hadjer , Bekhaoua Abir , Yousfi Mohamed
Published: December 2019

Background:

Natural plant active compounds were found to inhibit the activity of several enzymes that may be related to several diseases.

Objective:

This study aimed at testing the antidiabetic activity related to the phenol content by in vitro α-Amylase inhibitory action effect of aqueous, organic and essential oil extracts of Haplophyllum tuberculatum, collected in the town of Laghouat in the steppe region of Algeria.

Methods:

Two types of aqueous extracts were prepared: Decoction and Diffusion extracts. The organic extracts were prepared with successful maceration in hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and methanol. Also, essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation. The analysis of the total Phenol content of our extracts was done with Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, as the flavonoid content was obtained in mixture with aluminum trichloride. The effects of the plant extracts on the catalytic efficiency of α-amylase enzyme were represented by the enzymatic inhibitory percentage of each extract in which the inhibitory activity was expressed as IC50.

Results:

The total phenol content showed values ranging between 0.27 and 11.97 mg gallic acid equivalent / g dry matter. The flavonoid contents vary from 0.05 to 1.50 mg equivalent of rutin /g of dry matter. All the extracts showed good inhibitory activity against α- amylase of IC50, values ranged from 0.05 to 50.03 mg/ml.

Conclusion :

This study reports for the first time the inhibitory capacity of Algerian Haplophyllum tuberculatum species against α-amylase which could provide natural biologically active agents to be used in the management of diabetes.
A New Class of Coumate Benzimidazole Hybrids as BRCA 1 Mimetics Through Unconventional Binding Mode; Synthesis and Preliminary Cytotoxicity Screening
Authors: Jubie Selvaraj , Sundar Shyam , Yadav Neetu , Naresh Podila , Wadhwani Ashish , Natarajan Jawahar
Published: December 2019

Background:

It was found that breast cancer susceptibility protein 1 (BRCA 1) binds to
estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and inhibits its activity by direct interaction between domains within
the amino terminus of BRCA 1 and the carboxy terminus of ER alpha.

Objective:

The present work focuses to identify a new class of BRCA 1 mimetics that work differently
from conventional anti-estrogens.

Methods::

A novel class of hybrids having coumate and benzimidazolone scaffolds were designed
to mimic BRCA 1 protein, suppressing the tumor activity of breast cancer cells. In silico molecular
docking studies of the designed ligands were performed on BRCA 1 binding cavity of ER alpha.

Result:

The designed hybrids which gave significant docking scores and had optimum binding
interactions with key residues were selected for synthesis and in vitro assay.

Conclusion:

: The compounds NY1 and NY2 exhibited significant effects on suppressing MDAMB-
231 cells in the concentration of 24 μg/ml and 44 μg/ml, respectively.
Identification of Novel Cyclin A2 Binding Site and Nanomolar Inhibitors of Cyclin A2-CDK2 Complex
Authors: Kim Stephanie S. , Alves Michele J. , Gygli Patrick , Otero Jose , Lindert Steffen
Published: December 2019

Background:

Given the diverse roles of cyclin A2 both in cell cycle regulation and in
DNA damage response, identifying small molecule regulators of cyclin A2 activity carries significant
potential to regulate diverse cellular processes in both ageing/neurodegeneration and in cancer.

Objective:

Based on cyclin A2’s recently discovered role in DNA repair, we hypothesized that
small molecule inhibitors that were predicted to bind to both cyclin A2 and CDK2 will be useful
as a radiosensitizer of cancer cells. In this study, we used structure-based drug discovery to find
inhibitors that target both cyclin A2 and CDK2.

Method:

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to generate diverse binding pocket conformations
for application of the relaxed complex scheme. We then used structure-based virtual
screening to find potential dual cyclin A2 and CDK2 inhibitors. Based on a consensus score of
docked poses from Glide and AutoDock Vina, we identified about 40 promising hit compounds,
where all PAINS scaffolds were removed from consideration. A biochemical luminescence assay
of cyclin A2-CDK2 function was used for experimental verification.

Result:

Four lead inhibitors of cyclin A2-CDK2 complex have been identified using a relaxed complex
scheme virtual screen have been verified in a biochemical luminescence assay of cyclin A2-
CDK2 function. Two of the four lead inhibitors had inhibitory concentrations in the nanomolar range.

Conclusion:

The four cyclin A2-CDK2 complex inhibitors are the first reported inhibitors that
were specifically designed not to target the cyclin A2-CDK2 protein-protein interface. Overall, our
results highlight the potential of combined advanced computational tools and biochemical verification
to discover novel binding scaffolds.
Development and Validation of a Liquid Chromatographic Method for Aroylhydrazones at Hydrolytic Conditions
Authors: Maslarska Vania , Bozhanov Stanislav , Ivanova Stefka , Angelova Violina T.
Published: December 2019

Background:

The indole-containing aroylhydrazone derivatives 3a-c with potent antimycobacterial
activity against a referent strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv and low cytotoxicity were evaluated
for their stability via the precise and accurate HPLC analytical method in aqueous media of different
pH (2.0, 7.0, 9.0 and 12.0).

Objective:

The study describes the development and validation of a simple and reliable HPLC-UV procedure
for the determination of aroylhydrazone derivatives and their hydrolytic stability. Additionally,
to recognize if hydrolysis leads to generating undesired products, the degradation processes were identified.

Method:

The separation was achieved with a LiChrosorb®RP-18 (250 x 4.6 mm) column, at ambient
temperature with isocratic mode with mobile phase containing mixture of component A (acetonitrile)
and component B (0.001M NaH2PO4, with 5 mM 1-heptane sulfonic acid sodium salt, adjusted to pH
3.0) in a ratio 60:40 (v/v). The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min and the eluent was monitored at 297 nm. The
proposed method was validated as per ICH guidelines.

Result:

The obtained results showed that the compounds were sensitive to hydrolytic decomposition in
aqueous media, resulting in the splitting of the hydrazone bond. Rapid hydrolysis of substances was
observed in the acid medium. The elevated temperature significantly accelerated the hydrolytic reaction.
Relatively slow hydrolysis of 3a-c was observed in a neutral solution and aqueous solutions buffered
to pH 9. The hydrolysis of 3a-c in neutral, alkaline and strong alkaline medium followed the pseudo-
first-order reaction rate and showed a linear dependence of lnC versus time.

Conclusion:

A validated high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of the
hydrolytic stability of a series of aroylhydrazones was developed and optimized for the first time. The
methods devised are successfully applicable to the development of pharmaceutical formulations.
Ligand Based Pharmacophore Modeling Followed by Biological Screening Lead to Discovery of Novel PDK1 Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents
Authors: Mansi Iman , Al-Sha'er Mahmoud A. , Mhaidat Nizar , Taha Mutasem
Published: December 2019

Background:

Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase-1 (PDK1) is a serine/threonine kinase, which
belongs to AGC kinase family required by cancer cells.

Methods:

harmacophoric space of 86 PDK1 inhibitors using six diverse sets of inhibitors was explored to
identify high-quality pharmacophores. The best combination of pharmacophoric models and physicochemical
descriptors was selected by genetic algorithm-based QSAR analysis that can elucidate the variation of bioactivity
within the training inhibitors. Two successful orthogonal pharmacophores emerged in the optimum QSAR
equation (r2
69 = 0.90, r2
LOO= 0.86, F= 51.92, r2
PRESS against 17 test inhibitors = 0.79). Receiver Operating Characteristic
(ROC) curve analyses were used to estimate the QSAR-selected pharmacophores.

Results:

5 out of 11 compounds tested had shown potential intracellular PDK1 inhibition with the highest inhibition
percent for compounds 92 and 93 as follows; 90 and 92% PDK1 inhibition, respectively.

Conclusion:

PDK1 inhibitors are potential anticancer agents that can be discovered by combination method of
ligand based design with QSAR and ROC analysis.