bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Natural Diyne-Furan Fatty Acid EV-086 Is an Inhibitor of Fungal Delta-9 Fatty Acid Desaturation with Efficacy in a Model of Skin Dermatophytosis
Authors: Knechtle Philipp , Diefenbacher Melanie , Greve Katrine B. V. , Brianza Federico , Folly Christophe , Heider Harald , Lone Museer A. , Long Lisa , Meyer Jean-Philippe , Roussel Patrick , Ghannoum Mahmoud A. , Schneiter Roger , Sorensen Alexandra S.
Published: November 2013

Human fungal infections represent a therapeutic challenge. Although effective strategies for treatment are available, resistance is spreading, and many therapies have unacceptable side effects. A clear need for novel antifungal targets and molecules is thus emerging. Here, we present the identification and characterization of the plant-derived diyne-furan fatty acid EV-086 as a novel antifungal compound. EV-086 has potent and broad-spectrum activity
in vitro
against
Candida
,
Aspergillus
, and
Trichophyton
spp., whereas activities against bacteria and human cell lines are very low. Chemical-genetic profiling of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
deletion mutants identified lipid metabolic processes and organelle organization and biogenesis as targets of EV-086. Pathway modeling suggested that EV-086 inhibits delta-9 fatty acid desaturation, an essential process in
S. cerevisiae
, depending on the delta-9 fatty acid desaturase
OLE1
. Delta-9 unsaturated fatty acids—but not saturated fatty acids—antagonized the EV-086-mediated growth inhibition, and transcription of the
OLE1
gene was strongly upregulated in the presence of EV-086. EV-086 increased the ratio of saturated to unsaturated free fatty acids and phosphatidylethanolamine fatty acyl chains, respectively. Furthermore, EV-086 was rapidly taken up into the lipid fraction of the cell and incorporated into phospholipids. Together, these findings demonstrate that EV-086 is an inhibitor of delta-9 fatty acid desaturation and that the mechanism of inhibition might involve an EV-086–phospholipid. Finally, EV-086 showed efficacy in a guinea pig skin dermatophytosis model of topical
Trichophyton
infection, which demonstrates that delta-9 fatty acid desaturation is a valid antifungal target, at least for dermatophytoses.
Moxifloxacin Population Pharmacokinetics and Model-Based Comparison of Efficacy between Moxifloxacin and Ofloxacin in African Patients
Authors: Zvada Simbarashe P. , Denti Paolo , Sirgel Frederick A. , Chigutsa Emmanuel , Hatherill Mark , Charalambous Salome , Mungofa Stanley , Wiesner Lubbe , Simonsson Ulrika S. H. , Jindani Amina , Harrison Thomas , McIlleron Helen M.
Published: November 2013

Pharmacokinetic exposure and the MIC of fluoroquinolones are important determinants of their efficacy against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. Population modeling was used to describe the steady-state plasma pharmacokinetics of moxifloxacin in 241 tuberculosis (TB) patients in southern Africa. Monte Carlo simulations were applied to obtain the area under the unbound concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (
f
AUC
0–24
) after daily doses of 400 mg or 800 mg moxifloxacin and 800 mg ofloxacin. The MIC distributions of ofloxacin and moxifloxacin were determined for 197 drug-resistant clinical isolates of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. For a specific MIC, the probability of target attainment (PTA) was determined for target
f
AUC
0–24
/MIC ratios of ≥53 and ≥100. The PTAs were combined with the MIC distributions to calculate the cumulative fraction of response (CFR) for multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strains. Even with the less stringent target ratio of ≥53, moxifloxacin at 400 mg and ofloxacin at 800 mg achieved CFRs of only 84% and 58% for multidrug-resistant isolates with resistance to an injectable drug, while the 800-mg moxifloxacin dose achieved a CFR of 98%. Using a target ratio of ≥100 for multidrug-resistant strains (without resistance to injectable agents or fluoroquinolones), the CFR was 88% for moxifloxacin and only 43% for ofloxacin, and the higher dose of 800 mg moxifloxacin was needed to achieve a CFR target of >90%. Our results indicate that moxifloxacin is more efficacious than ofloxacin in the treatment of MDR-TB. Further studies should determine the optimal pharmacodynamic target for moxifloxacin in a multidrug regimen and clarify safety issues when it is administered at higher doses.
Maternal Administration of Solithromycin, a New, Potent, Broad-Spectrum Fluoroketolide Antibiotic, Achieves Fetal and Intra-Amniotic Antimicrobial Protection in a Pregnant Sheep Model
Authors: Keelan Jeffrey A. , Kemp Matthew W. , Payne Matthew S. , Johnson David , Stock Sarah J. , Saito Masatoshi , Fernandes Prabhavathi , Newnham John P.
Published: November 2013

Solithromycin (CEM-101) is a new antibiotic that is highly potent against
Ureaplasma
and
Mycoplasma
spp. and active against many other antibiotic-resistant organisms. We have explored the maternal-amniotic-fetal pharmacokinetics of CEM-101 in a pregnant sheep model to assess its potential for treating intrauterine and antenatal infection. Chronically catheterized pregnant ewes (
n
= 6 or 7) received either a single maternal intravenous (i.v.) infusion of CEM-101 (10 mg/kg of body weight), a single intra-amniotic (i.a.) injection (1.4 mg/kg of estimated fetal weight), or a combined i.v. and i.a. dose. Maternal plasma (MP), fetal plasma (FP), and amniotic fluid (AF) samples were taken via catheter at intervals of 0 to 72 h postadministration, and concentrations of solithromycin and its bioactive polar metabolites (
N
-acetyl [NAc]–CEM-101 and CEM-214) were determined. Following maternal i.v. infusion, peak CEM-101 concentrations in MP, FP, and AF were 1,073, 353, and 214 ng/ml, respectively, representing a maternal-to-fetal plasma transfer efficiency of 34%. A single maternal dose resulted in effective concentrations (>30 ng/ml) in MP, FP, and AF sustained for >12 h. NAc–CEM-101 and CEM-214 exhibited delayed accumulation and clearance in FP and AF, resulting in an additive antimicrobial effect (>48 h). Intra-amniotic solithromycin injection resulted in elevated (∼50 μg/ml) and sustained CEM-101 concentrations in AF and significant levels in FP, although the efficiency of amniotic-to-fetal transfer was low (∼1.5%). Combined i.v. and i.a. administration resulted in primarily additive concentrations of CEM-101 in all three compartments. Our findings suggest that CEM-101 may provide, for the first time, an effective antimicrobial approach for the prevention and treatment of intrauterine infection and early prevention of preterm birth.
Novel Chimeric Lysin with High-Level Antimicrobial Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro and
In Vivo
Authors: Yang Hang , Zhang Yun , Yu Junping , Huang Yanling , Zhang Xian-En , Wei Hongping
Published: November 2013

The treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) is a challenge worldwide. In our search for novel antimicrobial agents against MRSA, we constructed a chimeric lysin (named as ClyH) by fusing the catalytic domain of Ply187 (Pc) with the non-SH3b-like cell wall binding domain of phiNM3 lysin. Herein, the antimicrobial activity of ClyH against MRSA strains
in vitro
and
in vivo
was studied. Our results showed that ClyH could kill all of the tested clinical isolates of MRSA with higher efficacy than lysostaphin as well as its parental enzyme. The MICs of ClyH against clinical
S. aureus
strains were found to be as low as 0.05 to 1.61 mg/liter. In a mouse model, a single intraperitoneal administration of ClyH protected mice from death caused by MRSA, without obvious harmful effects. The present data suggest that ClyH has the potential to be an alternative therapeutic agent for the treatment of infections caused by MRSA.
Role of Connexin 43 in Helicobacter pylori VacA-Induced Cell Death
Authors: Radin Jana N. , González-Rivera Christian , Frick-Cheng Arwen E. , Sheng Jinsong , Gaddy Jennifer A. , Rubin Donald H. , Algood Holly M. Scott , McClain Mark S. , Cover Timothy L.
Published: November 2013

Helicobacter pylori
colonizes the human stomach and confers an increased risk for the development of peptic ulceration, noncardia gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. A secreted
H. pylori
toxin, VacA, can cause multiple alterations in gastric epithelial cells, including cell death. In this study, we sought to identify host cell factors that are required for VacA-induced cell death. To do this, we analyzed gene trap and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) libraries in AZ-521 human gastric epithelial cells and selected for VacA-resistant clones. Among the VacA-resistant clones, we identified multiple gene trap library clones and an shRNA library clone with disrupted expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) (also known as gap junction protein alpha 1 [GJA1]). Further experiments with
Cx43
-specific shRNAs confirmed that a reduction in
Cx43
expression results in resistance to VacA-induced cell death. Immunofluorescence microscopy experiments indicated that VacA did not colocalize with Cx43. We detected production of the Cx43 protein in AZ-521 cells but not in AGS, HeLa, or RK-13 cells, and correspondingly, AZ-521 cells were the most susceptible to VacA-induced cell death. When Cx43 was expressed in HeLa cells, the cells became more susceptible to VacA. These results indicate that Cx43 is a host cell constituent that contributes to VacA-induced cell death and that variation among cell types in susceptibility to VacA-induced cell death is attributable at least in part to cell type-specific differences in Cx43 production.
Antibodies Mediate Formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in the Middle Ear and Facilitate Secondary Pneumococcal Otitis Media
Authors: Short Kirsty R. , von Köckritz-Blickwede Maren , Langereis Jeroen D. , Chew Keng Yih , Job Emma R. , Armitage Charles W. , Hatcher Brandon , Fujihashi Kohtaro , Reading Patrick C. , Hermans Peter W. , Wijburg Odilia L. , Diavatopoulos Dimitri A.
Published: November 2013

Otitis media (OM) (a middle ear infection) is a common childhood illness that can leave some children with permanent hearing loss. OM can arise following infection with a variety of different pathogens, including a coinfection with influenza A virus (IAV) and
Streptococcus pneumoniae
(the pneumococcus). We and others have demonstrated that coinfection with IAV facilitates the replication of pneumococci in the middle ear. Specifically, we used a mouse model of OM to show that IAV facilitates the outgrowth of
S. pneumoniae
in the middle ear by inducing middle ear inflammation. Here, we seek to understand how the host inflammatory response facilitates bacterial outgrowth in the middle ear. Using B cell-deficient infant mice, we show that antibodies play a crucial role in facilitating pneumococcal replication. We subsequently show that this is due to antibody-dependent neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in the middle ear, which, instead of clearing the infection, allows the bacteria to replicate. We further demonstrate the importance of these NETs as a potential therapeutic target through the transtympanic administration of a DNase, which effectively reduces the bacterial load in the middle ear. Taken together, these data provide novel insight into how pneumococci are able to replicate in the middle ear cavity and induce disease.
Intracaval and intracardiac leiomyomatosis of uterine origin
Authors: Stoleriu Cosmina , Rizas Kostas , Gawaz Meinrad , Geisler Tobias
Published: November 2013

A 37-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 1 presented in the outpatient ward with dyspnoea and tachycardia of unknown origin. The physical examination was unremarkable. Echocardiography revealed an intracardiac mass protruding through the tricuspid orifice into the right ventricle during diastole. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit with the suspicion of vena cava thrombosis with intracardiac expansion. An abdominal sonography showed a mass in the uterus, presumed to be a benign tumour, with extension into the vena cava inferior. Owing to the extent of the mass in the right atrium and the risk for pulmonary embolism, after interdisciplinary discussion, a decision to remove the atrial mass was made. The case was managed by a two-stage procedure. Pathological examination of the intracardiac portions of the tumour revealed a benign tumour that consisted of proliferating smooth muscle fibres without abnormal mitotic activity.
Monitoring the use of lipid-lowering medication among persons with newly diagnosed diabetes: a nationwide register-based study
Authors: Vehko Tuulikki , Sund Reijo , Arffman Martti , Manderbacka Kristiina , Ilanne-Parikka Pirjo , Keskimäki Ilmo
Published: November 2013

Objectives

To develop a register-based monitoring system to provide information on the use of lipid-lowering medication among persons with diabetes in different patient groups and by socioeconomic position.

Design

Longitudinal and register-based, before and after diabetes diagnosis.

Setting

Finnish population.

Participants

A total of 121 053 persons aged 30–79 years with a new diagnosis of diabetes during 2000–2006. The annual cohorts were divided at the time of diabetes diagnosis by coronary heart disease (CHD) status.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Lipid-lowering medication purchases after diabetes diagnosis and prior to the diagnosis.

Results

According to the health insurance reimbursement data the use of lipid-lowering medication advanced rapidly among people with diabetes in the early 2000s in Finland. Of the patients diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 only one-fourth used lipid-lowering medication in 6–12 months after their diagnosis. For those diagnosed in 2006, the utilization rate was 46%. Among those with a history of CHD the use of medication was markedly higher; 51–58% in 2000 and 77–79% in 2006. Taking into account the increasing trend and measuring the independent effect of the diagnosis of diabetes on lipid-lowering medication, setting the diagnosis increased the use by 10–50%. Despite increasing overall utilisation rates, socioeconomic difference in the use of lipid-lowering medication remained throughout the study period. In particular, the lowest income quintile differed from other income groups and in 2006 its use of lipid-lowering medication remained approximately 10% points lower compared with the overall level.

Conclusions

The lipid-lowering medication is being applied in an increasing population of new diabetes cases; however, modelling the independent effect of the diagnosis of diabetes on lipid-lowering medication shows that the diagnosis increased use, but did not abolish socioeconomic differences.
Hemagglutinin protein of measles virus induces apoptosis of HeLa cells via both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways
Authors: Yi Changhua , Liu Xin , Liu Yingle , Lu Songya , Qi Yipeng
Published: November 2013

In this study, we investigated the potential for different components of the measles virus (MV) to induce apoptosis of HeLa cells and explored the apoptotic molecular mechanisms. After testing the 2 envelope glycoproteins hemagglutinin (H) and fusion (F), we found that MV H alone was sufficient to induce the apoptosis of HeLa cells, whereas MV F did not. MV F also had no influence on MV-H-mediated apoptosis. MV H could induce cellular apoptosis in HeLa cells through its interaction with the cellular receptor CD46 via both the TRAIL-mediated extrinsic pathway and the mitochondria-controlled intrinsic pathway, and that cross talk between these 2 pathways occurred during the process. These findings extend the functions of MV envelope glycoproteins in the pathogenesis of MV infection and suggest that MV H may be a potential therapeutic in the treatment of some cancers.
ELASTIC, ELECTRONIC AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF Rh3X(X = Zr, Nb and Ta) INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
Authors: OULD KADA M. , SEDDIK T. , SAYEDE A. , KHENATA R. , BOUHEMADOU A. , DELIGOZ E. , ALAHMED Z. A. , BIN OMRAN S. , RACHED D.
Published: November 2013

Structural, electronic, elastic and thermodynamic properties of Rh 3 X ( X = Zr , Nb , Ta ) intermetallic compounds are investigated in the framework of density functional theory (DFT). The exchange-correlation (XC) potential is treated with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LDA). The computed ground state properties agree well with the available theoretical and experimental values. The elastic constants are obtained by calculating the total energy versus volume conserving strains using Mehl model. The electronic and bonding properties are discussed from the calculations of band structures (BSs), densities of states and electron charge densities. The volume and bulk modulus at high pressure and temperature are investigated. Additionally, thermodynamic properties such as the heat capacity, thermal expansion and Debye temperature at high pressures and temperatures are also analyzed.
EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTON RADIATED SiGe POWER HBTs AT EXTREME TEMPERATURES
Authors: QIN GUOXUAN , MA JIANGUO , JIANG NINGYUE , MA ZHENQIANG , MA PINGXI , RACANELLI MARCO
Published: November 2013

The performances of proton irradiated silicon–germanium (SiGe) power heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) at extreme temperatures (liquid nitrogen temperature and high stage-temperature of 120°C with junction temperature over 160°C) are reported in this work. SiGe power HBTs with total emitter area of ~ 1460 μm2 are fabricated in a commercial BiCMOS process, and irradiated with proton at different fluences from 1 × 1012 p/cm2 to 5 × 1013 p/cm2. Experimental characterizations are conducted for pre- and post-radiation devices at room temperature, cryogenic temperature and high temperature. The results demonstrate that the proton-irradiated SiGe power HBTs are naturally suitable for electronic operations at extreme temperatures. Specifically, investigation of proton radiation on SiGe power HBTs at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) indicates a significant potential for space applications. In addition, SiGe power HBTs show better tolerance of proton radiation at high temperature of 120°C (junction temperature over 160°C). SiGe power HBTs demonstrate great potential in power amplification for wireless communication systems under severe radiation and extreme temperature environment (cryogenic and high temperatures) even without any intentional radiation hardening.
A Proposal to Boost the Profitability of Carry Trade
Authors: Moosa Imad , Burns Kelly
Published: November 2013

It is demonstrated that carry trade can be made more profitable by taking into account the drift factor in the random walk behavior of the underlying exchange rate if it is significant. By using four currency combinations we find the drift factor to be significant at horizons longer than one month and that if it is taken into account, the outcome of carry trade improves in terms of risk-adjusted return. The results and conclusions are consistent whether the exercise is conducted within-sample or out of-sample.
A QUANTUM WALK WITH A DELOCALIZED INITIAL STATE: CONTRIBUTION FROM A COIN-FLIP OPERATOR
Authors: MACHIDA TAKUYA
Published: November 2013

A unit evolution step of discrete-time quantum walks (QWs) is determined by both a coin-flip operator and a position-shift operator. The behavior of quantum walkers after many steps delicately depends on the coin-flip operator and an initial condition of the walk. To get the behavior, a lot of long-time limit distributions for the QWs starting with a localized initial state have been derived. In this paper, we compute limit distributions of a 2-state QW with a delocalized initial state, not a localized initial state, and discuss how the walker depends on the coin-flip operator. The initial state induced from the Fourier series expansion, which is called the (α, β) delocalized initial state in this paper, provides different limit density functions from the ones of the quantum walk with a localized initial state.
An MLP Classifier for Prediction of HBV-Induced Liver Cirrhosis Using Routinely Available Clinical Parameters
Authors: Cao Yuan , Hu Zhi-De , Liu Xiao-Fei , Deng An-Mei , Hu Cheng-Jin
Published: November 2013

Background. Liver cirrhosis (LC) is the final stage of most of chronic liver diseases and is almost caused by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. Liver biopsy is the reference method for the evaluation of liver cirrhosis. However, it is an invasive procedure with inherent risk. The aim of this study was to construct a new classifier based on the routine clinical markers for the prediction of HBV-induced LC.Subjects and Methods. We collected routine clinical parameters from 124 LC patients with CHB and 115 with CHB. Training set (n=120) and test set (n=119) were built for model construction and evaluation, respectively.Results. We describe a new classifier, MLP, for prediction of LC with CHB. MLP was built with seven routinely available clinical parameters, including age, ALT, AST, PT, PLT, HGB, and RDW. With optimal cutoff, we obtained a sensitivity of 95.2%, a specificity of 84.2%, and an overall accuracy of 89.9% on an independent test set, which were superior to those of FIB-4 and APRI.Conclusions. Our study suggests that the MLP classifier can be implemented for discriminating LC and non-LC cohorts by using machine learning method based on the routine available clinical parameters. It could be used for clinical practice in HBV-induced LC assessment.
A Recombinant Multiepitope Protein for Hepatitis B Diagnosis
Authors: de Souza Marilen Queiroz , Galdino Alexsandro Sobreira , dos Santos José Carlos , Soares Marcus Vinicius , Nóbrega Yanna C. de , Álvares Alice da Cunha Morales , de Freitas Sonia Maria , Torres Fernando Araripe Gonçalves , Felipe Maria Sueli Soares
Published: November 2013

Hepatitis B is a liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and can be diagnosed in clinical stage by hepatitis B core antibody from IgM class (anti-HBcIgM). Hepatitis B core antibody from IgG class (Anti-HBcIgG) appears quickly after IgM, reaching high titers in chronic hepatitis, and remains even after cure. Since hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) is the first antibody identified and sometimes the only marker detected during the course of infection, it can be used both to indicate HBV acute infection (anti-HBc-IgM) and to identify individuals who have come into contact with the virus (anti-HBc-IgG). In this work we propose a recombinant hepatitis B core multiepitope antigen (rMEHB) to be used for diagnosis of hepatitis B. For this purpose, a synthetic gene coding for rMEHB was designed and cloned into vector pET21a with a 6xHis tag at the C-terminal. Time course induction inE. colishowed an induced protein with an apparent molecular mass of ~21 kDa. Protein purification was performed by a single step with affinity chromatography Ni-NTA. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated rMEHB as a thermal stable protein at pH 7.0 and 8.0. In these conditions rMEHB was successfully used to perform an enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) with positive and negative sera.
Programmed Cell Death Induced by Modulated Electrohyperthermia
Authors: Nóra Meggyesházi , Gábor Andócs , Tibor Krenács
Published: November 2013

Background. Modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT) is a noninvasive technique for targeted tumor treatment. Method. HT29 human colorectal carcinoma cell line xenografted to both femoral regions of BalbC/nu/nu mice was treated with a single shot OTM treatment. Histomorphologic, immunohistochemical analysis TUNEL assay, and R&D Apoptosis array were performed on tissue samples. Results. mEHT caused a selective tumor demolition. An upregulation of TRAIL-R2 and FAS was observed. Cleaved caspase-3 positive cells appear at the tumor periphery. Cytochrome c and AIF release was observed in line with massive TUNEL positivity. Conclusion. In HT29 colorectal cancer xenograft, mEHT caused massive caspase independent cell death.
Influence of Excitation Frequency on Raman Modes of Thin Films
Authors: Dixit A. , Thakur J. S. , Naik V. M. , Naik R.
Published: November 2013

Low energy optical modes of MBE-grown thin films with different values of are investigated using Raman spectroscopy. We also studied the influence of Raman excitation frequency using red and green lasers on scattering intensity of various Raman modes. For those alloys whose bandgap energy is close to the red laser, a huge enhancement in the intensities of A1(LO) mode and its 2A1(LO) replica is observed when excited with red laser as compared to the green laser excitation. We found that the energies of longitudinal optical modes (A1(LO) and 2A1(LO)) vary nonlinearly unlike the E2mode with increasing Ga atomic fraction. A Raman mode~540 cm−1was observed in all films with low energy red laser excitation but was absent with green laser excitation. We attribute this mode to A1(TO) mode of the underneath GaN buffer layer.
Astragalus Polysaccharide Suppresses the Expression of Adhesion Molecules through the Regulation of the p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway in Human Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells after Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Hai-Yan Zhu , Yong-Hong Gao , Zhi-Yao Wang , Bing Xu , Ai-Ming Wu , Yan-Wei Xing , Bei Liu , Li-Xia Lou , Li-Xin Chen
Published: November 2013

Astragalus polysaccharide is a major component of radix astragali, a vital qi-reinforcing herb medicine with favorable immune-regulating effects. In a previous animal experiment, we demonstrated that astragalus polysaccharide effectively alleviates ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of cardiac muscle through the regulation of the inflammatory reactions. However, the relationship between this herb and the cohesion molecules on the cell surface remains controversial. In this study, human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) were used to validate the protective effects of astragalus under an IRI scheme simulated through hypoxia/reoxygenation in vitro. The results indicated that astragalus polysaccharide inhibited the cohesion between HCMECs and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) during IRI through the downregulation of p38 MAPK signaling and the reduction of cohesive molecule expression in HCMECs.
Response of C2C12 Myoblasts to Hypoxia: The Relative Roles of Glucose and Oxygen in Adaptive Cellular Metabolism
Authors: Li Wei , Hu Zhen-Fu , Chen Bin , Ni Guo-Xin
Published: November 2013

Background. Oxygen and glucose are two important nutrients for mammalian cell function. In this study, the effect of glucose and oxygen concentrations on C2C12 cellular metabolism was characterized with an emphasis on detecting whether cells show oxygen conformance (OC) in response to hypoxia.Methods. After C2C12 cells being cultured in the levels of glucose at 0.6 mM (LG), 5.6 mM (MG), or 23.3 mM(HG) under normoxic or hypoxic (1% oxygen) condition, cellular oxygen consumption, glucose consumption, lactate production, and metabolic status were determined. Short-term oxygen consumption was measured with a novel oxygen biosensor technique. Longer-term measurements were performed with standard glucose, lactate, and cell metabolism assays.Results. It was found that oxygen depletion in normoxia is dependent on the glucose concentration in the medium. Cellular glucose uptake and lactate production increased significantly in hypoxia than those in normoxia. In hypoxia the cellular response to the level of glucose was different to that in normoxia. The metabolic activities decreased while glucose concentration increased in normoxia, while in hypoxia, metabolic activity was reduced in LG and MG, but unchanged in HG condition. The OC phenomenon was not observed in the present study.Conclusions. Our findings suggested that a combination of low oxygen and low glucose damages the viability of C2C12 cells more seriously than low oxygen alone. In addition, when there is sufficient glucose, C2C12 cells will respond to hypoxia by upregulating anaerobic respiration, as shown by lactate production.
The Insulation Properties of Oil‐Impregnated Insulation Paper Reinforced with Nano‐TiO2
Authors: Liao Ruijin , Lv Cheng , Yang Lijun , Zhang Yiyi , Wu Weiqiang , Tang Chao
Published: November 2013

Oil‐impregnated insulation paper has been widely used in transformers because of its low cost and desirable physical and electrical properties. However, research to improve the insulation properties of oil‐impregnated insulation paper is rarely found. In this paper, nano‐TiO2 was used to stick to the surface of cellulose which was used to make insulation paper. After oil‐impregnated insulation paper reinforced by nano‐TiO2 was prepared, the tensile strength, breakdown strength, and dielectric properties of the oil‐impregnated insulation paper were investigated to determine whether the modified paper had a better insulation performance. The results show that there were no major changes in tensile strength, and the value of the breakdown strength was greatly improved from 51.13 kV/mm to 61.78 kV/mm. Also, the values of the relative dielectric constant, the dielectric loss, and conductivity declined. The discussion reveals that nano‐TiO2 plays a major role in the phenomenon. Because of the existence of nano‐TiO2, the contact interface of cellulose and oil was changed, and a large number of shallow traps were produced. These shallow traps changed the insulation properties of oil‐impregnated insulation paper. The results show that the proposed solution offers a new method to improve the properties of oil‐impregnated insulation paper.
Enhancement of Antioxidant and Isoflavones Concentration in Gamma Irradiated Soybean
Authors: Popović Boris M. , Štajner Dubravka , Mandić Anamarija , Čanadanović-Brunet Jasna , Kevrešan Slavko
Published: November 2013

Serbian soybean genotype Ana was gamma irradiated at doses of 1, 2, 4, and 10 kGy in order to evaluate the influence of gamma irradiation on isoflavone (genistein, daidzein, and their glycosides genistin and daidzin) contents and hydroxyl radical scavenging effect (HRSE). The increase in genistin and daidzin contents as well as antioxidant activities was observed especially at doses of 4 and 10 kGy. Results were also compared with our previous results relating to total phenol content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenger capacity (DPPH RSC), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Our results indicated that doses up to 10 kGy improve the antioxidant activities of soybean and also nutritional quality with respect to isoflavone content. All results were analyzed by multivariate techniques (correlation matrix calculation and autoscaling transformation of data). Significant positive correlations were observed between genistin, daidzin, DPPH RSC, and HRSE.
Recent Advances in Genetic Predisposition of Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: Zagoriti Zoi , Kambouris Manousos E. , Patrinos George P. , Tzartos Socrates J. , Poulas Konstantinos
Published: November 2013

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease mediated by the presence of autoantibodies that bind to components of the neuromuscular junction, causing the symptoms of muscular weakness and fatigability. Like most autoimmune disorders, MG is a multifactorial, noninherited disease, though with an established genetic constituent. The heterogeneity observed in MG perplexes genetic analysis even more, as it occurs in various levels, including diverse autoantigens, thymus histopathology, and age at onset. In this context of distinct subgroups, a plethora of association studies, discussed in this review, have assessed the involvement of various HLA and non-HLA related loci in MG susceptibility, over the past five years. As expected, certain HLA alleles were strongly associated with MG. Many of the non-HLA genes, such asPTPN22andCTLA-4, have been previously studied in MG and other autoimmune diseases and their association with MG has been reevaluated in more cohesive groups of patients. Moreover, novel risk or protective loci have been revealed, as in the case ofTNIP1andFOXP3. Although the majority of these results have been derived from candidate gene studies, the focal point of all recent genetic studies is the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted on early-onset MG patients.
The Inhomogeneous Waves in a Rotating Piezoelectric Body
Authors: Yuan Xiaoguang , Chen Si
Published: November 2013

This paper presents the analysis and numerical results of rotation, propagation angle, and attenuation angle upon the waves propagating in the piezoelectric body. Via considering the centripetal and Coriolis accelerations in the piezoelectric equations with respect to a rotating frame of reference, wave velocities and attenuations are derived and plotted graphically. It is demonstrated that rotation speed vector can affect wave velocities and make the piezoelectric body behaves as if it was damping. Besides, the effects of propagation angle and attenuation angle are presented. Critical point is found when rotation speed is equal to wave frequency, around which wave characteristics change drastically.
The Effect of Created Local Hyperosmotic Microenvironment in Microcapsule for the Growth and Metabolism of Osmotolerant YeastCandida krusei
Authors: Chen Guo , Yao Shanjing
Published: November 2013

Candida kruseiis osmotolerant yeast used for the production of glycerol. Addition of osmolyte such as NaCl into culture medium can increase the production of glycerol from glucose, but osmolytes may burden the glycerol separation. A coencapsulation method was suggested to create local extracellular hyperosmotic stress for glycerol accumulation. Firstly, the influence of osmotic stress induced by the addition of PEG4000 on growth and metabolism of free cell was studied in detail. Glycerol accumulation could be improved by employing PEG4000 as osmoregulator. Secondly, cells and PEG4000 were coentrapped in NaCS/PDMDAAC capsules to create local hyperosmotic stress. The effects of local hyperosmotic microenvironment on the cell growth and metabolism were studied. The coentrapment method increased the glycerol concentration by 25%, and the glycerol concentration attained 50 gL−1with productivity of 18.8 gL−1Day−1in shake flask. More importantly, the glycerol could be directly separated from the encapsulated cells. The entrapped cells containing PEG4000 were also cultivated for 15 days in an airlift reactor. The yield and productivity were ca. 35% and 21 gL−1Day−1, respectively.
Optimal Parameter Estimation for Muskingum Model Using a CSS-PSO Method
Authors: Talatahari S. , Sheikholeslami R. , Farahmand Azar B. , Daneshpajouh H.
Published: November 2013

Limited availability of hydrologic data is a major hurdle for implementation of detailed hydrologic models. In cases where available data is limited, simple hydrologic models such as linear Muskingum model consisting of a minimum number (one or two) of model parameters are more desirable. As an alternative to the conventional mathematical approaches, this paper applies a new hybrid metaheuristic algorithm based on charged system search and particle swarm optimization for identifying the parameters of the linear Muskingum model. In order to evaluate the new algorithm, a numerical example is utilized and the results are compared to those of other algorithms. The results reveal the performance of the algorithm to optimize parameter estimation of the Muskingum model.
Korovkin‐Type Theorems in Weighted Lp‐Spaces via Summation Process
Authors: Acar Tuncer , Dirik Fadime
Published: November 2013

Korovkin‐type theorem which is one of the fundamental methods in
approximation theory to describe uniform convergence of any sequence of
positive linear operators is discussed on weighted Lp spaces, 1 ≤ p < ∞ for univariate and multivariate functions, respectively.
Furthermore, we obtain these types of approximation theorems by means of 𝒜‐summability which is a stronger convergence method than
ordinary convergence.
Cytokines and Chemokines as Regulators of Skeletal Muscle Inflammation: Presenting the Case of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: De Paepe Boel , De Bleecker Jan L.
Published: November 2013

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a severe inherited muscle disease that affects 1 in 3500 boys worldwide. Infiltration of skeletal muscle by inflammatory cells is an important facet of disease pathophysiology and is strongly associated with disease severity in the individual patient. In the chronic inflammation that characterizes Duchenne muscle, cytokines and chemokines are considered essential activators and recruiters of inflammatory cells. In addition, they provide potential beneficiary effects on muscle fiber damage control and tissue regeneration. In this review, current knowledge of cytokine and chemokine expression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its relevant animal disease models is listed, and implications for future therapeutic avenues are discussed.
Level Set Segmentation of Medical Images Based on Local Region Statistics and Maximum a Posteriori Probability
Authors: Cui Wenchao , Wang Yi , Lei Tao , Fan Yangyu , Feng Yan
Published: November 2013

This paper presents a variational level set method for simultaneous segmentation and bias field estimation of medical images with intensity inhomogeneity. In our model, the statistics of image intensities belonging to each different tissue in local regions are characterized by Gaussian distributions with different means and variances. According to maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) and Bayes’ rule, we first derive a local objective function for image intensities in a neighborhood around each pixel. Then this local objective function is integrated with respect to the neighborhood center over the entire image domain to give a global criterion. In level set framework, this global criterion defines an energy in terms of the level set functions that represent a partition of the image domain and a bias field that accounts for the intensity inhomogeneity of the image. Therefore, image segmentation and bias field estimation are simultaneously achieved via a level set evolution process. Experimental results for synthetic and real images show desirable performances of our method.
Persistence or Clearance of Human Papillomavirus Infections in Women in Ouro Preto, Brazil
Authors: Miranda P. M. , Silva N. N. T. , Pitol B. C. V. , Silva I. D. C. G. , Lima-Filho J. L. , Carvalho R. F. , Stocco R. C. , Beçak W. , Lima A. A.
Published: November 2013

Persistent high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is necessary for development of precursor lesions and cervical cancer. We investigate persistence and clearance of HPV infections and cofactors in unvaccinated women. Cervical samples of 569 women (18–75 years), received for routine evaluation in the Health Department of Ouro Preto, Brazil, were collected and subjected to PCR (MY09/11 or GP5+/6+ primers), followed by RFLP or sequencing. All women were interviewed to collect sociodemographic and behavioral information. Viral infection persistence or clearance was reevaluated after 24 months and was observed in 59.6% and 40.4% of women, respectively. HPVs 16, 33, 59, 66, 69, and 83 (HR) were the most persistent types whereas HPVs 31, 45, and 58 were less persistent. Clearance or persistence did not differ between groups infected by HPVs 18, 53, and 67. In low-risk (LR) types, HPV 6 infected samples were associated with clearance, while HPV 11, 61, 72, or 81 infected samples were persistent in the follow-up. No statistically significant association was detected between persistent HPV infections and sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics analyzed. To study persistence or clearance in HPV infection allows the identification of risk groups, cofactors, and strategies for prevention of cervical cancer.
Efficient Degradation of Feather by Keratinase ProducingBacillussp.
Authors: Jeevana Lakshmi P. , Kumari Chitturi Ch. M. , Lakshmi V. V.
Published: November 2013

Keratinase producing microorganisms are being increasingly utilized for degradation and recycling of poultry feather waste. Two native strains BF11 (Bacillus subtilis) and BF21 (Bacillus cereus) degrading keratin completely were characterized. The native strains produced more than 10 KU/mL of enzyme. Strain improvement resulted in isolation of MBF11 and MBF21 from BF11 and BF21 isolates, respectively. Optimization of nutritional and physical parameters of these MBF isolates at laboratory scale increased the overall keratinase activity by 50-fold resulting in a yield of 518–520 KU/mL. Fermentation media designed with starch as carbon source and soya bean meal as nitrogen source supported high levels of enzyme production. The optimum conditions for enzyme production were determined to be pH 8.5 and temperatures of 45–55°C for MBF11 and 37°C for MBF21, respectively. Culture filtrate showed a significant increase in the amounts of cysteine, cystine, methionine, and total free amino acids during the fermentation period. The ratio of organic sulphur concentration was also considerably higher than that of the inorganic sulphate in the culture filtrate suggesting the hydrolysis of disulphide by the isolates.
Anisotropic Bulk Viscous String Cosmological Model in a Scalar-Tensor Theory of Gravitation
Authors: Reddy D. R. K. , Purnachandra Rao Ch. , Vidyasagar T. , Bhuvana Vijaya R.
Published: November 2013

Spatially homogeneous, anisotropic, and tilted Bianchi type-VI0model is investigated in a new scalar-tensor theory of gravitation proposed by Saez and Ballester (1986) when the source for energy momentum tensor is a bulk viscous fluid containing one-dimensional cosmic strings. Exact solution of the highly nonlinear field equations is obtained using the following plausible physical conditions: (i) scalar expansion of the space-time which is proportional to the shear scalar, (ii) the barotropic equations of state for pressure and energy density, and (iii) a special law of variation for Hubble’s parameter proposed by Berman (1983). Some physical and kinematical properties of the model are also discussed.
High Frequency of a Single Nucleotide Substitution (c.-6-180T>G) of the CanineMDR1/ABCB1Gene Associated with Phenobarbital-Resistant Idiopathic Epilepsy in Border Collie Dogs
Authors: Mizukami Keijiro , Yabuki Akira , Chang Hye-Sook , Uddin Mohammad Mejbah , Rahman Mohammad Mahbubur , Kushida Kazuya , Kohyama Moeko , Yamato Osamu
Published: November 2013

A single nucleotide substitution (c.-6-180T>G) associated with resistance to phenobarbital therapy has been found in the canineMDR1/ABCB1gene in Border Collies with idiopathic epilepsy. In the present study, a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay was developed for genotyping this mutation, and a genotyping survey was carried out in a population of 472 Border Collies in Japan to determine the current allele frequency. The survey demonstrated the frequencies of the T/T wild type, T/G heterozygote, and G/G mutant homozygote to be 60.0%, 30.3%, and 9.8%, respectively, indicating that the frequency of the mutant G allele is extremely high (24.9%) in Border Collies. The results suggest that this high mutation frequency of the mutation is likely to cause a high prevalence of phenobarbital-resistant epilepsy in Border Collies.
Harmonious Properties of Uniform -Distant Trees
Authors: Murugan M.
Published: November 2013

We prove that all uniform -distant trees are harmonious; every uniform -distant odd tree is strongly -harmonious, so is every uniform -distant even tree if the spine has even number of vertices. Also, all uniform -distant trees are sequential.
Parallel Swarms Oriented Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Gonsalves Tad , Egashira Akira
Published: November 2013

The particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a recently invented evolutionary computation technique which is gaining popularity owing to its simplicity in implementation and rapid convergence. In the case of single-peak functions, PSO rapidly converges to the peak; however, in the case of multimodal functions, the PSO particles are known to get trapped in the local optima. In this paper, we propose a variation of the algorithm called parallel swarms oriented particle swarm optimization (PSO-PSO) which consists of a multistage and a single stage of evolution. In the multi-stage of evolution, individual subswarms evolve independently in parallel, and in the single stage of evolution, the sub-swarms exchange information to search for the global-best. The two interweaved stages of evolution demonstrate better performance on test functions, especially of higher dimensions. The attractive feature of the PSO-PSO version of the algorithm is that it does not introduce any new parameters to improve its convergence performance. The strategy maintains the simple and intuitive structure as well as the implemental and computational advantages of the basic PSO.
Post-Lie Algebra Structures on the Lie Algebragl(2,C)
Authors: Sheng Yuqiu , Tang Xiaomin
Published: November 2013

The post-Lie algebra is an enriched structure of the Lie algebra. We give a complete classification of post-Lie algebra structures on the Lie algebragl(2,C)up to isomorphism.
Effect of Cr Substitution on Magnetic Properties of Mg Nanoferrites Synthesized by Citrate‐Gel Auto Combustion Method
Authors: Raghasudha M. , Ravinder D. , Veerasomaiah P.
Published: November 2013

A series of Mg‐Cr nanoferrites with the chemical formula MgCrxFe2−xO4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) were synthesized by Citrate‐Gel auto combustion method. The formation of single phase cubic spinel structure of the samples was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. It is observed that with the increase in the paramagnetic Cr content, the particle size of the ferrite compositions has decreased from 23 nm to 7 nm. Faraday magnetic Susceptibility Balance was used to measure the Magnetic susceptibility of synthesized samples that confirmed the paramagnetic nature of the ferrites. Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) was used to measure the Magnetic properties of nanoferrites under investigation at room temperature under the applied magnetic field of 15 kOe. With the increase in Cr3+ concentration, the saturation magnetization has decreased from 11 emu/g to 1.5 emu/g.
Ab Initio Density Functional Theory Investigation of the Interaction between Carbon Nanotubes and Water Molecules during Water Desalination Process
Authors: Elalfy Loay A. , Hassan Walid M. I. , Akl Wael N.
Published: November 2013

Density functional theory calculations using B3LYP/3‐21G level of theory have been implemented on 6 carbon nanotubes (CNTs) structures (3 zigzag and 3 armchair CNTs) to study the energetics of the reverse osmosis during water desalination process. Calculations of the band gap, interaction energy, highest occupied molecular orbital, lowest unoccupied molecular orbital, electronegativity, hardness, and pressure of the system are discussed. The calculations showed that the water molecule that exists inside the CNT is about 2‐3 Å away from its wall. The calculations have proven that the zigzag CNTs are more efficient for reverse osmosis water desalination process than armchair CNTs as the reverse osmosis process requires pressure of approximately 200 MPa for armchair CNTs, which is consistent with the values used in molecular dynamics simulations, while that needed when using zigzag CNTs was in the order of 60 MPa.
New Convergence Definitions for Sequences of Sets
Authors: Kişi Ömer , Nuray Fatih
Published: November 2013

Several notions ofconvergencefor subsets of metric space appear in the literature. In this paper, we defineWijsman  -convergenceandWijsman  -convergencefor sequences of sets and establish some basic theorems. Furthermore, we introduce the concepts ofWijsman  I-Cauchysequence andWijsman  -Cauchysequence and then study their certain properties.