bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Monomeric Dihydroanthraquinones: A Chemoenzymatic Approach and its (Bio)synthetic Implications for Bisanthraquinones
Authors: Saha Nirmal , Mondal Amit , Witte Karina , Singh Shailesh Kumar , Müller Michael , Husain Syed Masood 
Published: December 2017

AbstractModified bisanthraquinones are complex dimeric natural products containing a cage‐like structural motif. For their biosynthesis, monomeric dihydroanthraquinones have been proposed as key intermediates despite not being isolated from natural sources or synthesized as of yet. Here, isolation and characterization of dihydroemodin, as well as dihydrolunatin, synthesized by a biomimetic and chemoenzymatic approach using NADPH‐dependent polyhydroxyanthracence reductase (PHAR) from Cochliobolus lunatus followed by Pb(OAc)4 oxidation is reported. Subsequent dimerization through a hetero‐Diels–Alder reaction of the dihydroemodin and dihydrolunatin resulted in (−)‐flavoskyrin (68 %) and (−)‐lunaskyrin (62 %), respectively. Pyridine treatment of (−)‐flavoskyrin and (−)‐lunaskyrin gave (−)‐rugulosin and (−)‐2,2′‐epi‐cytoskyrin A in 64 % and 60 % yield, respectively, through a cascade that involves two dimeric intermediates. Implications of the described synthesis for the biosynthesis of bisanthraquinones by a combination of enzymatic and spontaneous steps are discussed.
Binding Mode and Structure–Activity Relationships of ITE as an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) Agonist
Authors: Dolciami Daniela , Gargaro Marco , Cerra Bruno , Scalisi Giulia , Bagnoli Luana , Servillo Giuseppe , Della Fazia Maria Agnese , Puccetti Paolo , Quintana Francisco J. , Fallarino Francesca , Macchiarulo Antonio 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDiscovered as a modulator of the toxic response to environmental pollutants, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has recently gained attention for its involvement in various physiological and pathological pathways. AhR is a ligand‐dependent transcription factor activated by a large array of chemical compounds, which include metabolites of l‐tryptophan (l‐Trp) catabolism as endogenous ligands of the receptor. Among these, 2‐(1′H‐indole‐3′‐carbonyl)thiazole‐4‐carboxylic acid methyl ester (ITE) has attracted interest in the scientific community, being endowed with nontoxic, immunomodulatory, and anticancer AhR‐mediated functions. So far, no information about the binding mode and interactions of ITE with AhR is available. In this study, we used docking and molecular dynamics to propose a putative binding mode of ITE into the ligand binding pocket of AhR. Mutagenesis studies were then instrumental in validating the proposed binding mode, identifying His 285 and Tyr 316 as important key residues for ligand‐dependent receptor activation. Finally, a set of ITE analogues was synthesized and tested to further probe molecular interactions of ITE to AhR and characterize the relevance of specific functional groups in the chemical structure for receptor activity.
Fine Structure in Electronic Spectra of Cyanine Dyes: Are Sub‐Bands Largely Determined by a Dominant Vibration or a Collection of Singly Excited Vibrations?
Authors: Mustroph Heinz , Towns Andrew 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis work critically examines attempts to model the fine structure apparent in electronic spectra of cyanine dyes and their analogues. Numerous computational studies reported over the past decade attribute the origin of sub‐bands and their relative intensities to vibronic transitions in which the relevant electronic transition is coupled, irrespective of symmetry, with a collection of vibrations. It is contended that this type of approach is not supported by experimental evidence. An argument is reiterated for a more appropriate model that adheres closely to fundamental principles and fits the data. It stipulates that essentially just one symmetric vibration, carbon–carbon bond stretching of the cyanine polymethine chain, dominates the coupling and is responsible for the observed fine structure. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the intensities of the sub‐bands are readily explained by means of the Franck–Condon principle.
Efficient hybrid watermarking schemes for robust and secure 3D‐MVC communication
Authors: El‐Shafai W. , El‐Rabaie S. , El‐Halawany M.M. , Abd El‐Samie Fathi E. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryDigital watermarking is a promising and efficient methodology for protecting the copyright of the transmitted multimedia data. Three‐dimensional videos (3DVs) are transmitted and stored in the form of compressed information. Thus, there is a great need for compressed 3DV watermarking. This paper presents 2 proposed hybrid watermarking schemes for securing the 3DV transmission. The first watermarking scheme is the homomorphic transform–based singular value decomposition in discrete wavelet transform domain. The second scheme is the 3‐level discrete stationary wavelet transform in discrete cosine transform domain. The objective of the 2 proposed hybrid watermarking schemes is to increase the immunity of the watermarked 3DV to attacks and achieve adequate perceptual quality. The performances of the 2 proposed hybrid watermarking schemes are compared with those of the state‐of‐the‐art watermarking schemes. The comparisons depend on both of the subjective visual results and the objective results; the peak signal‐to‐noise ratios of the watermarked frames and the normalized correlation of the extracted watermark frames. Extensive simulation results on standard 3DV sequences have been conducted in the presence of attacks. The obtained results confirm that the 2 suggested hybrid watermarking schemes are robust in the presence of attacks. They achieve not only very good perceptual quality with appreciated peak signal‐to‐noise ratio values but also high correlation coefficient values in the presence of attacks.
Binuclear Metal Phthalocyanines Catalysis for Li/SOCl2 Batteries: An Experimental and Computational Study
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhang Ronglan , Yang Fei , Zhao Jianshe 
Published: December 2017

AbstractFour kinds of binuclear metal phthalocyanines (MPcs) complexes M2(PcTN)2Nap and M2(PcTA)2Nap (M=NiII, ZnII) are synthesized and used in Li/SOCl2 battery as electrocatalysts to enhance capacity and discharge voltage. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out to investigate the improvement in electrochemical performance by carefully observing the shape of the frontier molecular orbitals (MOs). It is confirmed that a close relationship exists between MOs and catalytic performance of MPcs. The variation in reduction potentials of electrolyte SOCl2 are also related to the MOs. Based on cyclic voltammetry measurements and the energy gap of MOs, a reaction mechanism that involves an irreversible two‐step electron transfer process can be deduced, and a better strategy for the selection of catalysts is obtained.
Psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures among patients with functional neurological disorder: A case series from a Tanzanian referral hospital and literature review
Authors: Dekker Marieke C. J. , Urasa Sarah J. , Kellogg Marissa , Howlett William P. 
Published: December 2017

SummaryObjectiveFunctional neurological disorders (FNDs) and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are likely as common in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) as in the rest of the world, but there is a dearth of literature on the epidemiology and clinical presentation of these disorders in Africa. The purpose of this paper is to describe a case series of FNDs presenting to a referral hospital in SSA. In addition, we review the existing literature on FNDs in Africa.MethodsA hospital‐based retrospective cross‐sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence, epidemiology, and clinical phenotype of FNDs and PNES in a referral hospital in Northern Tanzania over a 6‐year period (2007–2013).ResultsOf 2,040 patients presenting with neurological complaints, 44 (2.2%) were diagnosed with FNDs. Half (n = 22) had the clinical presentation of PNES. Age of presentation for FNDs and PNES peaked in the teen years 12–19 (n = 21 48%; and n = 14, 63%, respectively), and the majority were female (n = 30, 68%; and n = 14, 63%, respectively). The majority presented acutely with short‐lived and self‐limiting symptoms (only 2 recurrent cases). Literature review revealed multiple reports of “mass hysteria” in SSA often meeting the clinical criteria of epidemic FNDs.SignificanceFNDs and PNES occur in Africa with age and gender distribution comparable to that found elsewhere. Although the percentage of FND cases overall was relatively low (2.2%), it is likely to be an underestimate because not all cases were recorded, and cases may be appropriately managed locally before patients are referred to a hospital. PNES was the most common phenotype of FNDs reported, and the African phenotype may be short‐lived and self‐limiting rather than chronic and recurrent, as reported elsewhere in the world. PNES presentations may also occur in clusters, which may have cultural significance in Africa. FNDs in Africa appear to be underreported, particularly over the last 30 years.
Diet quality affects chemical tolerance in the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Fidder Bridgette N. , Reátegui-Zirena Evelyn G. , Salice Christopher J. 
Published: December 2017

Abstract

Organisms generally select high-quality diets to obtain maximal energy while devoting the least amount of time and energy. Diets, however, can vary in natural systems. In ecotoxicological testing, the effect of diet type on organismal responses to toxicants has not been explored despite the potential for dietary effects to influence toxicological endpoints. We first evaluated diet quality using growth rate and sensitivity to the fungicide pyraclostrobin of Lymnaea stagnalis fed lettuce (common laboratory diet), turtle pellets (high nutrient composition), and a combination diet of both food items. We also measured the macronutrient content of snails raised on the multiple diets to determine how diet may have impacted energy allocation patterns. Finally, we evaluated whether snails discernibly preferred a particular diet. Snails fed high-nutrient and combination diets grew larger overall than snails fed a lettuce-only diet. Snails fed the high-nutrient and combination diets, both juvenile and adult, were significantly more tolerant to pyraclostrobin than snails fed lettuce. When measured for macronutrient content, snails raised on high-nutrient and combination diets had significantly higher carbohydrate content than snails fed lettuce. Despite the strong effects of diet type, snails did not exhibit a clear diet choice in preference trials. Dietary composition clearly influences growth rate, sensitivity, and macronutrient content of Lymnaea stagnalis. These results suggest that the nutritional environment has potentially strong impacts on toxicant sensitivity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1158–1167. © 2017 SETAC
Effect of Boiling and roasting on lipid quality, proximate composition, and mineral content of walnut seeds (Tetracarpidium conophorum) produced and commercialized in Kumba, South‐West Region Cameroon
Authors: Tonfack Djikeng Fabrice , Selle Edem , Morfor Azia Theresia , Tiencheu Bernard , Hako Touko Blaise Arnaud , Teboukeu Boungo Gires , Ndomou Houketchang Serges , Karuna Mallampalli Sri Lakshmi , Linder Michel , Ngoufack François Zambou , Womeni Hilaire Macaire 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe effect of boiling and roasting on the lipid quality, proximate composition, and mineral content of African walnut seeds (Tetracarpidium conophorum) was assessed. Results indicated that the quality of walnut oil significantly (p < .05) reduces with the treatments. Oils extracted from DBWN 60 min (Dried and boiled walnuts 60 min) and FBWN 60 min (Boiled fresh walnuts 60 min) were the most altered. The proximate composition and mineral content of walnut seeds was also significantly affected (p < .05) by the treatments. This study reveals that, thermal processing has significant effects on the nutrients and quality of lipids of walnut oil. DTRWN 60 min (Dried and traditionally roasted walnuts 60 min), DORWN 60 min (Dried and oven roasted walnuts 60 min), and TRFWN 30 min (traditionally roasted fresh nuts 30 min) are the best methods for cooking walnut because they preserve the quality of its lipids and some of the nutrients.
Determination of the chemical and functional properties of yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urban) flour for food systems
Authors: Buckman Evelyn S. , Oduro Ibok , Plahar Wisdom A. , Tortoe Charles 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMany plant species that are suitable for food across the world are neglected and underutilized. In order to increase their diversified food uses and thus help enhance food and nutrition security, we studied the chemical and functional properties of Pachyrhizus erosus (yam bean), which is a neglected and underutilized legume species. The chemical properties of flour produced from the yam bean include 5.8% moisture content, 5.7% crude fat, 6.2% crude fiber, and 85% available carbohydrate, indicating appropriate shelf‐stable flour, low fat, and abundant energy. The results also showed a reducing sugar content of 2.0% and 21.0% starch. Pasting temperature was 70.6°C with peak viscosity of 14.5 BU, which supports ease of cooking of the flour. The swelling power obtained was 752.9 g/100 g at 85°C with a solubility index of 54%. Water holding capacity (WHC) obtained for the flour was 363.88%, whereas swelling volume was 14.0 ml and makes the flour appropriate for the production of infant foods. The P. erosus flour therefore exhibits good functional and chemical properties that would make the flour quite suitable as a substitute for other flours in food systems.
Migratory potential of transplanted glial progenitors as critical factor for successful translation of glia replacement therapy: The gap between mice and men
Authors: Srivastava Rohit K. , Bulte Jeff W. M. , Walczak Piotr , Janowski Miroslaw 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNeurological disorders are a major threat to public health. Stem cell‐based regenerative medicine is now a promising experimental paradigm for its treatment, as shown in pre‐clinical animal studies. Initial attempts have been on the replacement of neuronal cells only, but glial progenitors (GPs) are now becoming strong alternative cellular therapeutic candidates to replace oligodendrocytes and astrocytes as knowledge accumulates about their important emerging role in various disease processes. There are many examples of successful therapeutic outcomes for transplanted GPs in small animal models, but clinical translation has proved to be challenging due to the 1,000‐fold larger volume of the human brain compared to mice. Human GPs transplanted into the mouse brain migrate extensively and can induce global cell replacement, but a similar extent of migration in the human brain would only allow for local rather than global cell replacement. We review here the mechanisms that govern cell migration, which could potentially be exploited to enhance the migratory properties of GPs through cell engineering pre‐transplantation. We furthermore discuss the (dis)advantages of the various cell delivery routes that are available, with particular emphasis on intra‐arterial injection as the most suitable route for achieving global cell distribution in the larger brain. Now that therapeutic success has proven to be feasible in small animal models, future efforts will need to be directed to enhance global cell delivery and migration to make bench‐to‐bedside translation a reality.
TOP‐DOWN AND BOTTOM‐UP: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MINDFULNESS AS PREDICTORS IN MATERNAL–INFANT INTERACTION
Authors: Pickard Judy A. , Townsend Michelle L. , Caputi Peter , Grenyer Brin F.S. 
Published: December 2017

ABSTRACTThe cross‐generational transmission of attachment appears to reflect a complex interplay of factors, which have been challenging to identify. The current longitudinal study explored the maternal cognitive model of relationships through language use, maternal mindfulness, and attachment style assessed prenatally, as predictors of maternal response to distress and infant behavior at 6 months’ postpartum. Infant behavior to the mother also was examined to provide an understanding of the evolving relationship. Thirty‐two females were interviewed prenatally regarding social and family experiences. At 6 months’ postpartum, each mother participated in a video‐recorded session where she was asked to teach her infant a developmentally appropriate task. Videos were analyzed using the NCAST Teaching Protocol. Language use prenatally as well as the mindfulness facets (acting with awareness and describing) predicted the mothers’ ability to respond to infant distress, indicating greater attunement. Infant's response to mother and clarity of cues also were predicted by maternal pronoun use. The study highlights the role of internal working models reflective of interpersonal beliefs, cognitive models, and current‐moment awareness in maternal behavior. The effect of maternal language on infant behavior arguably indicates the infant's integration of maternal internal working models.
Hydoxyapatite/beta‐tricalcium phosphate biphasic ceramics as regenerative material for the repair of complex bone defects
Authors: Rh. Owen Gethin , Dard Michel , Larjava Hannu 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBone is a composite material composed of collagen and calcium phosphate (CaP) mineral. The collagen gives bone its flexibility while the inorganic material gives bone its resilience. The CaP in bone is similar in composition and structure to the mineral hydroxyapatite (HA) and is bioactive, osteoinductive and osteoconductive. Therefore synthetic versions of bone apatite (BA) have been developed to address the demand for autologous bone graft substitutes. Synthetic HA (s‐HA) are stiff and strong, but brittle. These lack of physical attributes limit the use of synthetic apatites in situations where no physical loading of the apatite occurs. s‐HA chemical properties differ from BA and thus change the physical and mechanical properties of the material. Consequently, s‐HA is more chemically stable than BA and thus its resorption rate is slower than the rate of bone regeneration. One solution to this problem is to introduce a faster resorbing CaP, such as β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP), when synthesizing the material creating a biphasic (s‐HA and β‐TCP) formulation of calcium phosphate (BCP). The focus of this review is to introduce the major differences between BCP and biological apatites and how material scientists have overcome the inadequacies of the synthetic counterparts. Examples of BCP performancein vitroandin vivofollowing structural and chemical modifications are provided as well as novel ultrastructural data. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2493–2512, 2018.
Reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP), a light for mammalian transcript analysis in low‐input laboratories
Authors: Pandey Mamta , Singh Dheer , Onteru Suneel K. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractTranscript analysis is usually performed by costly, time‐consuming, and expertise intensive methods, like real time‐PCR, microarray, etc. However, they are not much feasible in low‐input laboratories. Therefore, we implemented the reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP) as a means of mammalian transcript analysis. Particularly, RT‐LAMP was developed for buffalo aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP19) transcript, to study its expression in 3D‐cultured buffalo granulosa cells, which were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The CYP19‐RT‐LAMP assay rapidly identified the LPS‐induced downregulation of the CYP19 gene within 30 min at 63°C in a water bath. The assay was visualized via unaided eye by observing the change in turbidity and fluorescence, which were decreased by increasing the LPS exposure time to granulosa cells. Overall, the developed CYP19‐RT‐LAMP assay provided a hope on the application of RT‐LAMP for mammalian transcript analysis in low‐input laboratories.
mTORC1 signaling is essential for neurofibromatosis type I gene modulated osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs
Authors: Li YiQiang , Li JingChun , Zhou QingHe , Liu Yuanzhong , Chen WeiDong , Xu HongWen 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNeurofibromatosis type I (NF1), which is caused by mutations in the NF1 gene, is a common autosomal dominant genetic disease leading to skeletal abnormalities. Both
NF1 gene and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling are associated with the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). In this study, we hypothesized that mTORC1 signaling is involved in
NF1‐modulated osteoblast differentiation of BMSCs. Human BMSCs were cultured in an osteogenic induction medium. The expression of
NF1 was either inhibited or overexpressed by transfecting
NF1 with a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) or pcDNA3.0 plasmid, respectively. In addition, an mTORC1 signaling inhibitor and agonist were used to investigate the effects of mTORC1 on
NF1‐modulated osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The results indicated that inhibiting the expression of
NF1 with siRNA significantly decreased the mRNA levels of
NF1, whereas overexpressing the expression of
NF1 with pcDNA3.0 plasmid significantly increased the mRNA levels of
NF1 at days 3, 7, 14 and 21 after culture. We observed reduced osteogenic differentiation and cell proliferation in the
NF1‐siRNA group and enhanced osteogenic differentiation and cell proliferation of BMSCs in the
NF1‐pcDNA3.0 group. The activity of mTORC1 signaling (p‐mTORC1, p‐S6K1, and p‐4EBP1) was significantly upregulated in the
NF1‐siRNA group and significantly inhibited in the
NF1‐pcDNA3.0 group, 7 and 14 days after culture. The effects of
NF1‐siRNA and
NF1‐pcDNA3.0 on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and cell proliferation were reversed by mTORC1 inhibitor and agonist, respectively. In conclusion,
NF1 modulates osteogenic differentiation and cell proliferation of human BMSCs and mTORC1 signaling is essential for this process.
The relationship between personality disorder traits, emotional intelligence, and college adjustment
Authors: Krajniak Marta I. , Pievsky Michelle , Eisen Andrew R. , McGrath Robert E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractObjectiveThe current study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence, personality disorder traits, and college adjustment.MethodA sample of 246 first‐semester, first‐time freshmen (73.6% female, age mean = 18.7, standard deviation = 2.0) at a large university in the Eastern United States completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Petrides, 2009), the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality‐2 (Clark, Simms, Wu, & Casillas, 2014), and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Baker & Siryk, 1998).ResultsAs predicted, personality disorder symptoms and emotional intelligence were generally related, and both were related to adjustment. Unique patterns of association between traits reflecting personality disorder clusters and emotional intelligence deficits also emerged. Contrary to expectation, however, emotional intelligence did not moderate the relationship between personality disorders and adjustment.ConclusionThe results suggest an alternative model implicating emotional intelligence as a mediator of the relationship between personality difficulties and college adjustment.