cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
title: Metabolic fingerprinting of joint tissue of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat
title: in vitro, high resolution NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy based analysis
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Srivastava, Niraj Kumar
name: Sharma, Shikha
name: Sharma, Rajkumar
name: Sinha, Neeraj
name: Mandal, Sudhir Kumar
name: Sharma, Deepak
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Collagen-induced arthritis
subject: Extraction
subject: Metabolism
subject: NMR spectroscopy
subject: Oxidative stress
subject: Metabolites
subject: 610

description: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease whose major characteristics persistent joint inflammation that results in joint destruction and failure of the function. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat is an autoimmune disease model and in many ways shares features with RA. The CIA is associated with systemic manifestations, including alterations in the metabolism. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics has been successfully applied to the perchloric acid extract of the joint tissue of CIA rat and control rat for the analysis of aqueous metabolites. GPC (Glycerophosphocholine), carnitine, acetate, and creatinine were important discriminators of CIA rats as compared to control rats. Level of lactate (significance; p = 0.004), alanine (p = 0.025), BCA (Branched-chain amino acids) (p = 0.006) and creatinine (p = 0.023) was significantly higher in CIA rats as compared to control rats. Choline (p = 0.038) and GPC (p = 0.009) were significantly reduced in CIA rats as compared to control rats. Choline to GPC correlation was good and negative (Pearson correlation = -0.63) for CIA rats as well as for control rats (Pearson correlation = -0.79). All these analyses collectively considered as metabolic fingerprinting of the joint tissue of CIA rat as compared to control rat. The metabolic fingerprinting of joint tissue of CIA rats was different as compared to control rats. The metabolic fingerprinting reflects inflammatory disease activity in CIA rats with synovitis, demonstrating that underlying inflammatory process drives significant changes in metabolism that can be measured in the joint tissue. Therefore, the outcome of this study may be helpful for understanding the mechanism of metabolic processes in RA. This may be also helpful for the development of advanced diagnostic methods and therapy for RA.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 17 2018
Applying Adaptive Time-Dependent DMRG to Calculate the Conductance of Strongly Correlated Nanostructures
Creators: name: Al-Hassanieh, K. A.
name: Feiguin, A. E.
name: Riera, J. A.
name: Busser, C. A.
name: Dagotto, E.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2006
Subjects: subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: A procedure based on the recently developed ``adaptive'' time-dependent density-matrix-renormalization-group (DMRG) technique is presented to calculate the zero temperature conductance of nanostructures, such as a quantum dots (QD's) or molecular conductors, when represented by a small number of active levels. The leads are modeled using non-interacting tight-binding Hamiltonians. The ground state at time zero is calculated at zero bias. Then, a small bias is applied between the two leads, the wave-function is DMRG evolved in time, and currents are measured as a function of time. Typically, the current is expected to present periodicities over long times, involving intermediate well-defined plateaus that resemble steady states. The conductance can be obtained from those steady-state-like currents. To test this approach, several cases of interacting and non-interacting systems have been studied. Our results show excellent agreement with exact results in the non-interacting case. More importantly, the technique also reproduces quantitatively well-established results for the conductance and local density-of-states in both the cases of one and two coupled interacting QD's. The technique also works at finite bias voltages, and it can be extended to include interactions in the leads.
description: RevTex 4
Research Data Management at University of Cape Town: Good Practice #7
Creators: name: Garbuglia, Federica
name: Saenen, Bregt
name: Gaillard, Vinciane
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: research data management
FAIR
universities
data stewardship
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

description: The University of Cape Town implemented a range of services and training opportunities to support the uptake of RDM and FAIR data skills and practices at the institutional level. These activities are targeting students at the master level, doctoral candidates, academic staff and other researchers as well as the non-academic staff of UCT and of other interested institutions. This good practice is part of a collection presented in the report "Good Practices in FAIR Competence Education", which aims to provides universities with points of inspiration and practical examples of how fellow institutions and organisations in the higher education sector addressed the need for more RDM and FAIR data-related skills to be taught at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. The report was developed in the framework of the Fostering FAIR Data Practices in Europe (FAIRsFAIR) project.
Precondition of right frontal region with anodal tDCS can restore the fear memory impairment induced by ACPA in male mice
Creators: name: Manteghi, Fariborz
name: Nasehi, Mohammad
name: Zarrindast, Mohammad-Reza
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: tDCS
subject: ACPA
subject: preconditioning
subject: fear memory
subject: me mory enhancement
subject: learning acceleration
subject: 610

description: Fear memory and learning cause behavioural patterns such as fight or flight responses, which increase survival probability, but unfit processing of fear memory and learning can lead to maladaptive behaviours and maladies such as phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders. The growing prevalence of these maladies shows the need to quest novel methods for their treatment. We used anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the right frontal region as a precondition neuromodulator and arachidonylcyclopropylamide (ACPA), a selective CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist, as a fear memory impairing agent to assess their effects on contextual and auditory fear conditioning (reliable model for fear studies). Right frontal anodal tDCS (0.2 mA for. 20 minutes) 24 hours before the train did not alter contextual and auditory learning and memory in short-term (24 hrs after the training phase). Moreover, intraperitoneal pre-train injection of ACPA (0.1 mg/kg) alone, decreased both contextual and auditory learning and memory in short- but not long-term. Right frontal anodal tDCS improved short-term contextual fear memory in subthreshold doses of ACPA. On the other hand, right frontal anodal tDCS in long-term improved (lower doses of ACPA) and restored (higher doses of ACPA) both fear memories. These findings showed that, aforementioned approach could cause durable learning and memory improvements. Also this combined modality could be useful for fear extinction training and maladies which inflict amnesia.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
title: Analysis of the impact of the forecasted and measured traffic intensity on noise range
Creators: name: Pudełko, Bartłomiej
name: Nowoświat, Artur
name: Żuchowski, Rafał
Publisher: name: Publishing House of Poznan University of Technology
Year: 2023

description: Vibrations in Physical Systems, 34(2), 2023217-1 - 2023217-6
Foundation and methodologies in computer-aided diagnosis systems for breast cancer detection
Creators: name: Jalalian, Afsaneh
name: Mashohor, Syamsiah
name: Mahmud, Rozi
name: Karasfi, Babak
name: Saripan, M. Iqbal B.
name: Ramli, Abdul Rahman B.
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: breast cancer
subject: computer-aided diagnosis system
subject: segmentation
subject: feature extraction
subject: classification
subject: 610

description: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer that affects women all over the world. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer could decline the mortality rate. Some issues such as technical reasons, which related to imaging quality and human error, increase misdiagnosis of breast cancer by radiologists. Computer-aided detection systems (CADs) are developed to overcome these restrictions and have been studied in many imaging modalities for breast cancer detection in recent years. The CAD systems improve radiologists’ performance in finding and discriminat- ing between the normal and abnormal tissues. These procedures are performed only as a double reader but the absolute decisions are still made by the radiologist. In this study, the recent CAD systems for breast cancer detec- tion on different modalities such as mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and biopsy histopathological images are introduced. The foundation of CAD systems generally consist of four stages: Pre-processing, Segmentation, Fea- ture extraction, and Classification. The approaches which applied to design different stages of CAD system are summarised. Advantages and disadvantages of different segmentation, feature extraction and classification tech- niques are listed. In addition, the impact of imbalanced datasets in classification outcomes and appropriate methods to solve these issues are discussed. As well as, performance evaluation metrics for various stages of breast cancer detection CAD systems are reviewed.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
Essentials on Research Data Management MOOC: Good Practice #6
Creators: name: Garbuglia, Federica
name: Saenen, Bregt
name: Gaillard, Vinciane
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: research data management
FAIR
universities
data stewardship
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

description: The University of Minho Documentation and Libraries Service (UMinho) developed an Open Online Course (MOOC) in Research Data Management Massive in 2019 commissioned by the General Secretariat for Education and Science from the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. The course is open to doctoral candidates and other researchers from all Portuguese higher education institutions who are interested in acquiring a basic understanding and knowledge of practices related to RDM and FAIR data. This good practice is part of a collection presented in the report "Good Practices in FAIR Competence Education", which aims to provides universities with points of inspiration and practical examples of how fellow institutions and organisations in the higher education sector addressed the need for more RDM and FAIR data-related skills to be taught at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels. The report was developed in the framework of the Fostering FAIR Data Practices in Europe (FAIRsFAIR) project.
Drinfel'd Doubles and Lusztig's Symmetries of Two-Parameter Quantum Groups
Creators: name: Bergeron, Nantel
name: Gao, Yun
name: Hu, Naihong
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Representation Theory (math.RT)
subject: Quantum Algebra (math.QA)
subject: FOS: Mathematics
subject: 17B37, 81R50

description: We find the defining structures of two-parameter quantum groups $U_{r,s}(\frak g)$ corresponding to the orthogonal and the symplectic Lie algebras, which are realized as Drinfel'd doubles. We further investigate the environment conditions upon which the Lusztig's symmetries exist between $(U_{r,s}(\frak g), < ,>)$ and its associated object $(U_{s^{-1}, r^{-1}}(\frak g), < | >)$.
description: 25 pages AMSTeX
Tailored transition-metal coordination environments in imidazole-modified DNA G-quadruplexes
Creators: name: Punt, Philip M.
name: Clever, Guido H.
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Bioinorganic chemistry
subject: Coordination chemistry
subject: DNA
subject: G-quadruplexes
subject: Imidazole
subject: 540

description: Two types of imidazole ligands were introduced both at the end of tetramolecular and into the loop region of unimolecular DNA G‐quadruplexes. The modified oligonucleotides were shown to complex a range of different transition‐metal cations including NiII, CuII, ZnII and CoII, as indicated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy and ion mobility mass spectrometry. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to obtain structural insight into the investigated systems. Variation of ligand number and position in the loop region of unimolecular sequences derived from the human telomer region (htel) allows for a controlled design of distinct coordination environments with fine‐tuned metal affinities. It is shown that CuII, which is typically square‐planar coordinated, has a higher affinity for systems offering four ligands, whereas NiII prefers G‐quadruplexes with six ligands. Likewise, the positioning of ligands in a square‐planar versus tetrahedral fashion affects binding affinities of CuII and ZnII cations, respectively. Gaining control over ligand arrangement patterns will spur the rational development of transition‐metal‐modified DNAzymes. Furthermore, this method is suited to combine different types of ligands, for example, those typically found in metalloenzymes, inside a single DNA architecture.
description: Chem. Eur. J.;25(61)
HPLC-DAD analysis, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of the ethanolic extract of Hyptis umbrosa in mice
Creators: name: Dos Anjos, Klécia S.
name: Araújo-Filho, Heitor G.
name: Duarte, Marcelo C.
name: Costa, Vicente C. O.
name: Tavares, Josean F.
name: Silva, Marcelo S.
name: Almeida, Jackson R. G. S.
name: Souza, Nathália A. C.
name: Rolim, Larissa A.
name: Menezes, Irwin R. A.
name: Coutinho, Henrique D. M.
name: Quintans, Jullyana S. S.
name: Quintans-Júnior, Lucindo J.
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: medicinal plants
subject: phenolic compounds
subject: nociception
subject: inflammatory pain
subject: 610

description: Hyptis umbrosa (syn. Mesosphaerum sidifolium) (Lamiaceae Family) has been used to treat several conditions such as gastrointestinal disorders, skin infections, nasal congestion, fever and cramps. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, analgesic and anti-inflammatory profiles of ethanol extract from leaves of Hyptis umbrosa (EEB). HPLC-DAD was used to determine the fingerprint chromatogram of the extract. Male Swiss mice were orally pretreated with EEB (100, 200 or 400 mg/kg; 60 min before initiating algesic stimulation) and antinociceptive activity was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing model, formalin test and hyperalgesia induced by glutamate or capsaicin. Also, peritonitis was induced by the intrathoracic injection of carrageenan to quantify the total number of leukocytes. The presence of phenolic compounds in the extract was confirmed using HPLC-DAD. The treatment with EEB, at all doses, produced a significant analgesic effect against acetic acid-induced antinociceptive activity. In the formalin test, only the 400-mg/kg-dose of EEB had a significant effect in the first phase. However, all doses tested were able to reverse nociception in the second phase. The effect of all doses of EEB also showed a significant antinociceptive effect in the glutamate and capsaicin tests and inhibited the carrageenan-induced leukocyte migration to the peritoneal cavity. The present study suggests that the EEB possesses peripheral analgesic action and showed potential in reducing the spreading of the inflammatory processes. Also, it seems to be related with vanilloid and glutamate receptors.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
Change management : a framework for community and regional planning
Creators: name: Ramlo, Andrew Marlo
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: Planning is the ultimate expression of a community responding to growth and change, shaping its future through a collective set of values, goals and strategies. Over the past four decades planning policies and practices have largely focused on issues related to the growth of urban regions. Given the realms of change that will shape communities over the coming decades, these policies and practices need to reorient themselves away from aggregate notions of growth and towards the relevant agents of change. The goal of this research is to articulate a framework for the investigation of issues that will shape communities over the coming four decades; specifically how demographic change will impact on the future of community housing, land and financial resources. Although it presents one region as a case study (the Central Okanagan Regional District in British Columbia, Canada) the framework is intended to be used by any community or region to evaluate the extent of demographic change and its impact on issues related to community and regional planning. The first finding of the framework shows that over any strategic time horizon planning issues will be related to changes in a population's composition rather than aggregate notions of its growth. It is the patterns of lifecycle and lifestyle change that will shape issues ranging from land uses, housing markets and transportation demand to school enrolment, medical requirements or even funeral services. None of which can be accurately represented by the aggregate size of a region's population, as each are impacted by changes in its underlying composition. The second finding is that it is current residents, rather than new migrants to the region, that will direct changes in the age composition of a population. This leads to the assertion that we have a good approximation of the region's future population in those who are residents today: they will be slightly older, wiser and possibly a little wearier. Finally, this research also calls attention to a substantial lack of information. A lack of information concerning the fundamental processes of community change, and a lack of information regarding the economic, environmental and social costs associated with the location, density and timing of future development. Most importantly, current planning decisions are still largely predicated on aggregate notions of population growth, without sufficient information about the external costs and tradeoffs associated with these decisions. The future quality of life in any region will be directly determined by the degree to which both planning jurisdictions and the general public acknowledge and, more importantly, choose to respond to the challenges presented by change.
Globally controlled quantum wires for perfect qubit transport, mirroring and computing
Creators: name: Fitzsimons, Joseph
name: Twamley, Jason
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2006
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: It is expected that quantum wires (q-wires), will be required to transport quantum information within many quantum computer implementations. Here we describe a new design for a q-wire with perfect transmission using a uniformly coupled Ising spin chain subject to global (homogeneously-applied) pulses. Besides allowing for perfect transport of single qubits, the design also yields the perfect ``mirroring'' of multiply encoded qubits within the wire. We further utilise this global-pulse generated perfect mirror operation as a ``clock cycle'' to perform universal quantum computation on these multiply encoded qubits. We demonstrate the operation of single and two-qubit quantum logic gates and show that only $N-1$ complete mirror cycles are required to execute a quantum Fourier transform on $N$ qubits encoded within the q-wire.
description: Shortened 5 pages, 4 figures
A-NGR fusion protein induces apoptosis in human cancer cells
Creators: name: Mohammadi-Farsani, Azadeh
name: Habibi-Roudkenar, Mehryar
name: Golkar, Majid
name: Shokrgozar, Mohammad Ali
name: Jahanian-Najafabadi, Ali
name: KhanAhmad, Hossein
name: Valiyari, Samira
name: Bouzari, Saeid
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Shiga toxin
subject: NGR peptide
subject: Apoptosis
subject: Cytotoxicity
subject: 610

description: The NGR peptide is one of the well-known peptides for targeting tumor cells. It has the ability to target aminopeptidase N (CD13) on tumor cells or the tumor vascular endothelium. In this study, the NGR peptide was used for targeting A subunit of the Shiga toxin to cancer cells. The cytotoxic effect of the A-NGR fusion protein was assessed on HT1080, U937, HT29 cancer cells and MRC-5 normal cells. For this purpose, cells were treated with different concentrations of A-NGR (0.5-40 μg/ml). The evaluation of cell viability was achieved by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by annexin-V/PI double staining flow cytometry. Alterations in the mRNA expression of apoptosis - related genes were assessed by real time RT- PCR. The results showed that A-NGR fusion protein effectively inhibited the growth of HT1080 and U937 cancer cells in comparison to negative control (PBS) but for CD13-negative HT-29 cancer cells, only at high concentrations of fusion protein was inhibited growth recorded. On the other hand, A-NGR had little cytotoxic effect on MRC-5 normal cells. The flow cytometry results showed that A-NGR induces apoptosis. Furthermore, the results of real time RT-PCR revealed that A-NGR significantly increases the mRNA expression of caspase 3 and caspase 9. Conclusively, A-NGR fusion protein has the ability of targeting CD13-positive cancer cells, the cytotoxic effect on CD13-positive cancer cells as well as has low cytotoxic effect on normal cells.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 17 2018
Assessment of usefulness of synchrotron radiation techniques to determine arsenic species in hair and rice grain samples
Creators: name: Lin, Jun
name: Lin, Guo-Fang
name: Li, Yu-Lan
name: Gao, Xiao-Yan
name: Du, Hui
name: Jia, Chao-Gang
name: Lu, Hong-Chao
name: Golka, Klaus
name: Shen, Jian-Hua
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: arsenic
subject: speciation
subject: synchrotron radiation
subject: biogeochemical abnormality
subject: arseniasis
subject: microdistribution
subject: 610

description: The arseniasis in Southwest Guizhou, China has been identified as a unique case of endemic arseniasis caused by exposure to indoor combustion of high As-content coal. Present investigation targeted the microdistribution and speciation of the element arsenic in human hair and environmental samples collected in one of the hyperendemic villages of arseniasis in the area. Analyses were performed by micro-beam X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The total As level in hair samples of diagnosed patients was detected at almost the same level as in their asymptomatic neighbors. Concentrations in the lateral cut of hair samples were high-low-high (from surface to center). XAFS revealed the coexistence of both the As+3 and As+5 states in hair samples. However, the samples from patients displayed a tendency of higher As+3 / As+5 ratio than the asymptomatic fellow villagers. The μ-XRF mapping of rice grains shows that arsenic penetrates the endosperm, the major edible part of the grain, when rice grains were stored over the open fire of high As-content coal. Synchrotron radiation techniques are suitable to determine arsenic species concentrations in different parts of hair and rice grain samples. As arsenic penetrates the endosperm, rinsing the rice grains with water will remain largely ineffective.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
title: Toxicological risk at workplace and toxicity as Life Cycle Assessment impact category
title: substitution of solvents as an example
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Schupp, Thomas
name: Georg, Philipp Alexander
name: Kirstein, Guenter
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: life cycle assessment
subject: toxicological risk
subject: worker protection
subject: substitution
subject: 610

description: Substitution of hazardous substances against less hazardous ones is a central requirement of the European Chemical Regulation REACH (European Regulation 1907/2006/EC). Hazardous substances emitted from products may not only affect the worker; drift off and distribution in the environment may finally result in exposure of the general population. This potential threat to health is covered by the impact category “toxicity” in Life Cycle Assessments. In this paper, we present a case of a substitution of volatile organic compounds in a reactive varnish, and compare the “old” formulation with the “new” formulation against health risk to the worker, and concerning the Life Cycle Assessment impact category “toxicity”. The “old” formulation contained Naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized, heavy and Solvent naphtha (petroleum), light, aromatic. In the new formulation, both naphthas were replaced by n-Butylacetate, 1-Ethoxy-2-propyl acetate and Ethyl-3-ethoxy propionate. In the European Union, the naphthas are classified as mutagens and carcinogens category 1, officially. However, if benzene is below 0.1 %, registrants in the EU proposed to omit this classification, and todays naptha products on the market obviously have benzene contents below 0.1 %. On a first glance, the improvement for workplace safety introduced by the substitution, therefore, is comparatively small, as it is for toxicity in Life Cycle Assessment. However, when background knowledge concerning chemical production processes of naphtha is included, benzene below a content of 0.1 % needs to be taken into consideration, and the benefit of substitution is more obvious.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
First and Second Order Perturbations of Hypersurfaces
Creators: name: Mars, Marc
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this paper we find the first and second order perturbations of the induced metric and the extrinsic curvature of a non-degenerate hypersurface $Σ$ in a spacetime $(M,g)$, when the metric $g$ is perturbed arbitrarily to second order and the hypersurface itself is allowed to change perturbatively (i.e. to move within spacetime) also to second order. The results are fully general and hold in arbitrary dimensions and signature. An application of these results for the perturbed matching theory between spacetimes is presented.
description: 31 pages, no figures. To be published in Classical and Quantum Gravity
title: Novel 4-thiazolidinone derivatives as agonists of benzodiazepine receptors
title: Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Faizi, Mehrdad
name: Jahani, Reza
name: Ebadi, Seyed Abbas
name: Tabatabai, Sayyed Abbas
name: Rezaee, Elham
name: Lotfaliei, Mehrnaz
name: Amini, Mohsen
name: Almasirad, Ali
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: benzodiazepine
subject: sedative-hypnotic
subject: anticonvulsant
subject: 4-thiazolidinone derivatives
subject: synthesis
subject: 610

description: A new series of 4-chloro-N-(2-(substitutedphenyl)-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)-2-phenoxybenzamide derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated as anticonvulsant agents. The designed compounds have the main essential functional groups for binding to the benzodiazepine receptors and 4-thiazolidinone ring as an anticonvulsant pharmacophore. Some of the new synthesized compounds showed considerable anticonvulsant activity in electroshock and pentylenetetrazole-induced lethal convulsion tests. Compound 5i, 4-chloro-N-(2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)-2-phenoxybenzamide, with the best activity was selected for evaluation of other benzodiazepine pharmacological effects. This compound induced significant sedative-hypnotic activity. However, it does not impair the learning and memory in the experimental condition. Flumazenil was able to antagonize the sedative-hypnotic and anticonvulsant effects of compound 5i indicating that benzodiazepine receptors are highly involved in the pharmacological properties of the novel compounds.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
Energetic Proton Back-Precipitation onto the Solar Atmosphere in Relation to Long-Duration Gamma-Ray Flares
Creators: name: Hutchinson, Adam
name: Dalla, Silvia
name: Laitinen, Timo
name: de Nolfo, Georgia A.
name: Bruno, Alessandro
name: Ryan, James M.
name: Waterfall, Charlotte O. G.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Gamma-ray emission during long-duration gamma-ray flare (LDGRF) events is thought to be caused mainly by $>$300 MeV protons interacting with the ambient plasma at or near the photosphere. Prolonged periods of the gamma-ray emission have prompted the suggestion that the source of the energetic protons is acceleration at a coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shock, followed by particle back-precipitation onto the solar atmosphere over extended times. We study the latter hypothesis using test particle simulations, which allow us to investigate whether scattering associated with turbulence aids particles in overcoming the effect of magnetic mirroring, which impedes back-precipitation by reflecting particles as they travel sunwards. The instantaneous precipitation fraction, $P$, the proportion of protons that successfully precipitate for injection at a fixed height, $r_i$, is studied as a function of scattering mean free path, $λ$ and $r_i$. Upper limits to the total precipitation fraction, $\overline{P}$, were calculated for eight LDGRF events for moderate scattering conditions ($λ$=0.1 au). We find that the presence of scattering helps back-precipitation compared to the scatter-free case, although at very low $λ$ values outward convection with the solar wind ultimately dominates. For eight LDGRF events, due to strong mirroring, $\overline{P}$ is very small, between 0.56 and 0.93% even in the presence of scattering. Time-extended acceleration and large total precipitation fractions, as seen in the observations, cannot be reconciled for a moving shock source according to our simulations. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain both long duration $γ$ ray emission and efficient precipitation within this scenario. These results challenge the CME shock source scenario as the main mechanism for $γ$ ray production in LDGRFs.
description: Accepted for publication in A&A
In silico CD4+, CD8+ T-cell and B-cell immunity associated immunogenic epitope prediction and HLA distribution analysis of Zika virus
Creators: name: Janahi, Essam Mohammed
name: Dhasmana, Anupam
name: Srivastava, Vandana
name: Sarangi, Aditya Narayan
name: Raza, Sana
name: Arif, Jamal M.
name: Bhatt, Madan Lal Bramha
name: Lohani, Mohtashim
name: Areeshi, Mohammed Yahya
name: Saxena, Anand Murari
name: Haque, Shafiul
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Zika virus
subject: HLA
subject: vaccine
subject: prophylactic
subject: immunogens
subject: B-/T-cell
subject: 610

description: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus distributed all over Africa, South America and Asia. The infection with the virus may cause acute febrile sickness that clinically resembles dengue fever, yet there is no vaccine, no satisfactory treatment, and no means of evaluating the risk of the disease or prognosis in the infected people.In the present study, the efficacy of the host’s immune response in reducing the risk of infectious diseases was taken into account to carry out immuno-informatics driven epitope screening strategy of vaccine candidates against ZIKV. In this study, HLA distribution analysis was done to ensure the coverage of the vast majority of the population. Systematic screening of effective dominant immunogens was done with the help of Immune Epitope & ABCPred databases. The outcomes suggested that the predicted epitopes may be protective immunogens with highly conserved sequences and bear potential to induce both protective neutralizing antibodies, T & B cell responses. A total of 25 CD4+ and 16 CD8+ peptides were screened for T-cell mediated immunity. The predicted epitope "TGLDFSDLYYLTMNNKHWLV" was selected as a highly immunogenic epitope for humoral immunity. These peptides were further screened as non-toxic, immunogenic and non-mutated residues of envelop viral protein. The predicted epitope could work as suitable candidate(s) for peptide based vaccine development. Further, experimental validation of these epitopes is warranted to ensure the potential of B- and T-cells stimulation for their efficient use as vaccine candidates, and as diagnostic agents against ZIKV.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
Guidelines for Water-Sensitive Informal Settlement Upgrading in the Global South
Creators: name: Sanya, Tom
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 330110
subject: Sustainable architecture
classificationCode: 330411
subject: Urban design

description: In the context of global warming, poverty and inequality, informal settlements in the Global South present a unique challenge. Transforming informal settlements into just and sustainable neighbourhoods involves working with many dynamic parts in and interactive consequences in multi-stakeholder processes. Water interlinks formal and informal areas, cities and their hinterlands. The omnipresence of water highlights the bidirectional coupling of the humans and nature. This paper presents a Water Sensitive Design approach for informal settlement upgrading through which diverse actors can get to see beyond their differences so as to plan and work for people-centred neighbourhoods in which livelihoods are enhanced and nature protected. An ecodistricts framework is used to illustrate a set of evidence-based upgrading priorities and objectives. And, drawing from the right-based approach of South, a set of five steps for transitioning from aspirational objectives to on-the-ground implementation is highlighted.
Brownian Simulations and Uni-Directional Flux in Diffusion
Creators: name: Singer, A.
name: Schuss, Z.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Mathematical Physics (math-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: 82C31; 60H35; 65C35

description: Brownian dynamics simulations require the connection of a small discrete simulation volume to large baths that are maintained at fixed concentrations and voltages. The continuum baths are connected to the simulation through interfaces, located in the baths sufficiently far from the channel. Average boundary concentrations have to be maintained at their values in the baths by injecting and removing particles at the interfaces. The particles injected into the simulation volume represent a unidirectional diffusion flux, while the outgoing particles represent the unidirectional flux in the opposite direction. The classical diffusion equation defines net diffusion flux, but not unidirectional fluxes. The stochastic formulation of classical diffusion in terms of the Wiener process leads to a Wiener path integral, which can split the net flux into unidirectional fluxes. These unidirectional fluxes are infinite, though the net flux is finite and agrees with classical theory. We find that the infinite unidirectional flux is an artifact caused by replacing the Langevin dynamics with its Smoluchowski approximation, which is classical diffusion. The Smoluchowski approximation fails on time scales shorter than the relaxation time $1/γ$ of the Langevin equation. We find the unidirectional flux (source strength) needed to maintain average boundary concentrations in a manner consistent with the physics of Brownian particles. This unidirectional flux is proportional to the concentration and inversely proportional to $\sqrt{Δt}$ to leading order. We develop a BD simulation that maintains fixed average boundary concentrations in a manner consistent with the actual physics of the interface and without creating spurious boundary layers.
"You know, I know" : functions, uses, and acquisition of the Japanese noda predicate
Creators: name: Renovich, Sachiko Omoto
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: In the Japanese language, there are various modal elements, which mark speakers' subjective attitudes toward propositions. One of the most common modals is the noda predicate, which possesses the dual function of either asserting the truth of the position or relaying the speaker's desire for information sharing. Japanese Native Speakers (JNSs) use noda frequently in conversation; however, Japanese Language Learners (JLLs) often face difficulty in learning noda because of its wide variety in function and use. To determine the nature of noda use, this study examines conversational data from role-plays and a case study of two JLLs. The main aims of this thesis are 1) to review research on noda and to provide a cohesive and concise explanation of its functions and 2) to examine the use and acquisition of noda by JLLs. Following Noda's (1997) categorization, noda can be divided broadly into two types: scope and mood. Noda of scope exhibits the speaker's assertion that the proposition is true, while noda of mood marks the speaker's strong desire for information to be shared by speaker and hearer. This study proposes a framework with which to understand the functions of noda, and classifies information which is speaker-oriented (+ Speaker/- Hearer knowledge), hearer-oriented (-Speaker/+ Hearer), and shared (+ Speaker/+ Hearer). JLLs first tend to use noda with speaker-oriented information, and later acquire functions related to hearer-oriented and shared information. In the study of role-plays, JLLs with higher oral proficiency levels as rated by the ACTFL-OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) used a higher frequency of noda. Both the JLLs and JNSs used noda primarily to provide and seek explanations. The intermediate-level JLLs underused noda in providing supplemental explanations. Other uses of noda in the role-plays included emphasizing information, seeking validity, and back-channeling. The two JLLs in the case study did not notice the use of noda during conversations with the JNS, but began to use noda more frequently during practice conversations upon receiving explicit instructions on the use of noda. While the post-test did not demonstrate increased use of noda due to the limited time of this study, there are clear indications for pedagogy. First, because the functions of noda are varied and numerous, Japanese language textbooks and classrooms should not be limited in providing only the 'explanation' function of noda. Second, the frequent use of noda in Japanese conversation suggests that it should be an area of focus in oral practice. Finally, JLLs need to develop skills in both comprehension and production of noda to improve their Japanese discourse.
Chaos and residual correlations in pinned disordered systems
Creators: name: Doussal, Pierre Le
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2005
Subjects: subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study, using functional renormalization (FRG), two copies of an elastic system pinned by mutually correlated random potentials. Short scale decorrelation depend on a non trivial boundary layer regime with (possibly multiple) chaos exponents. Large scale mutual displacement correlation behave as $|x-x'|^{2 ζ- μ}$, the decorrelation exponent $μ$ proportional to the difference between Flory (or mean field) and exact roughness exponent $ζ$. For short range disorder $μ>0$ but small, e.g. for random bond interfaces $μ= 5 ζ- ε$, $ε=4-d$, and $μ= ε(\frac{(2 π)^2}{36} - 1)$ for the one component Bragg glass. Random field (i.e long range) disorder exhibits finite residual correlations (no chaos $μ= 0$) described by new FRG fixed points. Temperature and dynamic chaos (depinning) are discussed.
description: 5 pages
Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of naphthoquinone pigments from Onosma visianii Clem
Creators: name: Vukic, Milena D.
name: Vukovic, Nenad L.
name: Djelic, Gorica T.
name: Popovic, Suzana Lj.
name: Zaric, Milan M.
name: Baskic, Dejan D.
name: Krstic, Gordana B.
name: Tesevic, Vele V.
name: Kacaniova, Miroslava M.
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Onosma visianii
subject: naphthoquinones
subject: antibacterial activity
subject: cytotoxic activity
subject: 610

description: In this study, the antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of isolated compounds from the roots of Onosma visianii were investigated. By using different chromatographic techniques and appropriate spectroscopic methods, the seven naphthoquinones were described: deoxyshikonin (1), isobutyrylshikonin (2), α-methylbutyrylshikonin (3), acetylshikonin (4), ß-hydroxyisovalerylshikonin (5), 5,8-O-dimethyl isobutyrylshikonin (6) and 5,8-O-dimethyl deoxyshikonin (7). Among the tested compounds, 3 and 4 exhibited the highest antibacterial activities toward all tested bacterial species (MIC50 and MIC90 for gram positive bacteria: 6.40 µg/mL-12.79 µg/mL and 6.82 µg/mL-13.60 µg/mL, respectively; for gram negative bacteria: 4.27 µg/mL-8.53 µg/mL and 4.77 µg/mL-9.54 µg/mL, respectively). Also, naphthoquinones 3 and 4 exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 values 86.0 µg/mL and 80.2 µg/mL, respectively), while compounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 significantly decreased viability of HCT116 cells (IC50 values of 97.8 µg/mL, 15.2 µg/mL, 24.6 µg/mL and 30.9 µg/mL, respectively). Our results indicated that all tested naphthoquinone pigments are potential candidates for clinical uses as antibacterial and cytotoxic agents.
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
Low energy phenomena of the lepton sector in an $A_4$ symmetry model with heavy inverse seesaw neutrinos
Creators: name: Nguyen, T. Phong
name: Thuc, T. T.
name: Si, D. T.
name: Hong, T. T.
name: Hue, L. T.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: An extension of the two Higgs doublet model including inverse seesaw neutrinos and neutral Higgs bosons was constructed based on the $A_4$ symmetry in order to explain the recent neutrino oscillation data. This model can distinguish two well-known normal and inverted order schemes of neutrino data once both the effective masses $m_β$ in tritium beta decays and $\langle m\rangle$ in the neutrinoless double beta decay are observed. The lepton flavor violating decays of the charged leptons $e_b\rightarrow e_aγ$, $μ\rightarrow3e$, the Standard model-like Higgs boson decays $h\rightarrow e_be_a$, and the $μ$-e conversions in some nuclei are generated from loop corrections. The experimental data of the branching ratio Br$(μ\rightarrow eγ, 3e)$ predict that the upper bounds of Br$(τ\rightarrow μγ,eγ)$ and Br$(h\rightarrow e_{a}e_b)$ are much smaller than the planned experimental sensitivities. In contrast, the $μ$-e conversions are the promising signals for experiments.
description: Matching the published version in PTEP
Influence of daily oral prophylactic selenium treatment on the dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC)-induced pancreatitis in rats
Creators: name: Merkord, J.
name: Görl, N.
name: Lemke, M.
name: Berg, A.
name: Weber, H.
name: Ramer, R.
name: Hennighausen, G.
Publisher: name: Technische Universität Dortmund
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: DBTC
subject: selenium
subject: acute pancreatitis
subject: oxidative stress
subject: 610

description: Dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) is an organotin compound used as model for acute and chronic pancreatitis. Oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms of propagation of acinar cell injury in acute pancreatitis. Selenium is an essential cofactor in the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase pathway. Selenium levels are described to be subnormal in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis. The aim of our studies was to determine the prophylactic effect of Na-selenite [5 mg kg-1 body weight (b.w.) per os (p.o.) 7 days] on the pathogenesis and course of DBTCinduced pancreatitis. Male inbred rats (LEW-1W Charles River) of 150 g body weight were used in this study. Experimental pancreatitis was induced by intravenous administration of 6 mg kg-1 b.w. DBTC in rats. Na-selenite was administered as daily oral dose of 5 mg kg-1 b.w. 7 days before induction of DBTC-pancreatitis. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured for monitoring levels of oxidative stress. Elimination of DBTC was reflected as tin concentration in bile and urine. Organ changes were indicated by serum parameters as well as histology. A prophylactic Na-selenite application significantly diminished MDA- and bilirubin concentration in serum, activities of lipase and transaminases as well as organ injuries compared to DBTC- treated rats in the absence of Naselenite. The prophylactic oral treatment with Na-selenite in the scope of DBTC-induced pancreatitis points to a reduced oxidative stress characterized by diminished MDA serum levels and a milder course of pancreatitis suggesting prophylactic substitution with Na-selenite to probably elicit beneficial effect on the clinical outcome in patients with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
description: EXCLI Journal;Vol. 16 2017
The Impact of Educational Attainment on Observed Race/Ethnic Disparities in Inflammatory Risk in the 2001–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Creators: name: Dinwiddie, Gniesha Y.
name: Zambrana, Ruth E.
name: Doamekpor, Lauren A.
name: Lopez, Lenny
Publisher: name: MDPI
Year: 2015
Subjects: C-reactive protein
education
inflammation burden
race/ethnicity

description: Inflammation has shown to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and growing evidence suggests Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHBs) and certain Hispanic subgroups have higher inflammation burden compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs). Socioeconomic status (SES) is a hypothesized pathway that may account for the higher inflammation burden for race/ethnic groups yet little is known about the biological processes by which SES “gets under the skin” to affect health and whether income and education have similar or distinct influences on elevated inflammation levels. The current study examines SES (income and education) associations with multiple levels of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), an important biomarker of inflammation, in a sample of 13,362 NHWs, 7696 NHBs and 4545 Mexican Americans (MAs) in the United States from the 2001 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After adjusting for age, sex, and statin use, NHBs and MAs had higher intermediate and high CRP levels compared to NHWs. Income lessened the magnitude of the association for both race/ethnic groups. The greater intermediate and high CRP burden for NHBs and MAs was strongly explained by educational attainment. MAs were more vulnerable to high CRP levels for the lowest (i.e., less than nine years) and post high school (i.e., associates degree) educational levels. After additional adjustment for smoking, heavy drinking, high waist circumference, high blood pressure, diabetes and statin use, the strength of the association between race/ethnicity and inflammation was reduced for NHBs with elevated intermediate (RR = 1.31; p ≤ 0.001) and high CRP levels (RR = 1.14; p ≤ 0.001) compared to NHWs but the effect attenuated for MAs for both intermediate (RR = 0.74; p ≤ 0.001) and high CRP levels (RR = 0.38; p ≤ 0.001). These findings suggest educational attainment is a powerful predictor of elevated CRP levels in race/ethnic populations and challenges studies to move beyond examining income as a better predictor in the SES-inflammation pathway.