Articles of Significant Interest in This Issue

2022 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Significant Interest

Cardiological Biopharmaceuticals in the Conception of Drug Targeting Delivery: Practical Results and Research Perspectives

Acta Naturae ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Maksimenko
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Drug Targeting ◽  
Interventional Procedures ◽  
Target Localization ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Protein Conjugates ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Targeting Delivery ◽  
Molecular Sizes

The results of the clinical use of thrombolytic and antithrombotic preparations developed on the basis of protein conjugates obtained within the framework of the conception of drug targeting delivery in the organism are considered. A decrease has been noted in the number of biomedical projects focused on these derivatives as a result of various factors: the significant depletion of financial and organizational funds, the saturation of the pharmaceutical market with preparations of this kind, and the appearance of original means for interventional procedures. Factors that actively facilitate the conspicuous potentiation of the efficacy of bioconjugates were revealed: the biomedical testing of protein domains and their selected combinations, the optimization of molecular sizes for the bioconjugates obtained, the density of target localization, the application of cell adhesion molecules as targets, and the application of connected enzyme activities. Enzyme antioxidants and the opportunity for further elaboration of the drug delivery conception via the elucidation and formation of therapeutic targets for effective drug reactions by means of pharmacological pre- and postconditioning of myocardium arouse significant interest.

Structurally Related Edaravone Analogues: Synthesis, Antiradical, Antioxidant, and Copper-Chelating Properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 779-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre LeBlanc ◽  
Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf ◽  
Pier Jr. Morin ◽  
Mohamed Touaibia
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Antioxidant Properties ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Therapeutic Options ◽  
Partial Charge ◽  
Associated Diseases ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Background:: The current therapeutic options available to patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are limited and edaravone is a compound that has gained significant interest for its therapeutic potential in this condition. Objectives: : The current work was thus undertaken to synthesize and characterize a series of edaravone analogues. Methods: A total of 17 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their antioxidant properties, radical scavenging potential and copper-chelating capabilities. Results: Radical scavenging and copper-chelating properties were notably observed for edaravone. Analogues bearing hydrogen in position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 and a phenyl in both positions of pyrazol-5 (4H)-one displayed substantial radical scavenging, antioxidants and copper-chelating properties. High accessibility of electronegative groups combined with higher electronegativity and partial charge of the carbonyl moiety in edaravone might explain the observed difference in the activity of edaravone relative to the closely related analogues 6 and 7 bearing hydrogen at position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 (6) and a phenyl in both positions (7). Conclusion: Overall, this study reveals a subset of edaravone analogues with interesting properties. Further investigation of these compounds is foreseen in relevant models of oxidative stress-associated diseases in order to assess their therapeutic potential in such conditions.

Studying Globalization at Home

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Cultural Codes ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Interpretive Methods ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
At Home

This chapter documents the ethnographic context in which the interviews and participant observation were conducted for the study presented in this book. It also situates the study within the context of narrative inquiry and develops arguments about the role of self-reflexivity in doing ethnography at “home” and producing qualitative forms of knowledge that are based on personal, experiential, and cultural narratives. It is argued that there is significant interest in the adoption of interpretive methods or qualitative research in psychology. The qualitative approaches in psychology present a provocative and complex vision of how the key concepts related to describing and interpreting cultural codes, social practices, and lived experience of others are suffused with both poetical and political elements of culture. The epistemological and ontological assumptions undergirding qualitative research reflect multiple “practices of inquiry” and methodologies that have different orientations, assumptions, values, ideologies, and criterion of excellence.

scholarly journals Factors Conditioning the Potential Effects TiO2 NPs Exposure on Human Microbiota: a Mini-Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Baranowska-Wójcik
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles ◽  
Intestinal Barrier ◽  
Inorganic Nanoparticles ◽  
Potential Toxicity ◽  
Human Microbiota ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Wide Group ◽  
The Impact ◽  
White Colour

AbstractThe recent years have seen a significant interest in the applications of nanotechnology in various facets of our lives. Due to their increasingly widespread use, human exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) is fast becoming unavoidable. Among the wide group of nanoparticles currently employed in industry, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, TiO2 NPs, are particularly popular. Due to its white colour, TiO2 is widely used as a whitening food additive (E 171). Yet, there have been few studies aimed at determining its direct impact on bacteria, while the available data suggest that TiO2 NPs may influence microbiota causing problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, or immunological disorders. Indeed, there are increasing concerns that its presence may lead to intestinal barrier impairment, including dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota. This article aims to present an overview of studies conducted to date with regard to the impact of TiO2 NPs on human microbiota as well as factors that can affect the same. Such information is necessary if we are to conclusively determine the potential toxicity of inorganic nanoparticles.

scholarly journals Advancements in Assessments of Bio-Tissue Engineering and Viable Cell Delivery Matrices Using Bile Acid-Based Pharmacological Biotechnologies

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1861
Author(s):  
Armin Mooranian ◽  
Melissa Jones ◽  
Corina Mihaela Ionescu ◽  
Daniel Walker ◽  
Susbin Raj Wagle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Viable Cell ◽  
Cell Delivery ◽  
Artificial Organ ◽  
Bioartificial Pancreas ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bioartificial Organs ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Modern Technologies

The utilisation of bioartificial organs is of significant interest to many due to their versatility in treating a wide range of disorders. Microencapsulation has a potentially significant role in such organs. In order to utilise microcapsules, accurate characterisation and analysis is required to assess their properties and suitability. Bioartificial organs or transplantable microdevices must also account for immunogenic considerations, which will be discussed in detail. One of the most characterized cases is the investigation into a bioartificial pancreas, including using microencapsulation of islets or other cells, and will be the focus subject of this review. Overall, this review will discuss the traditional and modern technologies which are necessary for the characterisation of properties for transplantable microdevices or organs, summarizing analysis of the microcapsule itself, cells and finally a working organ. Furthermore, immunogenic considerations of such organs are another important aspect which is addressed within this review. The various techniques, methodologies, advantages, and disadvantages will all be discussed. Hence, the purpose of this review is providing an updated examination of all processes for the analysis of a working, biocompatible artificial organ.

scholarly journals Wellbeing Literacy: A Capability Model for Wellbeing Science and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay G. Oades ◽  
Aaron Jarden ◽  
Hanchao Hou ◽  
Corina Ozturk ◽  
Paige Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Investigation ◽  
National Accounts ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
New Model ◽  
The World ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Literacy Research

Wellbeing science is the scientific investigation of wellbeing, its’ antecedents and consequences. Alongside growth of wellbeing science is significant interest in wellbeing interventions at individual, organizational and population levels, including measurement of national accounts of wellbeing. In this concept paper, we propose the capability model of wellbeing literacy as a new model for wellbeing science and practice. Wellbeing literacy is defined as a capability to comprehend and compose wellbeing language, across contexts, with the intention of using such language to maintain or improve the wellbeing of oneself, others or the world. Wellbeing literacy is underpinned by a capability model (i.e., what someone is able to be and do), and is based on constructivist (i.e., language shapes reality) and contextualist (i.e., words have different meanings in different contexts) epistemologies. The proposed capability model of wellbeing literacy adds to wellbeing science by providing a tangible way to assess mechanisms learned from wellbeing interventions. Moreover, it provides a framework for practitioners to understand and plan wellbeing communications. Workplaces and families as examples are discussed as relevant contexts for application of wellbeing literacy, and future directions for wellbeing literacy research are outlined.

A new approach based on graph matching and evolutionary approach for sport scheduling problem

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Meriem Khelifa ◽  
Dalila Boughaci ◽  
Esma Aïmeur
Keyword(s):  
Graph Matching ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Travel Cost ◽  
Round Robin ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Traveling Tournament Problem ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
National League ◽  
Better Than

The Traveling Tournament Problem (TTP) is concerned with finding a double round-robin tournament schedule that minimizes the total distances traveled by the teams. It has attracted significant interest recently since a favorable TTP schedule can result in significant savings for the league. This paper proposes an original evolutionary algorithm for TTP. We first propose a quick and effective constructive algorithm to construct a Double Round Robin Tournament (DRRT) schedule with low travel cost. We then describe an enhanced genetic algorithm with a new crossover operator to improve the travel cost of the generated schedules. A new heuristic for ordering efficiently the scheduled rounds is also proposed. The latter leads to significant enhancement in the quality of the schedules. The overall method is evaluated on publicly available standard benchmarks and compared with other techniques for TTP and UTTP (Unconstrained Traveling Tournament Problem). The computational experiment shows that the proposed approach could build very good solutions comparable to other state-of-the-art approaches or better than the current best solutions on UTTP. Further, our method provides new valuable solutions to some unsolved UTTP instances and outperforms prior methods for all US National League (NL) instances.

scholarly journals Approximate reasoning with fuzzy rule interpolation: background and recent advances

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangyi Li ◽  
Changjing Shang ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Jing Yang ◽  
Qiang Shen
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Inference ◽  
Fuzzy Rule ◽  
Approximate Reasoning ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
Reasoning Systems ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Rule Bases ◽  
The Given ◽  
Computing Approach

AbstractApproximate reasoning systems facilitate fuzzy inference through activating fuzzy if–then rules in which attribute values are imprecisely described. Fuzzy rule interpolation (FRI) supports such reasoning with sparse rule bases where certain observations may not match any existing fuzzy rules, through manipulation of rules that bear similarity with an unmatched observation. This differs from classical rule-based inference that requires direct pattern matching between observations and the given rules. FRI techniques have been continuously investigated for decades, resulting in various types of approach. Traditionally, it is typically assumed that all antecedent attributes in the rules are of equal significance in deriving the consequents. Recent studies have shown significant interest in developing enhanced FRI mechanisms where the rule antecedent attributes are associated with relative weights, signifying their different importance levels in influencing the generation of the conclusion, thereby improving the interpolation performance. This survey presents a systematic review of both traditional and recently developed FRI methodologies, categorised accordingly into two major groups: FRI with non-weighted rules and FRI with weighted rules. It introduces, and analyses, a range of commonly used representatives chosen from each of the two categories, offering a comprehensive tutorial for this important soft computing approach to rule-based inference. A comparative analysis of different FRI techniques is provided both within each category and between the two, highlighting the main strengths and limitations while applying such FRI mechanisms to different problems. Furthermore, commonly adopted criteria for FRI algorithm evaluation are outlined, and recent developments on weighted FRI methods are presented in a unified pseudo-code form, easing their understanding and facilitating their comparisons.

Factors influencing milk osteopontin concentration based on measurements from Danish Holstein cows

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Brian Christensen ◽  
Elias D. Zachariae ◽  
Nina A. Poulsen ◽  
Albert J. Buitenhuis ◽  
Lotte B. Larsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Bovine Milk ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Holstein Cows ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Milk Production Traits ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Variation Explained

Abstract Our objective was to determine the content of the bioactive protein osteopontin (OPN) in bovine milk and identify factors influencing its concentration. OPN is expressed in many tissues and body fluids, with by far the highest concentrations in milk. OPN plays a role in immunological and developmental processes and it has been associated with several milk production traits and lactation persistency in cows. In the present study, we report the development of an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measurement of OPN in bovine milk. The method was used to determine the concentration of OPN in milk from 661 individual Danish Holstein cows. The median OPN level was determined to 21.9 mg/l with a pronounced level of individual variation ranging from 0.4 mg/l to 67.8 mg/l. Breeding for increased OPN in cow's milk is of significant interest, however, the heritability of OPN in milk was found to be relatively low, with an estimated value of 0.19 in the current dataset. The variation explained by the herd was also found to be low suggesting that OPN levels are not affected by farm management or feeding. Interestingly, the concentration of OPN was found to increase with days in milk and to decrease with parity.

scholarly journals Cytotoxic Agents in the Minor Alkaloid Groups of the Amaryllidaceae

Planta Medica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerald J. Nair ◽  
Johannes van Staden
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Cell Line ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Cytotoxic Agents ◽  
Plant Family ◽  
Structure Activity ◽  
Significant Interest ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Minor Alkaloid

AbstractOver 600 alkaloids have to date been identified in the plant family Amaryllidaceae. These have been arranged into as many as 15 different groups based on their characteristic structural features. The vast majority of studies on the biological properties of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have probed their anticancer potential. While most efforts have focused on the major alkaloid groups, the volume and diversity afforded by the minor alkaloid groups have promoted their usefulness as targets for cancer cell line screening purposes. This survey is an in-depth review of such activities described for around 90 representatives from 10 minor alkaloid groups of the Amaryllidaceae. These have been evaluated against over 60 cell lines categorized into 18 different types of cancer. The montanine and cripowellin groups were identified as the most potent, with some in the latter demonstrating low nanomolar level antiproliferative activities. Despite their challenging molecular architectures, the minor alkaloid groups have allowed for facile adjustments to be made to their structures, thereby altering the size, geometry, and electronics of the targets available for structure-activity relationship studies. Nevertheless, it was seen with a regular frequency that the parent alkaloids were better cytotoxic agents than the corresponding semisynthetic derivatives. There has also been significant interest in how the minor alkaloid groups manifest their effects in cancer cells. Among the various targets and pathways in which they were seen to mediate, their ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells is most appealing.

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