TRANSFER LEARNING FOR RESOLVING SPARSITY PROBLEM IN RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS: HUMAN VALUES APPROACH

<div><p>ABSTRACT With the rapid rise in popularity of ecommerce application, Recommender Systems are being widely used by them to predict the response that a user will give to a given item. This prediction helps in cross selling, upselling and to increase the loyalty of their customers. However due to lack of sufficient feedback data these systems suffer from sparsity problem which leads to decline in their prediction efficiency. In this work, we have proposed and empirically demonstrated how the Transfer Learning approach using five dimensions of basic human values can be successfully used to alleviate the sparsity problem and increase the efficiency of recommender system algorithms.</p></div

Evaluation of the metabolism, bioactivation and pharmacokinetics of triaminopyrimidine analogs toward selection of a potential candidate for antimalarial therapy

<p>1. During the course of metabolic profiling of lead Compound <b>1</b>, glutathione (GSH) conjugates were detected in rat bile, suggesting the formation of reactive intermediate precursor(s). This was confirmed by the identification of GSH and <i>N</i>-acetylcysteine (NAC) conjugates in microsomal incubations.</p> <p>2. It was proposed that bioactivation of Compound <b>1</b> occurs via the formation of a di-iminoquinone reactive intermediate through the involvement of the C-2 and C-5 nitrogens of the pyrimidine core.</p> <p>3. To further investigate this hypothesis, structural analogs with modifications at the C-5 nitrogen were studied for metabolic activation in human liver microsomes supplemented with GSH/NAC.</p> <p>4. Compounds <b>1</b> and <b>2</b>, which bear secondary nitrogens at the C-5 of the pyrimidine core, were observed to form significant amounts of GSH/NAC-conjugates <i>in vitro</i>, whereas compounds with tertiary nitrogens at C-5 (Compound <b>3</b> and <b>4</b>) formed no such conjugates.</p> <p>5. These observations provide evidence that electron/hydrogen abstraction is required for the bioactivation of the triaminopyrimidines, potentially via a di-iminoquinone intermediate. The lack of a hydrogen and/or steric hindrance rendered Compound <b>3</b> and <b>4</b> incapable of forming thiol conjugates.</p> <p>6. This finding enabled advancement of compound <b>4</b>, with a desirable potency, safety and PK profile, as a lead candidate for further development in the treatment of malaria.</p

Structural and Functional Insights into the Regulation of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Arginase Activity by an Evolutionary Nonconserved Motif

Urea producing bimetallic arginases are essential for the synthesis of polyamine, DNA, and RNA. Despite conservation of the signature motifs in all arginases, a nonconserved ¹⁵³ESEEKAWQKLCSL¹⁶⁵ motif is found in the <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> enzyme, whose role is yet unknown. Using site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic assays, metal analyses, circular dichroism, heat-induced denaturation, molecular dynamics simulations and truncation studies, we report here the significance of this motif in catalytic function, metal retention, structural integrity, and stability of the protein. The enzyme did not exhibit detectable activity upon deletion of the motif as well as on individual mutation of Glu155 and Trp159 while Cys163Ala displayed significant decrease in the activity. Trp159Ala and Glu155Ala show severe loss of thermostability (14–17°) by a decrease in the α-helical structure. The role of Trp159 in stabilization of the structure with the surrounding aromatic residues is confirmed when Trp159Phe restored the structure and stability substantially compared to Trp159Ala. The simulation studies support the above results and show that the motif, which was previously solvent exposed, displays a loop-cum-small helix structure (Lys161–Cys163) and is located near the active-site through a novel Trp159–Asp126 interaction. This is consistent with the mutational analyses, where Trp159 and Asp126 are individually critical for retaining a bimetallic center and thereby for function. Furthermore, Cys163 of the helix is primarily important for dimerization, which is crucial for stimulation of the activity. Thus, these findings not only provide insights into the role of this motif but also offer a possibility to engineer it in human arginases for therapeutics against a number of carcinomas

Media 1: Liquid crystal gratings based on alternate TN and PA photoalignment

Originally published in Optics Express on 27 February 2012 (oe-20-5-5384

Media 2: Liquid crystal gratings based on alternate TN and PA photoalignment

Originally published in Optics Express on 27 February 2012 (oe-20-5-5384

Identification, Design and Biological Evaluation of Bisaryl Quinolones Targeting <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Type II NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase (PfNDH2)

A program was undertaken to identify hit compounds against NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (PfNDH2), a dehydrogenase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain of the malaria parasite <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>. PfNDH2 has only one known inhibitor, hydroxy-2-dodecyl-4-(1H)-quinolone (HDQ), and this was used along with a range of chemoinformatics methods in the rational selection of 17 000 compounds for high-throughput screening. Twelve distinct chemotypes were identified and briefly examined leading to the selection of the quinolone core as the key target for structure–activity relationship (SAR) development. Extensive structural exploration led to the selection of 2-bisaryl 3-methyl quinolones as a series for further biological evaluation. The lead compound within this series 7-chloro-3-methyl-2-(4-(4-(trifluoromethoxy)­benzyl)­phenyl)­quinolin-4­(1H)-one (CK-2-68) has antimalarial activity against the 3D7 strain of <i>P. falciparum</i> of 36 nM, is selective for PfNDH2 over other respiratory enzymes (inhibitory IC₅₀ against PfNDH2 of 16 nM), and demonstrates low cytotoxicity and high metabolic stability in the presence of human liver microsomes. This lead compound and its phosphate pro-drug have potent in vivo antimalarial activity after oral administration, consistent with the target product profile of a drug for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Other quinolones presented (e.g., <b>6d</b>, <b>6f</b>, <b>14e</b>) have the capacity to inhibit both PfNDH2 and <i>P. falciparum</i> cytochrome <i>bc</i>₁, and studies to determine the potential advantage of this dual-targeting effect are in progress

Identification, Design and Biological Evaluation of Heterocyclic Quinolones Targeting <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> Type II NADH:Quinone Oxidoreductase (PfNDH2)

Following a program undertaken to identify hit compounds against NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (PfNDH2), a novel enzyme target within the malaria parasite <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i>, hit to lead optimization led to identification of CK-2-68, a molecule suitable for further development. In order to reduce ClogP and improve solubility of CK-2-68 incorporation of a variety of heterocycles, within the side chain of the quinolone core, was carried out, and this approach led to a lead compound SL-2-25 (<b>8b</b>). <b>8b</b> has IC₅₀s in the nanomolar range versus both the enzyme and whole cell <i>P. falciparum</i> (IC₅₀ = 15 nM PfNDH2; IC₅₀ = 54 nM (3D7 strain of <i>P. falciparum</i>) with notable oral activity of ED₅₀/ED₉₀ of 1.87/4.72 mg/kg versus <i>Plasmodium berghei</i> (NS Strain) in a murine model of malaria when formulated as a phosphate salt. Analogues in this series also demonstrate nanomolar activity against the <i>bc</i>₁ complex of <i>P. falciparum</i> providing the potential added benefit of a dual mechanism of action. The potent oral activity of 2-pyridyl quinolones underlines the potential of this template for further lead optimization studies

Lead Optimization of 1,4-Azaindoles as Antimycobacterial Agents

In a previous report, we described the discovery of 1,4-azaindoles, a chemical series with excellent in vitro and in vivo antimycobacterial potency through noncovalent inhibition of decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose-2′-epimerase (DprE1). Nevertheless, high mouse metabolic turnover and phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) off-target activity limited its advancement. Herein, we report lead optimization of this series, culminating in potent, metabolically stable compounds that have a robust pharmacokinetic profile without any PDE6 liability. Furthermore, we demonstrate efficacy for 1,4-azaindoles in a rat chronic TB infection model. We believe that compounds from the 1,4-azaindole series are suitable for in vivo combination and safety studies

<i>N</i>‑Aryl-2-aminobenzimidazoles: Novel, Efficacious, Antimalarial Lead Compounds

From the phenotypic screening of the AstraZeneca corporate compound collection, <i>N</i>-aryl-2-aminobenzimidazoles have emerged as novel hits against the asexual blood stage of <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> (<i>Pf</i>). Medicinal chemistry optimization of the potency against <i>Pf</i> and ADME properties resulted in the identification of <b>12</b> as a lead molecule. Compound <b>12</b> was efficacious in the <i>P. berghei</i> (<i>Pb</i>) model of malaria. This compound displayed an excellent pharmacokinetic profile with a long half-life (19 h) in rat blood. This profile led to an extended survival of animals for over 30 days following a dose of 50 mg/kg in the <i>Pb</i> malaria model. Compound <b>12</b> retains its potency against a panel of <i>Pf</i> isolates with known mechanisms of resistance. The fast killing observed in the <i>in vitro</i> parasite reduction ratio (PRR) assay coupled with the extended survival highlights the promise of this novel chemical class for the treatment of malaria

Azaindoles: Noncovalent DprE1 Inhibitors from Scaffold Morphing Efforts, Kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Are Efficacious <i>in Vivo</i>

We report 1,4-azaindoles as a new inhibitor class that kills Mycobacterium tuberculosis <i>in vitro</i> and demonstrates efficacy in mouse tuberculosis models. The series emerged from scaffold morphing efforts and was demonstrated to noncovalently inhibit decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose2′-epimerase (DprE1). With “drug-like” properties and no expectation of pre-existing resistance in the clinic, this chemical class has the potential to be developed as a therapy for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant tuberculosis