Network insights on oxaliplatin anti-cancer mechanisms

Abstract Oxaliplatin has been a crucial component of combination therapies since admission into the clinic causing modest gains in survival across multiple malignancies. However, oxaliplatin functions in a non-targeted manner, posing a difficulty in ascertaining precise efficacy mechanisms. While previously thought to only affect DNA repair mechanisms, Platinum-protein adducts (Pt-Protein) far outnumber Pt-DNA adducts leaving a big part of oxaliplatin function unknown. Through preliminary network modeling of high throughput data, this article critically reviews the efficacy of oxaliplatin as well as proposes a better model for enhanced efficacy based on a network approach. In our study, not only oxaliplatin’s function in interrupting DNA-replication was confirmed, but also its role in initiating or intensifying tumorigenesis pathways was uncovered. From our data we present a novel picture of competing signaling networks that collectively provide a plausible explanation of chemotherapeutic resistance, cancer stem cell survival, as well as invasiveness and metastases. Here we highlight oxaliplatin signaling networks, their significance and the clinical implications of these interactions that verifies the importance of network modeling in rational drug design

Trap-assisted tunnelling and Shockley-Read-Hall lifetime of extended defects in In.53Ga.47As p+n junction

Several In.53Ga.47As p+n junctions with various extended defect densities (EDDs) have been grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), by carefully controlling the growth conditions. After fabrication, T-dependent J-V, C-V and double DLTS (DDLTS) are performed to extract the electrical field dependence of the extended defect levels. From this characterization, it is derived that the extended defects dominate the electrical field enhancement factor Gamma regardless of the value of the EDD and significantly increases the leakage current under reverse bias (i.e., decrease the Shockley-Read-Hall lifetime). These impacts are strongly connected to a "band-like" density of states of extended defects E2 at E-C-0.32 eV by comparing the DDLTS and T-dependent J-V characteristics. On the other hand, the reference sample (without EDs) surprisingly exhibits an even stronger field dependence with lower leakage current. Nevertheless, no straightforward candidate point defects can be found in this sample and the possible explanation are discussed

Analysis of Multilayer Spherical Head Model Exposed to EM Radiation from Arbitrary Source Using Spherical Vector Wave Functions

A semi-analytical method is presented for the assessment of the induced electromagnetic field inside a multilayer spherical head model exposed to radiation of an arbitrary source antenna. First, the isolated source antenna is simulated in a full-wave software to evaluate its radiation characteristics. By sampling the radiated fields, their spherical vector wave function (SVWF) amplitudes are evaluated. Next, the well-known translation addition theorem for SVWFs is implemented to translate the SVWFs of the radiated fields to the local coordinate system of the head model. It’s assumed that the presence of the head model does not affect the primary radiated fields by the antenna due to the adequate distance between them. By applying the boundary conditions on the head model, the unknown SVWF amplitudes of the induced fields inside each layer as well as those of the scattered field outside the model are evaluated. The verification of the proposed method is shown through some numerical examples. In comparison with a fullwave numerical method, the proposed method provides an efficient repeatable simulation approach due to the independent analysis of the source and head model, provided that the reaction of the head model to the antenna is negligible

New application of microbial l-glutaminase as a flavor enhancing agent in beef burgers

L‑glutaminase (L‑glutamine amidohydrolase EC3.5.1.2) is the key enzyme in enhancing the taste and aroma of oriental fermented foods by increasing their glutamic acid content and as a result imparting a palatable taste. Beef burgers were prepared using different levels of the partially purified L- glutaminase (2.0 to10.0 U/100 g) prepared from Aspergillus oryzae NRRL 32567. Beef burgers treated with 6.0 U/100g and the others treated with monosodium glutamate (5000 ppm) were chemically, sensory and microbiologically evaluated and compared to untreated control during frozen storage at –18 ºC for 3 months. Treatment with L‑glutaminase (6 U/100g) resulted in an increase of 443% in glutamic acid and a reduction of 63% in glutamine contents resulting in an enhanced preferable taste and odor of the prepared beef burgers. Burgers treated with 6.0 U/100g exhibited the best odor, texture, taste and overall quality scores when compared to the untreated control and samples treated with monosodium glutamate (5000 ppm). During the frozen storage of all samples, an expected slight, but significant (p≤0.05), increase in the total mesophilic bacterial count was evident and such increase was quite acceptable since numbers did not exceed the limit of 5.7x103 cfu/g. Similarly, the total psychrotrophs did not exceed 3.7x102 cfu/g

Knowledge, Awareness and Use of Neurodynamic Mobilization in Athletes Training Among Palestinian Physiotherapists

Background: The use of Neurodynamic mobilizations to improve those qualities had not been enough studies; the aim of this research is to investigate the knowledge, use, and awareness of Palestinian physiotherapists about the Neurodyanimc mobilization (NDM) effect on the above-mentioned variables. Results: 58 physiotherapists responded with the average age of participants was 30.24 (± 8.14 years), the average years of experience were 5.58 (± 6.59 years). 60.3% of the participants attended courses in ND, 58.6% attended courses in NDM, postgraduate sport rehabilitation courses were reported by 60.3%. 58.6% reported the application of NDMs after warm-up exercise. 32.7% expressed knowledge in NDM with 39.7% 32.7% reported the knowledge of ND tests. 63.5% of the participants believe that ND is effective in the management of sport injures. Participants believed in positive the effect of the NDM on improving speed (48.3%) <, endurance (60.3%), balance (57%) and athlete performance 72.4%. ND assessment (r 5.31, p =0.00). Males had more knowledge than females in both ND tests and in NDM (p <0.05). Males had twice the chance to attend post-graduate courses. Methods: An online data collection sheet was developed by the researchers and was distributed online, special invitations were sent to physiotherapists on local websites of the Union, and social media. Conclusion: There was gender variation favorable for males in terms of the chances to attend postgraduate courses, more than half of the participants supported the positive effect of ND on athlete’s performance

SPECIES DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF BEACH FORESTS IN SAN FERNANDO, SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE, PHILIPPINES

Beach forests play a vital role in disaster mitigation and climate change mitigation. These forests protect coastal communities against natural calamities. It has been observed that areas with less or absence of beach forests and mangrove systems were highly devastated compared to those with. However, these ecosystems were neglected due to lesser studies and baseline information about the species diversity and community structure and its role in the overall ecology of the area. The study assessed the species diversity and community structure of beach forests in San Fernando, San Jose, Antique, Philippines. The study used the transect line plots method in an area that was purposively selected. The general floristic composition was based on an ocular survey of the selected site. Characterization of community structure was done using accepted parameters.  Results showed a total of sixteen (16) beach forest species that belong to twelve (12) families. Tabernaemontana pandacaqui and Jatropha gossypifolia were found to be the most frequently occurring species. The plant diversity of the area is low (mean H’ = 0.968) which is attributed to anthropogenic disturbances. The species with the highest Importance Value was Capparis micracantha (IV =61.02). Overall, beach forest in San Fernando, San Jose has a high species evenness (J’ = 0.929) which proves that conservation and preservation efforts must be increased. It is recommended that local government units must develop plans to promote awareness and strengthen values for conservation and protection of the beach forests among its people. Keywords: Beach Forest, Forest Conservation, Biodiversity, Importance Value

Raman Spectroscopy for Mineral Identification and Quantification for in situ Planetary Surface Analysis: A Point Count Method

Quantification of mineral proportions in rocks and soils by Raman spectroscopy on a planetary surface is best done by taking many narrow-beam spectra from different locations on the rock or soil, with each spectrum yielding peaks from only one or two minerals. The proportion of each mineral in the rock or soil can then be determined from the fraction of the spectra that contain its peaks, in analogy with the standard petrographic technique of point counting. The method can also be used for nondestructive laboratory characterization of rock samples. Although Raman peaks for different minerals seldom overlap each other, it is impractical to obtain proportions of constituent minerals by Raman spectroscopy through analysis of peak intensities in a spectrum obtained by broad-beam sensing of a representative area of the target material. That is because the Raman signal strength produced by a mineral in a rock or soil is not related in a simple way through the Raman scattering cross section of that mineral to its proportion in the rock, and the signal-to-noise ratio of a Raman spectrum is poor when a sample is stimulated by a low-power laser beam of broad diameter. Results obtained by the Raman point-count method are demonstrated for a lunar thin section (14161,7062) and a rock fragment (15273,7039). Major minerals (plagioclase and pyroxene), minor minerals (cristobalite and K-feldspar), and accessory minerals (whitlockite, apatite, and baddeleyite) were easily identified. Identification of the rock types, KREEP basalt or melt rock, from the 100-location spectra was straightforward

A heuristic approach for new-item cold start problem in recommendation of micro open education resources

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. The recommendation of micro Open Education Resources (OERs) suffers from the new-item cold start problem because little is known about the continuously published micro OERs. This paper provides a heuristic approach to inserting newly published micro OERs into established learning paths, to enhance the possibilities of new items to be discovered and appear in the recommendation lists. It considers the accumulation and attenuation of user interests and conform with the demand of fast response in online computation. Performance of this approach has been proved by empirical studies

Dual role of microRNA-1297 in the suppression and progression of human malignancies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding, single-stranded and tiny RNAs that modulate several biological functions, more importantly, the pathophysiology of numerous human cancers. They are bound with target mRNAs and thereby regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional levels. MiRNAs can either trigger cancer progression as an oncogene or alleviate it as a tumor suppressor. Abnormal expression of microRNA-1297 (miR-1297) has been noticed in several human cancers suggesting a distinct role for the miRNA in tumorigenesis. More specifically, it is both up-regulated and down-regulated in various cancers suggesting that it can act as both tumor suppressor and oncogene. This review systematically highlights the different roles of miR-1297 in the pathophysiology of human cancers, explains the mechanisms underlying miR-1297-mediated tumorigenesis, and discusses its potential prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic importance. © 202