An efficient harris hawk optimization algorithm for solving the travelling salesman problem

Cluster Computing - Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) is an Np-Hard problem, for which various solutions have been offered so far. Using the Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO) algorithm, this paper...     

Dimethyl fumarate: Regulatory effects on the immune system in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an important oral treatment option for various autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis. DMF and its dynamic metabolite, monomethyl fumarate (MMF) are the major compounds that exert therapeutic effects on several pathologic conditions in part, through downregulation of immune responses. The exact mechanism of DMF is yet to be fully understood even though its beneficial effects on the immune system are extensively studied. It has been shown that DMF/MMF can affect various immune cells, which can get involved in both the naive and adaptive immune systems, such as T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells. It is suggested that DMF/MMF may exert their effect on immune cells through inhibition of nuclear factor-κB translocation, upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2(E2)-related factor antioxidant pathway, and activation of hydroxyl carboxylic acid receptor 2. In this review, the mechanisms underlying the modulatory functions of DMF or MMF on the main immune cell populations involved in the immunopathogenesis of MS are discussed.     

The role of microRNAs in prostate cancer migration,invasion, and metastasis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is considered the most prevalent malignancy and the second major cause of cancer-related death in males from Western countries. PCa exhibits variable clinical pictures, ranging from dormant to highly metastatic cancer. PCa suffers from poor prognosis and diagnosis markers, and novel biomarkers are required to define disease stages and to design appropriate therapeutic approach by considering the possible genomic and epigenomic differences. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a class of small noncoding RNAs, which have remarkable functions in cell formation, differentiation, and cancer development and contribute in these processes through controlling the expressions of protein-coding genes by repressing translation or breaking down the messenger RNA in a sequence-specific method. miRNAs in cancer are able to reflect informative data about the current status of disease and this might benefit PCa prognosis and diagnosis since that is concerned to PCa patients and we intend to highlight it in this paper.     

Two new species of Chrysis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera,Chrysididae) from Iran

The Iranian species in the Chrysis pulchella and C. varidens species groups are investigated. Six species are recognized, two of which are described for the first time: Chrysis gamberoonensis Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. and Chrysis brunneamarginata Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov.. Chrysis gamberoonensis Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. belongs to the C. pulchella group and is recognizable within this species group by its unique blue body coloration, scattered mesosoma punctures, polished pit row with elongated pits, and a small median tooth on the lateral edge of metasomal tergum 3. Chrysis brunneamarginata Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. belongs to the C. varidens group and is recognizable by the usually colorless apical rim of metasomal tergum 3, and the unique shape of the anterior corners of the scutellum which are enlarged, thickened and directed backward covering the axillary trough. Dichotomous keys and distributional data for Iranian species included in these species groups are provided. Chrysis schwarzi Linsenmaier, 1968 is raised to species rank. The number of Iranian Chrysis species and subspecies is raised to 122.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F419F860-3B90-4679-9A19-2CF5C255AE6B     

A multiwell format assay for heparanase

This assay employs a biotinylated heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan (HSGAG) substrate that is covalently linked to the surface of 96-well immunoassay plates. The ratio of biotin:HSGAG and the coating concentration of substrate bound to the wells have been optimized and allow removal of biotin HSGAG within 60 min of incubation at 37 degrees C in assay buffer with a standard dilution of bacterial heparitinase or platelet heparanase. Loss of biotin signal from the well surface is detected on incubation with peroxidase-streptavidin followed by color development using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine as the peroxidase substrate. The new assay allows specific detection of heparanase activity in multiple samples in a total time of 3 h including a 1-h substrate digestion step and is a significant improvement with regard to sensitivity, specificity, and ease of handling of multiple samples compared to other described assays. Heparanase specifically degrades the biotinylated HSGAG substrate, when used with an optimized assay buffer. A range of enzymes including collagenase, trypsin, plasmin, pepsin, chondroitinases, hyaluronidase, and neuraminidase show no effect on the substrate under optimized assay conditions. The covalent linkage of the substrate to the well prevents leaching of substrate and allows preparation and long-term storage of substrate-coated plates. The assay can be used to detect heparanase levels in clinical samples and cell culture supernatants and is ideal as a screening method for antagonists of enzyme activity.     

Functional EF-Tu with large C-terminal extensions in an E coli strain with a precise deletion of both chromosomal tuf genes

An Escherichia coli strain was constructed in which both chromosomal genes encoding elongation factor (EF)-Tu (tufA and tufB) have been inactivated with precise coding sequence replacements. A tufA gene in an expression vector is supplied as the sole EF-Tu source. By using plasmid replacement, based on plasmid incompatibility, mutant EF-Tu variants with a large C'-terminal extension up to 270 amino acids were studied and proved to be functional in a strain lacking the chromosomal tufA and tufB genes.     

Medial-frontal cortex hypometabolism in chronic phencyclidine exposed rats assessed by high resolution magic angle spin 11.7 T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

BackgroundProton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) clinical studies of patients with schizophrenia document prefrontal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) reductions, suggesting an effect of the disease or of antipsychotic medications. We studied in the rat the effect of prolonged exposure to a low-dose of the NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) on levels of NAA, glutamate and glutamine in several brain regions where metabolite reductions have been reported in chronically medicated patients with schizophrenia.MethodsTwo groups of ten rats each were treated with PCP (2.58 mg/kg/day) or vehicle and were sacrificed after 1 month treatment. Concentrations of neurochemicals were determined with high resolution magic angle (HR-MAS) ¹H-MRS at 11.7 T in ex vivo punch biopsies from the medial frontal and cingulate cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and ventral hippocampus.ResultsPCP treatment reduced NAA, glutamate, glycine, aspartate, creatine, lactate and GABA in medial frontal cortex. In the nucleus accumbens, PCP reduced levels of NAA, aspartate and glycine; similarly aspartate and glycine were reduced in the striatum. Finally the amygdala and hippocampus had elevations in glutamine and choline, respectively.ConclusionsLow-dose PCP in rats models prefrontal NAA and glutamate reductions documented in chronically-ill schizophrenia patients. Chronic glutamate NMDA receptor blockade in rats replicates an endophenotype in schizophrenia and may contribute to the prefrontal hypometabolic state in schizophrenia.