LEDPatNet19: Automated Emotion Recognition Model based on Nonlinear LED Pattern Feature Extraction Function using EEG Signals

Electroencephalography (EEG) signals collected from human brains have generally been used to diagnose diseases. Moreover, EEG signals can be used in several areas such as emotion recognition, driving fatigue detection. This work presents a new emotion recognition model by using EEG signals. The primary aim of this model is to present a highly accurate emotion recognition framework by using both a hand-crafted feature generation and a deep classifier. The presented framework uses a multilevel fused feature generation network. This network has three primary phases, which are tunable Q-factor wavelet transform (TQWT), statistical feature generation, and nonlinear textural feature generation phases. TQWT is applied to the EEG data for decomposing signals into different sub-bands and create a multilevel feature generation network. In the nonlinear feature generation, an S-box of the LED block cipher is utilized to create a pattern, which is named as Led-Pattern. Moreover, statistical feature extraction is processed using the widely used statistical moments. The proposed LED pattern and statistical feature extraction functions are applied to 18 TQWT sub-bands and an original EEG signal. Therefore, the proposed hand-crafted learning model is named LEDPatNet19. To select the most informative features, ReliefF and iterative Chi2 (RFIChi2) feature selector is deployed. The proposed model has been developed on the two EEG emotion datasets, which are GAMEEMO and DREAMER datasets. Our proposed hand-crafted learning network achieved 94.58%, 92.86%, and 94.44% classification accuracies for arousal, dominance, and valance cases of the DREAMER dataset. Furthermore, the best classification accuracy of the proposed model for the GAMEEMO dataset is equal to 99.29%. These results clearly illustrate the success of the proposed LEDPatNet19.     

Design of potent fluoro-substituted chalcones as antimicrobial agents

Owing to ever-increasing bacterial and fungal drug resistance, we attempted to develop novel antitubercular and antimicrobial agents. For this purpose, we developed some new fluorine-substituted chalcone analogs (3, 4, 9–15, and 20–23) using a structure–activity relationship approach. Target compounds were evaluated for their antitubercular efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and antimicrobial activity against five common pathogenic bacterial and three common fungal strains. Three derivatives (3, 9, and 10) displayed significant antitubercular activity with IC₅₀ values of ≤16,760. Compounds derived from trimethoxy substituent scaffolds with monofluoro substitution on the B ring of the chalcone structure exhibited superior inhibition activity compared to corresponding hydroxy analogs. In terms of antimicrobial activity, most compounds (3, 9, 12–14, and 23) exhibited moderate to potent activity against the bacteria, and the antifungal activities of compounds 3, 13, 15, 20, and 22 were comparable to those of reference drugs ampicillin and fluconazole.     

Role of soluble epoxide hydrolase phosphatase activity in the metabolism of lysophosphatidic acids

The EPXH2 gene encodes for the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which has two distinct enzyme activities: epoxide hydrolase (Cterm-EH) and phosphatase (Nterm-phos). The Cterm-EH is involved in the metabolism of epoxides from arachidonic acid and other unsaturated fatty acids, endogenous chemical mediators that play important roles in blood pressure regulation, cell growth, inflammation and pain. While recent findings suggested complementary biological roles for Nterm-phos, its mode of action is not well understood. Herein, we demonstrate that lysophosphatidic acids are excellent substrates for Nterm-phos. We also showed that sEH phosphatase activity represents a significant (20-60%) part of LPA cellular hydrolysis, especially in the cytosol. This possible role of sEH on LPA hydrolysis could explain some of the biology previously associated with the Nterm-phos. These findings also underline possible cellular mechanisms by which both activities of sEH (EH and phosphatase) may have complementary or opposite roles.     

Determination of the expression of fish antifreeze protein (AFP) in 7th generation transgenic mice tissues and serum

In this study, the presence of antifreeze protein (AFP) gene expression through successive generations in transgenic mice carrying the chimeric gene construct of the coding sequence for the AFP protein from ocean pout was investigated. AFP transgenic hemizygote mice were used for AFP gene expression. AFP genome expressions in transgenic mice were analyzed by Western blotting, and tissue location of AFP protein was shown by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence techniques. Seventh transgenic mice from the established founders demonstrated the expression of AFP in organs such as the skin, oviduct, lung, kidney and liver tissues and serum except for the heart. Our results demonstrate successful expression of AFP gene products in several tissues and serum of transgenic mice, the association of in vivo expressed AFP protein, for the first time. These results indicate that the coding sequence for the AFP protein gene (ocean pout type III AFP gene) could be integrated and stably transcribed and expressed in the 7th generation of transgenic mice. In conclusion transgenic mouse lines would be a good model for the cryostudy of AFP and for the determination of AFP roles in several organs and tissues.     

Significance of MEFV gene R202Q polymorphism in Turkish familial Mediterranean fever patients

Objective

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and inflammation in the peritoneum, synovium, or pleura, accompanied by pain. The disease is associated with mutations in the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene, which encodes for the pyrin protein. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency and clinical significance of the R202Q (c.605G>A) polymorphism in exon 2 of the MEFV gene in a cohort of Turkish patients with FMF.

Methods

The study included 191 patients with FMF and 150 healthy controls. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay for the MEFV gene R202Qpolymorphism.

Results

The genotype and allele frequencies of R202Q polymorphism showed a statistically significant difference between FMF patients and controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0004, respectively) and especially the homozygous AA genotype was significantly higher in FMF patients than healthy controls (p = 0.0002; odds ratio = 6.27; 95% CI = 2.1–18.3). However no significant association was observed between clinical and demographic features of FMF patients and R202Qpolymorphism.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed that there was a high association between MEFV gene R202Q polymorphism and FMF. R202Q polymorphism should be included in routine molecular diagnosis of FMF patients.     

The microtubule-severing proteins spastin and katanin participate differently in the formation of axonal branches

Neurons express two different microtubule-severing proteins, namely P60-katanin and spastin. Here, we performed studies on cultured neurons to ascertain whether these two proteins participate differently in axonal branch formation. P60-katanin is more highly expressed in the neuron, but spastin is more concentrated at sites of branch formation. Overexpression of spastin dramatically enhances the formation of branches, whereas overexpression of P60-katanin does not. The excess spastin results in large numbers of short microtubules, whereas the excess P60-katanin results in short microtubules intermingled with longer microtubules. We hypothesized that these different microtubule-severing patterns may be due to the presence of molecules such as tau on the microtubules that more strongly shield them from being severed by P60-katanin than by spastin. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that axons depleted of tau show a greater propensity to branch, and that this is true whether or not the axons are also depleted of spastin. We propose that there are two modes by which microtubule severing is orchestrated during axonal branch formation, one based on the local concentration of spastin at branch sites and the other based on local detachment from microtubules of molecules such as tau that regulate the severing properties of P60-katanin.     

Do MCF7 cells cope with metformin treatment under energetic stress in low glucose conditions?

There is a growing body of evidence about metformin being effective in cancer therapy. Despite controversies about the ways of its effectiveness, several ongoing clinical trials are evaluating the drug when used as an adjuvant or a neo-adjuvant agent. We aimed to investigate metformin’s effects on proliferation, metastasis, and hormone receptor expressions in breast cancer cell line MCF-7 incubated in two different glucose conditions. MCF-7 cells were incubated in high or low glucose media and treated with various doses of metformin. The cell viability was studied using MTT test. The Ki-67, estrogen and progesterone receptor expression were evaluated by ICC and galectin-3 expression was evaluated by ELISA or spectrophotometrically. The cell viability following consecutive metformin doses in either glucose condition for 24 and 48 h represented a significant decrease when compared to control. The proliferation detected in low glucose medium following metformin at doses < 20 mM was found significantly decreased when compared to high glucose medium at 48 h. In terms of galectin-3 levels, the increase in high glucose medium treated with metformin and the decrease in low glucose medium were found statistically significant when compared to control. Progesterone receptor staining demonstrated a significant increase in low glucose medium. Our findings represent better outcomes for cancer lines incubated in low glucose medium treated with metformin in terms of viability, receptor expression and metastatic activity, and highlight the potential benefit of metformin especially in restraining the cancer cell’s ability to cope energetic stress in low glucose conditions.     

Co-culture of rat luteal cells with islet cells enhances islet viability and revascularization

Islet cell transplantation is a major treatment strategy for type I diabetes, and has proven to be effective for maintaining glucose homeostasis. However, this treatment requires an extended period of immunosuppression to prevent rejection and recurrent transplantation to maintain function. Thus, to enhance the properties of transplanted islet cells, we examined the effect of the co-culture of luteal cells, which secrete progesterone, on islet cell viability, functionality, and revascularization. It was found that islet viability and functionality were higher in the co-cultured group than in single cultures of islets at 48 and 96 h, in parallel with increased progesterone and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from luteal cells. In the co-culture groups, VEGF levels at 48 and 96 h and CD31 levels at 48 h were significantly higher than those in the islet groups (p?<?0.001 and p?<?0.05, respectively), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) levels were increased at 96 h (p?<?0.001). Thus, co-culture with luteal cells may increase islet vascularity by enhancing VEGF and bFGF levels for up to 96 h, which could help to markedly increase the pre-transplantation time to allow for effective immunosuppression therapy. This method may also promote islet cell viability and functionality. Progesterone and angiogenic factors secreted from luteal cells may be responsible for these positive effects.     

A structural analysis of the interaction between ncd tail and tubulin protofilaments

ncd is a minus-end directed, kinesin-like motor, which binds to microtubules with its motor domain and its cargo domain as well. Typical of retrograde motors, the motor domain of ncd locates to the C-terminal end of the polypeptide chain, and hence, the cargo domain constitutes the N-terminal region. To date, several studies have investigated the interaction properties of the motor domain with microtubules, but very few structural data are available about the tail itself or its interaction with microtubules as cargo. Here, we applied cryo-electron microscopy and helical 3D image reconstruction to 15 protofilament microtubules decorated with an ncd tail fragment (N-terminal residues 83-187, named NT6). In our study, the ncd tail shows a behaviour resembling filamentous MAPs such as tau protein, exhibiting a highly flexible structure with no large globular domains. NT6 binds to four different sites on the outer side of microtubules within the proximity of the kinesin motor-binding site. Two of these sites locate within the groove between two neighbouring protofilaments, and appear as strong binding sites, while the other two sites, located at the outer rim, appear to play a secondary role. In addition, the ncd tail fragment induces the formation of large protofilament sheets, suggesting a tail-induced modification of lateral protofilament contacts.