Search results for "complement"

To B or Not to B: Comparative Genomics Suggests

2018

Insect lineages feeding on nutritionally restricted diets such as phloem sap, xylem sap, or blood, were able to diversify by acquiring bacterial species that complement lacking nutrients. These bacteria, considered obligate/primary endosymbionts, share a long evolutionary history with their hosts. In some cases, however, these endosymbionts are not able to fulfill all of their host's nutritional requirements, driving the acquisition of additional symbiotic species. Phloem-feeding members of the insect family Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) established an obligate relationship with Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum, which provides its hots with essential amino acids and carotenoids. In addition, ma…

Modified total variation regularization using fuzzy complement for image denoising

2015

In this paper, we propose a denoising algorithm based on the Total Variation (TV) model. Specifically, we associate to the regularization term of the Rodin-Osher-Fatimi (ROF) functional a small weight whenever denoising is performed in edge and texture regions, which means less regularization and more details preservation. On the other hand, a large weight is associated if the region being filtered is smooth which means noise will be well suppressed. The weight computation is inspired from the fuzzy edge complement. Experiments on well-known images and comparison with state of the art denoising algorithms demonstrate that the proposed method not only presents good denoising performance but …

A note on some fundamental results in complete gauge spaces and application

2015

We discuss the extension of some fundamental results in nonlinear analysis to the setting of gauge spaces. In particular, we establish Ekeland type and Caristi type results under suitable hypotheses for mappings and cyclic mappings. Our theorems generalize and complement some analogous results in the literature, also in the sense of ordered sets and oriented graphs. We apply our results to establishing the existence of solution to a second order nonlinear initial value problem.

Initiation of an Aquaculture of Sponges for the Sustainable Production of Bioactive Metabolites in Open Systems: Example, Geodia cydonium.

1999

Among Metazoa, sponges (phylum Porifera) are the richest source for different bioactive compounds. The availability of the raw material is, however, restricted. To obtain enough of the bioactive compounds for application in human therapy, sponges have to be cultured in in vitro systems. One technique for the establishment of a long-term cell culture from sponges has recently been elaborated. Here, we present a procedure to cultivate tissue samples from sponges in an open system. The species Geodia cydonium, which produces bioactive compounds, has been selected. Tissue samples of approximately 10 g were attached to the bottoms of cultivation trays. After 2 to 3 days, the tissue samples forme…

Klein Concert: A Report from a Math-Musical Classroom Experience

2020

Can music help mathematical education? Can some shapes, that challenge visual imagination, be translated into music? I present a pedagogical application of my interdisciplinary research. This concerns a cycle of seminars about mathematics and music I gave in Italy at the Music Conservatory of Palermo and that, in a shortened version, I also gave at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice, at the Conservatory of Livorno, and in the UK, at the University of Greenwich. Seminars included a theoretical section and a workshop. Mathematical concepts helped students formalize their musical knowledge, and music provided an intuitive understanding of mathematical concepts, such as the dualism continuous/dis…

C1q–Ha matrix regulates the local synthesis of hyaluronan in malignant pleural mesothelioma by modulating has3 expression

2021

Increased hyaluronic acid (HA) production is often associated with cancer progression. In malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), HA is found at elevated levels in pleural effusions and sera of patients, and it has been widely debated whether MPM cells are able to produce HA by themselves or through the release of growth factors stimulating other cells. Another key component of the MPM microenvironment is C1q, which can act as a pro-tumorigenic factor favoring cell adhesion, migration and proliferation. The aim of the current study was to prove that MPM primary cells are able to synthesize HA and to inquire the stimulus given by C1q&ndash

Complement C5 but not C3 is expendable for tissue factor activation by cofactor-independent antiphospholipid antibodies

2018

The complement and coagulation cascades interact at multiple levels in thrombosis and inflammatory diseases. In venous thrombosis, complement factor 3 (C3) is crucial for platelet and tissue factor (TF) procoagulant activation dependent on protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). Furthermore, C5 selectively contributes to the exposure of leukocyte procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS), which is a prerequisite for rapid activation of monocyte TF and fibrin formation in thrombosis. Here, we show that monoclonal cofactor-independent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) rapidly activate TF on myelomonocytic cells. TF activation is blocked by PDI inhibitor and an anti-TF antibody interfering with PDI bin…

Can noncomplementarity of agency lead to successful problem solving? A case study on students’ interpersonal behaviors in mathematical problem-solvin…

2022

In student collaboration, purposeful peer interaction crucial for success on the task. Such collaboration requires adequate and purposeful student agency. Theoretically, the between-individual complementarity of agency be-haviors enhances purposeful interaction. However, the level of agency of group members can disrupt the collaborative interactions. We conducted a case study of collaborative mathematical problem solving, where one student's behaviors of noncomplementary agency characterized the group interaction. We examined the video recording of the group by continuous quantitative coding of students' agency behaviors and segmented the interaction process into four phases. We analyzed qu…

Editorial: Reaching to Grasp Cognition: Analyzing Motor Behavior to Investigate Social Interactions

2018

N-Cinnamoyltetraketide Derivatives from the Leaves of Toussaintia orientalis

2015

Seven N-cinnamoyltetraketides (1−7), including the new Ztoussaintine E (2), toussaintine F (6), and toussaintine G (7), were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Toussaintia orientalis using column chromatography and HPLC. The configurations of E-toussaintine E (1) and toussaintines A (3) and D (5) are revised based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data from racemic crystals. Both the crude methanol extract and the isolated constituents exhibit antimycobacterial activities (MIC 83.3−107.7 μM) against the H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 5 are cytotoxic (ED50 15.3−105.7 μM) against the MDA-MB-231 triple negative aggressive breast cancer cel…