Selecting an Effective Entropy Estimator for Short Sequences of Bits and Bytes with Maximum Entropy

Entropy makes it possible to measure the uncertainty about an information source from the distribution of its output symbols. It is known that the maximum Shannon’s entropy of a discrete source of information is reached when its symbols follow a Uniform distribution. In cryptography, these sources have great applications since they allow for the highest security standards to be reached. In this work, the most effective estimator is selected to estimate entropy in short samples of bytes and bits with maximum entropy. For this, 18 estimators were compared. Results concerning the comparisons published in the literature between these estimators are discussed. The most suitable estimator is determined experimentally, based on its bias, the mean square error short samples of bytes and bits.     

Activity of Cuban propolis extracts on Leishmania amazonensis and Trichomonas vaginalis

In this paper we analyzed the antiprotozoal effects of eighteen Cuban propolis extracts (brown, red and yellow type) collected in different geographic areas, using Leishmania amazonensis (as a model of intracellular protozoa) and Trichomonas vaginalis (as a model of extracellular protozoa). All evaluated propolis extracts caused inhibitory effect on intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis. However, cytotoxicity on peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice was observed. Only five samples decreased the viability of T. vaginalis trophozoites at concentrations lower than 10 microg/mL. No correlation between the type of propolis and antiprotozoal activity was found. Cuban propolis extracts demonstrated activity against both intracellular and extracellular protozoa model, as well as the potentialities of propolis as a natural source to obtain new antiprotozoal agents.     

Morphology and performance of CoOOH films synthesized via electrochemical oxidation: substrate effects

In the present work, CoOOH films are synthesized from the electrochemical oxidation of α-Co(OH)₂ as precursor. The substrate influences on the material electrochemical properties are studied. The samples are structural and morphologically characterized using techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques are used for the electrochemical characterization. The films deposited on steel substrate grew in the vertical hexagonal platelet form. Meanwhile, films on Ti plate presented morphology in agglomerated sphere form. After electrochemical oxidation, the film initial morphology is maintained. The films deposited on steel plate have a structure which favors charge storage showing a high specific capacity value (110.92 mA h g^?1) and cyclic stability of 92% after 1000 cycles. Finally, the relaxation time constant value calculated was 5.6 s. This fact is making this material as a possible good candidate for application as electrode material or additive for other materials, in energy storage devices.     

Essential Oil from Melaleuca leucadendra: Antimicrobial,Antikinetoplastid, Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Assessment

Essential oils (EOs) are known for their use in cosmetics, food industries, and traditional medicine. This study presents the chemical composition and therapeutic properties against kinetoplastid and eukaryotic cells of the EO from Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L. (Myrtaceae). Forty-five compounds were identified in the oil by GC-MS, containing a major component the 1,8-cineole (61%). The EO inhibits the growth of Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma brucei at IC₅₀ values <10 μg/mL. However, 1,8 cineole was not the main compound responsible for the activity. Against malignant (22Rv1, MCF-7, EFO-21, including resistant sublines MCF-7/Rap and MCF-7/4OHTAMO) and non-malignant (MCF-10A, J774A.1 and peritoneal macrophage) cells, IC₅₀ values from 55 to 98 μg/mL and from 94 to 144 μg/mL were obtained, respectively. However, no activity was observed on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Candida parapsilosis, Microsporum canis, or Trypanosoma cruzi. The EO was able to control the lesion size and parasite burden in the model of cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice caused by L. amazonensis compared to untreated animals (p < 0.05) and similar with those treated with Glucantime^® (p > 0.05). This work constitutes the first evidence of antiproliferative potentialities of EO from M. leucadendra growing in Cuba and could promote further preclinical investigations to confirm the medical value of this plant, in particular for leishmaniasis treatment.     

In Vitro Pharmacological Screening of Essential Oils from Baccharis parvidentata and Lippia origanoides Growing in Brazil

In this study, the in vitro antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of essential oil from Baccharis parvidentata Malag. (EO-Bp) and Lippia origanoides Kunth (EO-Lo) were explored. The relevant effects were observed against the parasitic protozoans Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania amazonensis (ranging 0.6 to 39.7 µg/mL) and malignant MCF-7, MCF-7/HT, 22Rv1, and A431 cell lines (ranging 6.1 to 31.5 µg/mL). In parallel, EO-Bp showed better selective indexes in comparison with EO-Lo against peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice and MRC-5 cell line. In conclusion, EO-Lo is known to show a wide range of health benefits that could be added as another potential use of this oil with the current study. In the case of EO-Bp, the wide spectrum of its activities against protozoal parasites and malignant cells, as well as its selectivity in comparison with non-malignant cells, could suggest an interesting candidate for further tests as a new therapeutic alternative.     

Machine Learning Analysis of Essential Oils from Cuban Plants: Potential Activity against Protozoa Parasites

Essential oils (EOs) are a mixture of chemical compounds with a long history of use in food, cosmetics, perfumes, agricultural and pharmaceuticals industries. The main object of this study was to find chemical patterns between 45 EOs and antiprotozoal activity (antiplasmodial, antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal), using different machine learning algorithms. In the analyses, 45 samples of EOs were included, using unsupervised Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) and supervised Random Forest (RF) methodologies. In the generated map, the hit rate was higher than 70% and the results demonstrate that it is possible find chemical patterns using a supervised and unsupervised machine learning approach. A total of 20 compounds were identified (19 are terpenes and one sulfur-containing compound), which was compared with literature reports. These models can be used to investigate and screen for bioactivity of EOs that have antiprotozoal activity more effectively and with less time and financial cost.     

Comparative chemical, cytotoxicity and antileishmanial properties of essential oils from Chenopodium ambrosioides

In countries where leishmaniasis is endemic, there are not very many treatment alternatives and most options have problems associated with their use. Plants and their natural products constitute good sources of interesting lead compounds that could be potentially active against Leishmania. Chenopodium ambrosioides is a plant that is widely used in popular medicine and its antiparasitic effects have been documented, including the antileishmanial potentialities of Chenopodium oil. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, in-vitro cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of essential oils extracted from C. ambrosioides, which received different treatments prior to extraction. The chemical characterization by GC-MS of the three essential oil samples showed similar composition and the major components were alpha-terpinene (17.0-20.7%), p-cymene (20.2-21.1%) and ascaridole (30.5-47.1%). The essential oils exhibited similar antileishmanial activities against intracellular amastigote form, with IC50 values between 4.7 and 12.4 microg/mL. However, a lower cytotoxicity was displayed by the essential oil extracted from fresh green vegetable material, which was statistically different (P < 0.05) from the other samples. This study demonstrated that the prior treatment of plant material did not interfere with the antiparasitic activity of essential oils from C. ambrosioides but did change their cytotoxicity, which should be taken into account in further studies.     

Polyanalytic Hardy decomposition of higher order Lipschitz functions

This paper is concerned with the problem of decomposing a higher order Lipschitz function on a closed Jordan curve Γ into a sum of two polyanalytic functions in each open domain defined by Γ. Our basic tools are the Hardy projections related to a singular integral operator arising in polyanalytic function theory, which, as it is proved here, represents an involution operator on the higher order Lipschitz classes. Our result generalizes the classical Hardy decomposition of Hölder continuous functions on the boundary of a domain.