Biogenic synthesis of levofloxacin-loaded copper oxide nanoparticles using Cymbopogon citratus: A green approach for effective antibacterial applications

Despite the success of antibiotics in medicine, the treatment of bacterial infection is still challenging due to emerging resistance and suitable drug delivery system, therefore, innovative approaches focused on nanoparticles based antimicrobial drug delivery systems are highly desired. This research aimed to synthesize Cymbopogon citratus (C. citratus) aqueous extract-mediated copper oxide (CuO-Nps) conjugated with levofloxacin (LFX). The synthesized CuO NPs-LFX nano conjugate was confirmed by analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and infrared and ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy. Antibacterial activities were assessed in vitro through the agar well diffusion method against six bacterial strains of clinical relevance. CuO NPs confirmed by UV-Vis analysis absorption peak observed at 380 nm. TGA analysis showed 8.98% weight loss between the 400-800 ° C temperature range. The functional group's presence was confirmed by FTIR analysis. Spherical shape nanoparticles with an average particle size of 55 nm were recorded by FESEM. Results from agar well diffusion assay showed that CuO NPs-LFX prohibited the development of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at all established concentrations, and the antibacterial propensity was more pronounced as compared to bare CuO NPs, Levofloxacin and C. citratus aqueous extract alone. The results showed that gram-negative bacteria are more susceptible to CuO NPs-LFX nano conjugate and at 10 μgmL-1 concentration, form a 10.1 mm zone of inhibition (ZOI), whereas gram-positive bacteria on the same concentration form 9.5 mm ZOI. LFX-loaded CuO NPs antibacterial activity was observed higher than plant extract, bare CuO NPs, and standard drug (Levofloxacin). This study provides a novel approach for the fabrication of biogenic CuO NPs with antibacterial drug levofloxacin and their usage as nano antibiotic carriers against pathogenic bacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant microbes.

Unique structural effect on the fluorosolvatochromism and dual fluorescence emission of D-π-A+ cationic chromophores with furyl bridge. An approach to white light emitters

Photophysical behavior of two D - π - A+ cationic compounds with the same furyl bridge and nicotinamidine group as an electron acceptor moiety and two electron donating groups, namely methoxy (I) and N,N-dimethylamino (II) groups was examined using steady-state and time-resolved techniques in variety of solvents. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations were performed in some representative solvents and compared with the experimental results. Steady state and time-resolved studies in different solvents reveal that fluorescence emission of (I) is ascribed to an emission from an excited state (ICT) with higher dipole moment than the ground state while the emission of (II) is a dual emission from a state with high charge transfer nature (ICT) in addition to the locally excited state (LE). The fluorescence emission spectra of (II) were found to depend on the excitation wavelength and an increase in the excitation wavelength led to the formation of a longer wavelength emission band with lower quantum yield. It has also been found that the fluorescence excitation spectra were dependent on the emission wavelength. The effect of solvent on the nature of dual emission was examined. Correlation of the photophysical properties of the excited states of (I) and (II) with the solvent polarity, ε, reveals the charge transfer nature of (I) and the long wavelength emission band of (II), while their correlation with the solvent polarity parameter (ETN) shows two different trends when the solvents are divided to aprotic and protic solvents. For precise investigation of the impact of each solvent parameter on each photophysical property, Catalán's and Laurence's four parametric linear solvation energy relationships were studied. We have found that the non-specific interactions of the solvent are primarily responsible for controlling the photophysical properties, as demonstrated by Catalán's and Laurence's treatments. DFT and TDDFT calculations were used to anticipate the dipole moments in the ground and excited states and geometry of both states.

New bithiophene derivative attenuated Alzheimer's disease induced by aluminum in a rat model via antioxidant activity and restoration of neuronal and synaptic transmission

BACKGROUND

One of the hypotheses that leads to an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of aluminum in the brain's frontal cortex. The present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic role of a novel bithiophene derivative at two doses against AlCl3-induced AD in a rat model.

METHODOLOGY

Adult male rats were divided into six groups, 18 rats each. Group 1: naïve animals, group 2: animals received a daily oral administration of bithiophene dissolved in DMSO (1 mg/kg) for 30 days every other day, groups 3-6: animals received a daily oral administration of AlCl3 (100 mg/kg/day) for 45 consecutive days. Groups 4 and 5 received an oral administration of low or high dose of the bithiophene (0.5 or 1 mg/kg, respectively). Group 6; Animals were treated with a daily oral dose of memantine (20 mg/kg) for 30 consecutive days.

MAIN FINDINGS

Al disturbed the antioxidant milieu, elevated the lipid peroxidation, and depleted the antioxidants. It also disturbed the synaptic neurotransmission by elevating the activities of acetylcholine esterase and monoamine oxidase resulting in the depletion of dopamine and serotonin and accumulation of glutamate and norepinephrine. Al also deteriorated the expression of genes involved in apoptosis and the production of amyloid-β plaques as well as phosphorylation of tau. The new bithiophene at the low dose reversed most of the previous deleterious effects of aluminum in the cerebral cortex and was in many instances superior to the reference drug; memantine.

CONCLUSION

Taking together, the bithiophene modulated the AD etiology through antioxidant activity, prevention of neuronal and synaptic loss, and probably mitigating the formation of amyloid-β plaques and phosphorylation of tau.

Eco-friendly approach to decrease the harmful effects of untreated wastewater on growth, yield, biochemical constituents, and heavy metal contents of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Here, the impact of irrigation using untreated wastewater (WW) on carrots (Daucus carota L.) was examined. We hypothesized that the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), dry algal powder (Spirulina platensis or Chlorella vulgaris), and Salix alba leaves powder would function as chelators for harmful contaminants in wastewater. The findings showed that irrigation of carrot plants with the sampled untreated wastewater led to significant decreases in the shoot lengths, fresh, dry weights of shoots and roots at stage I, the diameter of roots, pigment content, carotenoids, total soluble carbohydrate content, and soluble protein content. Furthermore, a significantly increased level of proline, total phenols, and the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) was identified in stage I samples. In contrast to the stage I, the length of the roots, the number of leaves on each plant, wet and dry weights of the stage II roots were all greatly enhanced. In spite of the increased yield due to the wastewater irrigation, carrot roots irrigated with wastewater had significantly more cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and lead (Pb) than is considered safe. Our data clearly show that the application of Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, EDTA, and leaves powder of salix was able to alleviate the toxicity of wastewater on carrot plants. For example, we recorded a significant decrease in the accumulation of carrot's Cd, Ni, Co, and Pb contents. We conclude that the treatments with Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris can be utilized as eco-friendly tools to lessen the damaging effects of wastewater irrigation on carrot plants.

Azafuramidines as potential anticancer Agents: Pro-apoptotic profile and cell cycle arrest

The current study aimed to test the antiproliferative activity of three azafuramidines (X, Y, and Z) against three different human cell lines; liver HepG2, breast MCF-7, and bone U2OS. And to explore the molecular mechanism(s) of the antiproliferative activity of these derivatives. The three new azafuramidines demonstrated a potent cytotoxicity at < 2 μM against the three cell lines investigated. The azafuramidines were highly selective with selectivity index ∼ 47 - 61 folds indicating safety to the normal cells. In the scratch assay, azafuramidines significantly reduced the percentage of wound healing indicating ability to prevent or reduce metastasis. Derivatives X and Z arrested the HepG2 cells at S and G2/M phases detected by the flow cytometry. Derivatives X, Y, and Z elevated the apoptosis of HepG2 cells by ∼ 71 %, 66 %, and 59 %, respectively. Derivatives X and Z were superior to derivative Y. The potent antiproliferative, cell cycle arrest, and pro-apoptotic efficacy of these chlorophenyl derivatives could be attributed to their ability of inducing the overexpression of p53, p21, and p27. These derivatives had the potential to act as anticancer agents and merit further investigations.

Design, Analysis, and Development of Low-Cost State-of-the-Art Magnetorheological-Based Microprocessor Prosthetic Knee

For amputees, amputation is a devastating experience. Transfemoral amputees require an artificial lower limb prosthesis as a replacement for regaining their gait functions after amputation. Microprocessor-based transfemoral prosthesis has gained significant importance in the last two decades for the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees by assisting them in performing activities of daily living. Commercially available microprocessor-based knee joints have the needed features but are costly, making them beyond the reach of most amputees. The excessive cost of these devices can be attributed to custom sensing and actuating mechanisms, which require significant development cost, making them beyond the reach of most amputees. This research contributes to developing a cost-effective microprocessor-based transfemoral prosthesis by integrating off-the-shelf sensing and actuating mechanisms. Accordingly, a three-level control architecture consisting of top, middle, and low-level controllers was developed for the proposed prosthesis. The top-level controller is responsible for identifying the amputee intent and mode of activity. The mid-level controller determines distinct phases in the activity mode, and the low-level controller was designed to modulate the damping across distinct phases. The developed prosthesis was evaluated on unilateral transfemoral amputees. Since off-the-shelf sensors and actuators are used in i-Inspire, various trials were conducted to evaluate the repeatability of the sensory data. Accordingly, the mean coefficients of correlation for knee angle, force, and inclination were computed at slow and medium walking speeds. The obtained values were, respectively, 0.982 and 0.946 for knee angle, 0.942 and 0.928 for knee force, and 0.825 and 0.758 for knee inclination. These results confirmed that the data are highly correlated with minimum covariance. Accordingly, the sensors provide reliable and repeatable data to the controller for mode detection and intent recognition. Furthermore, the knee angles at self-selected walking speeds were recorded, and it was observed that the i-Inspire Knee maintains a maximum flexion angle between 50° and 60°, which is in accordance with state-of-the-art microprocessor-based transfemoral prosthesis.

Radiation cross-linked ultra-absorbent hydrogel to rationalize irrigation water and fertilizer for maize planting in drought conditions

The study addresses the potential negative impacts of climate change on water resources, specifically irrigation water for crops. The radiation technique produces the biomaterial hydrogel as a soil conditioner by polymerizing hydroxy ethyl cellulose/acrylamide (HEC/AAm) at various irradiation doses and copolymer concentrations. A maximum swelling of 23.4 g/g is attained by (HEC/PAAm) hydrogel at 1/7.5 ratio, prepared by 10 kGy gamma irradiation. The study introduces a new class of ultra-absorbent hydrogel (UAH) to address the low swelling limitation for soil conditioner applications. The alkaline hydrolysis treatments with NaOH, LiOH, and KOH enhance the water absorbency of (HEC/PAAm) hydrogel, with the highest capacity of 1220 g/g achieved by the KOH treatment, surpassing NaOH (622 g/g) and LiOH (540 g/g). The cumulative release of fertilizers from the UAH sample shows a slow and controlled release behavior. Urea takes 22 days to reach 100 % release. The UAH demonstrates water retention for 28 days, improving the growth of Zea mays L. at drought stress levels of 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, and 100 %, revealing an increase in shoot length by 16 %, 19 %, 24 %, and 20 %, respectively. Also, UAH increased the contents of chlorophyll a, b, a + b, and carotenoid on maize plant leaves compared to the control sample.

Management of chronic myeloid leukaemia: current treatment options, challenges, and future strategies

ABSTRACTSmall molecule therapy is a critical component of targeted anticancer treatment, with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) being the first compounds to treat the clonal Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia (CML) translocation t (9;22) (q34; q11) effectively since 2001. TKIs, such as imatinib, have improved the 10-year survival rate of CML patients to 80%. They bind the BCR::ABL1 kinase and inhibit downstream signaling pathways. However, therapy failure may be seen in 20-25% of CML patients due to intolerance or inadequacy related to BCR::ABL1 dependent or independent mechanisms. This review aimed to summarize current treatment options involving TKIs, resistance mechanisms and the prospective approaches to overcome TKI resistance. We highlight BCR::ABL1-dependent mechanisms of TKI resistance by reviewing clinically-documented BCR::ABL1 mutations and their consequences for TKI binding. In addition, we summarize BCR::ABL1 independent pathways, including the relevance of drug efflux, dysregulation of microRNA, and the involvement of alternative signaling pathways. We also discuss future approaches, such as gene-editing techniques in the context of CML, as potential therapeutic strategies.

A Wearable Force Myography-Based Armband for Recognition of Upper Limb Gestures

Force myography (FMG) represents a promising alternative to surface electromyography (EMG) in the context of controlling bio-robotic hands. In this study, we built upon our prior research by introducing a novel wearable armband based on FMG technology, which integrates force-sensitive resistor (FSR) sensors housed in newly designed casings. We evaluated the sensors' characteristics, including their load-voltage relationship and signal stability during the execution of gestures over time. Two sensor arrangements were evaluated: arrangement A, featuring sensors spaced at 4.5 cm intervals, and arrangement B, with sensors distributed evenly along the forearm. The data collection involved six participants, including three individuals with trans-radial amputations, who performed nine upper limb gestures. The prediction performance was assessed using support vector machines (SVMs) and k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithms for both sensor arrangments. The results revealed that the developed sensor exhibited non-linear behavior, and its sensitivity varied with the applied force. Notably, arrangement B outperformed arrangement A in classifying the nine gestures, with an average accuracy of 95.4 ± 2.1% compared to arrangement A's 91.3 ± 2.3%. The utilization of the arrangement B armband led to a substantial increase in the average prediction accuracy, demonstrating an improvement of up to 4.5%.

Synthesis of inventive biphenyl and azabiphenyl derivatives as potential insecticidal agents against the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis

The emergence of pest resistance of Spodoptera littoralis (order; Lepidoptera, family; Noctuidae) towards the large scale of different classes of insecticides necessitates the development of some new poly-functionalized biphenyl and azabiphenyl with highly anticipated insecticidal bioresponse. Four new biphenyl carboxamidines 4a-d and four aza-analogue picolinamidine derivatives 8a-d were designed and prepared via the treatment of their corresponding carbonitriles with lithium-bis trimethylsilylamide [LiN(TMS)2], followed by hydrolysis with hydrogen chloride. Furthermore, these compounds were elucidated by spectral data, and their toxicity and insecticidal activity were screened against Spodoptera littoralis. Whereby, toxicological and biochemical aspects of the inventively synthesized biphenyl and azabiphenyl derivatives against the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis were inspected. As regards the indomitable LC50 and LC90 values, biphenyl and aza-analogues 8d, 8a, 4b, and 8b, revealed the furthermost forceful toxic effects with LC50 values of 113.860, 146.265, 216.624, and 289.879 ppm, respectively. Whereby, their LC90 values are 1235.108, 1679.044, 2656.296, and 3381.256 ppm, respectively, and toxicity index being 22.31%, 17.36%, 11.72%, and 8.76%, respectively, comparing with the already recommended, methomyl insecticide, lannate 90% SP (LC50, 25.396 and LC90, 57.860 and toxicity index, 100%). Additionally, electrochemical parameters via DFT studies were carried out for demonstrating and elucidation of structure-activity relationship (SAR) according to highly motived compounds, descriptors, and the in vivo insecticidal activities.

Novel biphenylidene-thiopyrimidine derivatives as corrosion inhibitors for carbon-steel in oilfield produced water

The inhibiting efficiency of three newly synthesized organic compounds:5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)-1,3-diethyl-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (HM-1228), 5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (HM-1227) and 5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (HM-1226) in oilfield produced water on the corrosion of carbon steel has been examined via electrochemical measurements; potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) techniques. The adsorption of these compounds on the surface of carbon steel followed Langmuir isotherm. In addition, the surface morphology of uninhibited and inhibited carbon steel was examined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), observing surface improvement when carbon steel samples exposed to the inhibited corrosive solutions. The average surface roughness (Ra) in oilfield produced water solution in the presence of 0.5 mM of HM-1228 inhibitor was 138.28 nm compared to the uninhibited surface 571.62 nm. To explore the corrosion inhibition mechanism, quantum chemical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations were utilized. The HM-1228 inhibitor demonstrated the highest corrosion inhibition efficiency at 94.8% by PDP measurements. The higher corrosion inhibition of compound HM-1228 can be attributed to the presence of di-N-ethyl groups that enhance both electron donating ability and lipophilic properties.

Design, synthesis, and performance evaluation of TiO2-dye sensitized solar cells using 2,2'-bithiophene-based co-sensitizers

We report on the synthesis and characterization of six novel 2,2'-bithiophene-based organic compounds (3a-c and 5a-c) that are designed to serve as co-sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO2. The compounds are linked to various donor and acceptor groups, and we confirm their chemical structures through spectral analyses. Our focus is on enhancing the performance of metal based N3, and the compounds were designed to operate at the nanoscale. We performed absorption and fluorescence emission measurements in dimethylformamide (DMF), where one of our compounds 5a exhibited the longest maximum absorption and maximum emission wavelengths, indicating the significant impact of the para methoxy group as a strong electron-donating group. Our dyes 5a + N3 (η = 7.42%) and 5c + N3 (η = 6.57%) outperformed N3 (η = 6.16%) alone, where the values of short current density (JSC) and open circuit voltage (VOC) for these two systems also improved. We also investigated the charge transfer resistance at the TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which is important in the context of nanotechnology. According to the Nyquist plot, the 5a + N3 cocktail exhibited the lowest recombination rate, resulting in the highest VOC. Our theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are also in agreement with the experimental process. These findings suggest that our compounds have great potential as efficient DSSC co-sensitizers. This study provides valuable insights into the design and synthesis of new organic compounds for use as co-sensitizers in DSSCs based on TiO2 and highlights the potential of these compounds for use in efficient solar energy conversion.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with dyslipidemia and risk of metabolic disorders in the State of Qatar

BACKGROUND

Dyslipidemia is recognized as one of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to investigate the association between selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with dyslipidemia and increased susceptibility risks of CVD, NAFLD, and/or T2DM in dyslipidemia patients in comparison with healthy control individuals from the Qatar genome project.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 2933 adults (859 dyslipidemia patients and 2074 healthy control individuals) from April to December 2021 to investigate the association between 331 selected SNPs with dyslipidemia and increased susceptibility risks of CVD, NAFLD and/or T2DM, and covariates.

RESULTS

The genotypic frequencies of six SNPs were found to be significantly different in dyslipidemia patients subjects compared to the control group among males and females. In males, three SNPs were found to be significant, the rs11172113 in over-dominant model, the rs646776 in recessive and over-dominant models, and the rs1111875 in dominant model. On the other hand, two SNPs were found to be significant in females, including rs2954029 in recessive model, and rs1801251 in dominant and recessive models. The rs17514846 SNP was found for dominant and over-dominant models among males and only the dominant model for females. We found that the six SNPs linked to gender type had an influence in relation to disease susceptibility. When controlling for the four covariates (gender, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes), the difference between dyslipidemia and the control group remained significant for the six variants. Finally, males were three times more likely to have dyslipidemia in comparison with females, hypertension was two times more likely to be present in the dyslipidemia group, and diabetes was six times more likely to be in the dyslipidemia group.

CONCLUSION

The current investigation provides evidence of association for a common SNP to coronary heart disease and suggests a sex-dependent effect and encourage potential therapeutic applications.

Catalytic pyrolysis of waste polypropylene using low-cost natural catalysts

The objective of this research is to produce oil from the catalytic pyrolysis of waste polypropylene (WPP) using a low-cost natural catalyst. Three natural catalysts were examined, i.e. Kaolin, Hematite, and white sand. Different catalyst-to-plastic ratios were examined, i.e. 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, and 1:8. The utilized catalysts were elementally analyzed using the XRF analysis and the surface area was analyzed by the BET multi-point method. The WPP thermal degradation behavior was investigated by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), then the generated liquid oil was analyzed using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thermal cracking without a catalyst produced a yield of 70 wt% of liquid oil, and the maximum oil yield in case of using Hematite and white sand as a catalysts were 70 wt% and 68 wt%, respectively. However, the ratio of 1:2 of the Kaolin to the WPP produced the highest oil yield of 80.75 wt%, and the ratio of 1:8 of the white sand to the WPP produced the highest gas yield, i.e. 44 wt%. Using Kaolin in the catalytic pyrolysis of WPP produced oil with the lowest percentage of heavy oils, i.e. 25.98%, and the highest percentage of light oils, which is 25.37%, when compared to other catalysts such as Hematite and white sand. Kaolin has the lowest cost of oil production compared to Hematite and white sand, which is 0.28 $/kg of oil. Kaolin is an economical catalyst that improves the quality, as well as the quantity of the produced oil in comparison to Hematite, white sand and the non-catalytic case.

A fruitful century for the scalable synthesis and reactions of biphenyl derivatives: applications and biological aspects

This review provides recent developments in the current status and latest synthetic methodologies of biphenyl derivatives. Furthermore, this review investigates detailed discussions of several metalated chemical reactions related to biphenyl scaffolds such as Wurtz-Fittig, Ullmann, Bennett-Turner, Negishi, Kumada, Stille, Suzuki-Miyaura, Friedel-Crafts, cyanation, amination, and various electrophilic substitution reactions supported by their mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, the preconditions required for the existence of axial chirality in biaryl compounds are discussed. Furthermore, atropisomerism as a type of axial chirality in biphenyl molecules is discussed. Additionally, this review covers a wide range of biological and medicinal applications of the synthesized compounds involving patented approaches in the last decade corresponding to investigating the crucial role of the biphenyl structures in APIs.

Wastewater treatment with algal based membrane bioreactor for the future: Removing emerging containments

The difficulty of developing pollutants in aquatic ecosystems and their potential effects on animals and plants have been raised. Sewage effluent can seriously harm a river's plant and animal life by reducing the water's oxygen content. Due to their increasing use and poor elimination in traditional municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), pharmaceuticals are one of the developing pollutants that have the potential to penetrate aquatic ecosystems. Due to undigested pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, which constitute a significant class of potentially hazardous aquatic pollutants. Using an algae-based membrane bioreactor (AMBR), the primary objective of this research was to eliminate emerging contaminants (ECs) identified in municipal wastewater. The first part of this research covers the basics of growing algae, an explanation of how they work, and how they remove ECs. Second, it develops the membrane in the wastewater, explains its workings, and uses the membrane to remove ECs. Finally, an algae-based membrane bioreactor for removing ECs is examined. As a result, daily algal production using AMBR technology might range from 50 to 100 mg/Liter. These kinds of machines are capable of nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies of 30-97% and 46-93%, respectively.

Experimental and computational approaches of methoxy naphthylbithiophene derivatives and their use as corrosion protection for carbon steel in acidic medium

The inhibition efficiency and adsorption affinity were investigated for two novel compounds, namely: 6-methoxy-2-naphthyl-[2, 2'-bithiophene]-5-carboxamidine hydrochloride salt (MA-1440) and 5'-(4-chlorophenyl)-2, 2'-bifuran-5-carboxamidine hydrochloride salt (MA-1456). The inhibition study was conducted on carbon steel surface in 1.0 M HCl with different inhibitor doses and different temperature levels, to investigate the optimum dose and preferable temperature. The performed investigation included chemical, electrochemical, instrumental, and quantum computation techniques. A chemical technique was accomplished by using weight-loss measurements. Different factors were studied using weight-loss measurements in order to reach the maximum inhibition efficiency. The adsorption study revealed that the examined inhibitors obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and are chemically adsorbed on the steel surface. The electrochemical measurements were accomplished through the electrochemical impedance (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) techniques. Based on the electrochemical measurements, the examined compounds were categorized as mixed inhibitors. The instrumental examination using different techniques namely: scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the considered inhibitors are excellently adsorbed over the carbon steel surface. The extent of the adsorption affinity of these compounds on the carbon steel surface was studied theoretically using quantum computations and Monte Carlo simulation. The theoretical investigation results of quantum chemistry were validated with those obtained by chemical and electrochemical methodologies. All investigations prove that, the tested compounds were adsorbed chemically on the steel surface and achieved maximum inhibition efficiency of, 94.69% and 90.85% for M-1440 and MA-1456, respectively, at the optimum concentration 30 [Formula: see text] 10^-6 mol L^-1 and temperature 328 K.

Biophotonic sensor for swift detection of malignant brain tissues by using nanocomposite YBa2Cu3O7/dielectric material as a 1D defective photonic crystal

In the present research work we have theoretically examined the biosensing capabilities of proposed one dimensional defective photonic crystal for swift detection of malignant brain tissues. The transfer matrix formulation and MATLAB computational tool have been used to examine the transmission properties of proposed structure. The identical buffer layers of nanocomposite superconducting material have been used either side of cavity region to enhance the interaction between incident light and different brain tissue samples poured into the cavity region. All the investigations have been carried out under normal incidence to suppress the experimental liabilities involved. We have investigated the biosensing performance of the proposed design by changing the values of two internal parameters (1) the cavity layer thickness (d₄) and (2) volume fraction (η) of nanocomposite buffer layers one by one to get the optimum biosensing performance from the structure. It has been found that the sensitivity of the proposed design becomes 1.42607 μm/RIU when the cavity region of thickness 15dd is loaded with lymphoma brain tissue. This value of sensitivity can be further increased to 2.66136 μm/RIU with η = 0.8. The findings of this work are very beneficial for designing of various bio-sensing structures composed of nanocomposite materials of diversified biomedical applications.

Selenium nanoparticles induce growth and physiological tolerance of wastewater‑stressed carrot plants

Climate changes have a direct impact on agricultural lands through their impact on the rate of water levels in the oceans and seas, which leads to a decrease in the amount of water used in agriculture, and therefore the use of alternative sources of irrigation such as wastewater and overcoming its harmful effect on plants was one of the solutions to face this problem. In the present study, the impacts of the synthesized selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) alone or in combination with glycine betaine and proline treatments on the growth, physiological, and yield attributes of wastewater irrigated carrot plants are investigated. Furthermore, to evaluate heavy metals uptake and accumulation in edible plant parts. The usage of wastewater to carrot plants significantly increased free proline contents, total phenols, superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, Malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) throughout the two growth stages. While total soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein content in carrot shoots and roots were significantly reduced. Moreover, the concentrations of nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and cobalt (Co) in carrot plants were considerably higher than the recommended limits set by international organizations. Application of selenium nanoparticles alone or in combination with glycine betaine and proline reduced the contents of Ni, Cd, Pb, and Co; free proline; total phenols; superoxide dismutase; catalase; peroxidase; polyphenol oxidase; Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in carrot plants. However, morphological aspects, photosynthetic pigments, soluble carbohydrates, soluble protein, total phenol, and β-Carotene were enhanced in response to Se NPs application. As an outcome, this research revealed that Se NPs combined with glycine betaine and proline can be used as a strategy to minimize heavy metal stress caused by wastewater irrigation in carrot plants, consequently enhancing crop productivity and growth.

Photophysical properties of push-pull monocationic D-π-A+ thiophene based derivatives: Fluorosolvatochromism and pH studies

Photophysical properties of two thiophene salts of the form D-π-A⁺ are studied in several solvents and at various pH values of the aqueous solution. The studied compounds embrace methoxy group as electron donating moiety at one end and cationic amidine group with and without fluorine atom at the ortho position of the amidine group as the electron withdrawing group at the other end of the molecules and separated by thiophene ring. The two thiophene derivatives are 4-(5-(4-methoxyphenyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzamidine hydrochloride salt (MOTB) and 2-fluoro-4-(5-(4-methoxyphenyl) thiophen-2-yl)benzamidine hydrochloride salt (FMOTB). The observed changes in the fluorescence emission spectra with the nature of the solvent were found to be much more pronounced than the corresponding absorption spectra which signify an emission from the intramolecular charge transfer state. The higher bathochromic shift in the fluorescence emission spectra than the absorption spectra indicates that the excited state dipole moment is larger than that of the ground state. It has also been observed that the presence of the fluorine atom in the electron withdrawing part does not show any changes in the absorption spectra while a clear bathochromic shift is observed in the fluorescence emission spectra indicating an enhanced strength of the electron withdrawing ability in case of FMOTB. Effect of pH was also studied and pK_a values were evaluated. The observed photophysical properties were correlated to the normalized solvent polarity parameter (E_T^N) when solvents are classified to protic and aprotic solvents. This designates the importance of hydrogen bonding interactions. We have also applied a couple of linear solvation energy relationships for better understanding of the exact contribution of each solvent parameter on each photophysical property. We have found that both Catalán's and Laurence's treatments show that the photophysical properties are mainly controlled by the solvent's non-specific interactions. However, these models were not sufficient to interpret the observed data without the inclusion of the participation of the specific interactions.

Assessment of Low-Density Force Myography Armband for Classification of Upper Limb Gestures

Using force myography (FMG) to monitor volumetric changes in limb muscles is a promising and effective alternative for controlling bio-robotic prosthetic devices. In recent years, there has been a focus on developing new methods to improve the performance of FMG technology in the control of bio-robotic devices. This study aimed to design and evaluate a novel low-density FMG (LD-FMG) armband for controlling upper limb prostheses. The study investigated the number of sensors and sampling rate for the newly developed LD-FMG band. The performance of the band was evaluated by detecting nine gestures of the hand, wrist, and forearm at varying elbow and shoulder positions. Six subjects, including both fit and amputated individuals, participated in this study and completed two experimental protocols: static and dynamic. The static protocol measured volumetric changes in forearm muscles at the fixed elbow and shoulder positions. In contrast, the dynamic protocol included continuous motion of the elbow and shoulder joints. The results showed that the number of sensors significantly impacts gesture prediction accuracy, with the best accuracy achieved on the 7-sensor FMG band arrangement. Compared to the number of sensors, the sampling rate had a lower influence on prediction accuracy. Additionally, variations in limb position greatly affect the classification accuracy of gestures. The static protocol shows an accuracy above 90% when considering nine gestures. Among dynamic results, shoulder movement shows the least classification error compared to elbow and elbow-shoulder (ES) movements.

Synthesis, DFT investigations, antioxidant, antibacterial activity and SAR-study of novel thiophene-2-carboxamide derivatives

Synthetic strategy for the synthesis of thiophene 2-carboxamide derivatives substituted with hydroxyl, methyl and amino groups at position-3 was proposed. The strategy includes the cyclization of the precursor ethyl 2-arylazo-3-mercapto-3-(phenylamino)acrylate derivatives, 2-acetyl-2-arylazo-thioacetanilide derivatives and N-aryl-2-cyano-3-mercapto-3-(phenylamino)acrylamide derivatives with N-(4-acetylphenyl)-2-chloroacetamide in alcoholic sodium ethoxide. IR, ¹H NMR, and mass spectroscopic analyses were used to characterize the synthesized derivatives. In addition, molecular, electronic properties of the synthesized products were studied by the density functional theory (DFT) where they exhibited close HOMO-LUMO energy gap (ΔE_H-L) in which the amino derivatives 7a-c have the highest while the methyl derivatives 5a-c were the lowest. Using the ABTS method, the antioxidant properties of the produced compounds were evaluated, where amino thiophene-2-carboxamide 7a exhibit significant inhibition activity 62.0% compared to ascorbic acid The antibacterial activity against two pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and two of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) revealed that 7b records the highest activity index compared to ampicillin 83.3, 82.6, 64.0, 86.9%, respectively. Furthermore, the thiophene-2-carboxamide derivatives were docked with five different proteins with the use molecular docking tools and the results explained interactions between amino acid residue of enzyme and compounds. Compounds 3b and 3c showed the highest binding score with 2AS1 protein.

Exists a role for serum irisin in Egyptian Behcet's patients with subclinical atherosclerosis?

OBJECTIVES

To examine the serum irisin level in a group of Behcet's disease patients, its association with illness parameters, and its utility in diagnosing subclinical atherosclerosis.

METHODS

This randomized case-control study included 50 patients and 50 age- and sex-matched controls. Carotid Doppler ultrasound for the measurement of the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) were performed. A clinical evaluation, lipogram, and serum irisin were also performed.

RESULTS

Between the patients and the control group, there was a significant difference in CIMT, S. irisin level, and ankle-brachial pressure index; however, gender and BMI did not significantly affect CIMT, ABPI, or S. irisin level. CIMT demonstrated a substantial negative correlation with both S. irisin and ABPI (r =  - 0.62, P 0.0001). With a sensitivity of up to 94.30% and a specificity of 93.30%, the ROC analysis revealed that a decrease in S. irisin level in Behcet's patients was indicative of subclinical atherosclerosis. The drop in the ABPI level demonstrated a sensitivity of up to 94.30% and a specificity of 100%.

CONCLUSION

Subclinical atherosclerosis is prevalent among Egyptian Behcet's patients, and S. irisin can be employed as a biomarker for diagnosing subclinical atherosclerosis in Behcet's illness. Key Points • Serum irisin has been studied in numerous autoimmune disorders as a marker for subclinical atherosclerosis, although its importance in Behcet's disease remains unclear (BD). • We examined the change in serum irisin levels in Behcet's disease patients and healthy controls. In addition, its association with carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and ankle-brachial pressure index was investigated (ABPI). • Changes in serum irisin levels are significant in BD, and a decrease in irisin level indicates subclinical atherosclerosis.

Correction: Comprehensive investigations on the action of cationic terthiophene and bithiophene as corrosion inhibitors: experimental and theoretical studies

Correction for ‘Comprehensive investigations on the action of cationic terthiophene and bithiophene as corrosion inhibitors: experimental and theoretical studies’ by Abdelaziz S. Fouda et al., New J. Chem., 2019, 43, 768–789, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NJ04330B.

Synthesis of efficient bi-anchoring bifuran/biphenyl derivatives for dye-sensitized solar cell applications†

The synthesis, description, and demonstration of dye-sensitive solar cell sensitizers containing bifuran/biphenyl derivatives with cyanoacetic acid, barbiturate, thiobarbituric acid, and 4-carboxylcyanoacetamides have been reported. A photovoltaic performance measurement was conducted using the Ru(ii) dye N3 as a reference to examine the effects of different electron acceptor units and replacement of the π-spacer bifuran by biphenyl units on the photophysical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of eight new distinct organic dyes HB-1–8. The new organic dyes HB-1–8 were prepared and compared with the N3 metal dye. Density functional theory calculations were carried out to explore the ground state geometrical structures and electronic structures of the eight dyes. Under standard global AM 1.5 solar condition, the solar cells based on HB-1–8 show the overall power conversion efficiencies of 2.93–5.51%. The presented research shows that the organic dye photovoltaic performances can vary greatly depending on the type of electron donor and acceptor used. Dye HB-3 exhibited the highest efficiency among the eight investigated dyes, reaching 5.51% with a V_OC value higher than N3.

We have synthesized new metal-free dyes (HB-1–8) containing bifuran/biphenyl derivatives for dye-sensitized solar cells. Dye HB-3 exhibited the highest efficiency among the eight investigated dyes, reaching 5.51% with a V_OC value higher than N3.

Corrosion protection of carbon steel by methoxy naphthylbithiophene derivatives in acidic medium: Electrochemical, surface characterization and computational approaches.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2233861/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

The inhibition efficiency and adsorption affinity were investigated for two novel compounds, namely: 6-methoxy-2-naphthyl-[2, 2’-bithiophene]-5-carboxamidine hydrochloride salt (MA-1440) and 5'-(4-chlorophenyl)-2, 2’-bifuran-5-carboxamidine hydrochloride salt (MA-1456). The inhibition study was conducted on carbon steel surface in 1.0 M HCl with different inhibitor doses and different temperature levels, to investigate the optimum dose and preferable temperature. The performed investigation included chemical, electrochemical, instrumental, and quantum computation techniques. A chemical technique was accomplished by using weight-loss measurements. Different factors were studied using weight-loss measurements in order to reach the maximum inhibition efficiency. The adsorption study revealed that the examined inhibitors obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and are chemically adsorbed on the steel surface. The electrochemical measurements were accomplished through the electrochemical impedance (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) techniques. Based on the electrochemical measurements, the examined compounds were categorized as mixed inhibitors. The instrumental examination using different techniques namely: scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the considered inhibitors are excellently adsorbed over the carbon steel surface. The extent of the adsorption affinity of these compounds on the carbon steel surface was studied theoretically using quantum computations and Monte Carlo simulation. The theoretical investigation results of quantum chemistry were validated with those obtained by chemical and electrochemical methodologies. All investigations prove that, the tested compounds were adsorbed chemically on the steel surface and achieved maximum inhibition efficiency of, 94.69% and 90.85% for M-1440 and MA-1456, respectively, at the optimum concentration 3010-6 mol. L-1 and temperature 328 K.

New thiophene derivative augments the antitumor activity of γ-irradiation against colorectal cancer in mice via anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and the second cause of cancer-related deaths. It usually starts as an inflammation that progresses to adenocarcinoma. The goal of the present study was to investigate the antitumor efficacy of a new thiophene derivative against CRC in mice and explore the possible associated molecular pathways. The potential of this thiophene derivative to sensitize the CRC tumor tissue to a low dose of gamma irradiation was also investigated.

METHODS

Adult male mice were divided into seven groups; control, group treated with dimethylhydrazine (DMH) for the induction of CRC. The DMH-group was further divided into six groups and treated with either cisplatin, thiophene derivative, γ-irradiation, cisplatin + γ-irradiation, thiophene derivative + γ-irradiation, or left untreated.

RESULTS

DMH induced CRC as evidenced by the macroscopic examination of colon tissues and histopathology, and elevated the activities of cyclooxygenase2 (COX2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). DMH also elevated kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) and downregulated the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPARγ) as shown by RT-PCR and Western blotting. DMH exerted anti-apoptotic activity by reducing the expression of phosphorylated p53 and cleaved caspase3 at the gene and protein levels. The flow cytometry analysis showed that DMH elevated the necrosis and reduced the apoptosis compared to the other groups. The colon tissue from DMH-treated mice showed hyperplasia, aberrant crypt foci, loss of cell polarity, typical CRC of grade 4 with lymphocytes and macrophages infiltrating mucosa, muscularis mucosa, and submucosa score 3. Treatment with thiophene derivative or γ-irradiation ameliorated most of these deleterious effects of DMH. The concomitant action of thiophene derivative + γ-irradiation was typified by the better amelioration of tumor incidence and multiplicity, iNOS, PPARγ, p53, caspase 3, and histopathology of colon.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the new thiophene derivative is a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of colorectal cancer in mice. It also sensitizes the CRC tumor to the ionizing radiation through anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways.

Alleviate the Drought Stress on Triticum aestivum L. Using the Algal Extracts of Sargassum latifolium and Corallina elongate Versus the Commercial Algal Products

Herein, two seaweed extracts (Sargassum latifolium and Corallina elongate), and two commercial seaweed products (Canada power and Oligo-X) with a concentration of 5% were used to alleviate the drought stress on wheat plants. The extract of C. elongate had the highest capacity to ameliorate the deleterious effects of water scarcity followed by S. latifolium and the commercial products. The drought stress reduced wheat shoots length and the contents of pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), carbohydrates, and proteins. While the highest increment in the total carbohydrates and protein contents of the wheat shoot after two stages, 37-and 67-days-old, were noted in drought-stressed plants treated with C. elongate extract with values of (34.6% and 22.8%) and (51.9% and 39.5%), respectively, compared to unstressed plants. Decreasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, peroxidase, superoxidase dismutase, and polyphenol oxidase in drought-stressed plants treated with algal extracts indicated amelioration of the response actions. Analysis of phytohormones in wheat plants exhibited increasing GA3 and IAA contents with percentages of (20.3-13.8%) and (72.7-25%), respectively. Interestingly, all morphological and metabolic characteristics of yield were improved due to the algal treatments compared with untreated drought-stressed plants. Overall, the algal extracts, especially those from seaweed of C. elongate, could represent a sustainable candidate to overcome the damage effects of water deficiency in the wheat plant.

Theoretical Analysis of Optical Properties for Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells with Adding Anti-Reflective Coating Photonic Crystals

In the current study, we aim to limit the power dissipation in amorphous silicon solar cells by enhancing the cell absorbance at different incident angles. The current improvement is justified by adding the single-period of ternary 1D photonic crystal with texturing on the top surface, which acts as an anti-reflecting coating. The texturing shape gives the photons at least two chances to localize inside the active area of the cell. Therefore, it increases the absorbance of the cell. Moreover, we add binary one-dimensional photonic crystals with the features of a photonic band gap, which acts as a back mirror to return the photons that were transmitted inside the cell’s active region. The considered structure is demonstrated by the well-defined finite element method (FEM) by using COMSOL multiphysics.

Experimental and computational chemical studies on the corrosion inhibition of new pyrimidinone derivatives for copper in nitric acid

Inhibition of copper corrosion by some pyrimidinone derivatives, namely; (E)-N-(3-((1,3-dimethyl-2,4,6-trioxohexahydropyrimidin-5-yl)diazenyl)-2,5-diethoxyphenyl)benzamide (MA-975) and(E)-6-(4-((4-chlorophenyl)diazenyl)-3-methyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3 dimethylpyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (MA-978C) in 1.0 M nitric acid (HNO₃) was studied using weight loss (WL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PP) measurements. The efficiency of inhibition increases as the concentration of inhibitor increases, and it also increases as the temperature increases. With the addition of the examined inhibitors, significant corrosion protection was obtained, and (MA-975) showed a very promising % IE (89.59%) at 21 × 10⁻⁶ M using the (WL) method. The polarization data revealed that these compounds act as mixed-type compounds and are adsorbed on the copper surface following Langmuir adsorption isotherm forming a protective thin film protecting the metal in the corrosive media. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray were used to examine the surface morphology of copper samples. Quantum calculations and Monte Carlo simulation techniques were applied with informative yields and the results matched the experimental findings.

New fluorobenzamidine exerts antitumor activity against breast cancer in mice via pro-apoptotic activity

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidities. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of bithiophene-fluorobenzamidine (BFB) against breast cancer induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in female Swiss mice and reveal the underlining mechanisms.

METHODS

The mice were randomly divided into five groups; control, BFB-treated group, DMBA-treated group, and the last two groups received DMBA then tamoxifen or BFB.

RESULTS

BFB reduced the tumor incidence by ~ 88% versus 30% after TAM. DMBA significantly increased the expression of CDK1 and HER2 and reduced the expression of p53, p21 (CDKN1A), ESR-α, and CAS3. BFB caused significant down-regulation of CDK1 and HER2 and upregulation of p53, p21, ESR-α, and CAS3. In the DMBA-treated mice, cancerous cells metastasized to several organs. This was prevented by the administration of BFB. The antimetastatic and proapoptotic activities were confirmed in MCF7 cells in vitro by the wound healing and annexin V assays, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the BFB increased survival. In the DMBA group, tumors showed invasive carcinoma of grade III with central necrosis, polymorphism, mitotic activity, and numerous newly formed ductules, and colloidal mucinous secretions within adenoid cysts. BFB administration restored the normal structure of the mammary glands.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, BFB has antitumor, pro-apoptotic, and anti-metastatic activities against breast cancer in mice and therefore, it merits further investigations.

Synthesis of new thienylnicotinamidines: Proapoptotic profile and cell cycle arrest of HepG2 cells

Fourteen new thienylnicotinamidines and their analogs 5a-5k, 12, 13a, and 13b were prepared and their antiproliferative potential was evaluated against the growth of 60 cancer cell lines. The tested compounds had a strong antiproliferative efficacy against almost all cancer cell lines, with the average GI₅₀ at ~2.20 µM. The effect of the thienylnicotinamidines on the growth of normal lung fibroblast cells (WI-38) indicated that these derivatives are safe to the normal cells. The selectivity index (SI) ranges from 5.5- to 42.0-fold. The conceivable mechanisms of action of the effective compounds 5d, 5f, 5g, 5i, 5j, and 5k with high SI were investigated. Although the thienylnicotinamidines are similar in structure, they could be divided into three groups as per their effects on gene expression: The first group (5d and 5f) elevated p53 and caspase 3 expression, the second group (5g and 5i) elevated p53 expression, and the last group (5j and 5k) elevated p53 and reduced topoII expression. Many thienylnicotinamides inhibited the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in cell lysates at concentrations comparable to or better than pazopanib. The data of caspase 3 expression were confirmed by measuring the protein level by Western blot and the activity of the cleaved active enzyme. The ability to arrest the cell cycle and induce apoptosis was confirmed by flow cytometry. Taken together, two derivatives, 5d and 5f, with a distinctive VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity and a proapoptotic and cell cycle arrest profile merit further investigations.

5-Arylidene-1,3-dialkylbarbituric acid derivatives as efficient corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in molar hydrochloric acid solution

The inhibiting impact of two ecofriendly 5-arylidene barbituric acid derivatives (5-ABA), namely 5-(3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-1,3-dimethylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (inhibitor I, 3a) and 5-(3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-1,3-diethyl-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (inhibitor II, 3b), in 1 M HCl on the corrosion of carbon steel has been examined via the weight loss (WL) method, potentiodynamic polarization (PP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrochemical frequency modulation (EFM) tests. In addition, DFT calculations and MC simulations were used to study the relationship between the inhibitor structure and its inhibition performance. The attained outcomes exhibit that the investigated compounds are excellent inhibitors and their inhibition efficiency (%IE) increases with the increase in the concentration and temperature. The adsorption of 5-arylidene barbituric acid on the C-steel surface was found to follow the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption process of the investigated compounds is spontaneous and considered as the chemisorption type. The PP curves revealed that 5-arylidene barbituric acid derivatives are mixed-type inhibitors. Moreover, the EIS results confirmed the adsorption of 5-arylidene barbituric acid derivatives on the C-steel surface by increasing the charge transfer resistance (R _ct) values. The %IE of the inhibitors (II & I) reached 92.8% and 86.6% at a concentration of 21 × 10^-6 M, according to the WL method. The surface analysis of the C-steel surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. Finally, the experimental and theoretical results are in good agreement.

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Gamma as Potential Therapeutic Target for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients

The worldwide CML incidence expects 100,000 patients every year thus representing a substantial health burden. A year 2000 is notable year, where Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) had been introduced to the CML treatment plan. However, despite the dramatically reduce in mortality rate of CML patients due to TKIs, still over 25% of CML patients need to switch TKIs at least once during treatment timeline for many reasons. On the other hand, PTPRG behave as a tumor suppressor gene in different neoplasms and is strongly down-regulated in CML patients. We discussed briefly in series of articles the possible reasons of it is down regulation. Here, we discuss its role as potential therapeutic target in treatment plan.

Description of PTPRG genetic variants identified in a cohort of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia patients and their ability to influence response to Tyrosine kinase Inhibitors

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have remarkably transformed Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) management; however, TKI resistance remains a major clinical challenge. Mutations in BCR-ABL1 are well studied but fail to explain 20-40% of resistant cases, suggesting the activation of alternative, BCR-ABL1-independent pathways. Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Gamma (PTPRG), a tumor suppressor, was found to be well expressed in CML patients responsive to TKIs and down-regulated in resistant patients. In this study, we aimed to identify genetic variants in PTPRG that could potentially modulate TKIs response in CML patients. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples collected from two CML cohorts (Qatar and Italy) and targeted exome sequencing was performed. Among 31 CML patients, six were TKI-responders and 25 were TKI-resistant. Sequencing identified ten variants, seven were annotated and three were novel SNPs (c.1602_1603insC, c.85+86delC, and c.2289-129delA). Among them, five variants were identified in 15 resistant cases. Of these, one novel exon variant (c.1602_1603insC), c.841-29C>T (rs199917960) and c.1378-224A>G (rs2063204) were found to be significantly different between the resistant cases compared to responders. Our findings suggest that PTPRG variants may act as an indirect resistance mechanism of BCR-ABL1 to affect TKI treatment.

Novel pyrimidine-bichalcophene derivatives as corrosion inhibitors for copper in 1 M nitric acid solution

This study targets the investigation of three pyrimidine-bichalcophene derivatives (MA-1230, MA-1231, MA-1232) for the prevention of corrosion on copper in 1 M HNO₃ via weight loss (WL), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The surface morphology was also analyzed by different methods. It was found that the inhibition efficiency (% η) increased by increasing the doses of pyrimidine derivatives and the temperature of the medium. Weight loss data revealed the better adsorption of MA-1232 on the Cu surface at increased inhibitor dose, reaching a maximum efficiency of 99.14% at a dose of 21 μM at 45 °C. The best description of the adsorption of the investigated derivatives on the copper surface was given by the Langmuir isotherm. Some important thermodynamic parameters for the studied inhibitors were computed and are discussed herein. The polarization studies showed that the pyrimidine-bichalcophenes act as mixed inhibitors. Computational chemical approaches were used with informative yields, including quantum-chemical and molecular dynamics simulation techniques, which agree with the experimental results. The results obtained from all tested methods are strongly accepted.

New antiparasitic flexible triaryl diamidines, their prodrugs and aza analogues: Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biological evaluation, and molecular modelling studies

Dicationic diamidines have been well established as potent antiparasitic agents with proven activity against tropical diseases like trypanosomiasis and malaria. This work presents the synthesis of new mono and diflexible triaryl amidines (6a-c, 13a,b and 17), their aza analogues (23 and 27) and respective methoxyamidine prodrugs (5, 7, 12a,b, 22 and 26). All diamidines were assessed in vitro against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T. b. r.) and Plasmodium falciparum (P. f.) where they displayed potent to moderate activities at the nanomolar level with IC₅₀s = 11-378 nM for T. b. r. and 4-323 nM against P. f.. In vivo efficacy testing against T. b. r. STIB900 has shown the monoflexible diamidine 6c as the most potent derivative in this study eliciting 4/4 cures of infected mice for a treatment period of >60 days upon a 4 × 5 mg/kg dose i. p. treatment. Moreover, thermal melting analysis measurement ΔT_m for this series of diamidines/poly (dA-dT) complexes fell between 0.5 and 19 °C with 6c showing the highest binding to the DNA minor groove. Finally, a 50 ns molecular dynamics study of an AT-rich DNA dodecamer with compound 6c revealed a strong binding complex supported by vdW and electrostatic interactions.

Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Preterm and Early Term Births: A Population-Based Register Study

Preterm birth (PTB) and early term birth (ETB) are associated with high risks of perinatal mortality and morbidity. While extreme to very PTBs have been extensively studied, studies on infants born at later stages of pregnancy, particularly late PTBs and ETBs, are lacking. In this study, we aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and feto-maternal outcomes of PTB and ETB births in Qatar. We examined 15,865 singleton live births using 12-month retrospective registry data from the PEARL-Peristat Study. PTB and ETB incidence rates were 8.8% and 33.7%, respectively. PTB and ETB in-hospital mortality rates were 16.9% and 0.2%, respectively. Advanced maternal age, pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM), assisted pregnancies, and preterm history independently predicted both PTB and ETB, whereas chromosomal and congenital abnormalities were found to be independent predictors of PTB but not ETB. All groups of PTB and ETB were significantly associated with low birth weight (LBW), large for gestational age (LGA) births, caesarean delivery, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)/or death of neonate in labor room (LR)/operation theatre (OT). On the other hand, all or some groups of PTB were significantly associated with small for gestational age (SGA) births, Apgar < 7 at 1 and 5 min and in-hospital mortality. The findings of this study may serve as a basis for taking better clinical decisions with accurate assessment of risk factors, complications, and predictions of PTB and ETB.

Comparative Study between Exogenously Applied Plant Growth Hormones versus Metabolites of Microbial Endophytes as Plant Growth-Promoting for Phaseolus vulgaris L

Microbial endophytes organize symbiotic relationships with the host plant, and their excretions contain diverse plant beneficial matter such as phytohormones and bioactive compounds. In the present investigation, six bacterial and four fungal strains were isolated from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) root plant, identified using molecular techniques, and their growth-promoting properties were reviewed. All microbial isolates showed varying activities to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and different hydrolytic enzymes such as amylase, cellulase, protease, pectinase, and xylanase. Six bacterial endophytic isolates displayed phosphate-solubilizing capacity and ammonia production. We conducted a field experiment to evaluate the promotion activity of the metabolites of the most potent endophytic bacterial (Bacillus thuringiensis PB2 and Brevibacillus agri PB5) and fungal (Alternaria sorghi PF2 and, Penicillium commune PF3) strains in comparison to two exogenously applied hormone, IAA, and benzyl adenine (BA), on the growth and biochemical characteristics of the P. vulgaris L. Interestingly, our investigations showed that bacterial and fungal endophytic metabolites surpassed the exogenously applied hormones in increasing the plant biomass, photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrate and protein contents, antioxidant enzyme activity, endogenous hormones and yield traits. Our findings illustrate that the endophyte Brevibacillus agri (PB5) provides high potential as a stimulator for the growth and productivity of common bean plants.

Predictive value of tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma for the response to treatment tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia patients

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor gamma (PTPRG) is a member of the receptor-like family protein tyrosine phosphatases and acts as a tumor suppressor gene in different neoplasms. Recent studies reported the down-regulation of PTPRG expression levels in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia disease (CML). In addition, the BCR-ABL1 transcript level is currently a key predictive biomarker of CML response to treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs). The aim of this study was to employ flow cytometry to monitor the changes in the expression level of PTPRG in the white blood cells (WBCs) of CML patients at the time of diagnosis and following treatment with TKIs. WBCs from peripheral blood of 21 CML patients were extracted at diagnosis and during follow up along with seven healthy individuals. The PTPRG expression level was determined at protein and mRNA levels by both flow cytometry with monoclonal antibody (TPγ B9-2) and RT-qPCR, and BCR-ABL1 transcript by RT-qPCR, respectively. PTPRG expression was found to be lower in the neutrophils and monocytes of CML patients at time of diagnosis compared to healthy individuals. Treatment with TKIs nilotinib and Imatinib Mesylate restored the expression of PTPRG in the WBCs of CML patients to levels observed in healthy controls. Moreover, restoration levels were greatest in optimal responders and occurred earlier with nilotinib compared to imatinib. Our results support the measurement of PTPRG expression level in the WBCs of CML patients by flow cytometry as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment with TKIs in CML patients.

The Antitumor Activity of a Novel Fluorobenzamidine against Dimethylhydrazine- Induced Colorectal Cancer in Rats

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. The incidence of deaths is expected to be 11.4 million in 2030.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant and antitumor activities of a novel Bithiophene- Fluorobenzamidine (BFB) against DMH-induced colorectal cancer in rats.

METHODS

The antiproliferative activity of BFB against HCT-116 colon cancer cells and apoptotic genes was assessed. In vivo study was also conducted in which 80 adult male rats were divided into 5 groups; control, BFB, and the other 3 groups were injected with DMH (20mg/kg, s.c., for 9 weeks). Group 4 was injected with 5 doses of cisplatin (2.5mg/kg, i.p over 21 weeks) and group 5 was injected with 3 doses/week of BFB (2.5mg/kg, i.p, for 21 weeks).

RESULTS

BFB exhibited weak to moderate in vitro antioxidant activity. It had a strong antiproliferative activity with IC50 ~0.3µg/ml. BFB induced extrinsic apoptosis through the upregulation of FasL, TRAL, p53 and caspase-8, and intrinsic apoptosis through the downregulation of Bcl-2 and survivin. BFB decreased the tumor incidence, multiplicity and size and improved the decreased body weight. BFB also ameliorated the functions of kidney and liver and antioxidants deteriorated by DMH. BFB significantly improved the pathological changes caused by DMH in colon tissues.

CONCLUSION

BFB showed a very promising antitumor activity against colorectal cancer induced by DMH in rats without causing hepato- or nephrotoxicity.

Anticancer activity of new cationic arylthiophenes against hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cancer-related death in the world. No effective curative option exists for the treatment of HCC. The available drugs exhibit severe toxic effects and low therapeutic index.

AIM

This work aimed to examine different monocationic arylthiophene derivatives for possible use as chemotherapeutic agents against HCC.

METHODS

The IC₅₀ values for the compounds were determined. The mechanism of cytotoxicity was further investigated using different methods.

RESULTS

Compound 2j proved to retain the highest cytotoxicity in comparison to as a positive control. The selectivity index of compound 2j revealed the safety to normal cells. Moreover, compound 2j was able to inhibit HepG2 cells´ migration and division. The anticancer effect of compound 2j was found to be partially via cell cycle arrest, activation of the tumour suppressor p53 protein, and induction of apoptosis via both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Compound 2j has a potential sensitization activity and significantly reduced the IC₅₀ values for the anticancer drugs doxorubicin, cisplatin, and taxol.

CONCLUSION

The tested arylthiophenes showed a potent cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells and were safe to normal cells. The most active compound 2j was found to be able to inhibit cell division and migration and also to induce apoptosis. Compound 2j also proved to have a sensitization effect on standard anticancer drugs.

Histo-CADx: duo cascaded fusion stages for breast cancer diagnosis from histopathological images

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common types of cancer that affects females worldwide. It may lead to irreversible complications and even death due to late diagnosis and treatment. The pathological analysis is considered the gold standard for BC detection, but it is a challenging task. Automatic diagnosis of BC could reduce death rates, by creating a computer aided diagnosis (CADx) system capable of accurately identifying BC at an early stage and decreasing the time consumed by pathologists during examinations. This paper proposes a novel CADx system named Histo-CADx for the automatic diagnosis of BC. Most related studies were based on individual deep learning methods. Also, studies did not examine the influence of fusing features from multiple CNNs and handcrafted features. In addition, related studies did not investigate the best combination of fused features that influence the performance of the CADx. Therefore, Histo-CADx is based on two stages of fusion. The first fusion stage involves the investigation of the impact of fusing several deep learning (DL) techniques with handcrafted feature extraction methods using the auto-encoder DL method. This stage also examines and searches for a suitable set of fused features that could improve the performance of Histo-CADx. The second fusion stage constructs a multiple classifier system (MCS) for fusing outputs from three classifiers, to further improve the accuracy of the proposed Histo-CADx. The performance of Histo-CADx is evaluated using two public datasets; specifically, the BreakHis and the ICIAR 2018 datasets. The results from the analysis of both datasets verified that the two fusion stages of Histo-CADx successfully improved the accuracy of the CADx compared to CADx constructed with individual features. Furthermore, using the auto-encoder for the fusion process has reduced the computation cost of the system. Moreover, the results after the two fusion stages confirmed that Histo-CADx is reliable and has the capacity of classifying BC more accurately compared to other latest studies. Consequently, it can be used by pathologists to help them in the accurate diagnosis of BC. In addition, it can decrease the time and effort needed by medical experts during the examination.