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A novel series of (5-aryl-4-oxoimidazolidin-2-ylidene)cyanamides was successfully synthesized via the reaction of arylglyoxal hydrates with cyanoguanidine through benzilic rearrangement mechanism. The reaction was also optimized by changing various reaction factors for endeavor to increase the yield of the target product and reduce the by-product 1-cyano-3-(2-oxo-2-arylethylidene)guanidine formation.

Background: Fetus growing restriction (FGR) or intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is definite nowadays as the fetal failures of growing possibility and represented as one of the most discussed problems in obstetrics, which was in nonstop searching for improvements in term of definitions, classifications, diagnosing and managements. Aim and objectives; was how to assess the consequence of Sildenafil and Aspirin in Doppler indices and the neonatal outcome in cases with placental non-sufficiency and FGR? Subjects and methods; this work was a randomized clinical study performed at Samalot General Hospital from March 2020 till March 2021. Result; There is significant change among studied groups regarding RI and significant change among studied groups regarding PI of uterine artery whereas there is nonsignificant change among 2 groups regarding RI or PI middle cerebral artery. In Group-A there were 1(2.2%) with Failure of intervention. In Group-B there were 3(6.7%) with Failure of intervention. There is nonsignificant change among study groups. Conclusion: from the findings of our work, we reported that sildenafil has advantageous impacts in the treating plan of growing limited fetus rather than aspirin alone with improvement of fetus growing parameters.

The arylhydrazones were treated with ethyl iodide, ethyl chloroacetate to afford the alkyl derivatives, which cyclized to the pyrazole derivatives, also, arylhydrazones were reacted with ethyl chlo...

Plant tissue culture technology offers a solution for meeting the increasing commercial demand on economically important plants such as rice, a widespread dietary staple. However, significant genotype-specific morphogenetic responses constitute a considerable on rice regeneration in plant biotechnology contexts. Aside from genotype dependency, the components of the nutrient media including gelling agents have an important impact on regeneration efficiency. The current study explores the effect of different gelling agents on various stages of rice regeneration in two Egyptian rice cultivars-Sakha104 and Giza178. Media solidified with varying concentrations of a variety of gelling agents (agar, bacto agar, gelrite and phytagel) were tested for their impact on the frequency of callus induction, shoot regeneration and rooting. The results indicated gellan gum (gelrite and phytagel) was superior to agar products (agar and bacto agar) for callus induction. By contrast, no significant differences were found between different gelling agents for shoot regeneration. Gellan gum and media solidified with bacto agar were found to lead to significantly higher root regeneration than agar. The Sakha104 cultivar showed better responses than Giza 178 for callus induction and similar performance to the Giza 178 cultivar for root regeneration irrespective of the gelling agent. This work provides insights into the impact of different gelling agents on the morphogenetic response of two rice cultivars and can be used to help maximize the frequency of rice regeneration.

Valproic acid (VPA) is a powerful antiepileptic drug that was associated with several neurological and hepatic problems especially with increasing its dose and duration. These problems may be metabolic in origin and related to glucose homeostasis. So, the present study investigated the effect of different doses and durations of VPA on the expression of glucose transporters (Glut1 and Glut4), oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) in the liver and specific brain regions. Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into three equal groups: (1) saline group, (2) 200 mg VPA group and (3) 400 mg VPA group. By the end of experiments, the expressions of Glut1, Glut4 nuclear factor erythroid-like 2 related factor (Nrf2), IL-6 and oxidative stress markers [malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH)] in the liver, corpus striatum, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cerebellum were assessed. We found that administration of VPA (200 mg and 400 mg) caused a significant decrease in the Glut1 and Glut4 expression in different tissues in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P < 0.01). Also, VPA (200 and 400 mg) caused a significant increase in MDA with a decrease in GSH in tissues at different times. Moreover, VPA (200 and 400 mg) caused significant upregulation in IL-6 expression and downregulation in Nrf2 expression (P < 0.01). The results suggest that increasing the dose and time of VPA therapy downregulates Glut1 and Glut4 in the liver and brain which may impair glucose uptake in these tissues. This effect was associated with enhanced oxidative stress, downregulation of nrf2 and upregulation of IL-6 in liver and brain tissues.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic diseases are known to be risk factors of kidney injury. The glycoprotein Uromodulin Tamm-Horsfall protein is a biochemical marker specifically synthesized and secreted by kidney tubular epithelial cells. AIM: The study aimed to use novel biochemical parameters to predict early changes in renal functions and to use natural food supplements to help in the prevention and management of such conditions. METHODS: Crossover studies comparing two interventions trials. Subjects: Seventy obese females were included in this study. They were divided in two groups, first group (34 women) with mean age 45.82 ± 1.51 and mean body mass index (BMI) 35.65 ± 0.68 kg/m2, and second group (36 women) with mean age 49.80 ± 2.27, and mean BMI 37.67 ± 1.59. Intervention: All participants have followed a low caloric balanced regimen (1000–1200 Kcal/day) of the each groups consumed a different specific nutritional supplement composed mainly of whole grains and herbs. All patients were monitored clinically, anthropometrically, dietary 24 h recall and biochemically. RESULTS: After intervention all the recorded anthropometric parameters showed significant decreases at p ≤ 0.05–0.01. The serum uromodulin (sUMOD) increased significantly after intervention in both groups the increments were 15.56 and 9.37%. Numerically creatinine and urea decreased, while creatinine clearance increased. CONCLUSION: Data revealed the importance of using dietary therapy composed of hypocaloric diet with supplements made from whole grains and special herbs in management of obesity and its metabolic disorders. sUMOD proved to be an accurate biochemical marker that showed the kidneys’ response to the management in comparison to using usual diagnostic markers.

The study involved the synthesis of a novel adsorbent via the direct carbonylation of butane-1,4-dioic acid impregnated Alhagi root powder to its acid anhydride analogue and the subsequent esterification of the highly cellulosic plant material by the anhydride to an ester of high carboxyl content. The high carboxyl content of the synthesized adsorbent was recorded as 451.76 m.eq –COOH/100 g sample. The adsorbent was effectively characterized using Scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersion X-ray, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, as well as utilized for aqueous cobalt ion sequestration. Similarly, the effect of the process variable on the carboxyl content and adsorption capacity of ‘ATAG’ was elucidated. The Dubinin–Radushkevich model satisfactorily predicted the isotherm data. Meanwhile, the intraparticle diffusion model was best at predicting the kinetic data at adsorbate concentration of 300 and 450 mg/L, while the pseudo-first-order model emerged as the best fit at 600 mg/L concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity of 188.67 mg/g was recorded at optimum adsorption conditions (pH 6.0, 60 min, and 30 °C), and the adsorption mechanism was also proposed. The abundant surface oxygenous functional groups on ‘ATAG’ positively influenced its adsorption capacity; thus, making it a promising biosorbent for aqueous Co (II) uptake.

Identifying the immunogenic moieties and their precise structure of carbohydrates plays an important role for developing effective carbohydrate-based subunit vaccines. This study assessed the structure-immunogenicity relationship of carbohydrate moieties of a single repeating unit of group A carbohydrate (GAC) present on the cell wall of group A Streptococcus (GAS) using a rationally designed self-adjuvanted lipid-core peptide, instead of a carrier protein. Immunological evaluation of fully synthetic glyco-lipopeptides (particle size: 300-500 nm) revealed that construct consisting of higher rhamnose moieties (trirhamnosyl-lipopeptide) was able to induce enhanced immunogenic activity in mice, and GlcNAc moiety was not found to be an essential component of immunogenic GAC mimicked epitope. Trirhamnosyl-lipopeptide also showed 75-97% opsonic activity against four different clinical isolates of GAS and was comparable to a subunit peptide vaccine (J8-lipopeptide) which illustrated 65-96% opsonic activity.

The aims of this study are to improve thermal characteristics and decrease electrical consumption of air-conditioning as well as, to increase the performance (COP) of cooling cycle. CuO nanoparticles (0.003 mass fraction) have been added to compressor oil of air conditioning (1 ton capacity, split-unit) used Freon gas (R22), and then compared with pure oil compressor of air conditioning under same environmental conditions. The results showed that the increasing of density ratio, COP and viscosity ratio are 3%, 50% and 1.8% respectively while the decreasing of electrical consumption is 51.2%. The experimental data are compared with previous data in the literature to be validated. It can be recommended that the nano-oil is significant utilizing in air conditioner compressors for energy consumption applications.

New drugs aimed at novel targets are urgently needed to combat the increasing rate of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB). Here, the National Cancer Institute Developmental Therapeutic Program (NCI-DTP) chemical library was screened against a promising new target, ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI), the second enzyme in the branched chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis pathway. From this library, 6-hydroxy-2-methylthiazolo[4,5- d ]pyrimidine-5,7(4 H ,6 H )-dione (NSC116565) was identified as a potent time-dependent inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mt ) KARI with a K i of 95.4 nM. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) studies showed that this inhibitor binds to Mt KARI in the presence and absence of the co-factor, NADPH, which was confirmed by crystal structures of the compound in complex with the closely related Staphylococcus aureus ( Sa ) KARI. We have also shown that NSC116565 inhibits the growth of H37Ra and H37Rv strains of Mt with MIC 50 values of 2.93 µM and 6.06 µM, respectively. These results further validate KARI as a TB drug target and show that NSC116565 is a promising lead for anti-TB drug development.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are reported as two major frequent and chief complaints among peri-menopausal women in several societies. AIM: The objective of the study was to study the effect of using two dietary supplements to beat depression and anxiety associated with menopause. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six volunteers’ menopausal women participated on the study for 8 weeks, 35 subjects consumed daily cookies prepared mainly from soya flour and flaxseed, and 31 females consumed daily a blend composed mainly of raw unroasted peanut and raw sesame. Follow-up was performed with menopause rating scale, anxiety score, depression score, and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Soya cookies were rich in plant-based protein and total phenols while blend was a good source of unsaturated fatty acid. Blend consumers showed significant percentage reduction in beck anxiety score and beck depression score after intervention, more than cookies consumers group. The anthropometrics parameters were statistical significant changed on both groups, more on the group who consumed the soya cookies. Soya cookies demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, while blend had an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as was shown on the serum assay of interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde as an inflammatory marker and an antioxidant marker, respectively. CONCLUSION: From the results, it can be concluded that the supplementation of products enriched with unsaturated fatty acid was more beneficial to slow down the psychological menopause symptoms than natural estrogen rich product consumption.

The present study was conducted to investigate the protective effect of Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) on the behavioral, biochemical alterations, and oxidative stress biomarkers of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus exposed to (1.43µg/L) Bisphenol-A (BPA) for 30 days. Fish were allocated to five groups as follows: group I was the control, group II was treated with Chitosan nanoparticles (0.66ml/L) , group III was treated with BPA (1.43µg/L), group IV was treated with BPA (1.43µg/L) plus CSNPs (0.33ml/L), group V was treated with BPA (1.43µg/L) plus CSNPs (0.66ml/L). At the end of the experiment, biochemical and oxidative stress biomarkers were analyzed in the blood and kidney tissues. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total proteins, albumin, globulin, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) showed a significant decrease in group III when exposed to BPA compared to (group I). Meanwhile, Cortisol, Glucose, Urea, Creatinine, Uric acid, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased in catfish exposed to (1.43µg/L) BPA compared to the control fish. Marked increments in renal Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and significant reductions in the activity of renal Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) , total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and Catalase (CAT) were detected in BPA- exposed fish (group III) compared to the control group (group I) and CNPs (0.66ml/L.) (group II). However, administration of fish with the two tested doses (0.33 and0.66ml/L) of CSNPs attenuated the BPA- induced biochemical changes oxidative stress in catfish. Such improvement was more obvious in catfish that received the higher dose (0.66ml/L) of CSNPs, whereas the tested parameters were restored to the control group in comparison to catfish exposed to BPA alone (group III) after 30 days of exposure. The obtained results induced that CSNPs administration ameliorated the toxic effects of BPA on African catfish.

Capparis spinosa is one of the oldest genera grown in Iraqi land with worldwide traditional medicinal uses beside the culinary uses. These uses were own to the presence of many phytochemical including flavonoids, polyphenols. Among the reported polyphenolic acids are caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids with well-known powerful antioxidant properties. The present work aimed to identify the presence of these polyphenolic acids in Iraqi caper naturally gown in the rural area of middle Iraq following standard chromatographic procedures. Aerial parts of the plant (buds, berries and leaves) were extracted with hydroalcoholic solvent by maceration method. Thin layer chromatographic techniques and HPLC analysis were performed to identify the presence of polyphenolic acids in ethyl acetate fraction of the hydroalcoholic extracts. The result obtained in this work revealed the presence of these phenolic acids in investigated extracts. Chromatographic analysis confirms the presence of considerable amounts of these acids in ethyl acetate fraction when the separated spots were compared with Rf values and UV spectra of standards. Such data give a promising use of aerial parts of Iraqi caper for globally reported medicinal uses.

Background Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a unique form of caries that develops in temporary dentition. It has a multifactorial infectious disease. Saliva is one of the most important factors, which has an important protective effect against tooth decay when its multiple characteristics and functions are normal. The study aimed to compare some salivary characteristics in children with ECC and children without ECC. Materials and methods Case-control, cross-sectional observational study. The 77 pre-schoolers aged 37 to 72 months (12 with ECC, 26 with ECC-S, and 39 without ECC) examined and we collected the stimulated saliva. The pH microelectrode was used to determine pH and buffer capacity; a formula that involves volume, collection time, and specific saliva weight was used to test the salivary flow rate. The potentiometric and phosphate methods were used to determine fluoride through spectrophotometric, colorimetric absorption techniques. Results The results got to show that there are no statistically significant differences in pH, buffer capacity, salivary flow rate, and levels of fluoride and phosphate, in children with ECC, ECC-S, and without ECC. The risk factors, such as mother's education, bottle use, brushing frequency, and previous dental care of the child are more important at the time of developing ECC than some salivary variables. Conclusion The risk factors, such as mother's education, bottle use, brushing frequency, and previous dental care of the child are more important at the time of developing ECC than some salivary variables such as pH, buffer capacity, salivary flow rate, and levels of fluoride and phosphate.

Background and Aims: In the current work, we studied the effects of exercise and stevia rebaudiana (R) extracts on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) in type 2 diabetic rats and their possible underlying mechanisms. Methods: : Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into 4 equal groups; a) normal control group, b) DM group, type 2 diabetic rats received 2 ml oral saline daily for 4 weeks, c) DM+ Exercise, type 2 diabetic rats were treated with exercise for 4 weeks and d) DM+ stevia R extracts: type 2 diabetic rats received methanolic stevia R extracts. By the end of the experiment, serum blood glucose, HOMA-IR, insulin and cardiac enzymes (LDH, CK-MB), cardiac histopathology, oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH and CAT), myocardial fibrosis by Masson trichrome, the expression of p53, caspase-3, α-SMA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) by immunostaining in myocardial tissues were measured. Results: T2DM caused a significant increase in blood glucose, HOMA-IR index, serum CK-MB and LDH, myocardial damage and fibrosis, myocardial MDA, myocardial α-SMA, p53, caspase-3, Nrf2 and TH density with a significant decrease in serum insulin and myocardial GSH and CAT (p< 0.05). On the other hand, treatment with either exercise or stevia R extracts significantly improved all studied parameters (p< 0.05). Moreover, the effects of stevia R was more significant than exercise (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Both exercise and methanolic stevia R extracts showed cardioprotective effects against DCM and Stevia R offered more cardioprotective than exercise. This cardioprotective effect of these lines of treatment might be due to attenuation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, sympathetic nerve density and fibrosis and upregulation of the antioxidant transcription factor, Nrf2.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and GAS-related infections are a worldwide challenge, with no commercial GAS vaccine available. Polyethylenimine (PEI) attaches to the cells’ surface and delivers cargo into endosomal and cytosolic compartments. We hypothesized that this will confer mucosal adjuvant properties for peptide antigens against group A Streptococcus (GAS). In this study, we successfully demonstrated the development of PEI incorporated liposomes for the delivery of a lipopeptide-based vaccine (LCP-1) against GAS. Outbred mice were administrated with the vaccine formulations intranasally, and immunological investigation showed that the PEI liposomes elicited significant mucosal and systemic immunity with the production of IgA and IgG antibodies. Antibodies were shown to effectively opsonize multiple isolates of clinically isolated GAS. This proof-of-concept study showed the capability for PEI liposomes to act as a safe vehicle for the delivery of GAS peptide antigens to elicit immune responses against GAS infection, making PEI a promising addition to liposomal mucosal vaccines.

We synthesized a new organosiloxane bridge on the basis of an isocyanurate derivative through a simple melt-fusion approach by the reaction of 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (IPTES) with 1,3,5-t...

This investigation was carried out during 2018 and 2019 growing seasons on 12- year- old Le Conte pear trees (Pyrus communis L.X Pyrus pyrifolia N.) budded on Pyrus betulaefolia rootstock, planted at 5 × 5 meters apart in sandy soil under drip irrigation system. These study included effected of foliar spray with Mo at 1% and 3%, Fe 1000ppm at and 3000ppm on some Vegetative measurements and Nutritional status. The results showed that, foliar spray with the Mo at 3% and Fe at 1000ppm was the best in some vegetative growth measuremant i.e.(trunk diameter, shoot length, shoot diameter, no.of leaves per shoot and leaf area) and Nutrtional status i.e.(photosynthetic pigment, N, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ca and Mg). foliar spray with Mo at 3% and Fe at 3000ppm came in the second rank in this respect. Besides, foliar spray with each individual Fe at 3000ppm lonely without Mo, as well as foliar spray with Fe at 1000ppm and Mo at 3% alone were less effective in increasing these properties and subsequently arranged in the third rank in this respect. On the other hand, the untreated trees with any of the investigated treatments was the inferior one in this respect as it recorded the least value of these parameters, followed in ascending order by spraying with Mo at 1% during both seasons of study.

In this study, The crude extraction of Isatis spp. (I.tinctoria, I.busichaina and I. lusitanica) were investigated for their antifungal activity. Each of methanol, ethanol, and H2O was used as a solvent. Due to find the most effective part of each species, the plant parts were used separately. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of the natural product on two common pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger & Candida albicans. The results show that most of the used plants have a significant effect on both used fungal species. Extracted each of flower, I. tinctoria was shown the best results comparing to the other used species. Extracted leaf and flower of I. tinctoria by methanol was show the best result on Aspergillus niger & Candida albicans. The growth zone was around 90mm for control and 61mm at 75% concentration of methanolic and ethanolic extraction. The flower was for followed by the stem. Depend on the results, the methanol was shown the highest number, then ethanol and the lowest inhibition zone area was for H2O extraction.

The aim of the present study was to prepare and characterize nanocomposite films to improve the treatment of skin wounds by applying the film as a bandage. To modify chitosan (Cs) and to prepare nanocomposites, a mixture between titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) was performed at different concentrations (2, 5, 10 and 15 wt%) and oleic acid (OA). The thin nanocomposite films were prepared by using casting method. The prepared films (Cs, Cs/TiO2 NPs, Cs/OA and Cs/OA/TiO2 NPs) were described by water absorption (swelling study) and biological degradation. Physico-chemical characterizations of Cs, Cs/OA, Cs/TiO2 NPs and Cs/OA/TiO2 NPs (with only 15 wt% TiO2 NPs) films were determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission high-resolution electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as their mechanical properties. Antimicrobial activity against microorganisms has been studied to assess activity against bacteria. The prepared nanocomposite films showed good antimicrobial activity for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The therapeutic effects of Cs-TiO2 NPs-oleic acid nanocomposites on healing excision wounds were studied in rat animal model. The data obtained revealed that groups treated with nanocomposites showed enhancement wound closure and speed up wound healing time.

Nowadays, the growth of drug-resistant microbial strains (MDRs) is a serious public health threat worldwide. Moreover, tens of millions of people are annually diagnosed with cancer worldwide, and more than half of patients ultimately die. In the present study, a new series of 2-(4-substituted-thiazol-2-ylamino)acetamides and N-(4-substituted-thiazol-2-yl)acetamides incorporating sulfonamide moieties were designed, synthesized, well-characterized and successfully evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant strains and screened for cytotoxic activity against normal lung fibroblast (WI-38), human lung carcinoma (A549), and human breast carcinoma (MDA-MB-231) cell lines. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and molecular modeling study were performed to identify the mode of action of the novel synthesized compounds and their binding interactions with the active sites of dihydrofolate reductase enzyme (DHFR).

In this study, a new series of (4-(2,7-dichloro-9H-fluoren-4-yl)thiazol-yl)acetamide derivatives was synthesized, and the new heterocycles were completely characterized, evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, and screened for cytotoxic activity against human lung carcinoma (A-549) and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. A molecular docking study was undertaken to identify the possible mode of action of the synthesized compounds, which suggested binding interactions with the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) active sites. Most of the synthesized compounds displayed meaningful activity against A-549 and MCF-7 cell lines when compared to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which was used as a reference drug. Furthermore, some of the prepared compounds exhibited potent antibacterial and antifungal activities. The highly pronounced biological activities of the compounds under investigation offer such species as promising future drug prospects which may find applications in the fields of biological and medicinal sciences.

A kinetic study of the nucleophilic addition reactions of 3-cyanomethylidene-2-oxindoline derivatives with cyclic amines (namely: piperidine, morpholine and pyrrolidine) in MeCN solution at 20 °C is reported. The second-order rate constants showed of this process fit nicely the Brönsted equation log k1 = βnuc pKa + C, allowing the determination of the βnuc parameter in the range of 0.63

Chitosan has acylated with l-arginine in the presence of H2SO4 as a catalyst to the aim of increasing the adsorption efficiency. Chitosan (CS) and chitosan-O-arginine (CS-Arg) were characterized and investigated by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results obtained from elemental analysis exhibited presence of sulfur content, indicate that sulfuric acid still a crosslinker between CS-Arg chains, also the degree of substitution (DS) of l arginine in CS backbone was 1.83, indicate the acylation process has took place in both C3-OH and C6-OH of CS. XRD results exhibited that CS-Arg is more crystalline than CS, due to the formation of intra and inter molecular hydrogen bonds between amino and hydroxyl groups. The removal of heavy metals (Mn2+, Pb2+and Al3+) and total organic carbon (TOC) from wastewater by CS and CS-Arg in batch mode has been studied at different adsorbent dosages, temperatures and contact times. The maximum removal efficiency for three metal ions using CS achieved 99.6%, 99.1% and 98.9%, respectively, while by using CS-Arg were 97.1%, 94.3% and 99%. However, the maximum adsorption capacity of TOC by CS achieved 50 mg/g and 40.35 mg/g by CS-Arg. The total maximum adsorption capacity of CS-Arg is lower than CS. Keywords: Arginine, Chitosan, Heavy metals, Total organic carbon

This work deals with the deposited cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots thin films on transparent conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates prepared by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction technique (SILAR). QD deposition based on SILAR is easy, cheap and effective method which improves the surface quality and performance of QD-based devices. The effect of the number of cycles of SILAR on the morphology and size of the quantum dots has been investigated. SILAR technique was adopted for the deposition of CdS on anatase TiO2 and the three main factors contributing to the performance of QDs processed by SILAR, namely the number of cycles used, the concentration of the precursor solution, and the reaction dipping time, are discussed. The structural, morphological and optical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Raman spectra analysis and UV-Vis NIR analysis, respectively. The particle size of CdS was calculated from XRD pattern using Debye Scherrer’s equation and the calculated particle size was 4.5-9.5 nm. Using CdSQDs, quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSC) were fabricated on FTO substrates as being a transparent conductive oxide. Optical absorption property proved that the band gap energy value was about 2.44 eV. The result delivered from J-V curve revealed that the overall energy conversion efficiency increased with increasing the deposition cycles giving the best efficiency of 2.73 % at 7 cycles.

A multistep synthesis of novel pyrene-based thiazole moiety been has been realized following some synthetic challenges and complications. The chemical structure of the synthesized compound has been established on the basis of both spectroscopic and analytical tools. Its nucleophilic reactivity with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF) has been successfully studied in solution. A kinetic study of the covalent electrophile/nucleophile combination of dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF, electrophile) and 4-(pyren-1-yl)thiazol-2-amine (nucleophile) resulting in the formation of the corresponding σ-adduct in solution is reported. The rate constant (k1) of the second-order relating to the CC bond forming step of this complexation process has been found to fit into the linear correlation log k = sN (N + E), thereby permitting the evaluation of the nucleophilicity parameter (N) of the 4-(pyren-1-yl)thiazol-2-amine. 4-(Pyren-1-yl)thiazol-2-amine has been subsequently ranked according to its reactivity profile on the general nucleophilicity scale developed recently by Mayr et al., leading to an interesting and direct comparison over a large domain of π-, σ-, and n-nucleophiles. Keywords: Pyrene-based heterocycles, Nucleophilicity parameters, Dinitrobenzofuroxan, Kinetic study

The study deals with the uranium removal from a raffinate solution (nitric acid waste solution from the production of uranium yellowcake) using an extractant-impregnated material. A polyamide sheet (Nylon 6,6) was impregnated with trioctylphosphine oxide and tested for uranium removal. The factors affecting the impregnation process, namely, extractant concentration, impregnation time, volume/mass ratio, impregnation temperature, and diluent type were studied. The effect of the initial uranium concentration, adsorption temperature, contact time, and pH on the uranium adsorption on the prepared sheet was also studied. The uranium adsorption behavior was described using adsorption isotherms.

Precise control over the morphology of nanomaterials is critical yet challenging. The present work reports an efficient approach to tailor the architecture of nanostructures. The process involves rapid disassembly/reassembly of an unstable metal-based coordination polymer (MCP) by controlling the kinetics of the reassembly process. The synthesis procedure delivers unprecedented polycrystalline nanostructures, e.g., holey 2D CeO2−x nanosheets, with precisely tailored thicknesses in the range of 10–100 nm, and hollow 3D pseudo-octahedra and spheres. The consequent high surface areas and pore volumes, short diffusion distances, and high defect densities of the holey 2D CeO2−x indicate significant densities of active sites. This holey architecture exhibits rapid CO conversion and outstanding solar light photocatalytic performance. This approach of directed assembly offers a template-free, controllable, and cost-effective approach to achieve engineered CeO2−x architectures, which are nearly impossible through existing approaches.

Curcumin is a natural antioxidant isolated from Curcuma longa that proved to protect against experimentally induced epilepsy in animals. In the current work, we aimed to explore the possible molecu...

By changing the mole fraction of water (χwater) in the solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), we report a simple procedure to control nanostructure morphology during electrodeposition. We focus on the electrodeposition of palladium (Pd) on electron beam transparent boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. Three solutions are employed, MeCN rich (90% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.246), equal volumes (50% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.743) and water rich (10% v/v MeCN, χwater = 0.963), with electrodeposition carried out under a constant, and high overpotential (−1.0 V), for fixed time periods (50, 150 and 300 s). Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveals that in MeCN rich solution, Pd atoms, amorphous atom clusters and (majority) nanoparticles (NPs) result. As water content is increased, NPs are again evident but also elongated and defected nanostructures which grow in prominence with time. In the water rich environment, NPs and branched, concave and star-like Pd nanostructures are now seen, which with time translate to aggregated porous structures and ultimately dendrites. We attribute these observations to the role MeCN adsorption on Pd surfaces plays in retarding metal nucleation and growth.

The significance of the spin-orbit interaction is very well known in compounds containing heavier elements such as the rare-earth Eu ion. Here, through density functional calculations, we investigated the effect of the spin-orbit interaction on the magnetic ground state of Eu doped magnetite ($\mathrm{Fe_3O_4:Eu_{Fe}}$). By examining all possible spin alignments between Eu and magnetite's Fe, we demonstrate that Eu, which is most stable when doped at the tetrahedral site, adapts a spin almost opposite the substituted Fe. Consequently, because of smaller spin cancellation between the cations on the tetrahedral site ($\mathrm{Fe_{Tet}}$ and $\mathrm{Eu_{Tet}}$) and the cations on the octahedral sites ($\mathrm{Fe_{Oct}}$), $\mathrm{Fe_3O_4:Eu_{Fe}}$ exhibits a maximum saturation magnetisation of 9.451 $\mu_B/$f.u. which is significantly larger than that of undoped magnetite (calculated to be 3.929 $\mu_B/$f.u.). We further show that this large magnetisation persists through additional electron doping. However, additional hole doping, which may unintentionally occur in Fe deficient magnetite, can reduce the magnetisation to values smaller than that of the undoped magnetite. The results presented here can aid in designing highly efficient magnetically recoverable catalysts for which both magnetite and rare earth dopants are common materials., Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables

The arylhydrazones 3a, b were prepared and reacted with various reagents to yield the target compounds pyrazoles 6a–f, 1,6-dihydropyridazine-3-carboxamide derivatives 9a,b and thieno[3,4-d]pyridazi...

Sourcing our ever-increasing demand for energy to power our high-paced and energy-thirsty industries poses a never-ending challenge. Therefore, many academic, industrial, and government entities pu...

MANY agronomic practices must be need modified to maximize quantity and quality of sugarbeet crop. Two field experiments were sconducted at Belkas town, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, near Dakahlia Sugar Company, during two successive winter seasons 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. A comparative study was conducted to assess the performance and stability of four multigerm sugar beet varieties (Beeta vulgaris L.), i.e. Dema-Poly, Pleno, Glloria and Ras-Poly in relation to three sowing dates, i.e. 1st September, 1st October and 1st November as well as their interaction to select the superior varieties in respect to highest yield and quality with suitable both early and late swing dates. A split-plot design with four replications was used. Results of study revealed that different sowing dates have significant effect on all beet characters. Sowing sugar beet plants at 1st October was significantly associated with the highest yields of root and sugar as well as quality traits in terms of sucrose (S%), purity % and recoverable sugar (R S%). On the other hand, leaf area index (LAI) and top yield ton/fed (fed= 4200m2) significantly decreased with delayed sowing dates. Sowing sugar beet plants at 1st September associated with maximum total soluble solids (T.S.S%) and impurities content, i.e. Na %, K %, α-amino N % as well as sucrose loss to molasses (SLM %) compared with late sowing date. Also, results clearly showed that the variances due to sugar beet varieties were significantly in all studied traits. Ras-Poly variety recorded the highest values of root dimension (cm), root fresh weight (gm/plant), root yield (RY) ton/fed, white sugar yield (WSY) ton/fed, sucrose %, purity % and recoverable sugar (RS%) followed by Dema-poly and Glloria in a descending order in both seasons. While, Glloria variety produced the maximum LAI and top yield (TY) ton/fed. The highest values of impurities content, i.e. Na %, K %, and α-amino-N %, as well as sucrose loss to molasses (SLM%) were recorded with planting Pleno variety on 1st September. Generally, sowing Ras-poly variety at the optimum date on 1st October produced the highest root, white sugar yields and lowest impurities content followed by Dema-poly and Glloria. While, the highest values of LAI and top yield ton/fed were obtained when Glloria variety planted on early date followed by Pleno variety under studied environmental conditions.

Ever since the first characterization of peroxisomes, a central theme has been their involvement in cellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) metabolism. While the reputation of H2O2 drastically changed from an exclusively toxic molecule to a signaling messenger, the regulatory role of peroxisomes in these signaling events is still largely underappreciated. This is mainly because the number of known protein targets of peroxisome-derived H2O2 is rather limited and testing of specific targets is predominantly based on knowledge previously gathered in related fields of research. To gain a broader and more systematic insight into the role of peroxisomes in redox signaling, an unbiased approach is urgently needed. To accomplish this goal, we have combined a previously developed cell system in which peroxisomal H2O2 production can be modulated with a yeast AP-1-like-based sulfenome mining strategy to inventory protein thiol targets of peroxisome-derived H2O2 in different subcellular compartments. Using this unbiased approach, we were able to identify specific and common targets of peroxisome-derived and exogenous H2O2 in peroxisomes, the cytosol, and mitochondria. We also observed that the sulfenylation kinetics profiles of key targets belonging to different protein families can vary considerably. In addition, we obtained compelling but indirect evidence that peroxisome-derived H2O2 may oxidize at least some of its targets through a redox relay mechanism. In conclusion, given that sulfenic acids function as key intermediates in H2O2 signaling, the findings presented in this study provide initial but critical insight into how peroxisomes may be integrated in the cellular H2O2 signaling network.HighlightsYAP1C-trapping is a robust tool to assess the peroxisomal H2O2-dependent sulfenomeExogenous and peroxisome-derived H2O2 have both common and distinct targetsANXA2, PRDX1, and SKP1 are major targets of peroxisome-derived H2O2The sulfenylation kinetics profiles of key redox-active proteins vary considerablyProduction of H2O2 inside peroxisomes directly impacts the mitochondrial sulfenome

Hemicellulose degrading enzymes play an important role in bioconversion of agro and agro-industrial wastes. In this study, production of hemicellulase by six fungal isolates was determined under submerged culture using corn cobs xylan as a carbon source and enzyme inducer at different incubation periods. The results indicated that Alternariatenuisshowed the lowest enzyme productivity (156.95 ± 2.07U/l)while the highest enzyme production (2,594.44 ± 62.25U/l) was found by Fusariummoniliforme. One-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) revealed maximum enzyme productivity of 10,950.11 ± 98.45 U/l at; corn cobs xylan (6g/l), yeast extract (4g/l), inorganic salts (MgSO4, KH2PO4, CaCl2, FeSO4, and MnSO4), initial pH (5), initial inoculum size (4%), 150 rpm and temperature (30 ).

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity limits its wide application as a chemotherapeutic drug. Betaine is a natural trimethylglycine compound involved in several biological reactions. In this study, the protective effect of betaine against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity through modulating the expression of microRNA 34a (miRNA 34a), p53, apoptosis, and inflammation was investigated. Adult Wistar rats were divided into normal group (received vehicle); betaine group (received 250 mg betaine/kg BW/day via oral gavage from Day 1 to Day 25); cisplatin group (received a single intraperitoneal dose of cisplatin at 5 mg/kg BW on Day 21) and betaine + cisplatin group (received the same doses of betaine and cisplatin). The results demonstrated that the cisplatin group exhibited severe kidney tissue damage and an increase in blood creatinine and urea levels. Furthermore, the cisplatin group showed a significant upregulation of miRNA 34a and higher levels of phospho-p53, caspase 3, cytochrome c, NFk B, and IL-1β compared to the normal group. Remarkably, the betaine + cisplatin group showed significantly decreased blood creatinine and urea concentrations, decreased levels of miRNA 34a, phospho-p53, caspase 3, cytochrome c, NFk B, and IL-1β as well as improved kidney tissue integrity compared to the cisplatin group. In conclusion, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats was associated with upregulation of miRNA 34a expression, apoptosis, and inflammation in p53-dependent manner. These effects were reversed by betaine administration that ultimately improved the kidney function and tissue integrity.

Metallohydrolases form a large group of enzymes that have fundamental importance in a broad range of biological functions. Among them, the purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) have gained attention due to their crucial role in the acquisition and use of phosphate by plants and also as a promising target for novel treatments of bone-related disorders and cancer. To date, no crystal structure of a mammalian PAP with drug-like molecules bound near the active site is available. Herein, we used a fragment-based design approach using structures of a mammalian PAP in complex with the Maybridge fragment CC063346, the amino acid L-glutamine and the buffer molecule HEPES, as well as various solvent molecules to guide the design of highly potent and efficient mammalian PAP inhibitors. These inhibitors have improved aqueous solubility when compared to the clinically most promising PAP inhibitors available to date. Furthermore, drug-like fragments bound in newly discovered binding sites mapped out additional scaffolds for further inhibitor discovery, as well as scaffolds for the design of inhibitors with novel modes of action.

Background: Diabetic management during Ramadan fasting is a significant clinical challenge. Sodium glucose co-transporter -2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are new class of antidiabetic medications known for low frequency of associated hypoglycemia. The present study aimed to evaluate efficacy, safety and tolerability of SGLT2i in diabetic patients practicing Ramadan fasting. Patients and methods: The study included 94 patients. They comprised 51 patients who received metformin and sulfonylureas (SU): glimepiride (1-6 mg/d) or gliclazide MR (60-120mg/d) and 43 patients who received metformin and SGLT2i: empagliflozin (25 mg), dapagliflozin (10 mg) or canagliflozin (300 mg). The study outcome parameters were frequency of hypoglycemia episodes, volume depletion episodes, number of days with early breaking of fasting and missed fasting days. Results: It was found that patients in SGLTi group experiences significantly fewer symptomatic (9.3 % versus 35.3 %, p=0.003) and documented (7.0 % versus 25.5 %, p=0.017) hypoglycemic episodes as compared to the SU group. However, there were no significant differences between the studied groups regarding the frequency of patients with volume depletion episodes (5.9 % versus 16.3 %, p= 0.1). Moreover, there were no significant differences between groups regarding the frequency of patients with early breaking of fasting (11.8 % versus 9.3 %, p=0.7) or missed fasting (3.9 % versus 2.3 %, p=0.66). None of the studied patients discontinued the prescribed medications. Conclusions: SGLT2i combined with metformin for diabetic patients during Ramadan fasting are effective, safe and well-tolerated with the advantage of reduced hypoglycemic events.

A new series of quinoline derivatives 5–12 were efficiently synthesized via one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) of resorcinol, aromatic aldehydes, β-ketoesters, and aliphatic/aromatic amines under solvent-free conditions. All products were obtained in excellent yields, pure at low-cost processing, and short time. The structures of all compounds were characterized by means of spectral and elemental analyses. In addition, all the synthesized compounds 5–12 were in vitro screened for their antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Moreover, in silico molecular docking studies of the new quinoline derivatives with the target enzymes, human NAD (P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) and DNA gyrase, were achieved to endorse their binding affinities and to understand ligand–enzyme possible intermolecular interactions. Compound 9 displayed promising antioxidant and antibacterial activity, as well as it was found to have the highest negative binding energy of -9.1 and -9.3 kcal/mol for human NAD (P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) and DNA gyrase, respectively. Further, it complied with the Lipinski’s rule of five, Veber, and Ghose. Therefore, the quinoline analogue 9 could be promising chemical scaffold for the development of future drug candidates as antioxidant and antibacterial agents.

BACKGROUND The present work was designed to study the effects of methanolic stevia extracts and aerobic exercise and combination of both on renal I/R injury in male rats. METHODS 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subdivided into five equal groups as sham, control, exercise, stevia, and stevia plus exercise group. After 5 weeks of exercise and stevia, animals were exposed to 45 min of left renal ischemia and right nephrectomy followed by reperfusion. Serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, fractional Na excretion (FENa+), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) levels in kidney tissues were measured. Also, renal histopathology and the expression of caspase-3 by immunohistochemical examination were done. RESULTS The results showed that stevia, exercise or combination of stevia and exercise caused a significant decrease in serum level of creatinine (p < 0.001) and FENa+ (p < 0.001) and an increase in creatinine clearance (p < 0.001). Moreover, this caused a significant decrease in (MDA; p < 0.046) and an increase in GSH (p < 0.01) and CAT (p < 0.01), as well as causing a significant decrease in caspase 3 expression compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Pretreatment with either stevia or exercise of combination of both seem to have protective effects on renal I/R injury. However, the protective effect of exercise against renal I/R injury seems to be less than stevia. These effects might be due to attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis in kidney tissues.

There is growing evidence that lipids play a fundamental role in neuronal plasticity and learning and memory. Effects of nutrition on brain lipid composition and neuronal functioning are known, but the feeding interventions are often severe and may not reflect nutritional effects below clinical relevance. Therefore, we tested two commercially available rat feeding diets with only moderate differences in the food compositions, a standard diet (gross energy metabolizable 12.8 MJ/kg) and a energy reduced diet (gross energy metabolizable 8.9 MJ/kg) on possible effects upon dentate gyrus lipid composition, spatial learning and memory in a water maze and corticosterone release (blood serum concentrations) in adult male rats. Rats were fed with the standard diet up to an age of 8 weeks. One group was further fed with the standard and another with the energy reduced diet until an age of 5 months. We did not found differences in serum corticosterone levels. We found group differences in a variety of lipids in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.. Most of the lipid levels were lower in energy reduced diets, namely glycerophosphoethanolamines, sphingomyelins and hexosyceramides, whereas some ceramides (Cer18:0 and Cer24:1) and glycerophosphocholines (PC34:3 and PC36:2) were upregulated compared to the standard diet group. The performance in a common reference memory water maze task was not different between groups, however during reversal learning (platform in a different position) after the initial training, the standard diet fed rats learned better and spatial memory was improved compared to the energy reduced diet group. Thus, moderate differences in feeding diets have effects specifically upon spatial cognitive flexibility. Possible relations between differences in lipid composition and cognitive flexibility are discussed.

A novel series of 5,7-diamino-4-aryl-6-cyano-2-cyanoimino-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines (aryl-CIDHPPMs) 3a–i was prepared via the one-pot four-component reaction of cyanoguanidine with ar...

Phosphomolybdic (PMo) and vanadium-containing phosphomolybdic (PV2Mo) acids were synthesized and supported on HZSM-5 zeolite via a wet impregnation technique and used as photocatalysts for the purification of terephthalic acid (TA) via an economic process. Nowadays, purified TA can be obtained from crude TA due to their great commercial importance by separating 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA), which represents high environmental toxicity and negatively affects the applications of TA. For these reasons, conversion of 4-CBA to TA is highly desirable for both enhancing the efficiency of purified TA production and environmental reasons. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, BET, SEM, and TEM. The purification process was carried out by under different parameters as VUV irradiation, persulfate (PS), time, and different types of catalysts (PMo or PV2Mo)/HZSM-5. This kind of combination showed complete removal of the 4-CBA with a high yield of PTA in 2 h. The high efficiency attributed to the acidity of the polyoxometalates/HZSM-5, which increase the selectivity to oxidize 4-CBA at room temperature and much shorter reaction time compared to other common methods.

Nowadays, medicinal plants have been widely used everywhere to provide essential care for many disorders including diabetes. Recent reports assumed that the antidiabetic activities of pomegranate aril juice (PAJ) may be ascribed to its punicalagin (PCG). Therefore, the present study evaluated and compared the antidiabetic activities of PAJ and its PCG, and monitored some mechanisms of their actions in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) type 2 diabetic rats. STZ-NA diabetic rats were given, orally/daily, PAJ (100 or 300 mg/kg body weight, containing 2.6 and 7.8 mg of PCG/kg body weight, respectively), pure PCG (2.6 or 7.8 mg/kg body weight), or distilled water (vehicle) for 6 weeks. PAJ (especially at the high dose) alleviated significantly (P

Background & Objective: This study investigated the effects of ferulic acid (FR), muscle exercise (Ex) and combination of them on rotenone (Rot)-induced Parkinson disease (PD) in mice as well as their underlying mechanisms. Method: 56 male C57BL/6 mice were allocated into 8 equal groups, 1) Normal control (CTL), 2) FR (mice received FR at 20 mg/kg/day), 3) Ex (mice received swimming Ex) and 4) Ex + FR (mice received FR and Ex), 5) Rot (mice received Rot 3 mg/Kg i.p. for 70 days), 6) ROT+ FR (mice received Rot + FR at 20 mg/kg/day), 7) ROT+ Ex (mice received Rot + swimming Ex) and 8) ROT+ Ex + FR (mice received Rot + FR and Ex). ROT group showed significant impairment in motor performance and significant reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) density and Hsp70 expression (p< 0.05) with Lewy bodies (alpha synuclein) aggregates in corpus striatum. Also, ROT+FR, ROT+EX and ROT + Ex+ FR groups showed significant improvement in behavioral and biochemical changes, however the effect of FR alone was more potent than Ex alone (p< 0.05) and addition of Ex to FR caused no more significant improvement than FR alone. Conclusion: We concluded that, FR and Ex improved the motor performance in rotenone-induced PD rodent model which might be due to increased Hsp70 expression and TH density in corpus striatum and combination of both did not offer more protection than FR alone.

A zwitterionic amino acid-like N-propyliminodiacetic acid (PIDA) organocatalyst supported to a heterogeneous surface (SBA-15/PIDA) based on iminodiacetic acid and mesoporous SBA-15, respectively was synthesized. The mesoporous hybrid catalyst was successfully characterized by SEM, TEM, TGA, FTIR, and EDS and employed in the three-component reaction of dimedone, aldehydes and phtalhydrazide for the synthesis of indazolophtalazinetrione. SBA-15/PIDA exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reaction and showed highly recyclable and recoverable features in consecutive reaction runs. According to ab initio calculations, the recoverability of SBA-15/PIDA catalyst is attributed to the strong covalent bonding between PIDA and SBA-15.

Colon cancer is a complex disease that involves numerous genetic alterations that change the normal colonic mucosa into invasive adenocarcinoma. In the current study, the protective effects of inulin (prebiotic), Lactobacillus casei (L. casei, probiotic) and their combination (synbiotic) on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon cancer in male Swiss mice were evaluated. Animals were divided into: Control group, DMH-treated group, DMH plus inulin, DMH plus L. casei and DMH plus inulin plus L. casei-treated groups. Fecal microbiome analysis, biochemical measurements, histopathological examination of the colon tissues, immunostaining and Western blotting analysis of β-catenin, GSK3β and JNK-1 were performed. The prebiotic-, probiotic- and synbiotic-treated groups showed decreased levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and a lower number of aberrant crypt foci compared to the DMH-treated group with the synbiotic group exhibiting a superior effect. Furthermore, all treatments showed a body weight-reducing effect. Administration of inulin, L. casei or their combination increased the expression level of phospho-JNK-1 while they decreased the expression level of β-catenin and phospho-GSK3β. Remarkably, L. casei treatment resulted in enrichment of certain beneficial bacterial genera i.e. Akkermansia and Turicibacter. Therefore, administration of L. casei and inulin as a synbiotic combination protects against colon cancer in mice.