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This paper examined the preparation and characterization of lanthanum-doped phosphate glasses nanoparticles designed for effective management of bone regeneration and associated infections. Glasses incorporated different La 2 O 3 contents (0, 5 and 10 mol%) were prepared successfully by a modified alkoxide sol-gel method. They were encoded as P0, PL5 and PL10. Specific surface area and the total pore volume of the glasses were found to decrease by the addition of La 2 O 3 . TEM photos showed that glasses were spherical nanoparticles and incorporated uniform mesopores which increased in size by the increase of La 2 O 3 contents. On the other hand, the dissolution of glasses nanoparticles was tested in different media (distilled H 2 O, SBF and tris-HCl buffer). The results showed that lanthanum-modified glasses demonstrated faster ionic release profiles of phosphate species relative to the base glass with faster dissolution from PL5 relative to PL10 in both distilled H 2 O and tris-HCl buffer. Furthermore, the possibility of using such glasses as a drug carrier was examined by loading the ciprofloxacin onto samples and studied its release profile. A sustained drug release profile from all phosphate glasses was achieved. Additionally, the incorporation of La 2 O 3 in the modified glasses led to a prolonged drug release pattern relative to the base glass. The cytotoxicity test against BHK fibroblast cells showed that all phosphate nanoparticles were biocompatible. The viability of incubated cells with PL10 was > 97% suggesting that PL10 was not toxic up to 2.5 mg dose. However, a mild reduction of cell viability (93.3%) occurred at 5 mg, and at this dose, the cell viability increased in the following order P0 → PL5 → PL10, as it was 80, 87.4 and 93.3%. In conclusion, the long-term sustained pattern provided merely by the lanthanum-modified phosphate glasses nanoparticles implied the possibility of their application for localized osteomyelitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While select eudesmane sesquiterpenes exhibit anti-neoplastic activity, tumor-inhibition for costic-acids has not been established. Here biological activity of 3-oxo-γ-costic acid ( 1 ), previously isolated from Chiliadenus montanus , as well as new sesquiterpenes ( 2 – 5 ) and the known derivative, 3-oxoeudesma-1,4,11(13)-trien-7-1061αH-l2-oic acid ( 6 ), all produced from 1 by the fungus Athelia rolfsii , are reported. Structures were elucidated using MS and NMR spectroscopy with activity-screening utilizing human colon- and lung-tumor lines, Caco-2 and A549 respectively. Compound 1 exhibited anti-proliferative activity against Caco-2 (IC 50 39 µM) and 2 was active against A549 (IC 50 74 µM) suggesting therapeutic potential for the original substrate and a bio-transformed product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has high prevalence and poor prognosis which make it a research priority for scientists. Since metformin, a hypoglycaemic drug, has been found to prolong the survival of mice with DN. This study aims at investigating the molecular mechanisms leading to DN in rats and to explore the role of leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein-1 (LRG1), activin-like kinase1 (ALK1), and transforming growth factor–β (TGFβ1) in the pathologic alterations seen in DN. The aim was also extended to explore the protective action of metformin against DN in rats and its influence on LRG1and ALK1/TGFβ1 induced renal angiogenesis. 24 male rats were used. Rats were assigned as, the vehicle group, the diabetic control group and diabetic + metformin (100 and 200 mg/kg) groups. Kidney samples were processed for histopathology, immunohistochemistry and biochemical analysis. Bioinformatic analysis of studied proteins was done to determine protein-protein interactions. Metformin reduced serum urea and creatinine significantly, decreased the inflammatory cytokine levels and reduced LRG1, TGFβ1, ALK1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) proteins in rat kidneys. Bioinformatic analysis revealed interactions between the studied proteins. Metformin alleviated the histopathological changes observed in the diabetic rats such as the glomerular surface area and increased Bowman's space diameter. Metformin groups showed decreased VEGF immunostaining compared to diabetic group. Metformin shows promising renoprotective effects in diabetic model that was at least partly mediated by downregulation of LRG1 and TGFβ1/ALK1-induced renal angiogenesis. These results further explain the molecular mechanism of metformin in DN management. [Display omitted] • STZ induced features of functional and histological diabetic nephropathy in rats. • Metformin alleviated the pathological features and renal fibrosis in nephropathy. • Metformin suppresses LRG1 and TGFβ1/ALK1-induced renal angiogenesis. • Metformin protects against ultrastructural changes in rat diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of organic compounds with apoptosis regulatory proteins is an attractive field of research because of its relevance in the development of new chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Our group designed four new adamantane thiadiazole derivatives (ATDs). The four ATDs were theoretically tested for their binding affinities to a model of an apoptosis inhibitor protein using molecular modeling. ATD-4 which interacted with the highest binding affinity was synthesized and characterized. The in vitro cytotoxicity of ATD-4 against different cancer cell lines as well as normal cell line was determined and compared with 5-fluorouracil as a standard positive control. The lung carcinoma cell line that showed the highest cytotoxic activity due to ATD-4 treatment was chosen to further study if ATD-4 can perform its cytotoxic activity through the induction of apoptosis as expected from molecular modeling. Inducing apoptosis by ATD-4 in lung carcinoma cell line was assessed by various biochemical and morphological characteristics. Biochemically: The effect of ATD-4 on cell cycle and its ability to induce apoptosis were checked through flow cytometry. Caspase-3 activity was detected by a colorimetric method. Real time-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) was used to detect p53 , caspase-3 , bcl-2 and bax gene expression. Morphologically: Changes in cell surface morphology, granulation and average surface roughness were detected using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Cell shrinkage, increase in cytoplasmic organelles, changes in mitochondrial number and morphology, chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing and formation of apoptotic bodies were detected using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The obtained results suggest that ATD-4 exerted its antitumor activity against A549 cells through the induction of the intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptotic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticancer agents consisting of hybrid molecules are used to improve effectiveness and diminish drug resistance. The current study aimed to introduce newly synthesized hetero-steroids of promising anticancer effects. Besides, the pro-apoptotic effects of new compounds were investigated extensively. Several pyrimidino-, triazolopyrimidino-, pyridazino-, and curcumin-steroid derivatives were synthesized, elucidated and confirmed using the spectral and analytical data. The synthesized hetero-steroids, compounds 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 22 and 24 , were tested for their cytotoxic effects versus human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) using neutral red supravital dye uptake assay. Compound 24 (IC50 = 18 μM) showed more inhibitory influence on MCF-7 growth. Using QRT-PCR (Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction), CCND1, Survivin, BCL-2, CDC2, P21 and P53, genes expression levels were investigated. The study results disclose that compounds 4 , 7 , 18 , 24 knocked down the expression levels of CCND1, Survivin, BCL-2 and CDC2. However, P21 and P53 were up-regulated by compounds 21 , 22 . This study introduced promising pro-apoptotic anticancer agents acting through the modulation of key regulators of apoptosis and cell cycle genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is the frontrunner in fisheries certification, receiving both extensive support and strong criticisms. The increasing uptake by fisheries and markets (almost 10% of world fisheries tonnage engaged by the end of 2014) has been followed by a widening pool of stakeholders interacting with the MSC. However, the applicability of the MSC approach for fisheries in the developing world (DW) remains doubtful, reinforced by a worldwide uptake skewed towards developed world fisheries. Here, a group of MSC stakeholders, with the aid of an ad-hoc questionnaire survey, reviews constraints to MSC certification in DW fisheries, evaluates solutions put forward by the MSC, and recommends actions to improve MSC uptake by DW fisheries. Recommendations to the MSC include researching and benchmarking suitable data-limited assessment methods, systematizing and making readily available the experiences of certified fisheries worldwide and constructing specific fisheries capacity-building for regional leaders. The MSC can further review the certification cost, especially for small-scale fisheries and, in partnership with other institutions, mobilize a fund to support specific DW fishery types. This fund could also support the development of market opportunities and infrastructures likely to satisfy local conditions and needs. For wider market intervention, the MSC should consider embarking on some form of vertical differentiation. Finally, for fisheries that may never move towards certification, the group identifies tools and experiences available at MSC that can improve environmental performance and governance bearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a scaffold hopping approach, a series of allosteric HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitors (ALLINIs) have been synthesized based on an indole scaffold. These compounds incorporate the key elements utilized in quinoline-based ALLINIs for binding to the IN dimer interface at the principal LEDGF/p75 binding pocket. The most potent of these compounds displayed good activity in the LEDGF/p75 dependent integration assay (IC 50 = 4.5 μM) and, as predicted based on the geometry of the five- versus six-membered ring, retained activity against the A128T IN mutant that confers resistance to many quinoline-based ALLINIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates the effects of Samarium (Sm) addition on the performance of 6063 Aluminum alloy. The investigation includes aspects related to the solidification behavior, the microstructure and the mechanical properties for the reference alloy in addition to four modified alloys containing 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 wt% Sm. The reactions corresponding to the formation of α -Al, Al 13 Fe 4 , α -AlFeSi and Mg 2 Si are identified through thermal analysis of the reference alloy. The modified alloys experience similar reactions during solidification that, however, occur at slightly different temperatures, implying the modification of the forming phases due to Sm addition. Optical microscopic examination reveals 37 % grain refinement for the modified alloys due to the Sm addition up to 0.5 wt%. Sm addition influences also the Fe-bearing precipitates, causing the formation of granular Al-Sm-Si-Fe-Mg due to the addition of 0.1 wt% Sm. Samarium addition beyond 0.1 wt% induces the formation of Fe-free Al-Sm-Si-Mg intermetallics, having sharp plate-like and zigzag morphology, in addition to Sm-free Al-Fe-Si precipitates. The best mechanical performance, in the T6 condition, is achieved by the (AA6063 + 0.1 wt% Sm) alloy, attaining an increase of 38 % in the hardness and 11 % in the yield strength, in comparison to the unmodified alloy. The significant strengthening of the 0.1 wt% Sm modified alloy in the T6 condition suggests a promoted precipitation of Mg 2 Si during solidification due to the Sm addition. • Sm alters the reaction temperatures during the solidification of modified AA6063. • The grain size decreases due to Samarium addition. • Samarium changes the morphology and composition of Fe-bearing precipitates. • Both the strength and hardness of Sm-modified alloys are enhanced. • Testing of T6 samples suggests promoted precipitation of Mg 2 Si due to Sm addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, experimental data of Nusselt number and pressure drop utilizing TiO2/water, ZnO/water, and Ag/water nanofluids in helical coils under isothermal conditions were used to design an artificial neural network to predict Nusselt number and pressure drop for experimental and predict data. Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN) and Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) were designed. All predicted results were compared with the original experimental data and the results showed that both networks could be used to predict Nusselt number and pressure drop. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was used to measure the accuracy of each neural network. Predicted Nusselt number average RMSE for FFNN and GRNN were 4.84 and 0.004, while expected Nusselt numbers were 4.009 and 0.63. Predicted pressure drop average RMSE for FFNN and GRNN were 6.78 and 0.005 respectively while the average RMSE for expected pressure drop were 6.173 and 0.105 respectively. GRNN showed more accuracy than FFNN. The maximum deviation between trained data and experimental data for FFNN and GRNN were ±15.5% and ±0.02%, respectively. The maximum deviation between predicted data and experimental data for FFNN and GRNN were ±13.1% and ±1.6% respectively. The generated networks to predict non-experimental data showed good and logical behavior and proved that they are sufficient in Nusselt number and pressure drop prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A variety of tri-substituted pyrazole derivatives 3 - 15 were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and ulcerogenic properties. • Some of the tested conjugates showed promising biological observations comparable to standard reference celecoxib, in addition, to their safety margin for gastric mucosa when evaluated for their ulcer-producing activity. • The most potent derivatives 3a, 3b, 6, 8 and 11 were assayed for their COX-2, TNF-α, PGE2 and IL1β levels in rat paws using the carrageenan inflammation model with the ELISA kit. • Compound 8 possesses the best promising anti-inflammatory observations, antipyretic effect and long-lasting analgesic activity without ulcerogenic potential in addition to showing mutual inhibitory effects on all tested enzymes. • A molecular docking study was introduced to recognize the binding interactions of the most potent candidates into active sites of COX-2 and TNF-α. • Compound 8 has the best binding interaction scores with both targeted enzymes that supported its obtained bio-observations and proves that it has the potential to be developed into an anti-inflammatory drug. Starting from the precursors 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde (1) and 3-(4-bromophenyl)-1-ethyl-1 H -pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde (2), a variety of trisubstituted pyrazole derivatives 3 - 15 were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and ulcerogenic properties. Derivatives 3a, 3b, 6, 8 and 11 showed promising anti-inflammatory observations with potencies of 99.5, 100.3, 92.4, 77.1 and 103.1, respectively, compared with celecoxib the used standard reference, they also exhibited a promising onset action of analgesic with efficiency superior to the used reference drug, in addition to their antipyretic effect and safety margin for gastric mucosa compared with the reference drugs. Based on the obtained observations, derivatives 3a, 3b, 6, 8 and 11 were assayed for their COX-2, TNF- α , PGE2 and IL1 β levels in rat paws using the carrageenan inflammation model with the ELISA kit. Compound 8 has the best promising anti-inflammatory observations, antipyretic effect and long-lasting analgesic activity without ulcerogenic potential in addition to showing mutual inhibitory effects on all tested enzymes. Furthermore, a molecular docking study was introduced to recognize the binding interactions of the most potent candidates 3a, 3b, 6, 8 and 11 into the active sites of COX-2 and TNF- α. Compound 8 has the best binding interaction scores with both targeted enzymes that supported its obtained bio-observations and prove that it has the potential to be developed into an anti-inflammatory drug. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A single-institution prospective study was conducted to assess disease control and toxicity of proton therapy for patients with head and neck cancer.Methods and Materials: Disease control, toxicity, functional outcomes, and patterns of failure for the initial cohort of patients with oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma (OPC) treated with intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) were prospectively collected in 2 registry studies at a single institution. Locoregional failures were analyzed by using deformable image registration.Results: Fifty patients with OPC treated from March 3, 2011, to July 2014 formed the cohort. Eighty-four percent were male, 50% had never smoked, 98% had stage III/IV disease, 64% received concurrent therapy, and 35% received induction chemotherapy. Forty-four of 45 tumors (98%) tested for p16 were positive. All patients received IMPT (multifield optimization to n=46; single-field optimization to n=4). No Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 4 or 5 toxicities were observed. The most common grade 3 toxicities were acute mucositis in 58% of patients and late dysphagia in 12%. Eleven patients had a gastrostomy (feeding) tube placed during therapy, but none had a feeding tube at last follow-up. At a median follow-up time of 29 months, 5 patients had disease recurrence: local in 1, local and regional in 1, regional in 2, and distant in 1. The 2-year actuarial overall and progression-free survival rates were 94.5% and 88.6%.Conclusions: The oncologic, toxicity, and functional outcomes after IMPT for OPC are encouraging and provide the basis for ongoing and future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of 5-fluorouracil nanoparticles and curcumin naoparticles on cell proliferation and the expression of the apoptotic marker (caspase 3) in squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Material and methods PLGA 5-fluorouracil nanopartciles and PLGA curcumin nanoparticles were prepared and applied for 24 and 48 h on human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cell line (Hep-2) as regard IC 50 concentration. MTT assay was used for evaluation of cytotoxicity of prepared nanoparticles. Quantitaive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) was used for the assessment of caspase-3 expression in the treated cell line. Results The drug release rate profiles was dependent upon polymer to drug ratio, noting that the higher PLGA polymer ratio to 5-fluprouracil or curcumin drug showed faster release rates. On the other hand, the least PLGA polymer ratio to 5-fluprouracil or curcumin drug showed the slowest release rates. MTT assay revelaed that 5-fluorouracil nanoparticels or curcumin nanoparticels showed a clear cytotoxic effect on Hep-2 cell line compared to non treated cancer cells. The RT-PCR assessment of caspase-3 expression revealed that there was a significant increase in caspase-3 expression in Hep-2 cell line treated with 5-fluorouracil nanoparticles or curcumin compared to non treated cancer cells. Conclusion Curcumin nanoparticles could be more active in inducing apoptosis in short term assays (24 h) than long term assays (48 h) due to differential cellular uptake. While 5-fluorouracil nanoparticles induced higher significant apoptosis in long term (48 h) compared to curcumin group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• On the Jeffrey fluid model, chemically reactive mass transport mechanisms in the presence of extrinsic magnetic impact have been investigated. • Lie group transformations are used to formulate the mathematical modeling of momentum and concentration equations. • A robust numerical technique known as successive linearization approach (SLM) is used to solve the nonlinear coupled formulated equations. • This technique provides more efficient results compared with other similar methods. • A numerical comparison is also made between the proposed technique and Bvp4c (built-in command in Matlab). This article deals with the chemically reactive mass transport mechanism on the Jeffrey fluid model in the presence of extrinsic magnetic impact. The fluid is moving through a permeable medium. Lie group transformations are used to formulate the mathematical modeling of momentum and concentration equations. A robust numerical technique known as successive linearization approach (SLM) is used to solve the nonlinear coupled formulated equations. This technique shows more efficient results compared with other similar methods. The numerical results are plotted against all the leading parameters and discussed with graphs and tables. A numerical comparison is also made between the proposed technique and Bvp4c (built-in command in Matlab) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hazardous azocoumarin dye has been synthesized and characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. The adsorption of hazardous azocoumarin dye onto low cost rice straw based carbons (RSC) was investigated in an aqueous solution in a batch system with respect to initial dye concentration, contact time, solution pH and temperature. Surface modification of rice straw using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was obtained. The surface area and pore volume of RSC were determined by nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments at 77 K and found to be 67.4 m 2 g − 1 and 0.134 cm 3 g − 1 , respectively. Experimental data indicated that the adsorption capacity of RSC for azocoumarin dye was higher in acidic rather than in basic solutions. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms and the isotherm constants were determined. The activation energy of adsorption was also evaluated and found to be + 15.56 kJ mol − 1 indicating that the adsorption is physisorption. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were used to describe the kinetic data. The dynamic data fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. The thermodynamics of the adsorption indicated spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process. The results indicate that RSC could be employed as low-cost material for the removal of acid dyes from an aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captan is one of the most widely used organochlorine fungicides, its frequent application contaminates both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and negatively affects their key ecological processes. This study demonstrated the toxicity and efficient removal of captan by two different taxonomic species; the green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus and cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. After a week of exposure to mild (15 mg/L) and severe (30 mg/L) captan doses, the intracellular captan uptake, degradation and metabolic regulation of captan detoxification were studied. Compared to N. muscorum , S. obliquus accumulated more captan, but efficiently degraded it into two safe eco-friendly by-products; phthalic acid and 1,2,3,6-tetrahydro phthalimide. S. obliquus showed less decrease in cell growth, photosynthesis activity and related parameters including Chla content and activity of PEPC and RuBisCo enzymes. Captan at the severe dose induced oxidative damage particularly in N. muscorum , as expressed by the high levels of H 2 O 2 , MDA, NADPH oxidase and protein peroxidation. Both species invested glutathione-s-transferase enzyme in captan detoxification however, induction of antioxidant defence system e.g. ascorbate and glutathione cycle was more pronounced in S. obliquus which could explain its tolerance ability. This study provided a better understanding of the environmental risks of captan and introduced S. obliquus as a promising captan phycoremediator. [Display omitted] • S. obliquus bio-accumulated large amount of captan. • S. obliquus detoxified and degraded captan to eco-friendly compounds. • Captan disrupted photosynthesis and induced oxidative stress, especially in N. muscorum. • Induction of antioxidants in S. obliquus explained its tolerance to captan. • S. obliquus is possibly a captan phycoremediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the performance of Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) is the key to boost their possible commercialisation in the yet highly competitive wind energy market. This study evaluates an active boundary layer control technique to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of Darrieus VAWTs. A cavity is created on the airfoil's suction side, where suction is applied to create a trapped vortex. High-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are used after validation against experimental results. The effect of suction momentum ratio C μ on the performance of the turbine is investigated. The turbine with suction cavity airfoils (SC) shows a higher power coefficient than the one with baseline airfoil (BL) blades, especially at low tip-speed ratios. For the selected test case, the net maximum predicted power coefficient is 0.435 for the SC turbine at TSR = 2.3, 0.375 for the baseline at TSR = 2.6. At the lower tip-speed ratios, i.e. TSR = 2, the power coefficient of the SC turbine is almost double that of the BL turbine. The feasibility of the active control technique is finally discussed, demonstrating its potential as an effective solution for the performance augmentation of the Darrieus turbine. • Increase of Darrieus aerodynamic efficiency through active boundary layer control. • Use of trapped vortex cavity with momentum suction. • Great improvement of turbine performance (+28% for the selected case study). • Ability of controlling the BL along the suction side of the blade at high AoA. • Feasibility proven by a dedicated analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We studied promoter methylation (PM) of 11 genes in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes (PBLs) and tissues of hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic hepatitis (CH) Egyptian patients. The present study included 31 HCC with their ANT, 38 CH and 13 normal hepatic tissue (NHT) samples. In all groups, PM of APC, FHIT, p15, p73, p14, p16, DAPK1, CDH1, RARβ, RASSF1A, O6MGMT was assessed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). APC and O6-MGMT protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the studied HCC and CH (20 samples each) as well as in a different HCC and CH set for confirmation of MSP results. PM was associated with progression from CH to HCC. Most genes showed high methylation frequency (MF) and the methylation index (MI) increased with disease progression. MF of p14, p73, RASSF1A, CDH1 and O6MGMT was significantly higher in HCC and their ANT. MF of APC was higher in CH. We reported high concordance between MF in HCC and their ANT, MF in PBL and CH tissues as well as between PM and protein expression of APC and O6MGMT. A panel of 4 genes (APC, p73, p14, O6MGMT) classifies the cases independently into HCC and CH with high accuracy (89.9%), sensitivity (83.9%) and specificity (94.7%). HCV infection may contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis through enhancing PM of multiple genes. PM of APC occurs early in the cascade while PM of p14, p73, RASSF1A, RARB, CDH1 and O6MGMT are late changes. A panel of APC, p73, p14, O6-MGMT could be used in monitoring CH patients for early detection of HCC. Also, we found that, the methylation status is not significantly affected by whether the tissue was from the liver or PBL, indicating the possibility of use PBL as indicator to genetic profile instead of liver tissue regardless the stage of disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study therefore aimed at determining the cost effectiveness of active case finding (ACF) and passive case finding (PCF) in detecting TB cases. B Background: b Case detection is an important aspect of the TB control strategy recommended by the WHO. [Extracted from the article]

Here, we show that apolipoprotein A1(apoA1), the major protein component of high density lipoprotein (HDL), through both innate and adaptive immune processes, potently suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in multiple animal tumor models, including the aggressive B16F10L murine malignant melanoma model. Mice expressing the human apoA1 transgene (A1Tg) exhibited increased infiltration of CD11b+ F4/80+ macrophages with M1, anti-tumor phenotype, reduced tumor burden and metastasis, and enhanced survival. In contrast, apoA1-deficient (A1KO) mice showed markedly heightened tumor growth and reduced survival. Injection of human apoA1 into A1KO mice inoculated with tumor cells remarkably reduced both tumor growth and metastasis, enhanced survival, and promoted regression of both tumor and metastasis burden when administered following palpable tumor formation and metastasis development. Studies with apolipoprotein A2 revealed the anti-cancer therapeutic effect was specific to apoA1. In vitro studies ruled out substantial direct suppressive effects by apoA1 or HDL on tumor cells. Animal models defective in different aspects of immunity revealed both innate and adaptive arms of immunity contribute to complete apoA1 antitumor activity. This study reveals a potent immunomodulatory role for apoA1 in the tumor microenvironment, altering tumorassociated macrophages from a pro-tumor M2 to an anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Use of apoA1 to redirect in vivo elicited tumorinfiltrating macrophages toward tumor rejection may hold benefit as a potential cancer therapeutic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: To explore the impact of response to interferon and ribavirin antiviral therapy on human growth hormone (hGH) levels in Egyptian chronic hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients. Design and methods: We studied eighty Egyptian HCV infected patients visiting outpatient clinics of Tropical Medicine and Hepatology Department, El-Kasr El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. HCV patients received treatment of interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for 24weeks. Clinical, virological, histological characteristics, and biochemical tests including; liver function tests (ALT and AST), prothrombin time (PT), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), complete blood picture (CBC), and hGH were monitored in hepatitis C genotype-4 infected patients before and after interferon therapy, and healthy controls. Results: Chronic HCV genotype-4 infected patients have high significant decrease of hGH as compared to healthy control individuals. In addition to, there was high significant increase of hGH in responders as compared to non-responders after treatment. Conclusion: We concluded that Egyptian HCV genotype-4 infected patients have growth hormone insufficiency. Besides, we found that response to interferon/ribavirin treatment has an impact on growth hormone levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection varies across the world, with the highest number of infections reported in Egypt. BCL-2 gene polymorphism at codon 43 (127G/A) has been found to be a reliable and sensitive marker for the prediction of response to interferon therapy during viral infections. This study examined the correlation of BCL-2 gene polymorphism with the response to treatment with pegylated-IFN-alfa2b and ribavirin. Eighty patients with type 4 HCV and 40 healthy volunteers as controls were enrolled in a prospective study. Quantification of HCV-RNA by real-time PCR was performed for every patient, and gene polymorphism of BCL-2 (ala 43 Thr) was performed for all patients and controls. There was a statistically significant difference between non-responder patients and control group as regards the 43Thr genotype and allele (P<0.05). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between responders and non-responders (P<0.05) as regards 43Thr genotype and alleles. We conclude that BCL-2 gene polymorphism at codon 43 (127G/A) is a new biological marker to potentially identify responders and non-responders of HCV genotype 4 patients to achieving a sustained virological response to treatment with IFN in combination with ribavirin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: There is growing biomedical interest in survivin as a diagnostic and prognostic factor in human neoplasms. The present work assessed survivin expression in retinoblastoma. Design and methods: Survivin was quantitatively measured in 82 aqueous humor and serum samples from 41 children with retinoblastoma and nonmalignant ophthalmic diseases. After treatment, 12 serum samples from retinoblastoma patients were included. Results: Survivin levels were higher in aqueous humor and serum of retinoblastoma patients than the controls ( P <0.05). In aqueous, it was significantly correlated with the tumor stage and optic nerve affection. The best cutoff values for survivin in aqueous and serum that differentiate between retinoblastoma and nonmalignant ophthalmic diseases were 25.2 pg/mg protein and 12.9 pg/mL, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 90% in serum and 94% and 48% in aqueous, respectively. Serum survivin has decreased significantly after treatment. Conclusion: Measurement of survivin protein might have a great diagnostic and prognostic potential in retinoblastoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Patients must remain immobile for magnetoencephalography (MEG) and MRI recordings to allow precise localization of brain function for pre-surgical functional mapping. In young children with epilepsy, this is accomplished with recordings during sleep or with anesthesia. This paper demonstrates that MEG can detect, characterize and localize somatosensory-evoked fields (SEF) in infants younger than 4 years of age with or without total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). Methods: We investigated the latency, amplitude, residual error (RE) and location of the N20m of the SEF in 26 infants (mean age=2.6 years). Seventeen patients underwent TIVA and 9 patients were tested while asleep, without TIVA. Results: MEG detected 44 reliable SEFs (77%) in 52 median nerve stimulations. We found 27 reliable SEFs (79%) with TIVA and 13 reliable SEFs (72%) without TIVA. TIVA effects included longer latencies (p <0.001) and lower RE (p <0.05) compared to those without TIVA. Older patients and larger head circumferences also showed significantly shorter latencies (p <0.01). Conclusions: TIVA resulted in reliable SEFs with lower RE and longer latencies. Significance: MEG can detect reliable SEFs in infants younger than 4 years old. When infants require TIVA for MEG and MRI acquisition, SEFs can still be reliably observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coumarin is an active principle found in several vegetable species with a characteristic smell of vanilla. It is widely used as a perfume fixer, paint and spray additive, and in cleaning products. It also possesses clinical value due to antibiotic and analgesic properties, besides its potential use in the treatment of cancer and AIDS. The objective of this work was to obtain solubility data for coumarin under several conditions, as well as to evaluate process parameters for its extraction from emburana seeds with supercritical CO2. The process parameters studied were temperature, pressure, CO2 flow rate and particle size of the seeds. The solubility in supercritical CO2 was correlated using the Peng–Robinson equation. Solid-supercritical fluid and liquid-supercritical fluid equilibria were considered and correlated separately, with L-SC presenting better results due to the effect of the melting point depression of coumarin under high pressure. The results showed significant effects of pressure and temperature on the extraction yield and also, the smaller the particle size of the seeds, the better the yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two new isostructural complexes of europium picrate (Eu-Pic) with pentaethylene glycol (EO5) and 18-crown-6 (18C6) ligands formed complexes of molecular formula [Eu(Pic)2(18C6)]+(Pic)− I and [Eu(Pic)2(EO5)]+(Pic)− II have been isolated and characterised. Compound I showed 10-coordination number through six oxygen atoms from the 18C6 ligand and two bidentate picrate anions. Meanwhile, compound II exhibited 9-coordination number via six oxygen atoms from EO5 ligand, two oxygen atoms from a bidentate and one oxygen atom from monodentate picrate anions. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the solid-state europium complexes display sharp lines which are assigned to 5D0→7F0–4 and 5D1→7F1,2,4 transitions. No emission of polyether ligands is observed, indicating that the energy transfer from the polyether ligands to the Eu3+ ion is quite efficient. The PL spectra of [Eu(Pic)2(OH2)6]+(Pic)−·6H2O III, [Eu(NO3)3(OH2)3]·(18C6) IV, [Eu(NO3)3·6H2O] V and Eu2O3 VI are also observed. Compounds I–IV exhibited high Ω 2 intensity parameter values, namely 16.93, 10.23, 17.10 and 12.35 (in units of 10−20 cm2), respectively. These relatively high values reflect the hypersensitive behaviour of the 5D0→7F2 transition and indicate that the Eu3+ ion is located in a highly polarisable chemical environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Jaborandi seedlings were subjected to different treatments in order to study the induction of pilocarpine in the leaves. In addition four extraction methods were assessed to extract the alkaloid from dried leaves. The highest yielding extraction and recovery was observed when dried leaves were first treated with base and then extracted with chloroform. Salt stress (NaCl), wounding, hypoxia, and N and K omission of the nutrient soln caused reductions in pilocarpine contents. Whereas complete nutrient soln and P omission maintained normal levels of the alkaloid. Salicylic acid and methyljasmonate induced a 4-fold increase of pilocarpine, but this increase was dependent on the concentration and time after exposure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, heat transfer performance was experimentally tested in a helically coiled pipe using three types of nanofluids, TiO 2 , ZnO and Ag water-based nanofluids. TiO 2 , ZnO and Ag nanoparticles were characterized by X -ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The XRD results showed that the purity of ZnO and TiO 2 were obtained. TEM and SEM results showed that the mean particles size of TiO 2 , ZnO and Ag are 14, 20 and 16 nm respectively. The three types of nanofluids, TiO 2 /water, ZnO /water and Ag /water were prepared with a volume concentration of 0.25%. To ensure a good mixture and measure particles distribution in each nanofluid, Zetsizer test was performed and showed a good distribution of nanoparticles in all tested nanofluids. The three different nanofluids have been thermally tested in helical coil with a flow rate from 1 to 3.5 L/s with different inlet temperatures in the range of 30 °C and 60 °C. The experimental results showed an enhancement in Nusselt number up to 27.31%, 16.03%, and 10.38% with augmentation in the heat transfer coefficient up to 32%, 21% and 16% utilizing TiO 2 , ZnO and Ag nanoparticles respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of energy users in the world is growing more significant and more prominent in the current scenario for the automotive sector. About 70% of India's energy depends heavily on non-renewable fossil fuels. The cost and demand for the fuel are incredibly high. Over and above these reasons, environmental pollution is causing great concern. Consequently, many of the present researchers are focusing on finding a renewable fuel that can become an alternative for fossil fuel that is fast depleting. Biodiesels have drawn much attention from the research community because of their natural characteristics and chemical composition. In this manuscript, we have reported the linseed oil, which is effectively used as biodiesel (B20) and pre-heated to decrease the viscosity of the fuel with the aid of heater up to 100°C. The nanoparticle used in this work is titanium dioxide because of its highest oxygen content and easy availability in the market. Different proportions of titanium dioxide nanoparticles are blended (50 ppm, 100 ppm, 150 ppm, and 200 ppm) with pre-heated linseed oil in a coated diesel engine. The coating material used is Partially Stabilized Zirconium and the preferred thickness of 0.5 mm that is achieved with plasma spray techniques guidance. The crown of the piston or the top surface of the piston is coated with Partially Stabilized Zirconium (PSZ). It is observed that pre-heated PLSNP200 linseed oil has shown the enhanced performance and lower emissions when correlated with all the other blends. Pre-heating of Linseed oil and diesel engine (DI) coating has resulted in a 5.2% increase in thermal efficiency. The combination of PLSNP 200 reduces emissions of CO, smoke, and HC by 37.78%, 25%, and 37.92%, respectively. The oxides of nitrogen are elevated drastically by 7.43% when correlated with diesel fuel. The blend PLSNP200 increased the BTE and NOx by 8.11% and 6.53% respectively when compared with PLS20. The PLSNP200 blend HC, CO and Smoke opacity emission is drastically decreased by 33.82 21.05% and 26.57% when compared with the preheated linseed oil B20 (PLS20). Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Isolation and characterization of eight bioactive compounds from brown alga sargassum platycarpum for the first time. • Evaluation of the in vitro anticancer activity against HepG-2 cell line. • Computations of MEP, EHOMO, ELUMO and global properties by DFT methods. • Molecular docking study. • Bioactivity Score, drug-likeness and ADMET studies. Image, graphical abstract Recently, macroalgae or seaweeds serve as a treasure of potential drugs for cancer therapy. The present study investigated the cytotoxic activity of eight compounds isolated from the brown alga Sargassum platycarpum for the first time. These isolates were identified as hexadecanoic acid (1), oleic acid (2), saringosterol (3 and 4 , 1:1 mixture of C-24epimers), β -sitosterol (5), glycoglycerolipid (6), loliolide (7) and Kjellmanianone (8) by spectroscopic techniques. Two epimers of saringosterol, (24- R)-saringosterol (3) and (24- S)-saringosterol (4), were subsequently separated by HPLC. (24- S)-saringosterol (4) and (24- R)-saringosterol (3) exhibited potent cytotoxicity against HepG-2 cells with IC 50 of 0.10±0.00 and 0.11±0.00 µM, respectively with compared to standard 5-Fluorouracil (IC 50 of 0.63±0.28 µM) and other isolates. MEP, E HOMO , E LUMO and global properties of all isolated compounds are computed by DFT methods. Molecular docking study showed that most of the isolated compounds especially compounds 3 and 4 interact strongly with 4PYP with the highest binding energies maintained that the high cytotoxic activity of these compounds against HepG-2 cells in the experimental part. Bioactivity Score, Drug-Likeness and ADMET studies supported the potential biological activities of most isolated compounds especially compounds 3 and 4 and also created attention for developing them to act as good candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel complexes for Zn2+ and VO2+ ions, were prepared from tridentate dibasic chelating Schiff base ligand. 1-((3,5-di- tert -butyl-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)naphthalen-2-ol-5‑sodium sulfonate (DSHN), was the ligand used in this study. Alternative spectral tools were applied to elucidate structural composition of new compounds. Also, geometry optimization for all synthesizes was conducted by Gaussian09 program via DFT method, to obtain optimal structures and essential parameters. Moreover, the biochemical behavior for all synthesizes, was explored based on tested reactivity against various microbial strains and cancer cells (HCT-116, MCF-7, and HepG-2). The two complexes exhibited interestingly anti-proliferative potential against human cancer cell lines. The antioxidant behavior of the two complexes was studied by DPPH and SOD assays. Particularly, Zn(II) and VO(II) complexes presented more enhanced antimicrobial and anticancer features compared to the free ligand (DSHN), with superiority for VO(II) complex. The binding nature of two complexes with calf thymus DNA (ct DNA), was examined by various methods as, spectrophotometry, viscosity and gel electrophoresis. Their binding efficiency with ct DNA was proposed to be just intercalation or replacement mode. This in-vitro assay was confirmed by in-silico simulation versus 1cca, 1jnx, 1smp, 2 h80 and 5ajh as the co-crystals for selected pathogen-proteins, which attribute to microbes and cancer cells. Unlabelled Image • Synthesis and characterization of VO(II) and Zn(II) –Schiff base complexes • DNA-binding study was executed by variable techniques for confirmation and crystal surface properties were estimated • In-vitro assays were done to evaluate the biological activity which confirmed by in-silico results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nostoc muscorum can bio-accumulate large amount of pyridaphenthion (PY). • N. muscorum induced PY detoxification & degradation to less toxic compound. • PY induced photosynthesis inhibition & oxidative stress, particularly in Anabaena laxa. • Improved antioxidative capacity of N. muscorum explains its high stress tolerance. • N. muscorum is a promising candidate for PY remediation. Excessive use of organophosphorus pesticides such as pyridaphenthion (PY) to constrain insects induced crop loss, results in soil and water sources contamination. Cyanobacteria are sensitive biological indicators and promising tools for bioremediation of soil and water pollutants. To understand PY toxicity, detoxification and degradation in cyanobacteria, we performed a comparative study in the two diazotrophic cyanobacteria; Anabaena laxa and Nostoc muscorum. They were exposed to mild (5 mg/L) and high (10 mg/L) concentrations of PY for 7 days. Compared to A. laxa, N. muscorum efficiently showed high PY accumulation and degradation to a safe environmentally product; 6-hydroxy-2-phenylpyridazin-3(2 H)-one. PY inhibited cell growth and reduced Chl a content and photosynthesis related enzymes (PEPC and RuBisCo) activities in both species, but to less extend in N. muscorum. It also induced oxidative damage, particularly in A. laxa , as indicated by high H 2 O 2 , lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation levels and increased NADPH oxidase enzyme activity. N. muscorum invested more in antioxidants induction, i.e., induced ascorbate and glutathione cycle, however, these antioxidants increments in A. laxa were less pronounced. Overall, this study provides more in-deep insights into the PY toxicity and the role of N. muscorum as a promising PY remediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the distribution, abundance and growth of the paralarvae and juveniles of the glass squid Galiteuthis glacialis which were collected from tows conducted at 500 m depth in Prydz Bay, Antarctica by using an Isaacs Kidd Midwater Trawl (IKMT). Paralarvae occurred in an area from 57° S to 65°30ʹ S and 57°–66° E. Early juveniles co-occurred with paralarvae at 57°–65°30′ S and 57°37′ E to 64°56′ E. Age of individuals was estimated based on statolith increment counts and ranged from 47 to 85 days with a daily growth rate ranging from 0.13 to 0.25 mm dorsal mantle length (DML)/day (mean 0.18 mm) for paralarvae. The early juveniles had an age of 85–103 days with a slightly faster growth rate ranging from 0.21 to 0.27 mm DML/day (mean 0.24 mm). The presence of paralarve of G. glacialis at the outer continental shelf edge of Prydz Bay during austral summer indicates a spawning site in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals in all life stages of the large oceanic diamondback squid Thysanoteuthis rhombus were observed in the southeastern Arabian Sea. A total of 82 individuals were collected from the Arabian Sea between February 2013 and December 2018. The length-weight relationship follows an allometric growth pattern. Age and growth were estimated by statolith increment analysis (n = 77) and demonstrated a rapid growth rate ranging from 1.42 to 4.80 mm dorsal mantle length (DML)/day. Based on back calculated hatch dates, T. rhombus spawned from May to December with a peak in July. Male and female squids matured at 6 months of age. The oldest individual was a mature female (655 mm DML) that was 220 days old with a growth rate of 2.97 mm DML/day. Differences in size-wise (DML) instantaneous growth rates were evident. Stomach content analysis revealed that fish and squid were the major prey of adults and sub-adults, while in juveniles, crustaceans were the dominant prey item. Ontogenetic differences in the diet were apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sinusoidally corrugated tubes were additively manufactured through DMLS. • A sample of 8 tubes were heat treated and crushed experimentally under quasi-static tests. • The crushing and energy absorption behavior of the tubes were studied. Thin-walled structures are used for crashworthiness energy absorption applications such as automobile vehciles and aircraft. Structures of sinusoidally corrugated profiles were of great interest because of their ability to reduce the peak crushing forces and provide stable energy-absorbing patterns. Studies on structures of sinusoidally corrugated profiles are limited to numerical studies due to manufacturing limitations. Advancement in additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of structures of complex profiles such as corrugated tubes. This could solve the issue of mass productions of such structures for energy absorption applications. This paper aims to additively manufacture and test sinusoidally corrugated tubes experimentally. A sample of 8 sinusoidally corrugated tubes was additively manufactured and tested under a quasi-static displacement rate of 20 mm/min. The results showed that corrugated tubes exhibit lower and stable crushing forces compared to conventional straight tubes. It was found that increasing the wavelength from 10 to 20 mm results in changing deformation mode from ring to diamond, while increasing the amplitude from 1 to 2 mm has no effect when the thickness is 1 mm. Corrugated tubes achieved a maximum peak force reduction of 75%, and a maximum crushing force efficiency increase of 63%. However, they also resulted in a reduction of 46 and 55% in energy absorption and specific energy absorption, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is a favorable site for meteorites recovery in which the total number of meteorites represents more than 1/6 of all extra-terrestrial rocks recovered from the entire world. This work studies the classification of the African meteorite finds, their masses' distribution and their alteration grades to verify some factors influencing the weathering processes. The African population comprises an abundance of stony meteorites with high percentages of rare meteorites of the world collection: Martian meteorites (62%), Ureilites (51%), Rumuruti (59%), Lunar (47%), and HED (46%). Furthermore, throughout the last two decades, the authors noted an important increase of achondrite meteorites compared to the Australian and Antarctic collections. The mass distribution of African population shows that most of the recoveries (72%) have masses more than 100 g. It peaks at about 1 kg, compared to about 0.1 kg for the Australian collection and 0.01 kg for the Antarctic finds. On the other hand, the distribution of weathering grades (W) shows the predominant of W1 (32%) and W2 (34%) which proves a better preservation of meteorites. The factors influencing the mechanism and rate of alteration of African finds include the climate, which is the main factor, the mass, the terrestrial age and the initial porosity of the samples. • The African meteorite finds comprise significant rates of rare meteorites. • The mass distribution shows that most of recoveries (72%) have masses more than 100 g. • The variation of weathering grades shows a well preservation of meteorites in Africa. • Finds' alteration is related to climate, mass, terrestrial age and initial porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]