Basic Science Sector

A series of trifluoromethyl-substituted hexahydropyrimidine derivatives were efficiently synthesized in excellent yields via one-pot three-component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate and thiourea(urea) in presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid under solvent-free conditions at room temperature by grinding. The present method does not involve any hazardous organic solvent and has proven to be simple, efficient, environmentally benign and cost-effective compared with the classical synthetic methods. These compounds were screened for their antibacterial activities against E. coli and B. thuringiensis and found to exhibit remarkably better antibacterial activities than the control drug.

Previously we established a series of catalytic antibodies (catAbs) capable of hydrolyzing DNA prepared by hybridoma technology. A group of these catAbs exhibited high reactivity and substrate specificity. To determine the molecular basis for these catAbs, we cloned, sequenced, and expressed the variable regions of this group of antibodies as functional Fab fragments. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the expressed light chain (Vk) germline gene assignments confidently belonged to germline family Vk1A, gene bb1.1 and GenBank accession number EF672207 while heavy chain variable region VH genes belonged to VH1/VHJ558, gene V130.3 and GenBank accession number EF672221. A well-established expression system based on the pARA7 vector was examined for its ability to produce catalytically active antibodies. Recombinant Fab (rFab) fragments were purified and their hydrolyzing activity was analyzed against supercoiled pUC19 plasmid DNA (scDNA). The study of rFab provides important information about the potential catalytic activities of antibodies whose structure allows us to understand their basis of catalysis. Molecular surface analysis and docking studies were performed on the molecular interactions between the antibodies and poly(dA9), poly(dG9), poly(dT9), and poly(dC9) oligomers. Surface analysis identified the important sequence motifs at the binding sites, and different effects exerted by arginine and tyrosine residues at different positions in the light and heavy chains. This study demonstrates the potential usefulness of the protein DNA surrogate in the investigation of the origin of anti-DNA antibodies. These studies may define important features of DNA catAbs.

A general approach, based on heterogeneous nucleation and growth of CdSe nanostructures on Au or Ag nanocrystals, for the synthesis of AuCdSe and AgCdSe hybrid nanostructures is developed. The new approach provides a versatile one-pot route for the synthesis of hybrid nanoflowers consisting of a gold or silver core and multipod CdSe rods or an intact CdSe shell with controlled thickness, depending on the nucleation and growth parameters. At lower growth temperatures such as 150 degrees C, the CdSe clusters are adsorbed on the surface of the metal cores in their surface defects, then multiple arms and branches form, resulting in nanoflower-shaped hybrid structures. Increasing the size of the metal core through the choice of the reducing and capping agents results in an improvement of the interface between the metal and CdSe domains, producing coreshell structures. The growth temperature appears to be the most important factor determining the nature of the interface between the metal and CdSe domains. At relatively high temperatures such as 300 degrees C, the formation of large, faceted Au cores creates preferential growth sites for the CdSe nanocrystalline shell, thus resulting in well-defined AuCdSe coreshell structures with large interfaces between the Au and CdSe domains. The present approach is expected to foster systematic studies of the electronic structures and optical properties of the metal semiconductor hybrid materials for potential applications in photovoltaic and nanoelectronic devices.

Limiting factors to the tilapia farming industry are numerous and deeply embedded in the environmental paradigm. Infectious diseases are moved to the top list of limiting factors that harshly endangering the fish health with consequent negative impact on the entire population ecology.

Soleaaegyptiaca was successfully transplanted into Lake Qaroun from the Mediterraneansea to improve the yield of its original strain in the lake and this process continued at different timeintervals. Salinity of the lake increases during summer season due to high evaporation rates andchanges in the inflow regime. The deterioration of water resources in the lake during the summerseason is considered as a serious threat to the aquatic life. Therefore, this study was carried out duringsummer and beginning of autumn seasons where fish are exposed to severe alterations in the aquaticenvironment. Water quality indices of Lake Qaroun showed significant differences and the studiedwater heavy metals (Cu+2, Zn+2, Mn+2 and Pb+2) were in accordance with values of residual heavymetals in tissues, the bioaccumulation process showed also specificity to fish tissues. Histologicalsections in gills, liver and kidneys of S. aegyptiaca collected during June showed much moreimprovement than samples collected during other months. Histopathological alterations and cleardamages were obvious in samples collected during late summer and beginning of autumn (July,August and September) generally in accordance with the results of residual heavy metals in water andtissues. Moreover, the results revealed significant differences in values of growth indices, meat quality,blood parameters and plasma constituents of S. aegyptiaca collected from Lake Qaroun. Generally,the values were deteriorating during late summer and showed much more improvement during Juneand September.

Aryl-2-sulfanylpropenoic acids reacted with acetohydrazonyl chlorides in refluxing absolute ethanol in the presence of equimolar amount of triethylamine forming (Z)-6- arylmethylidene- 1,3,4-thiadiazin-5-one derivatives. X-Ray study on the crystal of one of the obtained products was carried out.

Labile-barleys (Hordeumvulgare L. convar. labile (Schiem.) Mansf.) Are found in the highlands of Ethiopia, Eretria and North India-Pakistan districts. They represent a distinct spike form showing row-type alterations even within individual spikes of the same genotypes. Variation at the six-rowed spike 1 (vrs1) locus is sufficient to control barley lateral spikelet fertility, which is also modified by alleles at the intermedium-c (int-c) locus. This study aimed at re-sequencing these two loci to investigate whether labile-barleys have a two-rowed genetic background, resulting in increased lateral spikelet fertility, or show reduced lateral fertility if they possess a six-rowed genetic background. The Vrs1 re-sequencing results of 221 supposedly labile-barley accessions from Ethiopia revealed 13 accessions with two novel vrs1.a1 haplotypes. Following the current nomenclature of vrs1 haplotypes, the new haplotypes were named as haplotypes 66 and 67. Re-sequencing at the int-c locus showed that 118 of the labile-barleys possessed the previously described Int-c.a allele but only one accession was found having a novel Int-c.a haplotype in the homozygous state (termed Int-c.a haplotype1; Hap_1). Interestingly, 101 labile-barleys carried the Int-c.a allele and Int-c.a haplotype1 simultaneously, suggesting maintained heterozygosity or recent gene duplication at this locus. Only one accession had a two-rowed haplotype (Vrs1.b3, int-c.b1) and one accession possessed the Vrs1.t (deficiens) and Int-c.a alleles (six-rowed). These two accessions were considered as misclassified labile genotypes and not included in further analysis. Thus, these results confirmed that all of the 219 labile accessions studied in this work showed six-rowed alleles at vrs1 but reduced lateral spikelet fertility. This reduction is most likely caused by the recessive labile (lab) locus which we are in the process to characterize further.

The efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotic as alternatives to antibiotics in prevention of reduction of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) infections in broiler chickens were studied, as well as the effect on shedding of S. typhimurium in both intestine content and internal organs in the experimental chickens. Obtained results proved that addition of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) and/or prebiotic (Agrimos) to the ration of the chickens which were vaccinated with live attenuated S. typhimurium vaccine enhance the immune response and produced higher antibody titres than those vaccinated only.

Electron impact excitations and de-excitation rate coefficients of the excited ion Fe XVI are calculated according to the analytical formulas of Vriens and Smeets. A simple modification has been made by substituting effective quantum numbers in Vriens formulas to be applicable for the ion under consideration. The energy levels and transition probabilities have been calculated using the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) method with Breit-Pauli relativistic correction (CF.Fischer's ATSP computer package) in which the monopole and the quadrupole transitions have been introduced in the calculations in addition to the dipole transitions. Level population densities are then calculated by solving the coupled rate equations involving the 54 levels 1i2i2p6nl, where n=3-8 and 1=0,1,2,3,4,5. Positive gain coefficients are displayedfor the transitions 5p(2P1/1/2)?4d(2D3/2), 5p(2p3/2) ? 4d(2D32) and 5p(2p3/2) ? 4d(2D5/2) at three selected electron temperatures namely 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 the ionization potential.

Fine-structure energy levels, oscillator strengths and transitions probabilities for transitions among the fine-structure levels of the terms belonging to the 1s22s22p63s2np (2P), 1s22s22p63s2nd (2D) (n= 3-5) and 1s22s22p63s2ns (2S), 1s22s22p63s2nf (2F) (n= 4, 5) configurations of the Al-like ions Ar VI, K VII, and Ca VIII have been calculated. The calculations are based upon the general configuration interaction code CIV3 of Hibbert. Calculated values are compared with experimental and other theoretical results where some unpublished energy values and oscillator strengths are reported.

Objective: To evaluate local tumor control and survival data after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with different drug combinations in the palliative third-line treatment of patients with ovarian cancer liver metastases.Methods: Sixty-five patients (mean age: 51.5 year) with unresectable hematogenous hepatic metastases of ovarian cancer who did not respond to systemic chemotherapy were repeatedly treated with TACE in 4-week intervals. The local chemotherapy protocol consisted of Mitomycin (group 1) (n=14; 21.5%),

Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive, metastatic and highly angiogenic form of locally advanced breast cancer with a relatively poor three-year survival rate. Breast cancer invasion has been linked to proteolytic activity at the tumor cell surface. Here we explored a role for active cathepsin B on the cell surface in the invasiveness of IBC.

The acceleration of ultra high energy cosmic rays is conjectured to occur through various interactions with the electromagnetic fields in different astrophysical objects, like magnetic matter clumps, besides the well-known shock and stochastic Fermi mechanisms. It is apparent that the latter are not depending on the particle's charge, quantitatively. Based on this model, a considerable portion of the dynamics, that derives a charged particle parallel to a magnetic field and under the influence of a force, is assumed to be composed of an acceleration by a non- magnetic force and a gyromotion along direction, plus drifts in the direction of The model and its formalism are introduced. Various examples for drift motions and accelerating forces are suggested. The formalism is given in a non-relativistic version. Obviously, the translation into the relativistic version is standard. In a forthcoming work, a quantitative estimation of the energy gained by charged cosmic rays in various astrophysical objects will be evaluated.

n/a

Identified in a recent S. mansoni genome sequencing and analysis study, our report is the first to measure nSMase enzymatic activity in Triton X-100-solubilized surface membrane (Sup 1) and whole worm soluble (SWAP) molecules of male and female Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium. Neutral, but no acidic, sphingomyelinase activity was readily detectable by the Amplex Red Sphingomyelinase Assay, and increased with incubation time and protein amount. Like nSMase family members, the schistosome nSMase activity was significantly (P < 0.05 - < 0.0001) enhanced by unsaturated fatty acids and phosphatidyl serine and significantly (P < 0.01) decreased following exposure to the nSMase specific inhibitor GW4869. Peptides based on the published sequence of S. mansoni putative nSMase and used in a multiple antigen peptide form induced the generation of specific antibodies, which readily bound to the immunogen and to the cognate protein in Sup 1 and SWAP. Immunofluorescence studies suggested the parasite nSMase is located in the worm tegument and gut lining. Studies using RNA interference are in progress to define nSMase role in larval and adult worm surface membrane antigen exposure and unsaturated fatty acid-mediated attrition.

The efficacy of arbuscularmycorrhizae (AM) on nutrients, organic solutes, and antioxidant enzymes of wheat under salt stress was investigated and related to root colonization and plant productivity. The mycorrhizal inoculation increased N, P, K, Ca, and Mg uptake, soluble sugars, free amino acids, and proline accumulation, as well as peroxidase and catalase activities under saline conditions as compared to nonmycorrhizal plants. On the other hand, Na concentration was lower in mycorrhizal than in nonmycorrhizal plants grown under saline conditions. Arbuscularmycorrhizae protected wheat against the detrimental effects of salinity and stimulated its productivity. Hence, mycorrhizal colonization can play a vital role in the mitigation of the adverse effects of salinity by improving the wheat osmotic adjustment response, enhancing its defense system, and alleviating oxidative damage to cells. Arbuscularmycorrhizae are able to alter plant physiology in a way that empowers the plant to grow more efficiently on salt-affected lands.

Four plant extracts molluscicidal and insecticidal efficacy was evaluated under laboratory conditions versusBiomphalariaalexandrina,Lymneacailliaudi snails; their egg masses and Culexpipiens larvae. These extractsincluded Grape seed, Eucalyptus, Pomegranate, Verbesinaalcoholic extracts, as well as Eucalyptus oil.Different mortalities in the exposed vectors were recorded by the four plant extracts using differentconcentrations and exposure time.

The theoretical analysis discussed in this work is a suitable mathematical tool by which theperformance of the proposed collector can be predicted. The obtained experimental results coincide withthe obtained theoretical data obtained from the devised computer program. Controlled output temperaturecan be obtained from the proposed system. The performance of the tested collector under the proposed intermittent flow conditions overcomes that of the conventional thermosyphone flow collector.

In this study, we study the numerical solutions of singularly perturbed convection-reaction-diffusionproblem over a square. Two different approaches are used to study the problem namely: Finite Element Method (FEM) based on a posteriori error estimate, and Variational Iteration Method (VIM). In this study, we use theadaptive h-refinement based on the a posteriori error estimate. Numerical simulation for the solution of theproposed problem using FEM and VIM is given. From this simulation we can found that the finite elementmethod gives the solution with excellent agreement compared with the exact solution. Also, it's found that VIMis invalid for some values of the perturbed parameter g, but FEM overcome on this shortcoming.

This paper studies numerically two-dimensional fractional super-diffusive differential equations. The Adomian Decomposition Method (ADM), the Homotopy Perturbation Method (HPM) and the Variational Iteration Method (VIM) are presented. Comparison with the theoretical solutions shows that these methods are efficient and have the same order of accuracy.

In this paper, Crank-Nicholson method for solving fractional wave equation is considered. The stability and consistency of the method are discussed by means of Greschgorin theorem and using the stability matrix analysis. Numerical solutions of some wave fractional partial differential equation models are presented. The results obtained are compared to exact solutions.