Regional Variations in the Permeable Rocks and Porosity of the Water Bearing Formations in Central North Kordofan and West White Nile Areas

     The present study aimed to delineate the regional variations in the permeable rocks and porosity of the water bearing formations in Bara and Kosti basins. The study depended on the determination of the permeable rock ratios and porosity calculation for the lithological samples obtained from borehole pertaining to the study area. Freehand 9.02 software application was used in this study for drawing maps and sections .The lithology indicates vertical and lateral changes in the rocks (sediments) facies forming the subsurface formations. The permeable rocks form the water bearing formations (aquifers) while the impermeable rocks such as clays represent aquiclude layers. The permeable sediments compose of coarse sands and gravels in the western part whereas they consist of medium sands in the eastern part of the study area. The facies description indicates that the ratio (percent) of the permeable rocks decrease from more than 60 % in Bara Basin (Umm Rawaba and El Basheri Sub-basins) in the West to less than 20 % as in Kosti Basin in the East. The porosity values of these rocks range from 17 - 23 % in the western part (Bara Basin) to 28 % in the eastern part. The variation in the rock facies indicates that the sediments composing the water bearing formations were transported from the northwest and southwest directions

Delineation of Water Bearing Formations in North Kordofan and West White Nile Area Using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Borehole Data

     The present study was conducted in 2012 to delineate the water bearing formations in North Kordofan and West White Nile areas. Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) technique data and boreholes information from the study area were used in this study. IPI2Win and Freehand 9.02 software applications were used in this study. The former was used for VES data curves ID interpretation along single profile while the latter was used for drawing purpose. The results of the interpretation indicated that, the study area involves three aquifers: upper, lower and deep aquifers. The upper and lower aquifers locate in Bara Basin and west Kosti Basin whereas the deep aquifer locates in Kosti Basin. The thickness of the upper and lower aquifers together attains 150 m as in Umm Balagi and the thickness of the deep aquifer ranges between 25 to 60 m. The upper and lower aquifers are composed of similar rocks of coarse sand and gravels while the deep aquifer is mainly made up of medium sand. The static water table ranges between 20 m in the northwestern parts to more than 100 m in the southern parts. The mode of occurrence, rocks type, and hydraulic condition of the deep aquifer indicated that the aquifer is not a part of the lower aquifer as believed previously

Plemorphic Adenoma of the Infratemporal Space: A New Case Report

Plemorphic adenoma is a frequent benign tumor of the major salivary glands. It could also develop from accessory salivary glands. We are reporting an extremely rare case of pleomorphic adenoma developing from the infratemporal space. The final diagnosis was based on histological confirmation. The treatment was mainly a complete resection via an anterior transmaxillary approach. Diagnosis, clinical behaviour, and treatment of pleomorphic adenoma of the infra-temporal space are reviewed from the literature

ENHANCED ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY OF STREPTOMYCES GRISEOPLANUS L-ASPARGINASE VIA ITS INCORPORATION IN AN OIL-BASED NANOCARRIER

Objective: L-asparaginase (L-asp) is a vital enzyme used as a therapeutic agent in combination with other drugs in the treatment of acute lymphoma, melanosarcoma and lymphocytic leukemia. Immobilization of enzymes through loading on nanoemulsion (NE) results in some advantages such as enhancing their stability and increasing their resistance to proteases. Aim of the present study is to formulate L-asp loaded nanoemulsion to enhance its efficiency and thermal stability. Methods: Nanoemulsion loaded with L-asp crude extract (specific activity 13.23U/mg protein) was prepared employing oleic acid as oil, tween 20/tween 80 as surfactants and propylene glycol (PG) as co-surfactant. L-asp loaded NE underwent several thermodynamic stability studies and the optimized formulae were further examined for their biochemical properties and thermal stability. Results The developed formulations were spherical in shape and their sizes were in the nanometric dimensions with negatively charged zeta potential values. Upon comparing the enzyme activity of L-asp loaded NE employing tween 20 (F1) or tween80 (F4) at different concentrations, the results revealed that F4 NE showed higher enzymatic activity [323 U/ml] compared to F1 NE [197 U/ml] at the same concentration. The nanosized immobilized L-asp was more stable in the pH range from 8 to 8.5 as compared to free L-asp. The immobilized enzyme preserved about 59.11% of its residual activity at 50 °C; while free L-asp preserved about 33.84%. Conclusion: In the view of these results, NE composed of oleic acid, tween 80 and PG represents a promising dosage form for enhancing the activity and stability of Streptomyces griseoplanus L-asp

The P2X7 Receptor and NLRP3 Axis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Brief Review

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide, and its prevalence is reaching epidemic characteristics both in adults and in children. The increase of NAFLD prevalence parallels that of obesity, now representing the major cause of liver inflammation, increasing the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. Furthermore, NAFLD is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, two of the major leading causes of morbidity and mortality in western countries. Thus a significant amount of studies have dealt with the evaluation of the possible molecular mechanisms leading to NAFLD and its inflammatory consequences within the liver, the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis. The inflammasome is a key player in the inflammation and fibrogenic responses in many different tissues, including the liver. The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome requires the activation by extracellular adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) of a specific purinergic receptor named P2X7 located in the target cells, although other pathways have been described. To this regard, extracellular ATP acts as an internal danger signal coming from damaged cells participating in the activation of the inflammatory process, a signaling pathway common to many different tissues. Here, we briefly review the involvement of the P2X7 receptor/inflammasome NLRP3 axis in the pathophysiological events leading to NAFLD and its inflammatory and fibrotic evolutions, reporting the possible therapeutical strategies targeting the P2X7 receptor/NLRP3 inflammasome

Embedding a Carbon Nanotube across the Diameter of a Solid State Nanopore

A fabrication method for positioning and embedding a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) across the diameter of a solid state nanopore is presented. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is used to grow SWNTs over arrays of focused ion beam (FIB) milled pores in a thin silicon nitride membrane. This typically yields at least one pore whose diameter is centrally crossed by a SWNT. The final diameter of the FIB pore is adjusted to create a nanopore of any desired diameter by atomic layer deposition, simultaneously embedding and insulating the SWNT everywhere but in the region that crosses the diameter of the final nanopore, where it remains pristine and bare. This nanotube-articulated nanopore is an important step towards the realization of a new type of detector for biomolecule sensing and electronic characterization, including DNA sequencing.Engineering and Applied SciencesMolecular and Cellular BiologyPhysic

An Extracted Fraction of Pseudomonas Oleovorans Can Inhibit Viral Entry and RNA Replication of Hepatitis C Virus in Cell Culture

The emergence and distribution of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still considered as an unsolved problem. Due to side effects, many synthetic drugs have been avoided and replaced by new biologically derived ones. Aim of this study was to use Pseudomonas oleovorans’ extract as HCV viral replication inhibition agent in cell culture system. Several factors were studied and the optimum growth conditions were selected for maximum production of antiviral substance. Pseudomonas oleovorans’ extract was fractionated using different concentrations of chloroform: methanol on silica gel columns. Analysis of potent fraction by GC/MS showed of tetradecanoic and hexadecanoic acid methyl esters. The selected fraction was tested against HCV in vitro using two different protocols: viral attachment entry inhibition (Pre-incubation) and viral replication inhibition (Post infection). 0.1 µg / ml of the selected antiviral fraction resulted in inhibition of viral replication in Huh 7.5 cells. However, higher concentration of 100 µg / ml did not cause any viral inhibition. The selected bacterial fraction containing tetradecanoic acid and hexadecanoic acid methyl esters could be used as a promising candidate to inhibit viral HCV entry and replication of HCV