The N-terminal domain of apolipoprotein B-100: structural characterization by homology modeling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100) stands as one of the largest proteins in humans. Its large size of 4536 amino acids hampers the production of X-ray diffraction quality crystals and hinders in-solution NMR analysis, and thus necessitates a domain-based approach for the structural characterization of the multi-domain full-length apo B.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The structure of apo B-17 (the N-terminal 17% of apolipoprotein B-100) was predicted by homology modeling based on the structure of the N-terminal domain of lipovitellin (LV), a protein that shares not only sequence similarity with B17, but also a functional aspect of lipid binding and transport. The model structure was first induced to accommodate the six disulfide bonds found in that region, and then optimized using simulated annealing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The content of secondary structural elements in this model structure correlates well with the reported data from other biophysical probes. The overall topology of the model conforms with the structural outline corresponding to the apo B-17 domain as seen in the EM representation of the complete LDL structure.</p

Challenges and Strategies to Minimize Cyberbullying of Minorities: A Comprehensive Analysis

This comprehensive analysis investigates the challenges and strategies to minimize cyberbullying of minorities. Cyberbullying is a serious issue that can have detrimental effects on individuals, especially minorities such as people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with disabilities. The study reveals several challenges, including the lack of awareness among the general public regarding the negative impact of cyberbullying on minorities, ineffective cyberbullying laws that fail to protect minorities from online harassment and discrimination, the ability to remain anonymous online, and limited access to resources such as mental health services or legal assistance. To mitigate the problem of cyberbullying, the study identifies several strategies that include education and awareness campaigns to promote knowledge about the effects of cyberbullying on minorities. Stronger cyberbullying laws are necessary to ensure effective protection of minorities from online harassment and discrimination. Promoting online civility can go a long way in reducing cyberbullying by encouraging positive interactions and promoting respectful dialogue online. Providing support and resources, such as mental health services, legal assistance, and online support groups, is crucial to assist victims and minimize the long-term negative impact of cyberbullying. Empowering victims by educating them about their rights and providing the necessary tools to deal with cyberbullying is also critical. This research emphasizes the importance of a concerted effort by individuals, communities, governments, and social media platforms to minimize cyberbullying of minorities. By raising awareness, promoting online civility, providing support and resources, and empowering victims, we can work towards creating a safer and more inclusive online environment for everyone

Synergistic Effect Of Natural Antimicrobials Produced From Food On Foodborne Pathogens And Effect Of Meat Production Method On Quality And Shelf Life Of Meat

Meat is highly perishable food since it contains sufficient nutrients needed to support the growth of microorganisms which is effect of nutritional value and spoilage of meat. There are many methods are available to control food pathogens in meat. Using natural antimicrobial may be is a good option because it is provide many benefits. This study showed the synergistic effect of individual and combinations of lactoferrin, lysozyme and nisin in-vitro and in-vivo (in meat) had significant effect (P \u3c 0.05) on reducing the number of foodborne pathogens in meat. Toxigenic Staphylococcus aureus contamination in meat is a major problem in public health due to the production of heat-stable enterotoxins. Also, S.aureus expresses an many array of virulence factors contribute to the ability of S. aureus to cause infection, our results showed that high percentage (42.9) of S. aureus in meat and 80.9 % of S. aureus isolates contained at least one enterotoxin gene. The three most common enterotoxin genes in meat were sea gene (61.9%) followed by seh gene (33.3%) and sei gene (30.1). Some of S. aureus isolates contained more than one enterotoxin gene. In addition, our results indicated that S. aureus isolates from meat showed different antimicrobial resistance levels against fourteen antibiotics. Also, S. aureus multidrug resistant were high in meat. There are different types of meat based on the meat production method. Halal meat is produced without stunning prior to slaughter, resulting in a rapid and complete bleeding of animals. Our results showed that halal meat production method resulted in significantly lower residual heme iron than conventional method with stunning (non-halal method). Microbiological analyses of fresh meat samples showed that halal meat production method had significantly lower (P \u3c 0.05) microbial count than non-halal meat method. Storage of meat is critical because during storage even with proper refrigeration, the meat ultimately undergoes deteriorative changes including microbial spoilage, oxidative changes. Our results indicated that meat production method significantly affects the meat quality not only for fresh meat but also during storage. Microbiological analyses of meat samples during storage for three weeks at 4°C showed that halal meat method had significantly lower (P \u3c 0.05) microbial count than non-halal meat. Physiochemical analyses showed that quality indicators for meat such as lipid oxidation, drip loss, pH, and heme iron content were significantly lower (P \u3c 0.05) in halal meat than non-halal meat during storage. Halal meat processing may be advantageous in reducing bacterial colonization, increasing the usable shelf life, and improving the quality of the fresh and stored meat

Surah Al-Qamar - (study and investigation) - From the Interpretation of Jama`at al-Tibyan in the Interpretation of the Qur'an - Lam'in Al-Din Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al-Iji (d. 905 AH)

The research aims to identify and clarify some of the meanings of the Noble Qur'an through the interpretation of Jami' al-Tibyan, to highlight the sayings of the commentators contained in the interpretation of Surat al-Qamar, to achieve the narratives contained in the interpretation of the surah, and to study them in a manner that facilitates their understanding and knowledge of their meanings. The research methodology required that it include two parts, an introduction and conclusion as well as an index of sources and references. The first section included an introduction to the research, its objectives, reasons for choosing it, hypothetical research questions, a research plan, research and investigation methodology, as well as samples from the two manuscripts (original + b). On the achievement of Surat al-Qamar, according to scientific steps followed by investigators and researchers. In the conclusion, the research deals with the most important results and recommendations, and an index of sources and references. &nbsp;Keywords: Surat Al-Qamar, study and investigation, Al-Tibyan Mosques, Mu'in Al-Din Al-Ij

The Competitiveness of Saudi Pharmaceutical Industry Using Porter 5 Forces Analysis

Pharmaceutical industry is a challenge in both the developed and the developing countries. If a company wants to survive, it should be able to compete well in the domestic and in the international markets. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the competitiveness of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Industry (SPI) using Porter 5 forces analysis. A questionnaire has been designed, distributed and filled up by experts from the Saudi Pharmaceutical Industry. The findings show that SPI has a favorable advantage in terms of bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers and rivalry among competitors. However, it lacks a favorable advantage concerning threat of substitutes and threat of local and global entry. Depending on the literature and the questionnaire findings, a number of strategies were recommended to SPI companies, which can also be adopted by companies in other developing countries. Keywords: Competitiveness, Pharmaceutical industry, Porter five forces, rivalry, bargaining powe

The Effect of Strategic Human Resource Management and Strategy Management on Organizational Performance of UAE Civil Defense

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Strategy Management (ST) on Organizational Performance (OP). Based on a theoretical foundation and a wide review of the literature, the model of the research was proposed. 220 Questionnaires were distributed among random selected sample of Civil Defense departments in the Northern Emirates. 188 questionnaires were returned and used in the analysis using the PLS-SEM. The results of this study demonstrate that Strategic Human Resource Management and Strategy Management have positive and significant effect on Organizational Performance. This study reflects the importance of the right implementation to the Strategic Human Resource Management and Strategy Management to have successful performance. This study also supported the premises of the resource-based view theory by reaffirming the importance of the Strategic Human Resource Management and Strategy Management, as drivers to enhance organizational performance

Synthesis and Design of Novel Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles Relevant to Drug Delivery Vehicles for Biomedical Application

The modification of inorganic nanoparticles with organic polymer chains has become a significant field of study for the engineering of advanced nanocomposite materials. This dissertation presents the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polymer grafted silica nanoparticles as new strategies to combat bacterial resistance. Described herein is the synthesis of monomers that have been graft polymerized onto silica nanoparticles that can be used as a delivery drug vehicle for biomedical applications. The polymerization of these monomers was performed via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The molecular design of the RAFT agents that are attached to the surfaces of the nanoparticles has the main role in controlling the molecular weight and dispersity of the polymer chains grafted to the surface of the nanoparticles. The method of attachment of the RAFT agents additionally controls the surface graft density. The important properties of nanocomposites can be exploited in many different areas, such as biomedical applications. In the first chapter of this work, the overall background of antimicrobial polymers, the functionalization of nanoparticles using RAFT polymerization, and the concept of the modification of silica nanoparticles to afford a bimodal brush system is described. The second chapter focuses on designing a new type of stimulus-responsive polymer that can work as antibiotic-delivery carriers in biomedical applications. We reported pH-responsive “controlled release” polymers that were grafted on silica nanoparticles using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Two monomers 2-((2-(propionyloxy) propanoyl)oxy)ethyl methacrylate (HEMA-LA) and 4-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethoxy)-4-oxobutanoic acid (HEMA-SA), containing hydrolytically sensitive ester linkages were synthesized to functionalize on the surface of silica nanoparticles. The degradation rate was monitored by attaching dyes at the end of these monomers in each repeat unit to study the release rate, thus assessing the use of these monomers as delivery vehicles for anti-bacterial applications. In the following chapter, bimodal polymer chains grafted on the surface of silica nanoparticles was developed via RAFT polymerization to create water-dispersible nanoparticles that have additional advantages as antibiotic-delivery vehicles in biomedical applications. Two different polymer chains populations were attached to silica nanoparticles; the first population is high graft density with low molecular weight, which is a pH-responsive controlled release polymer derived from two possible monomers (HEMA-LA) and (HEMA-SA), both containing a hydrolytically sensitive ester linkage: the second population is a water-dissolvable polymer of methacrylic acid (MAA) at low graft density with high molecular weight. Fluorescent dyes were conjugated to the controlled release polymers to monitor the nanoparticles in biological systems. Finally, in the fourth chapter, we described a new approach using two different RAFT agents, 4-cyano-4-(phenylcarbonothioylthio)pentanoic acid (CPDB), and 4-cyano-4-[(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl)sulfanyl]pentanoic acid (CDSS) to create bimodal polymer brush grafted nanoparticle. These novel bimodal brush silica nanoparticles were designed successfully to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The first population polymer brush is based on two potential “controlled release” monomers 2-((2-((2-hydroxy propanoyl)oxy) propanoyl)oxy) ethyl methacrylate (HEMA-LA), 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl succinate (HEMA-SA) containing a hydrolytically sensitive ester linkage as a high graft density, short brush to work as antibiotic-delivery carriers. However, the second population polymer brush was based on a sugar-containing monomer, 2-methacrylamido glucopyranose (MAG), as a low graft density, long brush to enhance bacterial uptake of nanoparticles

An investigation of the strategic decision making process in SMEs

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Changes in the environment are a major area of concern to any firm in its strategic decision making process (SDMP). SDMP is considered to be an important component in the success of firms in the strategic management literature. This includes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the electronic, telecom and information technology (IT) sector which are subjected to frequent and extremely dynamic environments both internally and externally, unlike many other industries. A lack of prior studies supporting an understanding of the SDMP in SMEs is evident, and coupled with the extremely volatile environmental conditions that compound the problem, makes SMES dealing in electronic, telecom and IT products and services highly vulnerable to closure. An immediate investigation into the SDMP in SMEs is needed and long overdue. This research seeks to address this gap in the knowledge. In order to address the gap this research used synoptic formalism and incrementalism to develop an understanding on how SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector make decisions and what is the nature of these decisions. A Strategic Decision Making Process (SDMP) model was developed based on prior research. Decision magnitude of impact acted as the input to the SDMP, rationality and intuition acted as the process component, and decision process output as the output component. Thus these three concepts acted as the three components of a process (input-process-output) configuration. The model facilitated the development of an understanding of the functioning of decision magnitude of impact as a decision characteristic factor, its relationship to SDMP and process dimensions (rationality in decision making and intuition) as an antecedent (and hence as a predictor) of decision output variables (decision process effectiveness, quality of the decision process output through the mediation of decision dimensions. In line with the need to understand the SDMP in SMEs data were collected from managers of a large number of SMEs belonging to electronic, telecom and IT sector. The territory chosen was the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates) as this region provides a rich source of such SMEs and the environment is highly dynamic. A self-administered questionnaire was developed by adapting previously validated questionnaire scales. Pre-testing and pilot surveys were used to ensure that the contents, format and scales were appropriate. A range of decision makers in those SMEs were targeted. 464 valid questionnaires were returned, representing a response rate of over 50%. The data was coded and analysed using SPSS/AMOS, two widely used statistical software tools. The data analysis steps included reliability and validity testing (Cronbach’s alpha and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, respectively). The entire model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Using SEM it was possible to identify the model, test the parsimonious nature of the model, determine whether the identified model makes theoretical sense and examine the fitness of the model to the data. The predictability of decision process output by decision magnitude of impact was analysed using path analysis as part of the SEM. The research outcome showed that in the electronic, telecommunication and information technology sector, where the environment is dynamic, decision magnitude as an important independent variable influences rationality in decision making directly and decision effectiveness, quality of decision process output and firm commitment indirectly. Rationality in decision making was found act as an important medicating variable in the strategic decision making process. In the same vein it was found that intuition is not affected by decision magnitude of impact. Further, dynamism in the industry and firm performance were also seen to influence decision effectiveness, quality of decision process output and firm commitment although the influence of dynamism in the industry on firm commitment was found to be very low. Thus the main contribution of this research is the development of an understanding of the relationship between decision magnitude of impact as input to the SDMP and hence as predictor of decision process output and the SDMP process output. Furthermore, the research has advanced current knowledge on the influence of rationality in decision making and intuition as mediators between decision magnitude of impact and decision process output variables. These two aspects have been tested in an SME sector that is affected seriously by dynamism in the industry and with varying firm performance as a contextual feature. The comprehensive research outcome can be of benefit to the SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector and support them in overcoming potential vulnerabilities by making strategic decisions whose magnitude of impact on the firms is high and a decision process that is rational. In addition from the point of view of methodology this research has used SEM in understanding the nature and functioning of the model as well as the operationalisation of the variables. The outcome of this research is expected to benefit the SMEs in the electronic, telecom and IT sector in their SDMP and has opened up a new area of research for other researchers and academics