Ballistic Protection of Military Shelters from Mortar Fragmentation and Blast Effects using a Multi layer Structure

In addition to its usage as a top attack ammunition in the battle field against troops, 120 mm mortar bomblethas been recently used in the terror attacks against military shelters and civil constructions. This research studiesthe protection of vehicle and personnel military shelters against mortar fragmentation warhead projectile and it’sdestroying effects. The mortar warhead threat combines both blast load and ballistic fragment penetration effects. Composite structure layers are proposed herein to be integrated with concertina walls to achieve full protection against the mortar projectile destroying effects. The current paper investigates the ability of the proposed layers to stop the mortar’s fragments and to mitigate its blast load. The velocity and the mass distribution of the produced projectile fragments were estimated using Split-X software. Besides, the ability of the proposed protection layers to stop the fragments and mitigate the blast wave was evaluated using AUTODYN hydrocode. A static firing test was then performed to validate the theoretical results and verify the effectiveness of the proposed protection added layers. The current study showed that the proposed composite layers are sufficient to protect the military shelters from the mortar’s destroying ballistic effects

Cargo adaptors regulate stepping and force generation of mammalian dynein-dynactin.

Cytoplasmic dynein is an ATP-driven motor that transports intracellular cargos along microtubules. Dynein adopts an inactive conformation when not attached to a cargo, and motility is activated when dynein assembles with dynactin and a cargo adaptor. It was unclear how active dynein-dynactin complexes step along microtubules and transport cargos under tension. Using single-molecule imaging, we showed that dynein-dynactin advances by taking 8 to 32-nm steps toward the microtubule minus end with frequent sideways and backward steps. Multiple dyneins collectively bear a large amount of tension because the backward stepping rate of dynein is insensitive to load. Recruitment of two dyneins to dynactin increases the force generation and the likelihood of winning against kinesin in a tug-of-war but does not directly affect velocity. Instead, velocity is determined by cargo adaptors and tail-tail interactions between two closely packed dyneins. Our results show that cargo adaptors modulate dynein motility and force generation for a wide range of cellular functions

Clinical Assessment of the Efficiency of Low Level Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa of uncertain etiology.AIM: To evaluate the effect of using low level laser therapy (LLLT (970 nm Siro laser Advance) for the treatment of symptomatic (OLP).SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The present study was conducted on ten patients suffering from persistent oral lichen planus (OLP).Patients were treated with diode laser (970nm) for the symptomatic relief of pain and burning sensation. The patients were assessed before, during and after the completion of the laser treatment which was done twice weekly for two successive months with maximum of ten sessions. The assessment was performed using visual analogue scale (VAS) and clinical investigation for each patient.RESULTS: Detailed significant reduction in lesion size and showed complete remission of burning sensation and pain. No reported complications or therapy side effects were observed in any of the treated patients.CONCLUSION: Diode laser therapy seems to be an effective adjunctive treatment modality for relieving pain and clinical symptoms of OLP

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

C-Abl inhibition; a novel therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most prevalent movement disorder in the world. The major pathological hallmarks of PD are death of dopaminergic neurons and the formation of Lewy bodies. At the moment, there is no cure for PD; current treatments are symptomatic. Investigators are searching for neuroprotective agents and disease modifying strategies to slow the progress of PD. However, recently, due to the ignorance of the main pathological sequence of PD, many drug targets failed to provide neuroprotective effects in human trials. Currently, a huge amount of evidence suggests the involvement of C-Abelson (c-Abl) tyrosine kinase enzyme in the pathology of PD. C-abl plays a role in PD pathology on the levels of parkin activation, alpha synuclein aggregation, and impaired autophagy of toxic elements. Experimental studies showed that (1) c-abl activation is involved in neuronal death and (2) c-abl inhibition shows neuroprotective effects and prevents dopaminergic neurons’ death. Current evidence from experimental studies and the first in-human trial shows that c-abl inhibition holds the promise for neuroprotection against PD and therefore, justifies the movement towards larger clinical trials. In this review article, we discussed the role of c-abl in PD pathology and the findings of preclinical experiments and the first in-human trial. In addition, based on the lessons of the last decade and current preclinical evidence, we provide recommendations for future research in this area

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

Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea.

The deep-sea brines of the Red Sea are remote and unexplored environments characterized by high temperatures, anoxic water, and elevated concentrations of salt and heavy metals. This environment provides a rare system to study the interplay between halophilic and thermophilic adaptation in biologic macromolecules. The present article reports the first DNA polymerase with halophilic and thermophilic features. Biochemical and structural analysis by Raman and circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the charge distribution on the protein's surface mediates the structural balance between stability for thermal adaptation and flexibility for counteracting the salt-induced rigid and nonfunctional hydrophobic packing. Salt bridge interactions via increased negative and positive charges contribute to structural stability. Salt tolerance, conversely, is mediated by a dynamic structure that becomes more fixed and functional with increasing salt concentration. We propose that repulsive forces among excess negative charges, in addition to a high percentage of negatively charged random coils, mediate this structural dynamism. This knowledge enabled us to engineer a halophilic version of Thermococcus kodakarensis DNA polymerase.-Takahashi, M., Takahashi, E., Joudeh, L. I., Marini, M., Das, G., Elshenawy, M. M., Akal, A., Sakashita, K., Alam, I., Tehseen, M., Sobhy, M. A., Stingl, U., Merzaban, J. S., Di Fabrizio, E., Hamdan, S. M. Dynamic structure mediates halophilic adaptation of a DNA polymerase from the deep-sea brines of the Red Sea

Two mechanisms coordinate replication termination by the Escherichia coli Tus-Ter complex

The Escherichia coli replication terminator protein (Tus) binds to Ter sequences to block replication forks approaching from one direction. Here, we used single molecule and transient state kinetics to study responses of the heterologous phage T7 replisome to the Tus-Ter complex. The T7 replisome was arrested at the non-permissive end of Tus-Ter in a manner that is explained by a composite mousetrap and dynamic clamp model. An unpaired C(6) that forms a lock by binding into the cytosine binding pocket of Tus was most effective in arresting the replisome and mutation of C(6) removed the barrier. Isolated helicase was also blocked at the non-permissive end, but unexpectedly the isolated polymerase was not, unless C(6) was unpaired. Instead, the polymerase was blocked at the permissive end. This indicates that the Tus-Ter mechanism is sensitive to the translocation polarity of the DNA motor. The polymerase tracking along the template strand traps the C(6) to prevent lock formation; the helicase tracking along the other strand traps the complementary G(6) to aid lock formation. Our results are consistent with the model where strand separation by the helicase unpairs the GC(6) base pair and triggers lock formation immediately before the polymerase can sequester the C(6) base