Representing Imprecise Time Intervals in OWL 2

International audienceRepresenting and reasoning on imprecise temporal information is a common requirement in the field of Semantic Web. Many works exist to represent and reason on precise temporal information in OWL; however, to the best of our knowledge, none of these works is devoted to imprecise temporal time intervals. To address this problem, we propose two approaches: a crisp-based approach and a fuzzy-based approach. (1) The first approach uses only crisp standards and tools and is modelled in OWL 2. We extend the 4D-fluents model, with new crisp components, to represent imprecise time intervals and qualitative crisp interval relations. Then, we extend the Allen’s interval algebra to compare imprecise time intervals in a crisp way and inferences are done via a set of SWRL rules. (2) The second approach is based on fuzzy sets theory and fuzzy tools and is modelled in Fuzzy-OWL 2. The 4D-fluents approach is extended, with new fuzzy components, in order to represent imprecise time intervals and qualitative fuzzy interval relations. The Allen’s interval algebra is extended in order to compare imprecise time intervals in a fuzzy gradual personalized way. Inferences are done via a set of Mamdani IF-THEN rules

Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activists of Reamuria vermiculata leaves

The aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical analyses, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Reamuria vermiculata leaves extracts. Organic extracts (methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether) were screened for their biochemical composition as well as antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In fact, Phytochemical screening of Reamuria vermiculata leaves showed the presence of flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, tannins, terpenes, and quinones. Biochemical screening showed that the methanol was the richest extract in phenolic and tanins with 179.68 mg GAE/ g and 56.25 mg CE/g, respectively. The analysis of DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS showed an important scavenging with ethyl acetate extract with IC50 of 0.0012mg/mL, and 0.0006mg/mL respectively. As well as, the methanol extract exhibited an antimicrobial property against bacterial strains. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium were the most sensitive strains with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.3125 mg/mL. These results allow us to propose that Reamuria vermiculata is an excellent source for bioactive molecules exhibiting interesting biological capacities

In vitro antileishmanial and cytotoxicity activities of essential oils from Haplophyllum tuberculatum A. Juss leaves, stems and aerial parts

Background: Plants used for traditional medicine produce diverse and complex secondary metabolites exhibiting various medicinal properties. The medicinal plant Haplophyllum tuberculatum is used by native people against malaria and parasitic infections. Methods: In this study and in order to contribute for the search of new natural drugs for leishmaniasis, the essential oils of H. tuberculatum leaves, stems and aerial parts (leaves+stems) collected in two different periods, 2013 and 2015, and their components by GC/FID and GC/MS analyses were investigated. Those collected in 2013 were also re-analyzed two years later. The extracted oils were screened in vitro for anti-leishmanial activity on Leishmania mexicana mexicana (L.m.m.) promastigotes and cytotoxicity on the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line. Limonene (1.5 – 8%), its isomers (R- (+)-limonene and S-(-)-limonene), linalool and octanol were also tested. Results: Results showed that the chemical composition varied according to the year of collection. Though major compounds remain almost the same, qualitative and quantitative variations in the composition of the EOs can be observed between the two years of collection, with some minor compounds identified only in one type of samples. Variation in the composition were also observed in the re-analyzed volatile oils, showing stability concerns. The essential oils and R-(+)-limonene showed moderate anti-leishmanial activity. Their IC50 range from 6.48 to 50.28 μg/ml. Cytotoxicity assays for theses volatile extracts, R- (+)-limonene and S- (-)-limonene on CHO cells showed relatively potent cytotoxicity with a selectivity index <10. Their CC50 range from 27.79 to 82.56 μg/ml. Conclusions: The findings of the present study demonstrated that H. tuberculatum might not be considered as a natural source for production of new anti-leishmanial agents without further analyzing its eventual in vivo toxicity as well as that of major pure compounds

Chemical Composition and the Anticancer, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Properties of Acacia Honey from the Hail Region: The in vitro and in silico Investigation

In consideration of the emergence of novel drug-resistant microbial strains and the increase in the incidences of various cancers throughout the world, honey could be utilized as a great alternative source of potent bioactive compounds. In this context, this study pioneers in reporting the phytochemical profiling and the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties of Acacia honey (AH) from the Hail region of Saudi Arabia, assessed using in vitro and molecular docking approaches. The phytochemical profiling based on high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR-LCMS) revealed eight compounds and three small peptide-like proteins as the constituents. The honey samples exhibited promising antioxidant activities (DPPH-IC50 = 0.670 mg/mL; ABTS-IC50 = 1.056 mg/mL; β-carotene-IC50 > 5 mg/mL). In the well-diffusion assay, a high mean growth inhibition zone (mGIZ) was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (48.33 ± 1.53 mm), Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 (38.33 ± 1.53 mm), and Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (39.33 ± 1.15 mm). The microdilution assay revealed that low concentrations of AH could inhibit the growth of almost all the evaluated bacterial and fungal strains, with the minimal bactericidal concentration values (MBCs) ranging from 75 mg/mL to 300 mg/mL. On the contrary, high AH concentrations were required to kill the tested microorganisms, with the minimal bactericidal concentration values (MBCs) ranging from approximately 300 mg/mL to over 600 mg/mL and the minimal fungicidal concentration values (MFCs) of approximately 600 mg/mL. The AH exhibited effective anticancer activity in a dose-dependent manner against breast (MCF-7), colon (HCT-116), and lung (A549) cancer cell lines, with the corresponding IC50 values of 5.053 μg/mL, 5.382 μg/mL, and 6.728 μg/mL, respectively. The in silico investigation revealed that the observed antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of the constituent compounds of AH are thermodynamically feasible, particularly those of the tripeptides (Asp-Trp-His and Trp-Arg-Ala) and aminocyclitol glycoside. The overall results highlighted the potential of AH as a source of bioactive compounds with significant antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities, which could imply further pharmacological applications of AH

Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activists of Reamuria vermiculata leaves

The aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical analyses, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Reamuria vermiculata leaves extracts. Organic extracts (methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether) were screened for their biochemical composition as well as antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In fact, Phytochemical screening of Reamuria vermiculata leaves showed the presence of flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, tannins, terpenes, and quinones. Biochemical screening showed that the methanol was the richest extract in phenolic and tanins with 179.68 mg GAE/ g and 56.25 mg CE/g, respectively. The analysis of DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS showed an important scavenging with ethyl acetate extract with IC50 of 0.0012mg/mL, and 0.0006mg/mL respectively. As well as, the methanol extract exhibited an antimicrobial property against bacterial strains. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium were the most sensitive strains with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.3125 mg/mL. These results allow us to propose that Reamuria vermiculata is an excellent source for bioactive molecules exhibiting interesting biological capacities

Phytotoxic activities of essential oils and hydrosols of Haplophyllum tuberculatum

Phytotoxic properties of plants and their compounds against other plants or seeds are being increasingly reported. Moreover, essential oils may provide a new source of phytotoxic agents with possibly novel mechanisms of action. The aim of this study is to determine the chemical composition of the leaves, stems and leaves + stems essential oils by GC/MS and to assess their phytotoxic activities extracted from Haplophyllum tuberculatum A. Juss. (Forssk) as well as of the aromatic water obtained from these parts and of the roots. The phytotoxic activities of the essential oils and hydrosols were evaluated against Triticum aestivum L. and Raphanus sativus L. seeds. The GC–MS analysis revealed the presence of limonene, cis-p-menth-2-en-1-ol, trans-p-menth-2-en-1-ol, cis-piperitol, trans-piperitol, 1-octyl acetate, piperitone and isobornyl acetate as major compounds. Phytotoxic results showed that the assayed stems essential oils were active on the roots inhibition (IC50 = 1.09 mg/mL) for wheat. Leaves + stems essential oils had a significant activity against the tested seeds with IC50 ranged from 0.70 to 1.46 mg/mL for radical and epicotyls/coleoptiles percentage inhibition against T. aestivum L. and R. sativus L. While the hydrosols of leaves, stems and leaves + stems inhibited seeds germination at a higher concentration. The essential oils of this plants cannot be used as biologic herbicide with these cultivated plants

Nanoscale characterization of chitosan hydrogels mechanical properties by AFM

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Phytochemical Composition, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities of Sidr Honey: In Vitro and In Silico Computational Investigation

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. The repercussions of conventional therapeutic approaches present a challenge in the delivery of new effective treatments. Thus, more attention is being awarded to natural products, mainly honey. Honey could be the basis for the development of new therapies for cancer patients. The aim of this study is to assess the phytochemical profiling, antioxidant, drug-likeness properties, and anticancer activity of Ziziphus honey (ZH) derived from the Hail region of Saudi Arabia. The phytochemical profiling using high resolution-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HR-LCMS) revealed 10 compounds belonging to several familial classes and one tripeptide. Potential antioxidant activity was noted as assessed by DPPH (IC50 0.670 mg/mL), ABTS (IC50 3.554 mg/mL), and β-carotene (IC50 > 5 mg/mL). The ZH exerted a notable cytotoxic effect in a dose-dependent manner against three cancer cell lines: lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), and colon (HCT-116), with respective IC50 values of 5.203%, 6.02%, and 7.257%. The drug-likeness investigation unveiled that most of the identified compounds meet Lipinski’s rule. The molecular docking analysis revealed interesting antioxidant and anticancer activities for most targeted proteins and supported the in vitro findings. The Miraxanthin-III compound exhibited the most stabilized interaction. This study provides deeper insights on ZH as prominent source of bioactive compounds with potent antioxidant and anticancer effects

Briser le silence. Dire la douleur. Engagement et écriture : quelques réflexions à partir de "Puisque mon coeur est mort".

L'écriture de Maïssa Bey se révèle comme une exigence coercitive et libératrice. Souffrance et plaisir. Écrire signifierait affranchir la peur et l'incertitude du silence tout en allant vers cette quête inlassable de l'être humain vers une main tendue et un sentiment de fraternité à recréer. Écrire serait donc mettre au centre la question de l’engagement : ainsi l'écriture se ferait voix de ce silence. C'est à travers l'analyse d'une écriture féminine de l'engament que nous nous proposons d'analyser Puisque mon coeur est mort. Dans ce texte les rapports sont vécus et analysés par une femme, par le biais d'une écriture au féminin qui joue sur un sentiment commun aux femmes, à toutes les femmes. La douleur d'Aida est la même douleur qu'éprouve, à n'importe quelle latitude, une femme à qui on aurait tué son fils. C'est une douleur universelle. Aida est une femme comme les autres, de celles que l'on pourrait rencontrer dans la rue. Divorcée, elle travaille et elle vit avec son fils, âgé de vingt ans, étudiant en médecine. Jusqu'à ce que ce fils ne soit pas tué. Ce deuil prématuré transforme Aida en femme solitaire et rebelle. Dans son journal, jour après jour, elle commence un dialogue avec son fils : les souvenirs, les secrets et le sentiment de vengeance qui nait. Une écriture lucide et poignante accompagne la réflexion sur la haine, sur le pardon, la soumission, le ressentiment devant le sacrifice de la jeunesse, l'instrumentalisation de la religion. C'est alors que la violence engendre une femme nouvelle qui revendique son droit à la subjectivité. Et le refus de se conformer. Face à l'injustice du sacrifice du fils, la haine et la violence entrent en scène. Néanmoins ce qui reste une fois le livre fermé c'est une sensation d'inquiétude, d'angoisse mais jamais de haine, jamais d'intolérance. C'est l'angoisse d'une mère qui n'est pas arrivée à protéger son enfant, qui n'est pas arrivée à comprendre – ni à apercevoir – ce qui allait arriver. C'est toujours la douleur d'une mère. Puisque mon coeur est mort est un texte très dur. Cela ne saurait être autrement. Mais il y a aussi une forme de sérénité qui se dégage de l'écriture, c'est la sérénité profonde de l'auteure. Une sérénité qui nait, sans doute, de la conscience de la nécessité de l'écriture. Pour Maïssa Bey écrire est une urgence, c'est l'urgence de donner voix aux paroles, de rompre le(s) silence(s). Et cela avec une force dévastatrice et en même temps très mesuré. Sans jamais tomber dans le pathétique, sans aucune rhétorique. Jamais un mot de trop, jamais une bavure. De ces mots mesurés, soupesés, les mots de chaque jour et pourtant jamais usés, se dégage un sentiment très fort d'authenticité qui conquiert le lecteur, le touche et le transporte dans ce monde. Tout en maintenant constante la dignité de l'écriture