Optimal Conditions for Electrodeposition of Copper (II) in Presence of Alizarin Red’s by Physicochemical Methods

The comprehensive physical properties of the aqueous  solutions of (alizarin red S - copper(II) chloride) were studied in this research with fixing the conditions (pH – concentration – temperature), then the optimal conditions for the formation of the complex Copper(II) – Alizarin Red S (ARS – Cu II) were appointed by several ways: (the pH measurement method - electrical conductivity measurement method – UV/Vis spectral method), and then the stoichiometry of the reaction of the complex formation was determined by three reference methods. It found that the complex formed when each concentrations greater than a certain limit (10-5 M). In addition, the complex could formed at higher concentrations by adjusting the (pH) at a suitable value (4.2 → 5.8). Finally, the complex remains stable with the time keeping at suitable conditions (a way from the sun light and a way from a high temperature). Also, the electrodeposition of copper(II) was studied to determine the appropriate operating conditions and the thicknesses of the coating layer. It was obtained a good properties (brightness - surface covering: distribution of atoms - thickness ....... etc.). of deposit without using of any other additives by applying the conditions (pH = 5, i = 2 mA/cm2, t = 5 min, C = 0.1 M  d = 1.756×10-5 cm). Keywords: Alizarin red S - (ARS – Cu II) complex - electrodeposition of Cu (II)

Studying the Optimum Reaction Conditions for Organic Esterification of Glycerol to Benzoic Acid and Some Devices by Using Ecofriendly Media

The organic esterification reaction of some aromatic carboxylic acids and glycerol in the absence of organic solvents to obtain some α-mono aromate glycerol have been studied. The optimum reaction conditions were determined by esterification of glycerol and benzoic acid to produce α-mono benzoate glycerol (α-MBG). The optimal condition (catalysts and solvents) to get a high selective compounds and high yields have been studied. When use of heterogeneous catalyst (Amberlyst-15) and excess of glycerol (eight time) which plays as a reactive and solvent getting a required selectivity and high yield (about70%) in comparison to the homogeneous catalysts (H2SO4, CH3SO3H), in addition to the low selectivity of the final product. The reaction followed by using thin layer chromatography (T.L.C), the molecular structures have determinate by spectroscopy methods :FT-IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR. Keywords: Glycerol, Benzoic Acid, Esterification Reaction, Amberlyst-15, Ecofriendly Media

A general framework for hepatic iron overload quantification using MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been considered for the quantification of iron overload in the liver. Iron overload was found to correlate with T2* measurement using T2* weighted images. In this work, we address the problem of iron overload estimation in the liver using MRI. We propose a general framework for all liver models proposed in the literature. The iron overload estimation task is then formulated as a minimization problem, and suitable regularization functions are assigned to the unknown model parameters. Subsequently, an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is used to estimate these unknown parameters. Three different models are derived, tested and compared; namely the single exponential (SEXP), the bi-exponential (BiEXP), and the exponential plus constant (CEXP). Simulations conducted using synthetic datasets indicate good correlation between estimated and ground truth T2* for all models. Moreover, the algorithms are evaluated using MRI scans of nine patients of different iron concentrations, using a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. The estimated T2* values of the proposed approaches are found to correlate with those obtained by the MRI scanner console. Moreover, the proposed approaches outperform several existing methods in the literature for iron overload estimation

Eco-friendly Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives via Pechmann Condensation Using Heterogeneous Catalysis

A coumarin derivatives has been synthesized via Pechmann condensation naphthol with a β-ketoester using Amberlyst-15 as a green and efficient catalyst.The optimal conditions are: molar ration of reagents (1:1), Amberlyst-15 (10mol.%, 0.2 g) at 110°C for 150min. in solvent-free conditions. The recyclability of amberlyst 15 adds an advantage to the studied reaction.These coumarins derivatives have biological activity and momentousness in the industrial fields Keywords: Coumarins, Phenols, β-Ketoesters, Pechmann Reaction,  Amberlyst-1

Effect of non-cross-linked calcium on characteristics, swelling, drug release and mucoadhesion of calcium alginate beads

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Characterization and comprehensive genome analysis of novel bacteriophage, vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p, with lytic and anti-biofilm potential against clinical multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

IntroductionThe rise of infections by antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens is alarming. Among these, Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of death by hospital-acquired infections, and its multidrug-resistant strains are flagged as a global threat to human health, which necessitates finding novel antibiotics or alternative therapies. One promising therapeutic alternative is the use of virulent bacteriophages, which specifically target bacteria and coevolve with them to overcome potential resistance. Here, we aimed to discover specific bacteriophages with therapeutic potential against multiresistant K. pneumoniae clinical isolates.Methods and ResultsOut of six bacteriophages that we isolated from urban and medical sewage, phage vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p had the broadest host range and was thus characterized in detail. Transmission electron microscopy suggests vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p to be a tailed phage of the siphoviral morphotype. In vitro evaluation indicated a high lytic efficiency (30 min latent period and burst size of ∼100 PFU/cell), and extended stability at temperatures up to 70°C and a wide range of (2-12) pH. Additionally, phage vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p possesses antibiofilm activity that was evaluated by the crystal violet assay and was not cytotoxic to human skin fibroblasts. The whole genome was sequenced and annotated, uncovering one tRNA gene and 33 genes encoding proteins with assigned functions out of 85 predicted genes. Furthermore, comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis suggest that vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p most likely represents a new species, but belongs to the same genus as Klebsiella phages ZCKP8 and 6691. Comprehensive genomic and bioinformatics analyses substantiate the safety of the phage and its strictly lytic lifestyle.ConclusionPhage vB_Kpn_ZCKp20p is a novel phage with potential to be used against biofilm-forming K. pneumoniae and could be a promising source for antibacterial and antibiofilm products, which will be individually studied experimentally in future studies

Overcoming Resistance to Combination Radiation-Immunotherapy: A Focus on Contributing Pathways Within the Tumor Microenvironment

Radiation therapy has been used for many years to treat tumors based on its DNA-damage-mediated ability to kill cells. More recently, RT has been shown to exert beneficial modulatory effects on immune responses, such as triggering immunogenic cell death, enhancing antigen presentation, and activating cytotoxic T cells. Consequently, combining radiation therapy with immunotherapy represents an important area of research. Thus far, immune-checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) have been the focus of many research studies and clinical trials. The available data suggest that such immunotherapies are enhanced when combined with radiation therapy. However, treatment resistance, intrinsic or acquired, is still prevalent. Various theories as to how to enhance these combination therapies to overcome treatment resistance have been proposed. In this review, we focus on the principles surrounding radiation therapy's positive and negative effects on the tumor microenvironment. We explore mechanisms underlying radiation therapy's synergistic and antagonistic effects on immune responses and provide a base of knowledge for radio-immunology combination therapies to overcome treatment resistance. We provide evidence for targeting regulatory T cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and cancer-associated fibroblasts in combination radio-immunotherapies to improve cancer treatment

Three dimensional kinematics of upper limb anatomical movements in asymptomatic adults: Dominant vs.non-dominant

The effect of dominance on upper limb (UL) kinematics has only been studied on scapular movements. Moreover, when an anatomical UL movement is performed in a specific plane, secondary movements in the remaining planes involuntarily occur. These secondary movements have not been previously evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare the kinematics of primary and secondary angles of dominant and non-dominant UL during anatomical movements in asymptomatic adults. 25 asymptomatic adults performed 6 anatomical movements bilaterally: shoulder flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, horizontal abduction-adduction, internal-external rotation, elbow flexion-extension and wrist pronation-supination. Kinematics of the dominant and non-dominant UL were compared by their ranges of motion (ROM) and their angular waveforms (Coefficient of Multiple Correlations, CMC). The comparison between dominant and non-dominant UL kinematics showed different strategies of movement, most notably during elbow flexion-extension (CMC = 0.29): the dominant UL exhibited more pronation at maximal elbow flexion. Significant secondary angles were found on most of the UL anatomical movements; e.g. a secondary ROM of shoulder (humero-thoracic) external-internal rotation (69° ± 16°) was found when the subject intended to perform maximal shoulder abduction-adduction (119° ± 21°). Bias of dominance should be considered when comparing pathological limb to the controlateral one. Normative values of primary and secondary angles during anatomical movements could be used as a reference for future studies on UL of subjects with neurological or orthopedic pathologies.This study was sponsored by the research council of the University of Saint-Joseph under the Grant number IPHY

Potential use of the Maillard reaction for pharmaceutical applications : gastric and intestinal controlled release alginate-albumin beads

In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and alginate (ALG) conjugates were synthesized by the Maillard reaction in order to evaluate their potential to develop controlled release drug delivery systems. The progress of the Maillard reaction was evidenced using ultraviolet (UV) absorbance, determination of BSA remaining free amino groups, and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). BSA-ALG conjugates possessed enhanced and tunable viscosity, foamability and foam stability. Foam generated from BSA-ALG conjugate solution was used to prepare floating gastroretentive calcium ALG beads. Unlike traditional ALG beads, BSA-ALG foam beads were able to float and sustain the ciprofloxacin (CIP) release in gastric medium. Interestingly, intestinal beads made of ALG, BSA-ALG physical mixture and BSA-ALG conjugate resulted in different release rates and orders of indomethacin (IND) in simulated intestinal fluids; while beads based on a physical mixture of BSA-ALG resulted in a first order sustained release profile, both systems based on ALG and BSA-ALG conjugate displayed zero order sustained release profiles with IND being released at a slower rate from the conjugate bead

Alterations of 3D acetabular and lower limb parameters in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Purpose: To evaluate the 3D deformity of the acetabula and lower limbs in subjects with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and their relationship with spino-pelvic alignment. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-four subjects with AIS (frontal Cobb: 33.5° ± 18° [10°-110°]) and 84 controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent full-body biplanar X-rays with subsequent 3D reconstructions. Classic spino-pelvic and lower limb parameters were collected as well as acetabular parameters: acetabular orientation in the 3 planes (tilt, anteversion and abduction), center-edge angle (CEA) and anterior and posterior sector angles. Subjects with AIS were represented by both lower limb sides and classified by elevated (ES) or lowered (LS), depending on the frontal pelvic obliquity. Parameters were then compared between groups. Determinants of acetabular and lower limb alterations were investigated among spino-pelvic parameters. Results: Acetabular abduction was higher on the ES in AIS (59.2° ± 6°) when compared to both LS (55.6° ± 6°) and controls (57.5° ± 3.9°, p < 0.001). CEA and acetabular anteversion were higher on the LS in AIS (32° ± 6.1°, 20.5° ± 5.7°) when compared to both ES (28.7° ± 5.1°, 19.8° ± 5.1°) and controls (29.8° ± 4.8°, 19.1° ± 4°, respectively, p < 0.001). Anterior sector angle was lower on both ES and LS in AIS when compared to controls. CEA, acetabular abduction and acetabular anteversion were found to be mostly determined (adjusted R2: 0.08-0.32) by pelvic tilt and less by frontal pelvic obliquity, frontal Cobb and T1T12. Conclusions: Subjects with AIS had a more abducted acetabulum at the lowered side, more anteverted acetabulum and a lack of anterior coverage of both acetabula. These alterations were strongly related to pelvic tilt.This study was funded by the University of Saint-Joseph (Grant No. FM300)