Using Web services choreography to support an extensible and flexible system development process

Systems Engineering (SE) controls a complex environment consisting of various collaborative subsystems. Each subsystem demands different kind of requirements and follows a specific strategy for its development process. Unifying and harmonizing the development process of all collaborative subsystems towards achieving the ultimate integrated system is one of the main challenges of SE. This work introduces a new approach towards having a generic SE unified process applicable to various environments. We suggest a service-oriented framework for SE process implemented using Web Services, and describe the process scenario in a machine-friendly abstract layer over the Development Process. This description layer choreographs collaborative subsystems and is implemented by a Web Services Choreography Description Language (WSCDL). It also covers Interface Management concerns of SE. In such an environment, as long as all services follow a unique framework for the SE process such as the one specified by the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), each phase of the process would then be an anonymous service implemented by a different vendor. As the result, an organization could easily customize its own specific development environment by editing this choreography layer according to its specific development policies, and then tailor its own desired development environment by choosing and integrating various services available on the Web. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0351. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006

An exclusive fluoride receptor: fluoride-induced proton transfer to a quinoline-based thiourea

A new quinoline-based tripodal thiourea has been synthesized, which exclusively binds fluoride anion in DMSO, showing no affinity for other anions including, chloride, bromide, iodide, perchlorate, nitrate and hydrogen sulfate. As investigated by 1H NMR, the receptor forms both 1:1 and 1:2 complex yielding the binding constants of 2.32(3) (in log β1 ) and 4.39(4) (in log β2 ), respectively; where quinoline groups are protonated by the fluoride-induced proton transfer from the solution to the host molecule. The 1:2 binding is due to the interactions of one fluoride with NH binding sites of urea sites and another fluoride with secondary +NH binding sites within the tripodal pocket. The formation of both 1:1 and 1:2 complexes has been confirmed by the theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT)

Anion Complexation Studies of 3‑Nitrophenyl-Substituted Tripodal Thiourea Receptor: A Naked-Eye Detection of Sulfate via Fluoride Displacement Assay

A thiourea-based tripodal receptor <b>L</b> substituted with 3-nitrophenyl groups has been synthesized, and the binding affinity for a variety of anions has been studied by ¹H NMR titrations and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy experiments in dimethyl sulfoxide-<i>d</i>₆. As investigated by ¹H NMR titrations, the receptor binds an anion in a 1:1 binding mode, showing the highest binding and strong selectivity for sulfate anion. A competitive colorimetric assay in the presence of fluoride suggests that the sulfate is capable of displacing the bound fluoride, showing a sharp visible color change. The strong affinity of <b>L</b> for sulfate was further supported by UV–vis titrations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Time-dependent DFT calculations indicate that the fluoride complex possesses a different optical absorption spectrum (due to charge transfer between the fluoride and the surrounding ligand) than the sulfate complex, reflecting the observed colorimetric change in these two complexes. The receptor was further tested for its biocompatibility on primary human foreskin fibroblasts and HeLa cells, exhibiting an excellent cell viability up to 100 μM concentration

Anion Complexation Studies of 3‑Nitrophenyl-Substituted Tripodal Thiourea Receptor: A Naked-Eye Detection of Sulfate via Fluoride Displacement Assay

A thiourea-based tripodal receptor <b>L</b> substituted with 3-nitrophenyl groups has been synthesized, and the binding affinity for a variety of anions has been studied by ¹H NMR titrations and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy experiments in dimethyl sulfoxide-<i>d</i>₆. As investigated by ¹H NMR titrations, the receptor binds an anion in a 1:1 binding mode, showing the highest binding and strong selectivity for sulfate anion. A competitive colorimetric assay in the presence of fluoride suggests that the sulfate is capable of displacing the bound fluoride, showing a sharp visible color change. The strong affinity of <b>L</b> for sulfate was further supported by UV–vis titrations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Time-dependent DFT calculations indicate that the fluoride complex possesses a different optical absorption spectrum (due to charge transfer between the fluoride and the surrounding ligand) than the sulfate complex, reflecting the observed colorimetric change in these two complexes. The receptor was further tested for its biocompatibility on primary human foreskin fibroblasts and HeLa cells, exhibiting an excellent cell viability up to 100 μM concentration

Blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors by tivozanib has potential anti-tumour effects on human glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most fatal human malignancies due to its high angiogenic and infiltrative capacities. Even with optimal therapy including surgery, radiotherapy and temozolomide, it is essentially incurable. GBM is among the most neovascularised neoplasms and its malignant progression associates with striking neovascularisation, evidenced by vasoproliferation and endothelial cell hyperplasia. Targeting the pro-angiogenic pathways is therefore a promising anti-glioma strategy. Here we show that tivozanib, a pan-inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, inhibited proliferation of GBM cells through a G2/M cell cycle arrest via inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) signalling pathway and down-modulation of Aurora kinases A and B, cyclin B1 and CDC25C. Moreover, tivozanib decreased adhesive potential of these cells through reduction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Tivozanib diminished GBM cell invasion through impairing the proteolytic cascade of cathepsin B/urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)/matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Combination of tivozanib with EGFR small molecule inhibitor gefitinib synergistically increased sensitivity to gefitinib. Altogether, these findings suggest that VEGFR blockade by tivozanib has potential anti-glioma effects in vitro. Further in vivo studies are warranted to explore the anti-tumour activity of tivozanib in combinatorial approaches in GBM