Synthesis, Crystal structure, DFT calculations and antimicrobial activity of 4-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydro-pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylic acid diethyl ester

The title compound was synthesized and confirmed by FT-IR, 1H, 13C NMR analysis. The molecular structure of the compound was precisely determined by Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction (SC-XRD) analysis. The crystalized compound shows P21/C & monoclinic crystal system with cell parameters a = 9.7768 (5), b = 7.4005(3) and c = 24.8099 (12), β=93.734(2)°.The structural and electronic properties of the compound were carried out by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The compound exhibited H-bonding between N1-H1A-O1 with bond distance 2.98(7) A°).The energy gap Egap 4.53eV and Egap= 4.34eV for crystal and DFT method respectively. The molecular orbitals energies were studied through Highest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) analysis. The softness and hardness of the molecule was studied through Global Chemical Reactivity Descriptors (GCRD). The electrophilic and nucleophilic characters were studied through Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) studies. The antimicrobial studies were carried out by in-vitro method against 6 microorganisms

The impact of direct‐acting antiviral agents on liver and kidney transplant costs and outcomes

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146297/1/ajt14895_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146297/2/ajt14895.pd

Management and outcomes of unilateral group d tumors in retinoblastoma

Purpose: Retinoblastoma presents most commonly as advanced unilateral disease, particularly in developing countries for which primary enucleation has been the preferred method of treatment. However, with the evolution of newer treatment modalities including intravitreal chemotherapy, intra-arterial chemotherapy and newer chemotherapeutic combinations, a trend towards more conservative approaches is being observed. Our aim is to evaluate outcomes of group D eyes following conservative and non-conservative treatment options. Patients and Methods: The ocular oncology database was used to identify eyes with unilateral retinoblastoma that fulfilled the International Intraocular Retinoblastoma Classification (IIRC) group D criteria from August 2010 to August 2018 and these were retrospectively reviewed. Overall, 39 eyes were identified. Results: Nineteen (49%) eyes underwent primary enucleation and 20 (51%) received eyeconserving treatment. Eye salvage was possible in 15 (75%) eyes in the attempted salvage group. None of the patient revealed signs of metastasis. All eyes received conventional chemotherapy (carboplatin, vincristine, etoposide) and focal laser therapy. Additional treatment modalities offered included intravitreal chemotherapy, intra-arterial chemotherapy and topotecan. Three (11%) eyes in the primary enucleation group showed high-risk features on histopathology and none developed metastasis. Conclusion: The results of the study seem promising and conservative measures can be adopted in selected unilateral group D eyes

Delayed intravitreal anti-vegf therapy for patients during the covid-19 lockdown: An ethical endeavor

Purpose: To assess the impact of Jordanian’s Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) lockdown on visual acuity and macular thickness in patients with macular edema receiving intravitreal injections, and to assess the ethical endeavor of lockdown among serious sight threatening conditions. Patients and Methods: This retrospective observational study included patients planned for intravitreal injections who did not complete the planned course before the lockdown (ie, before 20th of March 2020). Data included demographics, indication for the intravitreal injection, corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and central macular thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) before and after the lockdown. Results: One-hundred and sixty-six eyes of 125 patients were studied, 68 (54.4%) patients were males, and the mean (± standard deviation, SD) age was 64.79 (±9.41) years. Mean (±SD) duration of delay in the planned injection was 60.97 (±24.35) days. The change in visual acuity was statistically significant for patients with diabetic macular edema (p= 0.045 improvement), patients with central retinal vein thrombosis (CRVO) (p= 0.05 deterioration), and patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (p= 0.005 deterioration). Of interest, delay of more than 2 months and the previous need for 3 or more injections were significant poor prognostic factors for visual outcome for patients with diabetic macular edema (p=0.027 and 0.045). Conclusion: The impact of delay in the scheduled intravitreal injections resulted in variable outcomes depending on the indication. Triaging the urgency of patients should be based on the indication to support the equity principle of bioethics, where those in need are prioritized against others, depending on potential adverse outcome

Evaluation of metals that are potentially toxic to agricultural surface soils, using statistical analysis, in northwestern Saudi Arabia

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Heavy metals in agricultural soils enter the food chain when taken up by plants. The main purpose of this work is to determine metal contamination in agricultural farms in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Fifty surface soil samples were collected from agricultural areas. The study focuses on the geochemical behavior of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn, and determines the enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index. Multivariate statistical analysis, including principle component analysis and cluster analysis, is also applied to the acquired data. The study shows considerable variation in the concentrations of the analyzed metals in the studied soil samples. This variation in concentration is attributed to the intensity of agricultural activities and, possibly, to nearby fossil fuel combustion activities, as well as to traffic flows from highways and local roads. Multivariate analysis suggests that As, Cd, Hg and Pb are associated with anthropogenic activities, whereas Co, Cr, Cu and Zn are mainly controlled by geogenic activities. Hg and Pb show the maximum concentration in the analyzed samples as compared to the background concentration

Analysis of Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) in Mix Design on Local Roadways in Ohio

SJN 134989This report summarizes the results of a research project that was conducted to: 1) evaluate the long-term field performance and life cycle cost of Ground Tire Rubber (GTR) modified pavement sections in Ohio and compare them to those obtained for pavement sections constructed using conventionally modified polymer modified asphalt mixtures, and 2) identify and examine new GTR technologies that may reduce the initial cost of GTR mixtures in Ohio. This project was divided into two phases. The results of Phase 1 of this project identified three GTR modified binders that potentially could lower the cost of GTR mixtures. The results of the laboratory tests showed that mixtures prepared with these GTR modified binders had better resistance to low-temperature and fatigue cracking as well as rutting than those prepared using the polymer modified PG 70-22 binder. Phase 2 of this project involved constructing test sections as part of resurfacing projects in the City of Columbus and the City of Akron. Four test sections were constructed in the City of Columbus. In the first test section (control section), a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymer modified PG 70-22M binder was used in the surface course mixture. Furthermore, the surface course mixtures in the other three sections included a PG 64-22 binder modified with 7% MicroDyne\u2122-400, a PG 64-22 binder modified with 6% MicroDyne\u2122-400 GTR and 0.5% Rheopave and a PG 64-22 binder modified with 7% Liberty -30 mesh GTR. Two test sections were constructed in the City of Akron. While the surface course mixtures in first sections included a SBS modified PG 70-22M binder, a PG 64-22 binder modified with 6% MicroDyne\u2122-400 GTR and 0.5% Rheopave was used in the surface mixture of the second section. Cores were obtained at different locations within each test section. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the cracking resistance and durability of the field cores. The results of the laboratory tests showed that the field cores obtained from GTR sections had acceptable resistance to low-temperature and fatigue cracking as well as moisture-induced damage, which were, in general, similar to that of the SBS polymer modified PG 70-22M test section. No distresses were observed in any of the SBS polymer and GTR test sections during the first year of service. Cost analyses conducted in this study indicated the cost of GTR mixes may be lower than that of SBS polymer modified mixes if the GTR mixes become more widely used by local public agencies in Ohio

Effects of the Template Composition and Coating on the Photoluminescence Properties of ZnS:Mn Nanoparticles

Mn-doped ZnS nanocrystals based on low dopant concentrations (0–2%) and coated with a shell of Zn(OH)2 have been prepared via soft template and precipitation reaction. The results indicate that the ZnS:Mn nanocrystal is cubic zinc blende structure and its diameter is 3.02 nm as demonstrated by XRD. Measured by TEM, the morphology of nanocrystals is a spherical shape, and their particle size (3–5 nm) is similar to that of XRD results. Photoluminescence spectra under ultraviolet region shows that the volume ratio of alcohol to water in the template has a great effect on the luminescence properties of ZnS:Mn particles. Compared with unpassivated ZnS:Mn nanocrystals, ZnS:Mn/Zn(OH)2 core/shell nanocrystal exhibits much improved luminescence and higher absolute quantum efficiency. Meanwhile, we simply explore the formation mechanism of ZnS:Mn nanocrystals in alcohol and water system and analyze the reason why alcohol and water cluster structures can affect the luminescent properties of nanoparticle

SLC4A10 mutation causes a neurological disorder associated with impaired GABAergic transmission

SLC4A10 is a plasma-membrane bound transporter which utilizes the Na+ gradient to drive cellular HCO3- uptake, thus mediating acid extrusion. In the mammalian brain, SLC4A10 is expressed in principal neurons and interneurons, as well as in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus, the organ regulating the production of cerebrospinal fluid. Using next generation sequencing on samples from five unrelated families encompassing ten affected individuals, we show that biallelic SLC4A10 loss-of-function variants cause a clinically recognizable neurodevelopmental disorder in humans. The cardinal clinical features of the condition include hypotonia in infancy, delayed psychomotor development across all domains and typically severe intellectual impairment. Affected individuals commonly display traits associated with autistic spectrum disorders including anxiety, hyperactivity and stereotyped movements. In two cases isolated episodes of seizures were reported in the first few years of life, and a further affected child displayed bitemporal epileptogenic discharges on EEG without overt clinical seizures. While occipitofrontal circumference was reported to be normal at birth, progressive postnatal microcephaly evolved in 7 out of 10 affected individuals. Neuroradiological features included a relative preservation of brain volume compared to occipitofrontal circumference, characteristic narrow sometimes 'slit-like' lateral ventricles and corpus callosum abnormalities. Slc4a10 -/- mice, deficient for SLC4A10, also display small lateral brain ventricles and mild behavioral abnormalities including delayed habituation and alterations in the 2-object novel object recognition task. Collapsed brain ventricles in both Slc4a10-/- mice and affected individuals suggests an important role of SLC4A10 in the production of the cerebrospinal fluid. However, it is notable that despite diverse roles of the cerebrospinal fluid in the developing and adult brain, the cortex of Slc4a10-/- mice appears grossly intact. Co-staining with synaptic markers revealed that in neurons, SLC4A10 localizes to inhibitory, but not excitatory, presynapses. These findings are supported by our functional studies which show the release of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA is compromised in Slc4a10-/- mice, while the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate is preserved. Manipulation of intracellular pH partially rescues GABA release. Together our studies define a novel characteristic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with biallelic pathogenic variants in SLC4A10 and highlight the importance of further analyses of the consequences of SLC4A10 loss-of-function for brain development, synaptic transmission and network properties

Characterization and assessment of lung and bone marrow derived endothelial cells and their bone regenerative potential

Angiogenesis is important for successful fracture repair. Aging negatively affects the number and activity of endothelial cells (ECs) and subsequently leads to impaired bone healing. We previously showed that implantation of lung-derived endothelial cells (LECs) improved fracture healing in rats. In this study, we characterized and compared neonatal lung and bone marrow-derived endothelial cells (neonatal LECs and neonatal BMECs) and further asses3sed if implantation of neonatal BMECs could enhance bone healing in both young and aged mice. We assessed neonatal EC tube formation, proliferation, and wound migration ability in vitro in ECs isolated from the bone marrow and lungs of neonatal mice. The in vitro studies demonstrated that both neonatal LECs and neonatal BMECs exhibited EC traits. To test the function of neonatal ECs in vivo, we created a femoral fracture in young and aged mice and implanted a collagen sponge to deliver neonatal BMECs at the fracture site. In the mouse fracture model, endochondral ossification was delayed in aged control mice compared to young controls. Neonatal BMECs significantly improved endochondral bone formation only in aged mice. These data suggest BMECs have potential to enhance aged bone healing. Compared to LECs, BMECs are more feasible for translational cell therapy and clinical applications in bone repair. Future studies are needed to examine the fate and function of BMECs implanted into the fracture sites