Ion-Acoustic Solitons in Bi-Ion Dusty Plasma

The propagation of ion-acoustic solitons in a warm dusty plasma containing two ion species is investigated theoretically. Using an approach based on the Korteveg-de-Vries equation, it is shown that the critical value of the negative ion density that separates the domains of existence of compressi- on and rarefaction solitons depends continuously on the dust density. A modified Korteveg-de Vries equation for the critical density is derived in the higher order of the expansion in the small parameter. It is found that the nonlinear coefficient of this equation is positive for any values of the dust density and the masses of positive and negative ions. For the case where the negative ion density is close to its critical value, a soliton solution is found that takes into account both the quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. The propagation of a solitary wave of arbitrary amplitude is investigated by the quasi-potential method. It is shown that the range of the dust densities around the critical value within which solitary waves with positive and negative potentials can exist simultaneously is relatively wide.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Pressure-induced phonon-freezing in the ZnBeSe alloy: a study via the percolation mesoscope

We use the 1-bond -> 2-phonon percolation doublet of zincblende alloys as a mesoscope for an unusual insight into their phonon behavior under pressure. We focus on (Zn,Be)Se and show by Raman scattering that the original Be-Se doublet at ambient pressure, of the stretching-bending type, turns into a pure-bending singlet at the approach of the high-pressure ZnSe-like rocksalt phase, an unnatural one for the Be-Se bonds. The freezing of the Be-Se stretching mode is discussed within the scope of the percolation model (mesoscopic scale), with ab initio calculations in support (microscopic scale).Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

A transcriptomic snapshot of early molecular communication between Pasteuria penetrans and Meloidogyne incognita

© The Author(s). 2018Background: Southern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White, 1919), Chitwood, 1949 is a key pest of agricultural crops. Pasteuria penetrans is a hyperparasitic bacterium capable of suppressing the nematode reproduction, and represents a typical coevolved pathogen-hyperparasite system. Attachment of Pasteuria endospores to the cuticle of second-stage nematode juveniles is the first and pivotal step in the bacterial infection. RNA-Seq was used to understand the early transcriptional response of the root-knot nematode at 8 h post Pasteuria endospore attachment. Results: A total of 52,485 transcripts were assembled from the high quality (HQ) reads, out of which 582 transcripts were found differentially expressed in the Pasteuria endospore encumbered J2 s, of which 229 were up-regulated and 353 were down-regulated. Pasteuria infection caused a suppression of the protein synthesis machinery of the nematode. Several of the differentially expressed transcripts were putatively involved in nematode innate immunity, signaling, stress responses, endospore attachment process and post-attachment behavioral modification of the juveniles. The expression profiles of fifteen selected transcripts were validated to be true by the qRT PCR. RNAi based silencing of transcripts coding for fructose bisphosphate aldolase and glucosyl transferase caused a reduction in endospore attachment as compared to the controls, whereas, silencing of aspartic protease and ubiquitin coding transcripts resulted in higher incidence of endospore attachment on the nematode cuticle. Conclusions: Here we provide evidence of an early transcriptional response by the nematode upon infection by Pasteuria prior to root invasion. We found that adhesion of Pasteuria endospores to the cuticle induced a down-regulated protein response in the nematode. In addition, we show that fructose bisphosphate aldolase, glucosyl transferase, aspartic protease and ubiquitin coding transcripts are involved in modulating the endospore attachment on the nematode cuticle. Our results add new and significant information to the existing knowledge on early molecular interaction between M. incognita and P. penetrans.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Cellular changes in boric acid-treated DU-145 prostate cancer cells

Epidemiological, animal, and cell culture studies have identified boron as a chemopreventative agent in prostate cancer. The present objective was to identify boron-induced changes in the DU-145 human prostate cancer cell line. We show that prolonged exposure to pharmacologically-relevant levels of boric acid, the naturally occurring form of boron circulating in human plasma, induces the following morphological changes in cells: increases in granularity and intracellular vesicle content, enhanced cell spreading and decreased cell volume. Documented increases in β-galactosidase activity suggest that boric acid induces conversion to a senescent-like cellular phenotype. Boric acid also causes a dose-dependent reduction in cyclins A–E, as well as MAPK proteins, suggesting their contribution to proliferative inhibition. Furthermore, treated cells display reduced adhesion, migration and invasion potential, along with F-actin changes indicative of reduced metastatic potential. Finally, the observation of media acidosis in treated cells correlated with an accumulation of lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2 (LAMP-2)-negative acidic compartments. The challenge of future studies will be to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for the observed cellular responses to this natural blood constituent

Synthesis, spectroscopic analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation of 5-(Adamantan-1-yl)-4-(3-Chlorophenyl)-2,4-Dihydro-3H-1,2,4-Triazole-3-Thione, a potential anti-proliferative agent

In Press.We report the synthesis, spectroscopic properties, and anti-proliferative efficacy of the adamantane-linked 1,2,4-triazole derivative 5-(adamantan-1-yl)-4-(3-chlorophenyl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione. Crystal packing and intermolecular interactions have been quantified using Hirshfeld surfaces and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. ADMET characteristics, bioavailability, and drug-likeness define the compound’s bioactivity. The gastrointestinal absorption is anticipated to be high, and the projected bioavailability score is 0.55. The topological polar surface area and iLOGP, XLOGP, WLOGP, and MLOGP lipophilicity parameters have been calculated to be 65.70 Å2, 3.24, 4.74, 5.05, and 4.07, respectively. To investigate 5A4ClT's EGFR inhibition and its use in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, Autodock Vina was used to dock it with the crystal structure of the EGFR kinase domain protein. The title chemical hydrophobically interacts with the receptor residues LEU718, VAL726, ALA743, GLU762, THR790, LEU792, MET793, GLY796, ARG841, ASN842, and LEU844 and forms hydrogen bonds with ASP855 and THR854 with an affinity of −8.3 kcal/mol. Toxicity end points and comparison with NSCLC drugs yielded promising findings. 120 ns molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the ligand’s dynamic stability in the target protein’s binding pocket. This research lays the groundwork for future in vivo investigations of 5A4ClT as a non-small cell lung cancer therapy.This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project No.(PNURSP2023R3), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Peer reviewe

Synthesis, spectroscopic analysis, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation of 5-(Adamantan-1-yl)-4-(3-Chlorophenyl)-2,4-Dihydro-3H-1,2,4-Triazole-3-Thione, a potential anti-proliferative agent [Dataset]

We report the synthesis, spectroscopic properties, and anti-proliferative efficacy of the adamantane-linked 1,2,4-triazole derivative 5-(adamantan-1-yl)-4-(3-chlorophenyl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thione. Crystal packing and intermolecular interactions have been quantified using Hirshfeld surfaces and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. ADMET characteristics, bioavailability, and drug-likeness define the compound’s bioactivity. The gastrointestinal absorption is anticipated to be high, and the projected bioavailability score is 0.55. The topological polar surface area and iLOGP, XLOGP, WLOGP, and MLOGP lipophilicity parameters have been calculated to be 65.70 Å2, 3.24, 4.74, 5.05, and 4.07, respectively. To investigate 5A4ClT's EGFR inhibition and its use in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, Autodock Vina was used to dock it with the crystal structure of the EGFR kinase domain protein. The title chemical hydrophobically interacts with the receptor residues LEU718, VAL726, ALA743, GLU762, THR790, LEU792, MET793, GLY796, ARG841, ASN842, and LEU844 and forms hydrogen bonds with ASP855 and THR854 with an affinity of −8.3 kcal/mol. Toxicity end points and comparison with NSCLC drugs yielded promising findings. 120 ns molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the ligand’s dynamic stability in the target protein’s binding pocket. This research lays the groundwork for future in vivo investigations of 5A4ClT as a non-small cell lung cancer therapy.This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project No. (PNURSP2023R3), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Peer reviewe

Radiation hardness qualification of PbWO4 scintillation crystals for the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPEnsuring the radiation hardness of PbWO4 crystals was one of the main priorities during the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at CERN. The production on an industrial scale of radiation hard crystals and their certification over a period of several years represented a difficult challenge both for CMS and for the crystal suppliers. The present article reviews the related scientific and technological problems encountered

Defending the genome from the enemy within:mechanisms of retrotransposon suppression in the mouse germline

The viability of any species requires that the genome is kept stable as it is transmitted from generation to generation by the germ cells. One of the challenges to transgenerational genome stability is the potential mutagenic activity of transposable genetic elements, particularly retrotransposons. There are many different types of retrotransposon in mammalian genomes, and these target different points in germline development to amplify and integrate into new genomic locations. Germ cells, and their pluripotent developmental precursors, have evolved a variety of genome defence mechanisms that suppress retrotransposon activity and maintain genome stability across the generations. Here, we review recent advances in understanding how retrotransposon activity is suppressed in the mammalian germline, how genes involved in germline genome defence mechanisms are regulated, and the consequences of mutating these genome defence genes for the developing germline

The importance of iron in long-term survival of maintenance hemodialysis patients treated with epoetin-alfa and intravenous iron: analysis of 9.5 years of prospectively collected data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In patients treated by maintenance hemodialysis the relationship to survival of hemoglobin level and administered epoetin-alfa and intravenous iron is controversial. The study aim was to determine effects on patient survival of administered epoetin-alfa and intravenous iron, and of hemoglobin and variables related to iron status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The patients were 1774 treated by maintenance hemodialysis in 3 dialysis units in New York, NY from January 1998 to June, 2007. A patient-centered, coded, electronic patient record used in patient care enabled retrospective analysis of data collected prospectively. For survival analysis, patients were censored when transplanted, transferred to hemodialysis at home or elsewhere, peritoneal dialysis. Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis was followed by multivariate analysis with Cox's regression, using as variables age, race, gender, major co-morbid conditions, epoetin-alfa and intravenous iron administered, and 15 laboratory tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median age was 59 years, epoetin-alfa (interquartile range) 18,162 (12,099, 27,741) units/week, intravenous iron 301 (202, 455) mg/month, survival 789 (354, 1489) days. Median hemoglobin was 116 (110, 120)g/L, transferrin saturation 29.7 (24.9, 35.1)%, serum ferritin 526 (247, 833) μg/L, serum albumin 39.0 (36.3, 41.5) g/L. Survival was better the higher the hemoglobin, best with > 120 g/L. Epoetin-alfa effect on survival was weak but had statistically significant interaction with intravenous iron. For intravenous iron, survival was best with 1–202 mg/month, slightly worse with 202–455 mg/month; it was worst with no intravenous iron, only slightly better with > 455 mg/month. Survival was worst with transferrin saturation ≤ 16%, serum ferritin ≤ 100 μg/L, best with transferrin saturation > 25%, serum ferritin > 600 μg/L The effects of each of hemoglobin, intravenous iron, transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin on survival were independently significant and not mediated by other predictors in the model.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Long term survival of maintenance hemodialysis patients was favorably affected by a relatively high hemoglobin level, by moderate intravenous iron administration, and by indicators of iron sufficiency. It was unfavorably influenced by a low hemoglobin level, and by indicators of iron deficiency.</p