Search results for: dual inhibitors

Authors: Sung-Hee Hwang, Michael Lee

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Upregulated Src activity has been implicated in a variety of cancers. Thus, Src family tyrosine kinase (SFK) inhibitors are often effective cancer treatments. Here, we investigate the role of autophagy in ATG5 knockout cell lines generated by the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas mediated genome editing. The CRISPR-associated protein Cas9 is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease that uses RNA–DNA complementarity to identify target sites for sequence specific double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) cleavage. Interestingly, ATG5 KO cells clearly showed a greater proliferation rate than WT NIH 3T3 cells, implying that autophagy induction is cytotoxic. Also, the clonogenic survival of ATG5 KO cells was greater than WT cells. The MTT assay revealed that the cytotoxic effect of PP2 was weaker on ATG5 knockout cells than that WT cells. The conversion of non-autophagic LC3-I to autophagic LC3-II and RT-PCR confirmed the functional gene knockout. Furthermore, Cyto-ID autophagy assay also revealed that PP2 failed to induce autophagy in ATG5 knockout cells. Together, our findings suggest that the resistance to PP2 in ATG5 knockout cells is associated with defective autophagy.

Keywords: ATG5 knockout, Autophagy, CRISPR/Cas9, PP2

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Authors: Srilaxmi Gangula, MahaLakshmi Vinukonda, Neeraj Rao

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A wide band polarization insensitive metamaterial absorber with bandwidth enhancement in X and C band is proposed. The structure proposed here consists of a periodic unit cell of resonator arrangements in double layer. The proposed structure shows near unity absorption at frequencies of 6.21 GHz and 10.372 GHz spreading over a bandwidth of 1 GHz and 6.21 GHz respectively in X and C bands. The proposed metamaterial absorber is designed so as to increase the bandwidth. The proposed structure is also independent for TE and TM polarization. Because of its simple implementation, near unity absorption and wide bandwidth this dual band polarization insensitive metamaterial absorber can be used for EMI/EMC applications.

Keywords: absorber, C-band, metamaterial, multilayer, X-band

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Olfat E. El-Azabawy, Enas M. Attia, Nadia Shawky, Amira M. Hypa

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In this work, an attempt is made to study the effects of orange peel extract (OPE) as an environment-friendly corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel (CS) within a formation water solution (FW). The study was performed in different concentrations (0.5-2.5% (v/v)) of peel extracts at ambient temperatures (25oC) and (2.5% (v/v)) at temperature range (25- 55 oC) by weight loss measurements, open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance. The inhibition efficiency was calculated from all measurements and confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Inhibition was found to increase with increasing inhibitors concentration and decrease with increasing temperature. It was seen that IE% is about 92.84% in the presence of 2.5% (v/v) of orange peel inhibitor by using weight loss method. The adsorption process was of physical type and obey Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Also, adsorption, as well as the inhibition process, followed first-order kinetics at all concentrations.

Keywords: eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor, OPE, oilfield water, electrochemical impedance

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Authors: K. N. Kipreou, E. Efthmiadou, G. Kordas

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Biofouling represents one of the most crucial problems in the present maritime industries when its control still challenges the researchers all over the world. The present work is referred to the synthesis and characterization CeMo and Cu2O nanocontainers by using a wide range of techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for marine applications. The above nanosystems will be loaded with active monomers and corrosion rendering healing ability to marine paints. The objective of this project is their ability for self-healing, self-polishing and finally for anti-corrosion activity. One of the driving forces for the exploration of CeMo, is the unique anticorrosive behavior, which will be confirmed by the electrochemistry methodology. It has be highlighted that the nanocontainers of Cu2O with the appropriate antibacterial inhibitor will improve the hydrophobicity and the morphology of the coating surfaces reducing the water friction. In summary, both novel nanoc will increase the lifetime of the paints releasing the antifouling agent in a control manner.

Keywords: marinepaints, nanocontainer, antifouling, anticorrosion, copper, electrochemistry, coating, biofouling, inhibitors, copper oxide, coating, SEM

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Authors: Sanjay M. Tailor, Urmila H. Patel

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Phthalyl Sulfacetamide belongs to well-known member of antimicrobial sulfonamide family. It is a potent antitumor drug. Structural characteristics of 4-amino-N-(2quinoxalinyl) benzene-sulfonamides (Phthalyl Sulfacetamide), C14H12N4O2S has been studied by method of X-ray crystallography. The compound crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21/n with unit cell parameters a= 7.9841 Ǻ, b= 12.8208 Ǻ, c= 16.6607 Ǻ, α= 90˚, β= 93.23˚, γ= 90˚and Z=4. The X-ray based three-dimensional structure analysis has been carried out by direct methods and refined to an R-value of 0.0419. The crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular N-H…N, N-H…O and π-π interactions. The Hirshfeld surfaces and consequently the fingerprint analysis have been performed to study the nature of interactions and their quantitative contributions towards the crystal packing. An analysis of Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots facilitates a comparison of intermolecular interactions, which are the key elements in building different supramolecular architectures. Docking is used for virtual screening for the prediction of the strongest binders based on various scoring functions. Docking studies are carried out on Phthalyl Sulfacetamide for better activity, which is important for the development of a new class of inhibitors.

Keywords: phthalyl sulfacetamide, crystal structure, hirshfeld surface analysis, docking

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Authors: Ram Sharma, Esha Chatterjee, Santosh Kumar Guru, Kunal Nepali

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A tractable anti-lung cancer agent was identified via the installation of a Ring C expanded synthetic analogue of the alkaloid vasicinone [7,8,9,10-tetrahydroazepino[2,1-b] quinazolin-12(6H)-one (TAZQ)] as a surface recognition part in the HDAC inhibitory three-component model. Noteworthy to mention that the candidature of TAZQ was deemed suitable for accommodation in HDAC inhibitory pharmacophore as per the results of the fragment recruitment process conducted by our laboratory. TAZQ was pinpointed through the fragment screening program as a synthetically flexible fragment endowed with some moderate cell growth inhibitory activity against the lung cancer cell lines, and it was anticipated that the use of the aforementioned fragment to generate hydroxamic acid functionality (zinc-binding motif) bearing HDAC inhibitors would boost the antitumor efficacy of TAZQ. Consistent with our aim of applying epigenetic targets to the treatment of lung cancer, a strikingly potent anti-lung cancer scaffold (compound 6) was pinpointed through a series of in-vitro experiments. Notably, the compounds manifested a magnificent activity profile against KRAS and EGFR mutant lung cancer cell lines (IC50 = 0.80 - 0.96 µM), and the effects were found to be mediated through preferential HDAC6 inhibition (IC50 = 12.9 nM). In addition to HDAC6 inhibition, the compounds also elicited HDAC1 and HDAC3 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 49.9 nM and 68.5 nM, respectively. The HDAC inhibitory ability of compound 6 was also confirmed from the results of the western blot experiment that revealed its potential to decrease the expression levels of HDAC isoforms (HDAC1, HDAC3, and HDAC6). Noteworthy to mention that complete downregulation of the HDAC6 isoform was exerted by compound 6 at 0.5 and 1 µM. Moreover, in another western blot experiment, treatment with hydroxamic acid 6 led to upregulation of H3 acK9 and α-Tubulin acK40 levels, ascertaining its inhibitory activity toward both the class I HDACs and Class II B HDACs. The results of other assays were also encouraging as treatment with compound 6 led to the suppression of the colony formation ability of A549 cells, induction of apoptosis, and increase in autophagic flux. In silico studies led us to rationalize the results of the experimental assay, and some key interactions of compound 6 with the amino acid residues of HDAC isoforms were identified. In light of the impressive activity spectrum of compound 6, a pH-responsive nanocarrier (hyaluronic acid-compound 6 nanoparticles) was prepared. The dialysis bag approach was used for the assessment of the nanoparticles under both normal and acidic circumstances, and the pH-sensitive nature of hyaluronic acid-compound 6 nanoparticles was confirmed. Delightfully, the nanoformulation was devoid of cytotoxicity against the L929 mouse fibroblast cells (normal settings) and exhibited selective cytotoxicity towards the A549 lung cancer cell lines. In a nutshell, compound 6 appears to be a promising adduct, and a detailed investigation of this compound might yield a therapeutic for the treatment of lung cancer.

Keywords: HDAC inhibitors, lung cancer, scaffold, hyaluronic acid, nanoparticles

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Authors: Devasis Ghosh

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The main hindrance to total cure of cancer is a) the failure to control continued production of cancer cells, b) its sustenance and c) its metastasis. This review study has tried to address this issue of total cancer cure in a more innovative way. A 10-pronged “CRAB METHOD”, a novel holistic scientific approach of Cancer treatment has been hypothesized in this paper. Apart from available Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Oncosurgery, (which shall not be discussed here), seven other points of interference and treatment has been suggested, i.e. 1. Efficient stress management. 2. Dampening of ATF3 expression. 3. Selective inhibition of Platelet Activity. 4. Modulation of serotonin production, metabolism and 5HT receptor antagonism. 5. Auxin, its anti-proliferative potential and its modulation. 6. Melatonin supplementation because of its oncostatic properties. 7. HDAC Inhibitors especially valproic acid use due to its apoptotic role in many cancers. If all the above stated seven steps are thoroughly taken care of at the time of initial diagnosis of cancer along with the available treatment modalities of Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Oncosurgery, then perhaps, the morbidity and mortality rate of cancer may be greatly reduced.

Keywords: ATF3 dampening, auxin modulation, cancer, platelet activation, serotonin, stress, valproic acid

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Authors: Dinkar Dantala, Kishore Putha, Padmavathi Manchineelu

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Optical fibers are widely used in the measurement of several physical parameters like temperature, pressure, vibrations etc. Measurement of vibrations plays a vital role in machines. In this paper, three fiber optic non-contact vibration sensors were discussed, which are designed based on the principle of light intensity modulation. The Dual plastic optical fiber, Fiber optic fused 1x2 coupler and Fiber optic fused 2x2 coupler vibration sensors are compared based on range of frequency, resolution and sensitivity. It is to conclude that 2x2 coupler configuration shows better response than other two sensors.

Keywords: fiber optic, PMMA, vibration sensor, intensity-modulated

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Authors: Alexandru Achim, Tamás Szűcsborus, Viktor Sasi, Ferenc Nagy, Zoltán Jambrik, Attila Nemes, Albert Varga, Călin Homorodean, Olivier F. Bertrand, Zoltán Ruzsa

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Aim: Our study aimed to establish the safety and the technical success of distal radial access for balloon aortic valvuloplasty (DR-BAV). The secondary objective was to determine the effectiveness and appropriate role of DR-BAV within half year follow-up. Methods: Clinical and angiographic data from 32 consecutive patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis were evaluated in a prospective pilot single-center study. Between 2020 and 2021, the patients were treated utilizing dual distal radial access with 6-10F compatible balloons. The efficacy endpoint was divided into technical success (successful valvuloplasty balloon inflation at the aortic valve and absence of intra- or periprocedural major complications), hemodynamic success (a reduction of the mean invasive gradient >30%), and clinical success (an improvement of at least one clinical category in the NYHA classification). The safety endpoints were vascular complications (major and minor Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 bleeding, diminished or lost arterial pulse or the presence of any pseudo-aneurysm or arteriovenous fistula during the clinical follow-up) and major adverse events, MAEs (the composite of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, and urgent major aortic valve replacement or implantation during the hospital stay and or at one-month follow-up). Results: 32 patients (40 % male, mean age 80 ± 8,5) with severe aortic valve stenosis were included in the study and 4 patients were excluded. Technical success was achieved in all patients (100%). Hemodynamic success was achieved in 30 patients (93,75%). Invasive max and mean gradients were reduced from 73±22 mm Hg and 49±22 mm Hg to 49±19 mm Hg and 20±13 mm Hg, respectively (p = <.001). Clinical success was achieved in 29 patients (90,6%). In total, no major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular event nor vascular complications (according to VARC 2 criteria) occurred during the intervention. All-cause death at 6 months was 12%. Conclusion: According to our study, dual distal radial artery access is a safe and effective option for balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and can be performed in all patients with sufficient lumen diameter. Future randomized studies are warranted to investigate whether this technique is superior to other approaches.

Keywords: mean invasive gradient, distal radial access for balloon aortic valvuloplasty (DR-BAV), aortic valve stenosis, pseudo-aneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, valve academic research consortium (VARC)-2

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Authors: Christy Rosaline, Rathankar Roa, Waheeta Hopper

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Persistence of tuberculosis, emergence of multidrug-resistance and extensively drug-resistant forms of the disease, has increased the interest in developing new antitubercular drugs. Developing inhibitors for 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtbDAH7Ps), an enzyme involved in shikimate pathway, gives a selective target for antitubercular agents. MtbDAH7Ps was screened against ZINC database, and shortlisted compounds were subjected to induce fit docking. Prime/Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area calculation was used to validate the binding energy of ligand-protein complex. Molecular Dynamics analysis for of the lead compounds–MtbDAH7Ps complexes showed that the backbone of MtbDAH7Ps in their complexes were stable. These results suggest that the shortlisted lead compounds ZINC04097114, ZINC15163225, ZINC16857013, ZINC06275603, and ZINC05331260 could be developed into novel drug leads to inhibit DAH7Ps in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Keywords: MtbDAH7Ps, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HTVS, molecular dynamics

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Authors: P. Sutipan, U. Intarakamhang

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The purpose of this study was to assess and prioritize the order of needs with regard to the healthy lifestyle behaviors for older adults living with hypertension. The participants involved 400 hypertensive elderly individuals in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The research instrument was a 26-item needs-assessment questionnaire in a dual response format on a four-level rating scale. The data was analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics and the needs were ranked using the Modified Priority Needs Index (PNIModified). The results indicated that the three priorities of healthy lifestyle behavior were healthy eating (PNImodified = 0.36), exercise (PNImodified = 0.35), and social contribution (PNImodified = 0.34), respectively. The implications of the findings for planning the intervention phase of the project are of particular interest.

Keywords: needs assessment, the modified priority needs index (PNIModified), healthy lifestyle behavior, older adults

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Authors: Tatsuhiko Aizawa, Hiroshi Morita

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The tool steels such as SKD11 and SKH51 have been utilized as punch and die substrates for cold stamping, forging, and fine blanking processes. The heat-treated SKD11 punches with the hardness of 700 HV wrought well in the stamping of SPCC, normal steel plates, and non-ferrous alloy such as a brass sheet. However, they suffered from severe damage in the fine blanking process of smaller holes than 1.5 mm in diameter. Under the high aspect ratio of punch length to diameter, an elastoplastic bucking of slender punches occurred on the production line. The heat-treated punches had a risk of chipping at their edges. To be free from those damages, the blanking punch must have sufficient rigidity and strength at the same time. In the present paper, the small-hole blanking punch with a dual toughness structure was proposed to provide a solution to this engineering issue in production. The low-temperature plasma nitriding process was utilized to form the nitrogen supersaturated thick layer into the original SKD11 punch. Through the plasma nitriding at 673 K for 14.4 ks, the nitrogen supersaturated layer, with the thickness of 50 μm and without nitride precipitates, was formed as a high nitrogen steel (HNS) layer surrounding the original SKD11 punch. In this two-zone structured SKD11 punch, the surface hardness increased from 700 HV for the heat-treated SKD11 to 1400 HV. This outer high nitrogen SKD11 (HN-SKD11) layer had a homogeneous nitrogen solute depth profile with a nitrogen solute content plateau of 4 mass% till the border between the outer HN-SKD11 layer and the original SKD11 matrix. When stamping the brass sheet with the thickness of 1 mm by using this dually toughened SKD11 punch, the punch life was extended from 500 K shots to 10000 K shots to attain a much more stable production line to yield the brass American snaps. Furthermore, with the aid of the masking technique, the punch side surface layer with the thickness of 50 μm was modified by this high nitrogen super-saturation process to have a stripe structure where the un-nitrided SKD11 and the HN-SKD11 layers were alternatively aligned from the punch head to the punch bottom. This flexible structuring promoted the mechanical integrity of total rigidity and toughness as a punch with an extremely small diameter.

Keywords: high nitrogen supersaturation, semi-dry cold stamping, solid solution hardening, tool steel dies, low temperature nitriding, dual toughness structure, extremely small diameter punch

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Authors: Salah A. Al-Garyani, Yousef Swesi

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Gas hydrates can be hazardous to upstream operations. On the other hand, the high gas storage capacity of hydrate may be utilized for natural gas storage and transport. Research on the promotion of hydrate formation, as related to natural gas storage and transport, has received relatively little attention. The primary objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the effects of ionic surfactants, particularly their molecular structures and concentration, on the formation of tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate, which is often used as a model hydrate former for screening hydrate promoters or inhibitors. The surfactants studied were sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium n-hexadecyl sulfate (SHS). Our results show that, at concentrations below the solubility limit, the induction time decreases with increasing surfactant concentration. At concentrations near or above the solubility, however, the surfactant concentration no longer has any effect on the induction time. These observations suggest that the effect of surfactant on THF hydrate formation is associated with surfactant monomers, not the formation of micelle as previously reported. The lowest induction time (141.25 ± 21 s, n = 4) was observed in a solution containing 7.5 mM SDS. The induction time decreases by a factor of three at concentrations near or above the solubility, compared to that without surfactant.

Keywords: tetrahydrofuran, hydrate, surfactant, induction time, monomers, micelle

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Authors: Suman Bala, Sunil Kamboj, Vipin Saini

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Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis has been developed to relate antifungal activity of novel substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger using computer assisted multiple regression analysis. The study has shown the better relationship between antifungal activities with respect to various descriptors established by multiple regression analysis. The analysis has shown statistically significant correlation with R² values 0.932 and 0.782 against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger respectively. These derivatives were further subjected to molecular docking studies to investigate the interactions between the target compounds and amino acid residues present in the active site of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase. All the synthesized compounds have better docking score as compared to standard fluconazole. Our results could be used for the further design as well as development of optimal and potential antifungal agents.

Keywords: 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole, QSAR, multiple linear regression, docking, glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase

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Authors: Kwanchai Ratanamanee, Pattra Ahmadi Pirshahid, Yaowaluk Khamphan, Sirinan Thubthimthad

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Obesity is a main global health problem. The obesity rated has continued to be higher and higher. It causes to serious systems, diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Oristat is one of the best drugs worldwide used as a pancreatic lipase inhibitor. To develop the new therapeutic drugs from medicinal plant always explored. In this study, 24 medicinal plants were investigated for their pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase inhibitory effects with Fluorometer assay and oristat as a positive control. It showed that the ethanolic extract of pods of Acacia concinna (Willd.) D.C., possess pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase inhibitory activities of IC50 at 2.73 and 3.77 mg/ml respectively as well as oral acute toxicity of the extract (LD50) was 6,300 mg/kg body weight. The extract of A.concinna should be further investigated in animal testing. The results of pancreatic lipase and cholesterol esterase inhibitor of the extracts will lead us to utilize A.concinna for developing as obesity dietary supplement from a medicinal plant.

Keywords: Acacia concinna (Willd.) D. C., cholesterol esterase, obesity, pancreatic lipase

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Authors: Aref Zribi, Sonia Ben Nasr, Sana Fendri, Mahdi Balti, Abderazzek Haddaoui

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Background: Despite their benefit, Endocrine therapies (ET) are known to have substantial adverse events (AEs) such as hot flashes, mood disorders and osteoarticular pain. ET induced alopecia(EIA) is less frequently noted by patients and is less reported in the literature. The aim of our study was to report ET alopecia characteristics and their influence on patient and treatment observance. Method: We conducted a retrospective study including luminal BC patients treated in the oncology department of the military hospital of Tunis between January 2015 and December 2020. Patients treated with previous chemotherapy-inducing alopecia were excluded. Results: 145 female patients were included. The median age was 59 years. EIA was reported in 44% of cases. Alopecia was attributed to aromatase inhibitors in 53% and tamoxifen in 21%. Severity was grade 1 in 80% and grade 2 in the remaining cases. ET discontinuation because of alopecia was noted in 6.5 % of patients. Moderate improvement of alopecia was observed with topical minoxidil and Thallium metallicum 9CH homeopathy during ET in 60% of patients. Conclusions: EIA is frequent in BC patients and should be considered to improve treatment observance and patients’ quality of life.

Keywords: endocrine therapy, alopecia, breast cancer, Tunisia

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Authors: Duchel Jeanedvi Kinouani Kinavouidi, Christian Aimé Kayath, Etienne Nguimbi

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Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules produced by many microorganisms, usually bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. +ey possesses the property of reducing the tension of the membrane interfaces. No studies have been conducted on Shigella species showing the role of biosurfactant-like molecules (BLM) in pathogenicity. +e aim of this study is to assess the ability of Shigella environmental and clinical strains to produce BLM and investigate the involvement of biosurfactants in pathogenicity. Our study has shown that BLM is secreted in the extracellular medium with EI24 ranging from 80% to 100%. +e secretion depends on the type III secretion system (T3SS). Moreover, our results have shown that S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei are able to interact with hydrophobic areas with 17.64%, 21.42%, and 22.22% hydrophobicity, respectively. BLM secretion is totally prevented due to the inhibition of T3SS by 100 mM benzoic and 1.5 mg/ml salicylic acids. P. aeruginosa harboring T3SS is able to produce 100% of BLM in the presence or in the absence of both T3SS inhibitors. +e secreted BLM are extractable with an organic solvent such as chloroform, and this could entirely be considered a lipopeptide or polypeptide compound. Secretion of BLM allows some Shigella strains to induce multicellular phenomena like ‘swarming.’

Keywords: shigella flexneri, biosurfactant, T3SS, Lipopeptide

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Authors: Henry Okechukwu Onyeiwu, Arfah Ab. Majid

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To fully understand the critical role of marriage in society, it is important to view it as a social institution that provides some basic social needs for society. A ‘social institution’ is the network of shared meanings, norms, definitions, expectations, and understandings held by the members of society. It is what guides and governs how the members of the society are expected to act and interact, what is socially desirable and legitimate, what they should be striving for, and so on. One of the major social institutions is marriage. Marriage is and has often focused on children and what is best for them because the rising generation literally is the future of every society. However, according to the aforementioned definition, which notes that marriage may also be a union between two persons of the same sex with legal support, this study stands with the definitions that are based on marriage being a union between a man and woman that is the most appropriate in Igbo land and not the other way round. The issue to be evaluated concerns marriage as it associates with Igbo Catholic Christians in Nigeria. Pasts of Igbo culture should be better organized into the Christian faith. Igbo Christians actually convey a significant number of their customary thoughts, customs, and social qualities, particularly regarding marriage, in the aftermath of switching to Christianity. The analyst agrees that marriage among Igbo Christians warrants adequate evolution. This study, therefore, concentrates on the Igbo community’s interpretation of the concept of culture and religion and the religious implications of traditional marriage and Christian marriage ceremonies in Igbo. The research design of this study is a qualitative design that provides in-depth information on the dual religious identity of the Igbo people on the rite of marriage in Imo state. The study population was composed of both male and female members from each selected local government area in Imo State. Thematic analysis was used to elaborate on the result from the respondents. This survey found that reputation is a major concern for Ibo people. Parental discomfort can lead to the use of coping strategies such as displacement, in which parents pass on their own vulnerable sentiments to their children. Those who participate in marriage negotiations feel the pain of their parents because they are unable to communicate their own feelings. As a result, participants experience increased stress and a range of negative emotions related to their marriage, including worry, dissatisfaction, and ambivalence. It was concluded that when it comes to Igbo culture, marriage is seen as a need for the continuation of the family’s lineage of descent, according to the outcome. The Task at hand was to discover how the locals preparing to get married define the impending transition. Imo State is home to the practice of Igba-nkwu, where the woman is either inherited or taken in the place of another.

Keywords: Igbo, culture, Christianity, traditional marriage, Christian wedding

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Authors: Cheng-Chi Yu, Yu-Shiue Wang, Kei-Lin Kuo

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Active Independent Front Steering system is a steering system which can according to vehicle driving situation adjusts the relation of steering angle between inner wheel and outer wheel. In low-speed cornering, AIFS sets the steering angles of inner and outer wheel into Ackerman steering geometry to make vehicle has less cornering radius. Besides, AIFS changes the steering geometry to parallel or even anti-Ackerman steering geometry to keep vehicle stability in high-speed cornering. Therefore, based on the analysis of the vehicle steering behavior from different steering geometries, this study develops a new screw type of active independent front steering system to make vehicles best cornering performance at any speeds. The screw type of active independent front steering system keeps the pinion and separates the rack into main rack and second rack. Two racks connect by a screw. Extra screw rotated motion powered by assistant motor through coupler makes second rack move relative to main rack, which can adjust both steering ratio and steering geometry. First of all, this study distinguishes the steering geometry by using Ackerman percentage and utilizes the software of ADAMS/Car to construct diverse steering geometry models. The different steering geometries are compared at low-speed and high-speed cornering, and then control strategies of the active independent front steering systems could be formulated. Secondly, this study applies closed loop equation to analyze tire steering angles and carries out optimization calculations to make the steering geometry from traditional rack and pinion steering system near to Ackerman steering geometry. Steering characteristics of the optimum steering mechanism and motion characteristics of vehicle installed the steering mechanism are verified by ADAMS/Car models of front suspension and full vehicle respectively. By adding dual auxiliary rack and dual motor to the optimum steering mechanism, the active independent front steering system could be developed to achieve the functions of variable steering ratio and variable steering geometry. At last, this study uses ADAMS/Car and Matlab/Simulink to co-simulate the cornering motion of vehicles confirms the vehicle installed the Active Independent Front Steering (AIFS) system has better handling performance than that with Active Independent Steering (AFS) system or with Electric Power Steering (EPS) system. At low-speed cornering, the vehicles with AIFS system and with AFS system have better maneuverability, less cornering radius, than the traditional vehicle with EPS system because that AIFS and AFS systems both provide function of variable steering ratio. However, there is a slight penalty in the motor(s) power consumption. In addition, because of the capability of variable steering geometry, the vehicle with AIFS system has better high-speed cornering stability, trajectory keeping, and even less motor(s) power consumption than that with EPS system and also with AFS system.

Keywords: active front steering system, active independent front steering system, steering geometry, steering ratio

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Authors: Varsha Tol, Laila Garda, Neelam Bhardwaj, Malata Usar

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In India, differently- abled girls suffer from a “dual stigma” of being female and physically challenged. The general consensus is that they are incapable of standing on their own two feet. It was observed that these girls do not have access to educational programs as most hostels do not keep them after the tenth grade. They are forced to return to a life of poverty and are often considered a liability by their families. Higher education is completely ignored. Parents focus on finding a husband and passing on their ‘burden’ to someone else. An innovative, intervention for differently-abled adolescent girls with the express purpose of mainstreaming them into society was started by Helplife. The objective was to enrich the lives of these differently abled adolescent girls through precise research, focused intervention and professionalism. This programme addresses physical, mental and social rehabilitation of the girls who come from impoverished backgrounds. These adolescents are reached by word of mouth, snowball technique and through the network of the NGO. Applications are invited from potential candidates which are scrutinized by a panel of experts. Selection criteria include her disability, socio-economic status, and desire and drive to make a difference in her own life. The six main areas of intervention are accommodation, education, health, professional courses, counseling and recreational activities. Each girl on an average resides in Helplife for a period of 2-3 years. Analysis of qualitative data collected at various time points indicates holistic development of character. A quality of life questionnaire showed a significant improvement in scores at three different time points in 75% of the current population under intervention i.e. 19 girls. Till date, 25 girls have successfully passed out from the intervention program completing their graduation/post-graduation. Currently, we have 19 differently abled girls housed in three flats in Pune district of Maharashtra. Out of which 14 girls are pursuing their graduation or post-graduation. Six of the girls are working in jobs in various sectors. In conclusion it may be noted with adequate support and guidance the sky is the limit. This journey of 12 years has been a learning for us with ups and downs modifying the intervention at every step. Helplife has a belief of impacting positively, individual lives of differently abled girls in order to empower them in a holistic manner. The intervention has a positive impact on differently abled girls. They serve as role models to other differently abled girls indicating that this is a road map to success by getting empowered to live with full potential and get integrated in the society in a dignified way.

Keywords: differently-abled, dual-stigma, empowerment, youth

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Authors: Evrim Colak, Andriy E. Serebryannikov, Pavel V. Usik, Ekmel Ozbay

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Working with a dielectric photonic crystal (PC) structure which does not include surface corrugations, unidirectional transmission and dual-beam splitting are observed under normal incidence as a result of the strong diffractions caused by the embedded defect layer. The defect layer has twice the period of the regular PC segments which sandwich the defect layer. Although the PC has even number of rows, the structural symmetry is broken due to the asymmetric placement of the defect layer with respect to the symmetry axis of the regular PC. The simulations verify that efficient splitting and occurrence of strong diffractions are related to the dispersion properties of the Floquet-Bloch modes of the photonic crystal. Unidirectional and bi-directional splitting, which are associated with asymmetric transmission, arise due to the dominant contribution of the first positive and first negative diffraction orders. The effect of the depth of the defect layer is examined by placing single defect layer in varying rows, preserving the asymmetry of PC. Even for deeply buried defect layer, asymmetric transmission is still valid even if the zeroth order is not coupled. This transmission is due to evanescent waves which reach to the deeply embedded defect layer and couple to higher order modes. In an additional selected performance, whichever surface is illuminated, i.e., in both upper and lower surface illumination cases, incident beam is split into two beams of equal intensity at the output surface where the intensity of the out-going beams are equal for both illumination cases. That is, although the structure is asymmetric, symmetric bidirectional transmission with equal transmission values is demonstrated and the structure mimics the behavior of symmetric structures. Finally, simulation studies including the examination of a coupled-cavity defect for two different permittivity values (close to the permittivity values of GaAs or Si and alumina) reveal unidirectional splitting for a wider band of operation in comparison to the bandwidth obtained in the case of a single embedded defect layer. Since the dielectric materials that are utilized are low-loss and weakly dispersive in a wide frequency range including microwave and optical frequencies, the studied structures should be scalable to the mentioned ranges.

Keywords: asymmetric transmission, beam deflection, blazing, bi-directional splitting, defect layer, dual beam splitting, Floquet-Bloch modes, isofrequency contours, line defect, oblique incidence, photonic crystal, unidirectionality

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Authors: Mayuri Roy Choudhury

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In recent times the concept of agrivoltaics has gained popularity due to the dual use of land and the added value provided by photovoltaics in terms of renewable energy and crop production on farms. However, the transition towards agrivoltaics has been slow, and our research tries to investigate the obstacles leading towards the slow progress of agrivoltaics. We applied data science decision tree algorithms to quantify qualitative perceptions of farmers in the United States for agrivoltaics. To date, there has not been much research that mentions farmers' perceptions, as most of the research focuses on the benefits of agrivoltaics. Our study adds value by putting forward the voices of farmers, which play a crucial towards the transition to agrivoltaics in the future. Our results show a mixture of responses in favor of agrivoltaics. Furthermore, it also portrays significant concerns of farmers, which is useful for decision-makers when it comes to formulating policies for agrivoltaics.

Keywords: agrivoltaics, decision-tree algorithms, farmers perception, transition

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Authors: T. Abohalkuma, J. Telegdi

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Preparation, characterization, and application of self-assembled monolayers (SAM) formed by fluorophosphonic and undecenyl phosphonic acids on carbon steel surfaces as anticorrosive nanocoatings were demonstrated. The anticorrosive efficacy of these SAM layers was followed by atomic force microscopy, as the change in the surface morphology caused by layer deposition and corrosion processes was monitored. The corrosion process was determined by electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization, whereas the surface wettability of the carbon steel samples was tested with the use of static and dynamic contact angle measurements. Results showed that both chemicals produced good protection against corrosion as they performed as anodic inhibitors, especially with increasing the time of layer formation, which results in a more compact molecular film. According to the atomic force microscope (AFM) images, the fluoro-phosphonic acid self-assembled molecular layer can control the general as well as the pitting corrosion, but the SAM layers of the undecenyl-phosphonic acid cannot inhibit the pitting corrosion. The AFM and the contact angle measurements confirmed the results achieved by electrochemical measurements.

Keywords: nanolayers, corrosion, phosphonic acids, coatings

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Authors: Ruth Leitch, Joanne Hughes

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This paper presents the findings of a three-year government-funded study (ILiAD) that aimed to understand the reasons for differential educational achievement within and between socially and economically deprived areas in Northern Ireland. Previous international studies have concluded that there is a positive correlation between deprivation and underachievement. Our preliminary secondary data analysis suggested that the factors involved in educational achievement within multiple deprived areas may be more complex than this, with some areas of high multiple deprivation having high levels of student attainment, whereas other less deprived areas demonstrated much lower levels of student attainment, as measured by outcomes on high stakes national tests. The study proposed that no single explanation or disparate set of explanations could easily account for the linkage between levels of deprivation and patterns of educational achievement. Using a social capital perspective that centralizes the connections within and between individuals and social networks in a community as a valuable resource for educational achievement, the ILiAD study involved a multi-level case study analysis of seven community sites in Northern Ireland, selected on the basis of religious composition (housing areas are largely segregated by religious affiliation), measures of multiple deprivation and differentials in educational achievement. The case study approach involved three (interconnecting) levels of qualitative data collection and analysis - what we have termed Micro (or community/grassroots level) understandings, Meso (or school level) explanations and Macro (or policy/structural) factors. The analysis combines a statistical mapping of factors with qualitative, in-depth data interpretation which, together, allow for deeper understandings of the dynamics and contributory factors within and between the case study sites. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data reveals both cross-cutting factors (e.g. demographic shifts and loss of community, place of the school in the community, parental capacity) and analytic case studies of explanatory factors associated with each of the community sites also permit a comparative element. Issues arising from the qualitative analysis are classified either as drivers or inhibitors of educational achievement within and between communities. Key issues that are emerging as inhibitors/drivers to attainment include: the legacy of the community conflict in Northern Ireland, not least in terms of inter-generational stress, related with substance abuse and mental health issues; differing discourses on notions of ‘community’ and ‘achievement’ within/between community sites; inter-agency and intra-agency levels of collaboration and joined-up working; relationship between the home/school/community triad and; school leadership and school ethos. At this stage, the balance of these factors can be conceptualized in terms of bonding social capital (or lack of it) within families, within schools, within each community, within agencies and also bridging social capital between the home/school/community, between different communities and between key statutory and voluntary organisations. The presentation will outline the study rationale, its methodology, present some cross-cutting findings and use an illustrative case study of the findings from a community site to underscore the importance of attending to community differences when trying to engage in research to understand and improve educational attainment for all.

Keywords: educational achievement, multiple deprivation, community case studies, social capital

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Authors: Ameen Alahdal

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This paper investigates copular constructions in Raimi Yemeni Arabic (RYA). The aim of the paper is actually twofold. First it explores the types of copular constructions in Raimi Yemeni Arabic, a variety of Arabic that has not attracted a lot of attention. In this connection, the paper shows that RYA manifests ‘bare’, verbal and pronominal/PRON copular constructions, just like other varieties of Arabic and indeed other Semitic languages like Hebrew. The sentences below from RYA represent the three constructions, respectively. (1) a. nada Hilwah Nada pretty.3sf ‘Nada is pretty’ b. kan al-banat hina was the-girls here ‘The girls were here c. ali hu-l mudiir Ali he-the manager ‘Ali is the manager’ Interestingly, in addition to these common types of copular constructions, RYA seems to exhibit dual copula sentences, a construction that features both a pronominal copula and a verbal copula. Such a construction is attested neither in Standard Arabic nor in other modern varieties of Arabic such as Lebanese, Moroccan, Egyptian, Jordanian. Remarkably, dual copular sentences do not appear even in other dialects of Yemeni Arabic such as Sanaani, Adeni and Tehami. (2) is an example. (2) maha kan-ih mudarrisah maha was-she teacher.3sf ‘Maha was a teacehr’ Second, the paper considers the cartography of subject positions in copular constructions proposed by Shlonsky and Rizzi (2018). Different copular constructions seem to involve different subject positions (which might eventually correlate with different interpretations – not our concern in this paper). Here, it is argued that in a bare copular sentence, as in (1a), RYA might exploit two criterial subject positions (in Rizzi’s sense), in addition to the canonical Spec,TP position. Under mainstream minimalist assumption, a copular sentence is analyzed as a PredP. Thus, in addition to the PredP-related thematic subject position, a criterial subject position is posited outside of PredP. (3) below represents the cartography of subject positions in a bare copular construction. (3) [……..DP subj PredP DP Pred DP/AP/PP ] In PRON sentences, as exemplified in (1c), another two subject positions are postulated high in the clause, particularly above PolP. (4) illustrates the hierarchy of the subject positions in a PRON copular construction. The subject resides in Spec,SUBJ2P. (4) …DP SUBJ2 …DP SUBJ1 … Pol … DP subj PredP Another related phenomenon in RYA which sets it apart from other languages like Hebrew is that of negative bare copular construction. This construction involves a PRON, which is not found in its affirmative counterpart. PRON, however, is hosted neither by SUBJ20 nor by SUBJ10. Rather, PRON occurs below Neg0 (Pol0 in the hierarchy). This situation raises interesting issues for the hierarchy of subjects in copular constructions as well as to the syntax of the left periphery in general. With regard to what causes the subject to move, there are different potential triggers. For instance, movement of the subject at the base, i.e., out of PredP is triggered by a labeling failure. Other movements of the subject can be driven by a formal feature like EPP, or a criterial feature like [subj].

Keywords: Yemeni Arabic, copular constructions, cartography of subjects, labeling, criterial positions

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Authors: S. Ghalem, M. Mesmoudi, I. Daoudand, H. Allali

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The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) are well established as the treatments of choice for disorders of excessive bone resorption, myeloma and bone metastases, and osteoporosis. They inhibit farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FFPS), a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, resulting in inhibition of the prenylation of small GTP-binding proteins in osteoclasts and disruption of their cytoskeleton, adhesion/spreading, and invasion of cancer cells. A very few examples for synthesis of α-amino bisphosphonates based on several amino acids are known from the literature. In the present work, esters of aminoacid react with ketophsophonate (or their analog acid or acyl) to afford the desired products, α-iminophosphonates. The reaction of imine with dimethyl phosphate in the presence of catalytic amount of I2 give ester of α-aminobisphosphonate as sole product in good yield. Finally, we used computational docking methods to predict how several α-aminobisphosphonates bind to FPPS and how R and X influence. Pamidronate, β-aminobisphosphonate already marketed, was used as reference. These results are of interest since they represent a new and simple way to sythesize α-aminobisphosphonates with a free COOH group increased by R2 functionalisable and opening up the possibility of using the molecular docking to facilitate the design of other, novel FFPS inhibitors.

Keywords: drug research, cancer, α-amino bisphosphonates, molecular docking

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Authors: Manoj Gupta, Nirmendra Singh Bhadauria

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Most of the applications in image processing require high spatial and high spectral resolution in a single image. For example satellite image system, the traffic monitoring system, and long range sensor fusion system all use image processing. However, most of the available equipment is not capable of providing this type of data. The sensor in the surveillance system can only cover the view of a small area for a particular focus, yet the demanding application of this system requires a view with a high coverage of the field. Image fusion provides the possibility of combining different sources of information. In this paper, we have decomposed the image using DTCWT and then fused using average and hybrid of (maxima and average) pixel level techniques and then compared quality of both the images using PSNR.

Keywords: image fusion, DWT, DT-CWT, PSNR, average image fusion, hybrid image fusion

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Authors: Othman E. Othman, Amira M. Nowier, Medhat El-Denary

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Camels play an important socio-economic role within the pastoral and agricultural system in the dry and semidry zones of Asia and Africa. Camels are economically important animals in Egypt where they are dual purpose animals (meat and milk). The analysis of chemical composition of camel milk showed that the total protein contents ranged from 2.4% to 5.3% and it is divided into casein and whey proteins. The casein fraction constitutes 52% to 89% of total camel milk protein and it divided into 4 fractions namely αs1, αs2, β and κ-caseins which are encoded by four tightly genes. In spite of the important role of casein genes and the effects of their genetic polymorphisms on quantitative traits and technological properties of milk, the studies for the detection of genetic polymorphism of camel milk genes are still limited. Due to this fact, this work focused - using PCR-RFP and sequencing analysis - on the identification of genetic polymorphisms and SNPs of two casein genes in Maghrabi camel breed which is a dual purpose camel breed in Egypt. The amplified fragments at 488-bp of the camel κ-CN gene were digested with AluI endonuclease. The results showed the appearance of three different genotypes in the tested animals; CC with three digested fragments at 203-, 127- and 120-bp, TT with three digested fragments at 203-, 158- and 127-bp and CT with four digested fragments at 203-, 158-, 127- and 120-bp. The frequencies of three detected genotypes were 11.0% for CC, 48.0% for TT and 41.0% for CT genotypes. The sequencing analysis of the two different alleles declared the presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (C→T) at position 121 in the amplified fragments which is responsible for the destruction of a restriction site (AG/CT) in allele T and resulted in the presence of two different alleles C and T in tested animals. The nucleotide sequences of κ-CN alleles C and T were submitted to GenBank with the accession numbers; KU055605 and KU055606, respectively. The primers used in this study amplified 942-bp fragments spanning from exon 4 to exon 6 of camel αS1-Casein gene. The amplified fragments were digested with two different restriction enzymes; SmlI and AluI. The results of SmlI digestion did not show any restriction site whereas the digestion with AluI endonuclease revealed the presence of two restriction sites AG^CT at positions 68^69 and 631^632 yielding the presence of three digested fragments with sizes 68-, 563- and 293-bp.The nucleotide sequences of this fragment from camel αS1-Casein gene were submitted to GenBank with the accession number KU145820. In conclusion, the genetic characterization of quantitative traits genes which are associated with the production traits like milk yield and composition is considered an important step towards the genetic improvement of livestock species through the selection of superior animals depending on the favorable alleles and genotypes; marker assisted selection (MAS).

Keywords: genetic polymorphism, SNP polymorphism, Maghrabi camels, κ-Casein gene, αS1-Casein gene

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Authors: Majid Moshirfar, Kyle Margulies, Yasmyne C. Ronquillo, Phillip Hoopes

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A total of 66 articles were reviewed to compare glaucoma and its associated surgeries' effect on central corneal endothelium cell density (CECD). The paper reports the average reported central CECD loss at 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month post-operation for each glaucoma surgery. ALT, MLT, SLT, CS AGV, VC BGI, Hydrus + phaco, XEN gel + phaco, PRESERFLO, Dual iStent, or Trabectome had no significant impact on postoperative CECD compared to either preoperative CECD or control group CECD. The highest CECD loss was found to be EXPRESS-phaco, AC AGV, CS BGI, CS BGI, AC BGI, and AC BGI at the 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month follow-ups, respectively. AC AGV, Trab + MMC, Trab, AC BGI, Trab + MMC, Cypass, and Cypass showed the smallest reduction of CECD at the 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-month follow-ups.

Keywords: glaucoma, corneal endothelium, cell density, surgery outcome

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Authors: Sergei Aleinik, Mikhail Stolbov

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In this work, a method of time delay estimation for dual-channel acoustic signals (speech, music, etc.) recorded under reverberant conditions is investigated. Standard methods based on cross-correlation of the signals show poor results in cases involving strong reverberation, large distances between microphones and asynchronous recordings. Under similar conditions, a method based on cross-correlation of temporal envelopes of the signals delivers a delay estimation of acceptable quality. This method and its properties are described and investigated in detail, including its limits of applicability. The method’s optimal parameter estimation and a comparison with other known methods of time delay estimation are also provided.

Keywords: cross-correlation, delay estimation, signal envelope, signal processing

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