Early diagnosis of breast cancer by gene expression profiles

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Nevertheless, there is evidence that early detection and treatment can increase the survival rate of breast cancer patients. This paper presents an intelligent decision support system (IDSS) for breast cancer diagnosis by using gene expression profiles. The proposed system first extracts significant features from the input patterns by using information gain and then employs deep genetic algorithm for feature reduction as well as for breast cancer diagnosis. The proposed system is evaluated by considering a benchmark microarray dataset and compared with the most recent systems. The results show that the proposed IDSS outperforms other systems in terms of diagnosis time and accuracy. The proposed system produces 100 % classification accuracy. In addition, the proposed system reduces the required memory space.     

Permeation of Telone C‐35 EC™ and chloropicrin through protective gloves

Telone is a potent volatile liquid chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticide based on 1,3‐dichloropropene that is applied without dilution for fumigation purposes, and so poses an inhalation and air pollution threat, as proven by past monitoring. 1,3‐Dichloropropene also causes allergic skin effects, is absorbed through the skin, and metabolites have been shown to be excreted after skin absorption, so making it a skin exposure threat too, one that may become most important in the situations of adequate respirator protection or cleaning up spills. It is often coformulated with agents like chloropicrin, a chemical warfare agent, to substitute for methyl bromide fumigant. The aim of the study was to assess if nitrile and laminated gloves provided adequate protection against Telone C‐35 EC?, using an ASTM‐type I‐PTC‐600 permeation cell containing disposable (Safeskin?) and chemically‐resistant (Sol‐Vex?) nitrile and laminated (Barrier? and Silver Shield?) glove materials with hexane liquid collection. Analyses of cis‐ and trans‐1,3‐dichloropropene and chloropicrin in the collection fluid at various times were performed on a moderately polar capillary column, using gas chromatography–electron capture detection by the internal and external standards methods. Both nitrile materials were degraded by the formulation and pure chloropicrin, and so were unsuitable for protection. Both laminated glove materials offered some protection with Silver Shield? the better, since less mass had permeated by 8 h, but the extent of protection was still inadequate, as illustrated by a risk assessment of the skin exposure situation. It is recommended that Viton gloves be worn rather than the laminated ones when Telone C‐35 EC? is handled. Laminated gloves may protect against pure chloropicrin. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 18–25, 2006     

基于生物复合材料的双曲面分段式壳体展馆

生物复合材料由于成本低、可再生和对环境友好的特性,在建筑中获得了新颖又广泛的应用。通过一对一的双曲面、参数化设计形成的分段式壳体,来展示生物材料在承重结构中的应用。这种结构由轻质的单向弯曲木和生物复合材料组成,其中,木质纤维基核心由长木纤维以单板形式加固。进一步探讨了高 3.6 m,面积 55 m2 的展馆的建造技术以及生物复合材料应用的可能性。     

El-Salaam Canal project, Sinai II. Chemical water quality investigations

The emphasis on increased reuse of drainage water for irrigation is essential as Egypt expands its agricultural base to meet the food requirements for rapidly population growth rate. The Government of Egypt implemented El-Salaam Canal project to reuse drainage water, to create new communities along the Canal and to re-charting Egypt's population map. Diverting considerable amounts of drainage water after blending of the Nile water to newly reclaimed areas for irrigation of 643,560 acres of new lands in the northeastern Delta and northern Sinai peninsula are planned by using El-Salaam Canal water. This paper is concerned with the physical and chemical properties of El-Salaam water. The study was carried out monthly from February 2004 to January 2005. Seven locations were selected to cover the sampling program monthly. The parameters measured were: water flow rate current, air and water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, COD, BOD, TDS, hardness as CaCO₃, total hardness. Na, K, Mg, Fe, bicarbonate, chloride, carbonate, hydroxide, sulfate phosphate and silicate were determined. The analyses indicated the variation of the quality of water from month to month. The canal water was characterized by high TDS, high values of heavy metals and high concentrations of dissolved organic compounds, so the study proved that the El-Salaam water canal is not suitable for irrigation and drinking purposes and needs treatment.     

A randomized algorithm for determining dominating sets in graphs of maximum degree five

The paper is devoted to demonstrating a randomized algorithm for determining a dominating set in a given graph having a maximum degree of five. The algorithm follows the Las Vegas technique. Furthermore, the concept of a 2-separated collection of subsets of vertices in graphs is used. The suggested algorithm is based on a condition of the upper bound of the cardinality of a local dominating set. If the condition is not satisfied, then the algorithm halts with an appropriate message. Otherwise, the algorithm determines the dominating set. The given algorithm is considered a polynomial-time approximation one.     

Novel bioactive copper and nickel polymeric complexes: Synthesis,characterization, antimicrobial activity,and DFT calculations

Polymeric complexes, especially metal-containing polymers, possess aggregated medical applications, especially as antibacterial and antifungal agents. This work describes a facile procedure for producing a series of novel copper and nickel complexes of poly(2-hydroxyphenyl methacrylamide) and poly(2-carboxyphenyl methacrylamide). The polymeric ligands were synthesized through a multistep procedure. Firstly, 4-formylphenyl methacrylate was constructed by acylating 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde with methacryloyl chloride. Then, polymerization of the as-prepared monomer to obtain poly(4-formylphenyl methacrylate) using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. Thirdly, the polymeric ligands PL1 and PL2 were achieved via exchange reactions between poly(4-formylphenyl methacrylate) and o-aminophenol and anthranilic acid, respectively. Consequently, the two ligands were reacted with copper and nickel acetates to afford four target complexes (Cu-PL1, Ni-PL1, Cu-PL2, and Ni-PL2). By FT-IR, ¹HNMR, UV-visible, and TGA analyses, the structures of PL1, PL2, and their complexes were investigated. Furthermore, the geometries of PL1, PL2, and their complexes were reported through a molecular modeling to investigate some interesting parameters such as the bond length, bond angle, charge on the atoms, the HOMO and LUMO using the Material Studio program. The calculation results illustrated that octahedral geometries are proposed for the synthesized metal complexes. The reported antimicrobial efficiency showed a strong potency for most synthesized compounds against the selected microbes, especially compounds Cu-PL1 and Cu-PL2 which are more effective than the standard against Candida albicans.     

Factors affecting the solubility of gypsum: II. Effect of sodium hydroxide under various conditions

A quantitative estimation of the effect of sodium hydroxide on the solubility of gypsum in the presence of lime at 30, 60 and 100°C is given. At 30°C the solubility of gypsum was promoted by a 0.0146M solution of sodium hydroxide which at a concentration as low as 0.0029M raised the sulphate ion concentration at 60 and 100°C. At the three temperatures studied the solubility curves of gypsum first rose slowly then more rapidly around 0.02 to 0.08M NaOH. In the range 0.08 to 1M NaOH solution, a constant value of the sulphate ion concentration was measured which corresponded to the complete dissolution of gypsum, even in the presence of lime. The solubility curve of gypsum was lowered slightly at 30°C in a supersaturated lime solution and was depressed by concentrations lower than or equal to 0.02M NaOH solutions at 60 and 100°C.     

Screening food products for the presence of CaMV 35S promoter and NOS 3′ terminator

Biotechnology has enabled the modification of agricultural materials in a very precise way, thereby improving productivity and yields of economically important crops. There are a number of methods available for detecting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In the present investigation, a qualitative PCR technique has been adopted in order to discriminate between genetically modified and non‐modified food products. The qualitative PCR assay employs primers specific for genetic elements that are used to generate genetically engineered agricultural crops. Two of the most common primers used for the detection of GMOs, 35S promoter and NOS 3′ terminator, have been tested over a panel of 24 food products purchased from the local market. The results indicated that, out of the 24 food products tested, three products gave positive results with the 35S promoter. The NOS 3′ primers gave negative results with all tested samples. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physicochemical Characteristics,Nutritional Properties,and Health Benefits of Argan Oil: A Review

The argan tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels), an endemic tree in Morocco, is the most remarkable species in North Africa, due to its botanical and bioecologic interest as well as its social value. Argan oil is traditionally well known for its cardioprotective properties and it is also used in the treatment of skin infections. This paper gives an overview of scientific literature available on nutritional and pharmacologic properties of argan oil. Owing to its unique organoleptic properties associated with its cardioprotective properties, argan oil has found, recently, its place in the highly competitive international edible oil market. This success is a very positive sign for the preservation of the argan tree, the argan forests and, therefore, in general, the biodiversity.