Structurally Diverse Histone Deacetylase Photoreactive Probes: Design,Synthesis, and Photolabeling Studies in Live Cells and Tissue

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity is modulated in vivo by post-translational modifications and formation of multiprotein complexes. Novel chemical tools to study how these factors affect engagement of HDAC isoforms by HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) in cells and tissues are needed. In this study, a synthetic strategy to access chemically diverse photoreactive probes (PRPs) was developed and used to prepare seven novel HDAC PRPs 9 – 15 . The class I HDAC isoform engagement by PRPs was determined in biochemical assays and photolabeling experiments in live SET-2, HepG2, HuH7, and HEK293T cell lines and in mouse liver tissue. Unlike the HDAC protein abundance and biochemical activity against recombinant HDACs, the chemotype of the PRPs and the type of cells were key in defining the engagement of HDAC isoforms in live cells. Our findings suggest that engagement of HDAC isoforms by HDACi in vivo may be substantially modulated in a cell- and tissue-type-dependent manner.     

Synthesis of high molecular weight aromatic polyesters via integrated alternating ring-opening copolymerization and chain extension methods

Due to their good mechanical properties, high molecular weight polyesters (PEs) are highly desirable for a wide range of applications especially in the packaging industry. However, the synthesis of high molecular weight polymers by energy efficient methods is difficult. In this study, a series of semi-aromatic PEs were synthesized via the alternating ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of phthalic anhydride (PA) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) using a salen chromium(III) complex as a catalyst and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine as a cocatalyst. By varying the molar ratios between CHO and PA, PEs of different molecular weights were obtained. Hexamethylene diisocyanate was used as a chain extender that further increased the molecular weights of these PEs. These chain extended aromatic polyesters (PE-Xs) showed significant improvement in the glass transition temperature (T_g) values. Thus, integration of ROCOP with the chain extension method can be used as an effective strategy to prepare high molecular weight PEs with improved thermal stabilities and enhanced mechanical properties. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47200.     

Spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric determination of ramipril and perindopril through ternary complex formation with eosin and Cu(II)

Two sensitive, spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric procedures are developed for the determination of ramipril and perindopril. Both methods are based on the formation of a ternary complex, extractable with chloroform, between copper(II), eosin and the two cited drugs. Spectrophotometrically under the optimum condition, the ternary complexes showed an absorption maximum at 535 nm, with apparent molar absorptivities of 6.55 and 4.00 x 10(3) mol(-1) x cm(-1) and Sandell's sensitivities of 5.80 x 10(-2) and 1.04 x 10(-1) microg x cm(-2) for perindopril and ramipril, respectively. The solution of ternary complex obeyed Beer's law in concentration ranges 10-60 and 20-100 microg x ml(-1) for perindopril and ramipril, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of the two cited drugs in pharmaceutical tablets. The atomic absorption spectrometric method, directly through the quantitative determination of copper content of the organic extract of the complex, was also investigated for the purpose of enhancing the sensitivity of the determination. The spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric procedures hold their accuracy and precision well when applied to the determination of ramipril and perindopril dosage forms.     

Hydration of granulated slag-alite in the presence of quartz

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of quartz on the hydration characteristics of hydrothermally hardened granulated slag-alite pastes. The pastes, of water: solid ratio 0.20, were moulded at a pressure of 50 kg cm^–2 and autoclaved at 10 atm for 0.5, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h. Compressive strengths of the hardened product were determined, and the kinetics of reaction were studied by the quantitative determination of free lime and combined water contents. The phases formed after autoclaving were determined using XRD techniques. The reaction mechanism of the system under investigation was discussed and correlated to the strength of the hardened product. It can be concluded that the addition of quartz to slag-alite mixture increases the strength of the final product. The strength obtained for samples with high alite content are higher than that of low-alite content. Finally, the addition of quartz assists the formation of tobermorite in the hardened specimens.     

Engineering behavior of the Lisan Marl as a dyke foundation material: Dead Sea,Jordan

Problems have occurred with dykes constructed on the Lisan Marl to retain brine pumped from the Dead Sea, which is chemically processed to produce potash. In this study the engineering behavior, collapse potential and compressibility of the Lisan Marl were assessed by undertaking laboratory tests with both natural, distilled water and brine as the media. The results showed that the liquid limit and fine particles increased when the soil was mixed with fresh/distilled water compared with brine water. The soil can be classified as highly compressible with a low undrained shear strength. In terms of collapsibility, the soil could be classified as slightly collapsible upon inundation with distilled water and moderately collapsible when soaked in Dead Sea brine. The results are important when determining the height and nature of the dykes.      

Co(II) Catalyzed Solvent Free Auto-Oxidation of Methylbenzenes to Substituted Benzoic Acids Under Phase Transfer Conditions

A novel methodology for the solvent free auto-oxidation of methylbenzenes under mild conditions is disclosed. The new scheme is based on a combination of metallic salt (cobalt chloride) and a quaternary ammonium phase transfer catalyst (didecyldimethylammonium bromide) which together form a complex soluble catalyst in the organic phase. Major reaction parameters are studied and optimized and the procedure is applied for the conversion of several substituted toluenes to the corresponding benzoic acids in excellent isolated yields.     

Mechanical properties relationships in V‐ and Ti‐microalloyed steels

Microalloyed steels are characterised by their mechanical properties. Nowadays, they are used in a wide range of applications. The convenience and simplicity of hardness tests permit to obtain economically and rapidly information on the structure of steels and control their treatments. This study has been carried out to derive equations for prediction of the mechanical properties of microalloyed steels by hardness measurement. With this objective, V‐ and Ti‐microalloyed plain carbon steel bars were melted, hot rolled, heat treated and machined for the measurement of their mechanical properties and to reach a correlation between both ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and uniform elongation and Vickers hardness. The obtained data were treated using different mathematical fittings. They are mathematically treated as groups according to the heat treatment processes and as one group. The derived equations show good agreement with each other and with most of the little relations found in the literature. General equations for deducing mechanical properties values from the easily measured Vickers hardness values were derived. The equations derived from one group without regarding the treatment processes are more reliable.     

ARO: A new model free optimization algorithm for real time applications inspired by the asexual reproduction

This paper presents a new individual based optimization algorithm, which is inspired from asexual reproduction known as a remarkable biological phenomenon, called as asexual reproduction optimization (ARO). ARO can be essentially considered as an evolutionary based algorithm that mathematically models the budding mechanism of asexual reproduction. In ARO, a parent produces a bud through a reproduction operator; thereafter the parent and its bud compete to survive according to a performance index obtained from the underlying objective function of the optimization problem; this leads to the fitter individual. ARO adaptive search ability along with its strength and weakness points are fully described in the paper. Furthermore, the ARO convergence to the global optimum is mathematically analyzed. To approve the effectiveness of the ARO performance, it is tested with several benchmark functions frequently used in the area of optimization. Finally, the ARO performance is statistically compared with that of an improved genetic algorithm (GA). Results of simulation illustrate that ARO remarkably outperforms GA.     

Siamese convolutional neural network and fusion of the best overlapping blocks for kinship verification

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Analysis of facial images decoding familial features has been attracting the attention of researchers to develop a computerized system interested in determining...     

Assessment and Improvement of IDF Generation Algorithms Used in the IDF_CC Tool

Water Resources Management - Climate change will modify the spatio-temporal variation of hydrological variables worldwide, potentially leading to more extreme events and hydraulic infrastructure...