Singular spectrum analysis and Fisher–Shannon analysis of spring flow time series: An application to Anjar Spring,Lebanon

In this study, the time dynamics of water flow from Anjar Spring was investigated, which is one of the major issuing springs in the central part of Lebanon. Likewise, many water sources in Lebanon, this spring has no continuous records for the discharge, and this would prevent the application of standard time series analysis tools. Furthermore, the highly nonstationary character of the series implies that suited methodologies can be employed to get insight into its dynamical features. Therefore, the Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Fisher–Shannon (FS) method, which are useful methods to disclose dynamical features in noisy nonstationary time series with gaps, are jointly applied to analyze the Anjar Spring water flow series. The SSA revealed that the series can be considered as the superposition of meteo-climatic periodic components, low-frequency trend and noise-like high-frequency fluctuations. The FS method allowed to extract and to identify among all the SSA reconstructed components the long-term trend of the series. The long-term trend is characterized by higher Fisher Information Measure (FIM) and lower Shannon entropy, and thus, represents the main informative component of the whole series. Generally water discharge time series presents very complex time structure, therefore the joint application of the SSA and the FS method would be very useful in disclosing the main informative part of such kind of data series in the view of existing climatic variability and/or anthropogenic challenges.     

Synthesis of Morphlinotetrahydrothieno[2,3‐c]Isoquinolines

1‐Morpholin‐4‐yl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐4‐carbonitrile ( 2 ) was synthesized from 3‐amino‐1‐thioxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐1H‐isothiochromene‐4‐carbonitrile ( 1 ) and used as starting material to synthesize many thienotetrahydroisoquinolines ( 4 ), which in turn were used in the synthesis of many pyrimidothienotetrahydroisoquinolines.     

Macrophage-Targeted Punicalagin Nanoengineering to Alleviate Methotrexate-Induced Neutropenia: A Molecular Docking,DFT, and MD Simulation Analysis

Punicalagin is the most bioactive pomegranate polyphenol with high antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activity and can potentially cure different ailments related to the cardiovascular system. The current research work was envisioned to predict the targeting efficiency of punicalagin (PG) nanoparticles to the macrophages, more specifically to bone marrow macrophages. For this, we selected mannose-decorated PLGA-punicalagin nanoparticles (Mn-PLGA-PG), and before formulating this nanocarrier in laboratory settings, we predicted the targeting efficiency of this nanocarrier by in silico analysis. The analysis proceeded with macrophage mannose receptors to be acquainted with the binding affinity and punicalagin-based nanocarrier interactions with this receptor. In silico docking studies of macrophage mannose receptors and punicalagin showed binding interactions on its surface. PG interacted with hydrogen bonds to the charged residue ASP668 and GLY666 and polar residue GLN760 of the Mn receptor. Mannose with a docking score of −5.811 Kcal/mol interacted with four hydrogen bonds and the mannose receptor of macrophage, and in PLGA, it showed a −4.334 Kcal/mol docking score. Further, the analysis proceeded with density functional theory analysis (DFT) and HOMO–LUMO analysis, followed by an extensive 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation to analyse the trajectories showing the slightest deviation and fluctuation. While analysing the ligand and protein interaction, a wonderful interaction was found among the atoms of the ligand and protein residues. This computational study confirms that this nanocarrier could be a promising lead molecule to regulate the incidence of drug-induced neutropenia. Furthermore, experimental validation is required before this can be stated with complete confidence or before human use.     

Heterocyclic synthesis with 3-cyano-2(1H)pyridinethione: Synthesis of 3-oxo-2,3-dihydroisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine and related compounds

Summary 3-Carbethoxy-4,6-diphenyl-2-pyrridine sulfonamide (5), can be cyclized to 3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-4,6-diphenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine-1,1-dioxide (2). Oxidation of pyridinethione6 with Cl₂/H₂O gave the sulfonyl chloride derivative7, which can be ammonolyzed to 3-amino-4,6-diphenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine-1,1-dioxide (8), and 3-cyano-4,6-diphenylpyridine-2-sulfonamide (9). Hydrolysis of6 gave 3-carboxamido-2(1H)pyridinethione (12) which can be oxidized with iodine to 3-oxo-4,6-diphenyl-2,3-dihydroisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine (13). 3-Methyl-4,6-diphenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine-1,1-dioxide (17) was also prepared from6.

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Heterocyclensynthese mit 3-Cyano-2(1H)pyridinthion: Synthese von 3-Oxo-2,3-dihydroisothiazolo-[5,4-b]pyridin und verwandten Verbindungen

Zusammenfassung 3-Carbethoxy-4,6-diphenyl-2-pyridinsulfonamid (5) kann zu 3-Oxo-2,3-dihydro-4,6-diphenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-1,1-dioxid (2) cyclisiert werden. Die Oxidation des Pyridinthions6 mit Cl₂/H₂O ergab das Sulfonylchlorid-Derivat7, das mit Ammoniak zu 3-Amino-4,6-diphenylisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-1,1-dioxid (8) und 3-Cyano-4,6-diphenylpyridin-2-sulfonamid (9) umgesetzt werden kann. Die Hydrolyse von6 ergab 3-Carboxamido-2(1H)pyridinthion (12), das mit Jod zu 3-Oxo-4,6-diphenyl-2,3-dihydroisothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin (13) oxidiert wurde. 3-Methyl-4,6-diphenyl-isothiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-1,1-dioxid (17) wurde ebenfalls aus6 hergestellt.

     

Spectrophotometric study of the reaction mechanism between DDQ Pi- and iodine sigma-acceptors and chloroquine and pyrimethamine drugs and their determination in pure and in dosage forms

Two simple and accurate spectrophotometric methods are presented for the determination of anti-malarial drugs, chloroquine phosphate (CQP) and pyrimethamine (PYM), in pure and in different pharmaceutical preparations. The charge transphere (CT) reactions between CQP and PYM as electron donors and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) pi-acceptor and iodine sigma-acceptor reagents to give highly coloured complex species have been spectrophotometrically studied. The optimum experimental conditions have been studied carefully. Beer' law is obeyed over the concentration range of 1.0-15 microg ml(-1) for CQP and 1.0-40 microg ml(-1) for PYM using I(2) and at 5.0-53 microg ml(-1) for CQP and 1.0-46 microg ml(-1) for PYM using DDQ reagents, respectively. For more accurate results, Ringbom optimum concentration range is calculated and found to be 10-53 and 8-46 microg ml(-1) for CQP and PYM using DDQ, respectively and 5-15 and 8-40 microg ml(-1) for CQP and PYM using iodine, respectively. The Sandell sensitivity is found to be 0.038 and 0.046 g cm(-2) for DDQ method and 0.0078 and 0.056 g cm(-2) for I(2) method for CQP and PYM, respectively which indicates the high sensitivity of both methods. Standard deviation (S.D.=0.012-0.014 and 0.013-0.015) and relative standard deviation (R.S.D.=0.09-1.4 and 1.3-1.5%) (n=5) for DDQ and I(2) methods respectively, refer to the high accuracy and precision of the proposed methods. These results are also confirmed by between day precision of percent recovery of 99-100.6%, and 98-101% for CQP and PYM by DDQ method and 99-102% and 99.2-101.4% for CQP and PYM by I(2) method respectively. These data are comparable to those obtained by British and American pharmacopoeias assay for the determination of CQP and PYM in raw materials and in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Cesium, strontium, europium(III) and plutonium(IV) complexes with humic acid in solution and on montmorillonite surface

The effect of Aldrich humic acid (HA) on the mobility of¹³⁷Cs,⁸⁵Sr,¹⁵²Eu and²³⁹Pu radionuclides was studied in Ca-montmorillonite suspensions. Verified 2-sites-2-species (2s2s) models correspond to an intensive interaction of all elements with humificated surface, what is in a remarkable contrast with the weak complexation of cesium and even strontium in solutions — the neutral ligand interaction constants β (l/mol) are log β<−9.9 and 7.56±0.21 for Cs and Sr, respectively. The result for europium complexation in solution, log β=12.49±0.18 is in a good agreement with literature data. For plutonium(IV) not only a high proton competitive constant in solution was obtained, log β β=(−0.67±0.32)+3pH, but also a strong chemisorption, which at high concentrations of humic acid (above 0.05 g/l) indicates the formation of bridge humate complexes of plutonium on the humificated surface. Logarithms of heterogeneous interaction constants ( ₂₄ l/g) of the elements with surface humic acid are 4.47±0.23, 4.39±0.08, and 6.40±0.33 for Cs, Sr, and Eu(III), respectively, and the logarithm of the proton competitive constant ( ₂₄, l/g) for Pu(IV) −3.80±0.72. Distribution coefficients of humic acid and metal humates between 0.01 g HA/l solution and montmorillonite were derived as logK _d(AH)=−1.04±0.11, logK _d(EuA)=1.56±0.11 and logK _d(PuA)=2.25±0.04, while the values for Cs and Sr were obtained with very high uncertainty. Speciation of the elements on montmorillonite surface is illustrated as a function of equilibrium concentration of humic acid in solution and of pH.     

Corrosion Inhibitors: Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationships

Quantitative structure–activity relationships (QSAR) between corrosion inhibition efficiency and molecular structure may help promote the discovery of new, more efficient corrosion inhibitors. In this work various methods used in the QSAR studies of corrosion inhibitors are reviewed and discussed briefly.