Astrophysical parameters of ten poorly studied open star clusters

We present here the fundamental parameters of ten open star clusters, nominated from Kronberger et al. (2006) who presented some new discovered stellar groups on the basis of 2MASS photometry and DSS visual images. Star counts and photometric parameters (radius, membership, distances, color excess, age, luminosity function, mass function, total mass, and the dynamical relaxation time) have been determined for these ten clusters for the first time. In order to calibrate our procedures, the main parameters (distance, age, and color excesses) have been re-estimated for another five clusters, which are studied by Kronberger et al. (2006) as well.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables; accepted in "Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics Journal

EGFR tyrosine kinase targeted compounds

In this study, we illustrate computer aided drug design of new benzothiazole and pyrimido[2,1-b]benzothiazole derivatives as epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) inhibitors. Compounds 1-5 were screened at NCI, USA, for antitumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H522), colon cancer (HCT-116, HCT-15 and HT29) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231/ATCC) cell lines in which EGFR is overexpressed in varying levels. Results indicated that these compounds are more potent antitumor agents compared to erlotinib against HT29 and MDA-MB-231/ATCC cell lines. Compound 3 showed GI50 value of 22.3 nM against NCI-H522 cell line, while erlotinib exhibited GI50 value of 1 μM against the same cell line. In addition, these compounds were studied for their EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity. Virtual screening utilizing molecular modeling and QSAR techniques enabled the understanding of the pharmacophoric requirements for antitumor activity. Docking the designed compounds into the ATP binding site of EGFR-TK domain was done to predict the analogous binding mode of these compounds to the EGFR-TK inhibitors

Microwave-assisted synthesis and antitumor evaluation of a new series of thiazolylcoumarin derivatives

A new series of thiazolylcoumarin derivatives was synthesized. The designed strategy embraced a molecular hybridization approach which involves the combination of the thiazole and coumarin pharmacophores together. The new hybrid compounds were tested for in vitro antitumor efficacy over cervical (Hela) and kidney fibroblast (COS-7) cancer cells. Compounds 5f, 5h, 5m and 5r displayed promising efficacy toward Hela cell line. In addition, 5h and 5r were found to be the most active candidates toward COS-7 cell line. The four active analogs, 5f, 5h, 5m and 5r were screened for in vivo antitumor activity over EAC cells in mice, as well as in vitro cytotoxicity toward W138 normal cells. Results illustrated that 5r has the highest in vivo activity, and that the four analogs are less cytotoxic than 5-FU toward W138 normal cells. In this study, 3D pharmacophore analysis was performed to investigate the matching pharmacophoric features of the synthesized compounds with trichostatin A. In silico studies showed that the investigated compounds meet the optimal needs for good oral absorption with no expected toxicity hazards

Watching the war against Iraq through pan-Arab satellite TV

It was the first Gulf War in 1991 which led to the satellite television explosion in the Arab world. Arabs then knew about Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait through CNN. Today, Arab satellite channels reach almost every Arab capital and many Middle Eastern and African nations — from Mauritania on the Atlantic coast to Iran in the east, from Syria in the north to Djibouti in the south. This battle for the airwaves and boom in satellite channels in the Arab world has become both a tool for integration and dispersion. It is raising a glimpse of hope that the flow of information will no longer be pouring from the West to the East, but from the East to the West. Questions, however, remain about the credibility of news coverage by Arabic networks like the maverick Qatar-based al-Jazeera and whether Arab journalists adhere to journalistic norms upheld in the West

Biomonitoring of radioactive contamination using benthic invertebrate communities in Manzala Lake, Egypt

Manzala Lake, the largest in Egypt’s Nile Delta, has significant human activity. The Lake’s ecological condition has recently been impacted by a significant increase in agricultural, industrial, and urban wastewater discharge. Avaluable tool for monitoring the water quality of Manzal aLake is the sensitivity of invertebrate species to various types of pollution, such as radioactive contamination. Activity concentrations of radionuclides Radium-226 (226Ra),Thorium-232 (232Th), Potassium-40 ( 40K), and Caesium-137(137Cs) were measured in water, sediments and benthic invertebrate samples in 2020. The benthic community’s spatial distribution and the radionuclides’ bioaccumulation were evaluated to determine possible relationships.Thirty taxa of benthic invertebrates were recognised.The data illustrated that the mean activity concentratio nof radionuclides in water was in the order of 40K > 232Th >226Ra > 137Cs, which changed into 40K > 226Ra > 232Th > 137Csin the sediment and benthic invertebrates. Gastropoda and Ostracoda are the dominating groups of benthos in the lake and are related to the highest concentrations of radionuclides. The benthos species with shells dominated at the sites with the highest activity concentration of 226Ra, while soft-bodied organisms dominated in sites with the highest average 137Cs activity in these samples.Manzala Lake, the largest in Egypt’s Nile Delta, has significant human activity. The Lake’s ecological condition has recently been impacted by a significant increase in agricultural, industrial, and urban wastewater discharge. Avaluable tool for monitoring the water quality of Manzal aLake is the sensitivity of invertebrate species to various types of pollution, such as radioactive contamination. Activity concentrations of radionuclides Radium-226 (226Ra),Thorium-232 (232Th), Potassium-40 ( 40K), and Caesium-137(137Cs) were measured in water, sediments and benthic invertebrate samples in 2020. The benthic community’s spatial distribution and the radionuclides’ bioaccumulation were evaluated to determine possible relationships.Thirty taxa of benthic invertebrates were recognised.The data illustrated that the mean activity concentratio nof radionuclides in water was in the order of 40K > 232Th >226Ra > 137Cs, which changed into 40K > 226Ra > 232Th > 137Csin the sediment and benthic invertebrates. Gastropoda and Ostracoda are the dominating groups of benthos in the lake and are related to the highest concentrations of radionuclides. The benthos species with shells dominated at the sites with the highest activity concentration of 226Ra, while soft-bodied organisms dominated in sites with the highest average 137Cs activity in these samples