Identifying novel therapeutic inhibitors to target FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) against acute myeloid leukemia: a molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and DFT study.

Around 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients have triggering mutations in Feline McDonough Sarcoma (FMS)-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), which has been suggested as a possible therapeutic candidate for AML therapy. Many tyrosine kinase inhibitors are available and have a wide variety of applications in the treatment of cancer by inhibiting subsequent steps of cell proliferation. Therefore, our study aims to identify effective antileukemic agents against FLT3 gene. Initially, well-known antileukemic drug candidates have been chosen to generate a structure-based pharmacophore model to assist the virtual screening of 217,77,093 compounds from the Zinc database. The final hits compounds were retrieved and evaluated by docking against the target protein, where the top four compounds have been selected for the analysis of ADMET. Based on the density functional theory (DFT), the geometry optimization, frontier molecular orbital (FMO), HOMO-LUMO, and global reactivity descriptor values have been evaluated that confirming a satisfactory profile and reactivity order for the selected candidates. In comparison to control compounds, the docking results revealed that the four compounds had substantial binding energies (-11.1 to -11.5 kcal/mol) with FLT3. The physicochemical and ADMET (adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) prediction results corresponded to the bioactive and safe candidates. Molecular dynamics (MD) confirmed the better binding affinity and stability compared to gilteritinib as a potential FLT3 inhibitor. In this study, a computational approach has been performed that found a better docking and dynamics score against target proteins, indicating potent and safe antileukemic agents, furthermore in-vivo and in-vitro investigations are recommended.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Computational Identification of Druggable Bioactive Compounds from Catharanthus roseus and Avicennia marina against Colorectal Cancer by Targeting Thymidylate Synthase.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of death worldwide, affecting approximately 1.9 million individuals in 2020. Therapeutics of the disease are not yet available and discovering a novel anticancer drug candidate against the disease is an urgent need. Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an important enzyme and prime precursor for DNA biosynthesis that catalyzes the methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) that has emerged as a novel drug target against the disease. Elevated expression of TS in proliferating cells promotes oncogenesis as well as CRC. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential natural anticancer agents that can inhibit the activity of the TS protein, subsequently blocking the progression of colorectal cancer. Initially, molecular docking was implied on 63 natural compounds identified from Catharanthus roseus and Avicennia marina to evaluate their binding affinity to the desired protein. Subsequently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion), toxicity, and quantum chemical-based DFT (density-functional theory) approaches were applied to evaluate the efficacy of the selected compounds. Molecular docking analysis initially identified four compounds (PubChem CID: 5281349, CID: 102004710, CID: 11969465, CID: 198912) that have better binding affinity to the target protein. The ADME and toxicity properties indicated good pharmacokinetics (PK) and toxicity ability of the selected compounds. Additionally, the quantum chemical calculation of the selected molecules found low chemical reactivity indicating the bioactivity of the drug candidate. The global descriptor and HOMO-LUMO energy gap values indicated a satisfactory and remarkable profile of the selected molecules. Furthermore, MD simulations of the compounds identified better binding stability of the compounds to the desired protein. To sum up, the phytoconstituents from two plants showed better anticancer activity against TS protein that can be further developed as an anti-CRC drug.

Band Structure Engineering and Optical Properties of Pristine and Doped Monoclinic Zirconia (m-ZrO2): Density Functional Theory Theoretical Prospective.

Recently, monoclinic ZrO2 has received great technological importance because of its remarkable dielectric properties, high chemical stability, and high melting point. Herein, we introduce first-principles calculations using the Hubbard approach (DFT + U) to study the effects of doping with Nb and W on the electronic and optical properties of pristine ZrO2. The introduction of dopant atoms into the pristine crystal structure led to the displacement of the bandgap edges and reallocation of the Fermi level. The valence band maximum (VBM) shifted upward, resulting in band gap tightening from 5.79 to 0.89 for ZrO2: Nb and to 1.33 eV for ZrO2: W. The optical absorption of doped crystals extended into the visible and near-infrared regions. Partial density of states (PDOS) calculations showed valence band dependency on the O 2p orbital energy, with the conduction band predominantly composed of Nb 4d and W 5d. For pristine ZrO2, the results obtained for the imaginary and real parts of the dielectric function, the refractive index, and the reflectivity show good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results. For ZrO2:W, we checked the dopant location effect, and the obtained results showed no significant effect on the calculated values of the band gap with a maximum difference of 0.17 eV. Significant band gap tightening and optical properties of our systems indicate that these systems could be promising candidates for photoelectrochemical energy conversion (PEC) applications.

Synthesis, Structural Investigations, Molecular Docking, and Anticancer Activity of Some Novel Schiff Bases and Their Uranyl Complexes.

Three novel 2-aminopyrazine Schiff bases derived from salicylaldehyde derivatives and their uranyl complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV-vis, FTIR, molar conductance, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The proposed structures were optimized using density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) and 6-311G ∗(d,p) basis sets. All uranyl complexes are soluble in DMSO and have low molar conductance, which indicates that all the complexes are nonelectrolytes. The DNA binding of those Schiff bases and their uranyl complexes was studied using UV-vis spectroscopy, and screening of their ability to bind to calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) showed that the complexes interact with CT-DNA through an intercalation mode, for which the Kb values ranged from 1 × 106 to 3.33 × 105 M-1. The anticancer activities of the Schiff base ligands and their uranyl complexes against two ovarian (Ovcar-3) and melanoma cell lines (M14) were investigated, and the results indicated that uranyl complexes exhibit better results than the Schiff base ligands. Molecular docking identified the distance, energy account, type, and position of links contributing to the interactions between these complexes and two different cancer proteins (3W2S and 2OPZ).

Highly efficient eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 5 M HCl at elevated temperatures: experimental & molecular dynamics study.

Laurhydrazide N'-propan-3-one was used as an eco-friendly inhibitor for the corrosion of mild steel in 5 M HCl at elevated temperatures. Various electrochemical techniques and surface characterization methods were utilized in this study. In addition, the kinetics and thermodynamic parameters were calculated and discussed. Furthermore, a geometry optimization of LHP was performed and the time-dependent density functional theory was utilized to calculate the electronic absorption spectra. Finally, frequency calculations were, also, performed on the optimized geometry.

Experimental and quantum mechanical studies on the ion-pair of levocetirizine and bromocresol green in aqueous solutions.

In the present work, levocetirizine dihydrochloride (LEV) was found to interact with bromocresol green (BCG) via ion-pair formation. UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy were used to validate the data obtained from quantum mechanical calculations (QMC). The electrostatic potential maps show that the reaction is preferred through the interaction of the sulfonic acid group of BCG and the quaternary ammonium group of LEV. The optimized geometry of the product shows that there are six different intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the studied molecules resulting from the ionic attraction between the oppositely charged groups. The UV-vis spectra suggest the formation of an ion-pair. This finding is contradicting with the previous charge-transfer hypothesis.

Unraveling the nature of interaction between substituted phenol and amiodarone.

A comprehensive study of the interaction between nitrophenols (π-acceptors) and amiodarone (AM) was performed using electronic absorption spectra. The key point is to clarify the erroneous interpretation of the interaction between nitrophenols and one of the basic organic drugs. Matching of the experimental UV-vis spectra and the theoretical ones obtained by DFT calculations revealed that the tertiary amino group of AM reacts with the phenol compounds under investigation via proton-transfer but not charge-transfer (C.T.) mechanisms, unlike what is commonly known about this type of interaction. The interaction was carried out in solutions of different basic pH values to study the effect of hydrogen ion concentration on the reaction. The results show that the reaction is a simple acid-base reaction. As a result, this reaction cannot be used by analytical chemists for determination of one of the studied compounds due to its very low selectivity. TD-DFT as well as geometry optimization of the nitrophenols were calculated with the B3LYP functional, using aug-cc-pvDZ and LanL2DZ as basis sets for ionic and neutral compounds, respectively. The theoretical spectra of possible interactions between AM and nitrophenols result in the same spectra of ionized nitrophenols alone, indicating no possibility for the formation of charge-transfer complexes.

DFT calculations and electronic absorption spectra of some, α- and γ-pyrone derivatives.

The electronic absorption spectra of 6-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2,5-dioxo-pyrano[3,2-c] quinoline 1, 6-ethyl-4-hydroxy-3-nitro-2,5-dioxo-pyrano[3,2-c] quinoline 2, 6-ethyl-4-chloro-2,5-dioxo-pyrano[3,2-c] quinoline 3, 6-ethyl-3-nitro-4-chloro-2,5-dioxo-pyrano[3,2-c] quinoline 4, 6-ethyl-4,5-dioxopyrano[3,2-c] quinoline 5, and 6-ethyl-3-nitro-6H-pyrano [3,2-c]quinoline-4,5-dione 6, were measured in polar (methanol) as well as nonpolar (dioxane) solvents. The geometries were optimized using B3LYB/6-311G (p,d) method. The most stable geometry of the studied compounds, 1-6, is the planar structure as indicates by the values of the dihedral angles. The insertion of a nitro group in position 3 in both α- and γ-pyrone ring decreases the energy gap and hence increases the reactivity of 3 and 6 compounds. Assignment of the observed bands as localized, delocalized and/or of charge transfer (CT) has been facilitated by TD-DFT calculations. The correspondences between the calculated and experimental transition energies are satisfactory. The solvent and substituent effects have been investigated. Chloro-substituent has a higher band position and intensity effects on the spectra more than hydroxyl or nitro groups.

Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal and DFT calculations of 2-(3-amino-2-hydrazono-4-oxothiazolidin-5-yl) acetic acid binuclear metal complexes.

The binuclear complexes of 2-(3-amino-2-hydrazono-4-oxothiazolidin-5-yl) acetic acid ligand (HL) with Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions were prepared and their stoichiometry was determined by elemental analysis. The stereochemistry of the studied series of metal complexes was established by analyzing their infrared, (1)H NMR spectra and the magnetic moment measurements. According to the elemental analysis data, the complexes were found to have the formulae [Fe2L(H2O)8]Cl5 and [M2L(H2O)8]Cl3 (M=Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)). The present analyses demonstrate that all metal ions coordinated to the ligand via O(9), O(11), N(16) and N(18) atoms. Thermal decomposition studies of the ligand-metal complexes have been performed to verify the status of water molecules present in these metal complexes and their general decomposition pattern. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(*) level of theory have been carried out to investigate the equilibrium geometry of the ligand and complexes. Moreover, charge density distribution, extent of distortion from regular geometry, dipole moment and orientation have been performed and discussed.

Spectroscopic and density functional theory investigation of novel Schiff base complexes.

Novel Schiff base (H(2)L, 1,2-bis[(2-(2-mercaptophenylimino)methyl)phenoxy] ethane) derived from condensation of bisaldehyde and 2-aminothiophenol was prepared in a molar ratio 1:2. The ligand and its metal complexes are fully characterized with analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The metal complexes with Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Th(IV) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, thermal and magnetic measurements. The results suggested that the Schiff base is a bivalent anion with hexadentate OONNSS donors derived from the etheric oxygen (O, O'), azomethine nitrogen (N, N') and thiophenolic sulphur (S, S'). The formulae of the complexes were found to be [ML]·xH(2)O (M=Mn(II) (x=0), Co(II) (x=1), Ni(II), (x=1), Cu(II) (x=2) and Zn(II) (x=0)) and [ML]·nCl (M=Cr(III) (n=1), Fe(III) (n=1) and Th(IV) (n=2)). The thermogravimetric analysis of the complexes shows metal oxide remaining as the final product at 700-1000 °C. Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(*) level of theory was used to investigate molecular geometry, Mulliken atomic charges and energetics. The synclinal-conformer was found to be responsible for complex formation. The calculation showed that ligand has weak field. Structural deformation and the dihedral angles rotation during complexation were investigated. The binding energy of each complex was calculated. The calculated results are in good agreement with experimental data.

Unravelling the interplay of crystal structure and electronic band structure of tantalum oxide (Ta2O5).

The band structure and bandgap of Ta(2)O(5) are extremely controversial issues. Herein, the use of a hybrid functional reduces the error in bandgap estimation from 95% to 5% resulting in a bandgap of 3.7 eV. This is expected to help controlling the electronic and structural properties of the material.

Concurrent use of metered dose inhalers without spacer and dry powder inhalers by asthmatic children adversely affect proper inhalation technique.

Asthma is a common chronic disease of children. A good control of symptoms will improve quality of patient life. Inhalation technique is an important aspect in the management of asthma. The better the inhalation technique the better the lung deposition of asthma therapy especially inhaled corticosteroids. This will lead to better control of symptoms and improve adherence to treatment. In the following study the inhalation technique of asthma devices were compared using inhalation technique score system. The asthma devices studied were metered dose inhalers (pressurized MDI) without spacers and dry powder inhalers (DPI). The hypothesis studied was that the inhalation technique score of dry powder inhalers will be adversely affected with concurrent use of metered dose inhalers without spacers.

Pitfalls in diagnosis and clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic findings in endomyocardial fibrosis: a 25-year experience.

Endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) is a fascinating disease entity of unknown etiology. It is prevalent in the tropical zone. Its essential features are the formation of fibrous tissue on the endocardium and to a lesser extent in the myocardium of the inflow tract and apex of one or both ventricles. It results in endocardial rigidity, atrioventricular valve incompetence secondary to papillary muscle involvement, and progressive reduction of the cavity of the involved ventricle leading to restriction in filling and atrial enlargement. This article will present 21 patients with EMF who were initially referred to our hospital from 1979 to 2004 with different diagnoses: rheumatic heart disease with mitral and or tricuspid regurgitation (n = 9), constrictive pericarditis (n = 6), restrictive cardiomyopathy (n = 1), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy apical type (n = 2), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 2), and Ebstein malfunction of the tricuspid valve (n = 1). The clinical, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and angiographic findings in these 21 patients are presented; echocardiographic findings lead to the right diagnosis. The presence of a small ventricle with obliteration of the apex and large atrium shown on two-dimensional echocardiography is highly suggestive of EMF.

Rescue in situ thrombolysis for acute coronary thromboembolism in an angiographically normal coronary artery.

Coronary thromboembolism in an angiographically normal coronary artery is extremely uncommon. There are few instances where normal coronary arteries have been documented just prior to an episode of acute thromboembolic insult. We now report such a case of acute coronary thromboembolism in a patient with widely patent coronary vessels documented just prior to the event during preoperative screening angiogram with successful in situ revascularization.