A comprehensive study for the potential removal of 152+154Eu radionuclides using a promising modified strontium-based MOF.

A facile modification of a strontium-based MOF using oxalic acid was carried out to prepare MTSr-OX MOF, which was used as a potential substance for eliminating 152+154Eu radioisotopes. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize MTSr-OX-MOF. The prepared MOF had a rod-like structure with a BET surface area of 101.55 m2 g-1. Batch sorption experiments were used to investigate the sorption performance of MTSr-OX-MOF towards 152+154Eu radionuclides where different parameters like pH, contact time, initial 152+154Eu concentration, ionic strength, and temperature were scrutinized to determine the optimum conditions for 152+154Eu removal. MTSr-OX-MOF showed superior effectiveness in the elimination of 152+154Eu with a maximum sorption capacity of 234.72 mg g-1 at pH 3.5. Kinetics fitted with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model correctly described the sorption mechanism. The thermodynamic variables were carefully examined, demonstrating that the 152+154Eu sorption was endothermic as well as spontaneous. The MTSr-OX-MOF has been found to be a significantly more effective sorbent towards 152+154Eu than that of many other adsorbents. When applied to real active waste, MTSr-OX-MOF demonstrated excellent removal performance for a wide range of radionuclides. As a result, the MTSr-OX-MOF can be recognized as an attractive solution for the 152+154Eu purification from active waste.

Recent progress in high-performance environmental impacts of the removal of radionuclides from wastewater based on metal-organic frameworks: a review.

The nuclear industry is rapidly developing and the effective management of nuclear waste and monitoring the nuclear fuel cycle are crucial. The presence of various radionuclides such as uranium (U), europium (Eu), technetium (Tc), iodine (I), thorium (Th), cesium (Cs), and strontium (Sr) in the environment is a major concern, and the development of materials with high adsorption capacity and selectivity is essential for their effective removal. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as promising materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources due to their unique properties such as tunable pore size, high surface area, and chemical structure. This review provides an extensive analysis of the potential of MOFs as adsorbents for purifying various radionuclides rather than using different techniques such as precipitation, filtration, ion exchange, electrolysis, solvent extraction, and flotation. This review discusses various MOF fabrication methods, focusing on minimizing environmental impacts when using organic solvents and solvent-free methods, and covers the mechanism of MOF adsorption towards radionuclides, including macroscopic and microscopic views. It also examines the effectiveness of MOFs in removing radionuclides from wastewater, their behavior on exposure to high radiation, and their renewability and reusability. We conclude by emphasizing the need for further research to optimize the performance of MOFs and expand their use in real-world applications. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the potential of MOFs as efficient and durable materials for removing radioactive elements from water resources, addressing a critical issue in the nuclear industry.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of New Potential Unusual Modified Anticancer Immunomodulators for Possible Non-Teratogenic Quinazoline-Based Thalidomide Analogs.

Sixteen new thalidomide analogs were synthesized. The new candidates showed potent in vitro antiproliferative activities against three human cancer cell lines, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), prostate cancer (PC3), and breast cancer (MCF-7). It was found that compounds XII, XIIIa, XIIIb, XIIIc, XIIId, XIVa, XIVb, and XIVc showed IC50 values ranging from 2.03 to 13.39 µg/mL, exhibiting higher activities than thalidomide against all tested cancer cell lines. Compound XIIIa was the most potent candidate, with an IC50 of 2.03 ± 0.11, 2.51 ± 0.2, and 0.82 ± 0.02 µg/mL compared to 11.26 ± 0.54, 14.58 ± 0.57, and 16.87 ± 0.7 µg/mL for thalidomide against HepG-2, PC3, and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Furthermore, compound XIVc reduced the expression of NFκB P65 levels in HepG-2 cells from 278.1 pg/mL to 63.1 pg/mL compared to 110.5 pg/mL for thalidomide. Moreover, compound XIVc induced an eightfold increase in caspase-8 levels with a simultaneous decrease in TNF-α and VEGF levels in HepG-2 cells. Additionally, compound XIVc induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Our results reveal that the new candidates are potential anticancer candidates, particularly XIIIa and XIVc. Consequently, they should be considered for further evaluation for the development of new anticancer drugs.

Sorption and transport characteristics of europium on sandy soils.

Radioactive europium can be released as a fission product during nuclear incidents and pose a threat to the human and surrounding environment because of its biological activity and long decay half-lives. For safe design issues and human health protection demands in construction of the planned nuclear power plants (NPPs) at Al-Dabaa site, it is necessary to study the sorption and transport of different radionuclides as europium within the selected area for predicting their fate at any crisis. Many soil samples were collected from different locations at the area selected along the northwestern coast of Egypt. The samples were transported to the laboratory, preserved, and characterized using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Experiments were performed to study the sorption and transport kinetics of Eu(III) ions on two sandy soil samples from the collected ones. The effect of different parameters (e.g. contact time, pH, initial europium concentration, and temperature) on the sorption behavior europium was explored in a static condition. The maximum sorption capacity was determined and found to be 3.4 and 7.0 mg g-1 for sorption of Eu(III) ions onto soil-1 and soil-2, respectively. Different models were applied to assess the sorption of europium onto the surface of the investigated soils. Data confirmed that Eu retention was attained through a chemisorption process. Further, the thermodynamic parameters were determined and their values confirmed the endothermic nature of the sorption process. The transport of europium radionuclides, with groundwater, through homogeneous porous media with uniform one-dimensional flow in the geosphere was processed and the relative migration velocity was determined in presence of both distilled and seawater media. The transport of Eu(III) radionuclides was higher in presence of seawater than that in presence of distilled water by about two order of magnitude. This obviously clarified the effect of seawater in accelerating the transport of radionuclides with groundwater in the geosphere of studied area. The role of different competing ions have various valances on the relative migration velocity was explored. Further, the time required for studied radionuclides to reach Mediterranean Sea was determined.

A novel strontium-based MOF: synthesis, characterization, and promising application in removal of 152+154Eu from active waste.

Removal of hazardous radioactive materials such as 152+154Eu from active waste using the batch approach has attracted attention nowadays. In this work, a novel melamine-terephthalic strontium metal-organic framework (MTSr-MOF) was prepared via a hydrothermal method. The MTSr-MOF was characterized by various analytical techniques such as FT-IR, 1H/13C-NMR, mass spectroscopy, XPS, XRD, TGA, BET, FE-SEM/EDX, TEM, and UV. The obtained data revealed that MTSr-MOF exhibited brick-like building blocks that were bridged together by the linkers, and each block had a thickness of ∼120 nm. The BET surface area was 74.04 m2 g-1. MTSr-MOF was used for the removal of 152+154Eu radionuclides from active waste. Further functionalization using various modifiers, including oxalic acid, EDTA, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide was carried out to improve the sorption efficiency of MTSr-MOF towards 152+154Eu radionuclides. Among them, MTSr-MOF modified with oxalic acid (MTSr-OX-MOF) demonstrated a superior removal efficiency toward 152+154Eu radionuclides when compared to MTSr-MOF or other published reports, with a removal efficiency of more than 96%. The higher sorption efficiency of the MTSr-OX-MOF indicates that it could be a promising candidate for the removal of 152+154Eu radionuclides from radioactive waste.

New Series of VEGFR-2 Inhibitors and Apoptosis Enhancers: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation.

Background: Cancer is still a major world health threat, causing a high rate of mortality. VEGFR-2 inhibitor anticancer agents are of great significance. However, they showed some serious side effects. Purpose: To discover new effective and safer anticancer agents, a new series of piperazinylquinoxaline-based derivatives was designed and synthesized on the basis of the pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitor drugs. Methods: The new candidates were evaluated against A549 lung cancer cells, HepG-2 hepatoma cells, Caco-2 colon cancer cells, MDA breast cancer cells, and VEGFR-2 kinase. Moreover, cell cycle kinetics and apoptosis rates were studied in HepG-2 cells treated with compound 11, which was the most promising candidate. Results: The new derivatives revealed better antitumor results (IC50 from 6.48 to 38.58 µM) against the aforementioned cancer cell lines than sorafenib. Also, the new candidates showed VEGFR-2 inhibition with IC50 values ranging from 0.19 to 0.60 µM compared to 0.08 µM for sorafenib. Compound 11, meanwhile, showed IC50 values equal to 10.61, 9.52, 12.45, 11.52, and 0.19 µM against the cancer cell lines and VEGFR-2, respectively. Moreover, compound 11 raised the apoptosis rate in HepG-2 cells from 5% to 44% and caused 4, 2.3, and 3-fold increases in BAX/Bcl-2 ratio, caspase-3 level, and P53 expression, respectively, compared to control untreated cells. Finally, the new derivatives displayed the correct binding mode into VEGFR-2 kinase pocket, giving interactions with the essential residues. Conclusion: This work suggests that compound 11 is a very significant anticancer candidate, and piperazinylquinoxaline is an important scaffold in the development of new potential effective and safer VEGFR-2 inhibitor agents.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking of new series of antitumor and apoptosis inducers designed as VEGFR-2 inhibitors.

Based on quinazoline, quinoxaline, and nitrobenzene scaffolds and on pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors, 17 novel compounds were designed and synthesised. VEGFR-2 IC50 values ranged from 60.00 to 123.85 nM for the new derivatives compared to 54.00 nM for sorafenib. Compounds 15a, 15b, and 15d showed IC50 from 17.39 to 47.10 µM against human cancer cell lines; hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), prostate cancer (PC3), and breast cancer (MCF-7). Meanwhile, the first in terms of VEGFR-2 inhibition was compound 15d which came second with regard to antitumor assay with IC50 = 24.10, 40.90, and 33.40 µM against aforementioned cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, Compound 15d increased apoptosis rate of HepG2 from 1.20 to 12.46% as it significantly increased levels of Caspase-3, BAX, and P53 from 49.6274, 40.62, and 42.84 to 561.427, 395.04, and 415.027 pg/mL, respectively. Moreover, 15d showed IC50 of 253 and 381 nM against HER2 and FGFR, respectively.

Design, synthesis and molecular modeling of new quinazolin-4(3H)-one based VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors for potential anticancer evaluation.

Globally cancer is the second leading cause of death. So that this work is an attempt to develop new effective anti-cancer agents. In line with pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors, new nineteen quinazolin-4-one derivatives were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated for their potential anticancer activity. All target compounds were evaluated in vitro for VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase inhibition. Then, nine compounds of best results were further investigated by in vitro assay against three human cancer cell lines, namely HepG2, PC3 and MCF. N'-{2-](3-Ethyl-6-nitro-4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline-2-yl)thio[acetyl}benzohydrazide (36) was found to be the most potent candidate as it showed IC50 = 4.6 ± 0.06 µM against VEGFR-2 kinase. It also exhibited IC50 = 17.23 ± 1.5, 26.10 ± 2.2 and 30.85 ± 2.3 µg/mL against HepG2, PC3 and MCF, respectively. At the same time it showed IC50 = 145.93 ± 1.1 µg/mL against the normal human lung fibroblasts cell line (WI-38), indicating good selectivity index. Further investigation into HepG2 cell cycle showed the ability of compound 36 to induce apoptosis and arrest cell growth at G2/M phase. Moreover, docking studies demonstrated the ability of compound 36 to bind VEGFR-2 in a correct manner making three essential hydrogen bonds with the key residues Glu885, Asp1046 and Cys919. In sum, this work suggests that compound 36 can serve as a lead for development of effective anticancer agents targeting VEGFR-2.

High-Grade Epstein-Barr Virus-Negative Biphenotypic Lymphoma with Expression of B- and T-Cell Markers and Leukemia Presentation: Case Report and Literature Review.

Lymphomas are presently categorized according to their origin from B or T lymphocytes. The co-expression of CD3 in B-cell lymphomas or CD20 in T-cell lymphomas has been rarely reported. Immature and less often mature lymphomas may incorporate the rearrangements of both B- and T-cell antigen receptor genes (dual genotype or bigenotype). Lymphoma cells with a sole genotype hardly concurrently express both B- and T-cell markers (biphenotypic lymphomas). We describe a 63-year-old female who was presented with obstructive jaundice and epigastric pain of 10 days. Initial CBC revealed 43×103/µL white blood cells, 11.2 g/dL hemoglobin, and 88x103/µL platelets. CT abdomen revealed hepatomegaly and suspected pancreatic mass with large retroperitoneal lymph nodal mass. Peripheral smear showed 56% lymphoid cells with blast morphology. The bone marrow (BM) aspirate smear was infiltrated by 83% immature-looking cells. BM biopsy showed interstitial to diffuse extensive infiltration by primitive-looking cells, positive for pan-B-cell antigens CD20, CD79, and PAX5 as well as the T-cell antigen CD4, CD5, CD3, while negative for all immaturity markers (CD34, TdT, and CD1a). In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNA (EBER) was negative. Flow cytometry on BM aspirate showed an abnormal population (50%) expressing the B-cell antigens (CD19, CD20, CD79, CD22) and CD10, and showed lambda light chain restriction as well as the T-cell antigens cCD3 and CD4 with partial CD5. The analysis showed, also, another abnormal population of lambda restricted monotypic B cells (8%) with dimmer CD45 (blast gate) and showed the same immunophenotype (expressing the B-cell antigens), but negative for CD10, cCD3, CD5, and CD4. Conventional cytogenetic revealed complex karyotype. Molecular studies revealed rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain region consistent with a clonal B-cell population. TCR gene rearrangement analysis was equivocal concerning clonality but was not conclusive for clonal T-cell disease. Our final diagnosis was peripheral blood and BM involvement by EBV-negative high-grade lymphoid neoplasm (in leukemic phase with blast morphology) and an ambiguous immunophenotype with a differential diagnosis that may include the rare entity of bigenotypic lymphoma or an unusual case of high-grade B-cell lymphoma with aberrant expression of T-cell markers (biphenotypic lymphomas).

Role of Imaging in Diagnosis of a Rare Hepatosplenic Gamma Delta T-Cell Lymphoma during Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Hepatosplenic γδ T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a very rare peripheral T-cell lymphoma characterized by extranodal infiltration of mature malignant post-thymic T-lymphocytes into sinusoids of the liver and spleen without lymphadenopathy and significant cytopenias. It is an aggressive form of lymphoma, resistant to the conventional chemotherapy. We report a case of HSTCL in pregnancy. Because this condition is an extremely aggressive and rare entity, data from these cases can help confirm the most suitable treatment regimen and timing of initiation. The role of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis has been discussed. HSTCL is a rare entity of T-cell lymphoma, uncommon in female patients and very rarely reported during pregnancy.

Hydroxyapatite/NiFe2O4 superparamagnetic composite: Facile synthesis and adsorption of rare elements.

A magnetic hydroxyapatite composite (CaHAP/NF) derived from calcium hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] and nickel ferrite [NiFe2O4] was successfully synthesized by a coprecipitation method. The synthesized composite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Results clarify that the composite is a crystalline in nature, thermally stable up to 800 °C and possesses a high porous structure. The synthesized CaHAP/NF composite is a superparamagnetic material easily separated from aqueous solutions and would dissociate to some extent in strongly acidic conditions. The synthesized material was successfully applied as a solid phase for separation of Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions from aqueous solutions. The effect of various parameters (e.g. solution pH, equilibrium time and ionic strength) on sorption process was studied in static conditions. The synthesized sorbent could be considered as an efficient candidate for separation and recovery of Eu(III) and Tb(III). The sorption process was very fast initially, reached equilibrium within 6 h of contact and independent of ionic strength. The maximum sorption capacity values were 137.35 and 130.43 mg g-1 for Eu(III) and Tb(III), respectively. Desorption of Eu(III) and Tb(III) from loaded sample was studied using various eluents and maximum recovery was obtained using FeCl3 and EDTA solutions. More importantly, both FeCl3 and EDTA were individually applied as eluents in chromatographic separation of Eu(III) and Tb(III) in CaHAP/NF packed column and the best separation results were obtained by EDTA.

A Study of Permeability Changes Due to Cold Fluid Circulation in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs.

Reservoir behavior due to injection and circulation of cold fluid is studied with a shear displacement model based on the distributed dislocation technique, in a poro-thermoelastic environment. The approach is applied to a selected volume of Soultz geothermal reservoir at a depth range of 3600 to 3700 m. Permeability enhancement and geothermal potential of Soultz geothermal reservoir are assessed over a stimulation period of 3 months and a fluid circulation period of 14 years. This study-by shedding light onto another source of uncertainty-points toward a special role for the fracture surface asperities in predicting the shear dilation of fractures. It was also observed that thermal stress has a significant impact on changing the reservoir stress field. The effect of thermal stresses on reservoir behavior is more evident over longer circulation term as the rock matrix temperature is significantly lowered. Change in the fracture permeability due to the thermal stresses can also lead to the short circuiting between the injection and production wells which in turn decreases the produced fluid temperature significantly. The effect of thermal stress persists during the whole circulation period as it has significant impact on the continuous increase in the flow rate due to improved permeability over the circulation period. In the current study, taking into account the thermal stress resulted in a decrease of about 7 °C in predicted produced fluid temperature after 14 years of cold fluid circulation; a difference which notably influences the potential prediction of an enhanced geothermal system.

First Report of Olpidium bornovanus and O. virulentus on Melon in Italy.

A survey for the presence of Olpidium spp. on melon (Cucumis melo L.) was conducted during the beginning of 2013 in central Italy in an unheated greenhouse, located in the melon-producing coastal area of north Latium (central Italy, Viterbo Province) (42°23'09.31″N, 11°30'46.10″E) with a history of monosporascus root rot and vine decline (MRRVD). For this aim, 10 soil samples were collected adjacent to the roots of plants symptomatic of MRRVD, represented by root lesions and rots and loss of smaller feeder roots. Olpidium was baited from collected infested soil by growing melon (cv. Dinero) plants for 45 days. Bait plants grown in sterilized soil were used as negative controls. All the baited melon roots were analyzed by morphological and molecular methods. For the morphological analysis, feeder roots were clarified in a 1.5% KOH solution for 24 h (2) and observed under a light microscope to record the presence or absence of sporangia and resting spores of Olpidium spp., which were observed in baited melon plants grown in infested soil and not in control roots. In particular, stellate resting spores were referred to as O. virulentus because this species cannot be distinguished from O. brassicae, which does not colonize melon. O. bornovanus had smooth-walled resting spores with a honeycomb-like pattern (2). For molecular analysis, DNA was extracted from 21 melon roots and tested by multiplex PCR to confirm Olpidium spp. identification (2). Based on molecular identification, O. virulentus was identified in 40% of samples, and O. bornovanus was identified in 10%. There were no mixed infections in the same sample. Two amplified PCR products, corresponding to O. bornovanus and O. virulentus expected fragment sizes of 977 and 579 bp respectively, were sequenced (GenBank Accession Nos. KF661295 and KF661296). BLAST analysis of the sequences showed 99% nucleotide identity with O. bornovanus isolate CH from Japan collected in melon roots (AB205215) and O. virulentus isolate HY-1 from Japan collected in lettuce roots as reported by Sasaya and Koganezawa (3) (AB205204, formerly O. brassicae). At the end of the experiment, the root systems of all inoculated plants appeared brown, whereas neither symptoms nor sporangia and resting spores were observed in roots of control plants. Olpidium spp. are root-infecting plant pathogens of melon (4), acting as vectors of Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) and other destructive plant viruses (1). Moreover, they are directly involved in the induction of germination of ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus, the causal agent of MRRVD of cucurbits (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of O. virulentus and O. bornovanus on melon in Italy. References: (1) A. Alfaro-Fernández et al. J. Phytopathol. 91:1250, 2009. (2) J. A. Herrera-Vásquez et al. Mycol. Res. 113:602, 2009. (3) T. Sasaya and H. Koganezawa. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 72:20, 2006. (4) M. E. Stanghellini and I. J. Misaghi. Phytopathology 101:794, 2011.

Botryticidal activity of nanosized silver-chitosan composite and its application for the control of gray mold in strawberry.

Botrytis cinerea Pers, the gray mold fungus, is among the most dangerous plant pathogens that cause great losses in agricultural crops. The botryticidal activities of nanosized silver (nano Ag), fungal chitosan (CTS) irradiated fungal chitosan (IrCTS), and nano Ag-IrCTS composite were investigated. All of the examined materials exhibited powerful antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The most effective compound was nano Ag-IrCTS composite with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 125 µg/mL. The microscopic examination, of treated B. cinerea with the composite, revealed that an obvious alteration in mycelial shape was appeared accompanied and moderate lysis in fungal hyphae. With the prolongation of treatment, most of the fungal mycelia were lysed into small and elastic fragments. The consequence of strawberries coating, with antifungal composite based solution, was the disappearance of gray mold infection signs in 90% of the contaminated fruits after 7 d of storage, treated fruits had a fresh-like appearance at the end of storage. Coating with nano Ag-IrCTS solution could be highly recommended regarding its efficiency in prohibiting B. cinerea growth, preventing gray mold decay and enhancing the overall quality of coated strawberry fruits.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic hexacyanoferrate (II) polymeric nanocomposite for separation of cesium from radioactive waste solutions.

Nanocrystalline potassium zinc hexacyanoferrate loaded on nanoscale magnetite substrate was successfully synthesized for significantly enhanced removal of cesium from low-level radioactive wastes. A description was given for preparation and properties of these precursors. The physicochemical properties of these nanocomposites were determined using different techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Data clarified that supporting potassium zinc hexacyanoferrates on iron ferrite nanoparticles increased their thermal stability. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed that the nanocomposites were well coordinated and incorporated in the polymer matrix. The average particle sizes, of these nanoparticles, determined by SEM had a good agreement with XRD results. Based on characterization data, the prepared zinc hexacyanoferrates were proposed to have a zeolitic rhombohedral structure with cavities can host alkali metal ions and water molecules. The magnetic analysis showed a super-paramagnetic behavior. Batch technique was applied to evaluate the influences of initial pH value, contact time, and competing cations on the efficiency of cesium removal. The sorption process was fast initially, and maximum separation was attained within 2h of contact. Cesium exchange was independent from pH value and deviate from ideal exchange phenomena. In neutral solutions, Cs(+) was retained through exchange with K(+); however, in acidic solution, phase transformation was proposed. Sorption capacity of these materials attained values amounted 1965 mg g(-1). The synthesized nanocomposites exhibited different affinities toward Cs(I), Co(II), and Eu(III) elements and showed a good ability to separate them from each other.

Relationship between serum cytokines profiles and hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis mansoni: an experimental study.

Forty of eighty mice (10 each group) were infected with S. mansoni cercariae and sacrificed at 3 weeks (G-A), 6 weeks (G-B), 12 weeks (G-C) and 16 weeks (G-D) post infection (P.I). The other forty mice were used as control groups of ten mice each. There were highly significant difference between egg counts after 12 weeks & 16 weeks of infection compared to 6 weeks P.I. The maximum egg count and mature eggs were in 6th week P.I while dead eggs reached the peak at 16th weeks P.I. Liver egg counts showed maximum followed by intestinal and then, stool egg counts. A highly significant differences in hydroxyproline, TGF-Bland IL-4 of infected than in controls and their peak at 16 weeks P.I. A significant difference in the IFN-gamma in the infected than in controls with peak occurred at 6 weeks P.I. and declined after that reaching a low level at 16 weeks P.I. A highly significant positive correlation was between TGF-Bland IL4 and significant negative correlation between IFN-gamma and both IL4 & TGF-B1. A highly significant and significant negative correlation between TGF-B1 and egg count at 12 & 16 weeks P.I respectively. Negative correlation was between IL-4 and egg count at 16 weeks P.I. But, significant positive correlation was between IFN-gamma with the egg count at 16 weeks P.I. A significant negative correlation was between TGF-B1 and oogram at 6 & 16 weeks P.I, but highly significant positivity was between IFN-gamma and oogram at 16 weeks P.I. A significant negative correlation was between IL-4 and oogram at 16 weeks P.I. A significant positive correlation was between levels of hydroxyproline and TGF-B1 at 12 & 16 weeks P.I. Highly significant negative correlation between hydroxyproline and IFN-gamma was at 12 weeks P.I with significant and highly significant positive correlation between hydroxyproline and IL4 at 12 & 16 weeks P.I.

[Meningovascular syphilis: study of five cases]. / Méningovascularite d'origine syphilitique: étude de cinq cas.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical manifestations of syphilis are highly variable, and currently on the rise. We report five cases of ischemic stroke related to neurosyphilis. CASE REPORT: The cases of five men aged 37, 34, 41, 42 and 44 years are reported. A notion of a genital chancre was noted in three. The clinical presentation was typical of ischemic stroke in four patients. One presented with intellectual deterioration. Imaging revealed zones of ischemia in all five patients. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed lymphocytic meningitis and all five patients exhibited positive syphilis serology. Brain angiography demonstrated signs of arthritis in four patients and carotid dissection in one. Improvement was achieved with penicillin G in four patients. CONCLUSION: When the cause is doubtful, the routine work-up for ischemic stroke in young subjects should include syphilis serology.

Measurement of the beta+ and orbital electron-capture decay rates in fully ionized, hydrogenlike, and heliumlike 140Pr ions.

We report on the first measurement of the beta+ and orbital electron-capture decay rates of 140Pr nuclei with the simplest electron configurations: bare nuclei, hydrogenlike, and heliumlike ions. The measured electron-capture decay constant of hydrogenlike 140Pr58+ ions is about 50% larger than that of heliumlike 140Pr57+ ions. Moreover, 140Pr ions with one bound electron decay faster than neutral 140Pr0+ atoms with 59 electrons. To explain this peculiar observation one has to take into account the conservation of the total angular momentum, since only particular spin orientations of the nucleus and of the captured electron can contribute to the allowed decay.

[Cerebral thrombophlebitis revealing hyperthyroidism: two cases report and literature review]. / Thrombophlébite cérébrale révélant une hyperthyroïdie: à propos de deux cas et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Two cases of hyperthyroidism revealed by a cerebral venous thrombosis are reported. EXEGESIS: Clinical symptomatology consisted of intra-cranial hypertension and convulsive crisis associated to thyrotoxicosis. Evolution was favorable with etiologic and symptomatic therapy. CONCLUSION: The cerebral venous thrombosis risk on hyperthyroidism is discussed.

[Neuro-Behcet's syndrome and thrombosis of Rosenthal's basilar vein: a report of twelve cases]. / Thrombose de la veine basilaire de Rosenthal et angio-Behçet cérébral. Etude de 12 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Deep cerebral vein thrombosis is a specific clinical pattern of neuroBehçet. The clinical features of ischemic stroke by Rosenthal or internal cephalic vein thrombosis predominate. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of twelve cases of Rosenthal vein thrombosis revealing Behçet disease were analyzed. These cases accounted for one-quarter of the NeuroBehçet patients treated in our unit. RESULTS: The typical pattern of Rosenthal vein thrombosis clinical was present in all patients who developed a diencephalo-mesencephalic syndrome. CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation is highly suggestive of diagnosis confirmed by imaging. Outcome is favorable with corticosteroids and anticoagulation.