Enaminones have garnered significant attention because of their unique properties and their importance in synthetic chemistry as highly versatile building blocks. In this study, a novel series of heterocyclic compounds based on pyridine and pyrimidine scaffolds was synthesized through the reactions of enaminones 2 with nitriles and various ammonia derivatives. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed using multiple spectroscopic techniques, including IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and MS, as well as elemental analysis. Evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of these heterocycles demonstrated notable potency, particularly among the pyrimidine analogues.

The Abu Tartur Plateau in the Western Desert of Egypt hosts the largest phosphate mining operation in the Middle East. Mining activities in this area generate several million tons annually of overburden waste materials, including carbonate, black shale, siltstone, glauconite, and sandstone. In the present study, phosphatic dolomite (PD) and black shale were collected from these mining wastes. Phosphatic dolomite, along with sodalite-based phosphatic dolomite (SBPD) synthesized from calcined phosphatic dolomite (CPD) and black shale, were evaluated as low-cost adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals (Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cd²⁺) from synthetic wastewater. Heavy metal contamination, particularly by Cd, Pb, and Cu, represents a major global environmental challenge. Among the available remediation techniques, adsorption is widely considered one of the most effective approaches due to its environmental sustainability, economic feasibility, and operational simplicity. The materials (PD, CPD, and SBPD) were characterized by using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and BET surface
area. Key adsorption parameters—including adsorbent dosage, pH, initial metal concentration,
and contact time—were systematically investigated for Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cd²⁺ removal. The optimal
adsorption performance for SBPD was achieved using a dosage of 0.2 g for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, whereas PD showed optimal removal efficiencies at 0.3 g for Pb²⁺ and 0.6 g for Cu²⁺. Both adsorbents exhibited a preferential removal order of Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺. Kinetic and isotherm models were applied to interpret the adsorption mechanisms. The results of the present study confirm that sodalite based phosphatic dolomite (SBPD) exhibited higher metal removal efficiency than unmodified phosphatic dolomite (PD).

ABSTRACT Keywords: Antimony Antioxidants Arthrospira platensis Cucurbit Chelation mechanism Earthworm The rising industrial use of antimony (Sb) has led to its widespread pollution, negatively impacting plant growth as an emerging pollutant. Limited studies have explored the integrated biosystems involving Arthrospira platensis (AP) and/or earthworms (EW) on cucurbit plants under Sb-stress. This study uncovered the toxicity of three levels of ‘Sb’ on soil characters and biochemical changes of cucurbit leaves with/without EW and/or AP. The GC- mass analysis of AP-extract documented the presence of 33 bioactive compounds; including 11,13-dimethyl-12- tetradecen-1-ol acetate, lanostane-7,11-dione, 3-(acetyloxy)-, erucic acid, cis-10-nonadecenoic acid, cis-vaccenic acid, oleic acid, and others which have antioxidative and growth-promoting properties. Earthworms isolated from Sb-contaminated soils showed severe morphological and ultrastructure changes in skin and overall worm’s body. However, the integrated biosystem alleviated the impacts of ‘Sb’ on earthworms and cucurbits compared to their single application. Supplementation of bioagents to Sb-stressed soils improved plant growth and photosynthetic pigments content of cucurbits. This was achieved by modulating the foliar and soil content of essential elements and restricting ‘Sb’ accumulation in leaves. These changes maintained relative water content and osmotic balance in the cell along with increasing the activities of carbonic anhydride and nitrate reductase. Moreover, AP and/or EW application associated with up-regulation of Sb-chelation chaperones and increasing the activity of glutathione-S-transferase, phenylalanine ammonialyase, and lignin accumulation. Furthermore, heatmap and principal component analyses showed a positive response of hydrogen sulfide, secondary metabolites, and antioxidants which reduced nitro-oxidative stress and membrane damage criteria of Sb-stressed plants-received bioagents. All these up-regulations of the used applicants improved the tolerance of cucurbit plants against Sb-stress, increased the shoot growth, root development, and reduced the chlorosis of leaves. The present investigation highly recommended using A. platensis and earthworms as green technologies to enhance the plant tolerance against ‘Sb’ or may be other emergent pollutants.

Helium accumulation in structural ceramics used in nuclear, fusion, and aerospace systems causes swelling, cracking, and early failure, yet controlling this damage has remained elusive. Here, we introduce defect landscape engineering, the deliberate creation of vacancy clusters prior to helium exposure, as a general strategy to suppress helium-induced degradation. Using α-SiC as a model, we combine advanced microscopy, strain mapping, helium depth profiling, positron annihilation spectroscopy, and atomistic simulations to demonstrate that tailored pre-damage transforms helium defect evolution. Instead of forming extended platelets and nanocracks, helium is trapped in stable, uniformly dispersed nanobubbles. Simulations reveal that small vacancy clusters act as dual-function sinks for irradiation-induced interstitials and preferential traps for helium, fundamentally altering the dynamics of cascade recombination. This mechanism is composition-independent and scalable, offering a new design principle for radiation-tolerant ceramics across carbides, nitrides, and oxides. By viewing defect control as a tunable parameter instead of a fixed material property, this work outlines a possible design route toward enhanced radiation tolerance in ceramics used in extreme environments.

CDK2 has emerged as a pivotal target in cancer chemotherapy. To develop a novel CDK2 inhibitor scaffold, multiple rational, structure-based design strategies were applied to known potent CDK2 inhibitors. Through retrosynthetic planning, chemical synthesis, and characterisation, compounds 2–8 were generated. Initial in vitro screening using the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel, followed by accurate cytotoxicity (GI₅₀) measurements, shortlisted compounds 5, 8b, and 8d as promising candidates. These compounds exhibited GI₅₀ values as low as 0.6 μM and demonstrated favourable safety profiles, with selectivity indices reaching up to 7.98. The top two active compounds, 5 and 8b, were further evaluated against the most sensitive cell line, MDA-MB-468 (breast cancer), at their respective GI₅₀ concentrations. Flow cytometric cell cycle analysis revealed 82% and 78% G1 phase arrest for compounds 5 and 8b, respectively, suggesting an effective CDK2/cyclin E targeting mechanism. Furthermore, annexin V-FITC apoptosis assays showed robust pro-apoptotic effects, with total apoptosis induction elevated 34.5-fold and 32.4-fold over the negative control for compounds 5 and 8b, respectively. Subsequent CDK2/cyclin E1 enzymatic inhibition assays confirmed the potency of these compounds, with IC₅₀ values of 3.92 nM for 5 and 0.77 nM for 8b, compared to 1.94 nM for the reference inhibitor roscovitine. Notably, the novel lead compound 8b exhibited approximately 2.5-fold greater potency than roscovitine. Molecular docking studies further supported the experimental findings and provided structural insights for future optimisation of this promising CDK2 inhibitor scaffold.