Komar University of Science and Technology

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a unique subpopulation of cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate, thereby sustaining tumor growth and contributing to disease recurrence. Although CSCs predominantly reside in the G₀ phase, their stem-like properties, such as the expression of specific CD markers, self-renewal, differentiation potential, tumor initiation, drug resistance, and increased invasive and metastatic potential, manifest during their active proliferative phase. Rapidly dividing cells exhibit alterations in their cell cycle, often characterized by shortened or bypassed G₁ phases, a phenomenon observed in both embryonic stem cells and cancerous cells. Dysregulation of cell cycle control is a hallmark of cancer, leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and tumorigenesis. Disruption in key regulatory proteins, signaling pathways, and cell cycle checkpoints-particularly during the G₁ phase-enables cancer cells to escape normal proliferation restrictions. The rapid cell-cycle progression can impair the timely degradation of proteins critical for cell cycle regulation, particularly cyclin D, thereby compromising proper cell cycle control. Therefore these proteins may be passed to daughter cells, promoting further rounds of rapid cycles. Additionally, cyclin D is often overexpressed in cancer cells, further exacerbating uncontrolled proliferation. These mechanisms may underpin key properties of CSCs, including rapid proliferation and their stem-like traits. This review examines the relationship between G₁ phase kinetics and the acquisition of stem-like characteristics, emphasizing how rapid G₁ phase progression and transitions between dormancy and active proliferation contribute to the emergence of CSC traits.

A review.Water pollution caused by antibiotics poses a severe environmental and public health challenge due to their complex organic structures and resistance to natural degradation processes.Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), particularly those utilizing heterogeneous catalysts, offer a promising solution for effectively removing antibiotics from wastewater.This review compares advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including Fenton-like reactions, persulfate-based systems, and photocatalytic techniques, focusing on the importance of catalyst optimization.Two critical sections are introduced: Characterization Techniques and Optimal Operational Conditions, which collectively highlight the design, evaluation, and application of catalysts.Characterization techniques such as FTIR, BET, XRD, SEM, and XPS provide essential insights into catalyst properties.Moreover, advanced characterization techniques such as EPR and XPS are discussed to establish structure-performance correlations in heterogeneous catalysts applied for antibiotic degradationIn contrast, operational parameters such as pH, oxidant dosage, reaction time, and temperature significantly influence removal efficiency.This review synthesizes recent advancements, discusses challenges, and outlines future research directions to develop efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment systems.

The southern vicinity of Aqra town; Iraqi Kurdistan Region is characterized by hilly morphol. and low mountainous relief; this area is a promising oil district with many oil fields.The widely exposed rocks in the study belong to the Bai Hassan Formation (Pliocene - Pleistocene), older rocks have rare exposures and are restricted within the core of some anticlines, especially east of the Greater Zab River.The economic importance of this area mandates updated structural investigations accompanied by the potential rock units that may comprise the petroleum systems and their elements.The performed structural study used high-quality satellite images (ESSRI, 2013. ArcGIS REST Services Directory) to deduce the structural forms in the studied area.A stratigraphic appraisal of the geol. formations was also conducted to define the elements of petroleum systems of the study area.The study area was previously known to have only four anticlines (Bijeel, Rovia, Sarta, and Bawakhan anticlines), which were described and plotted on geol. maps.Whereas, in the current study, six anticlines were recognized; they are from north to south: Bijeel, Mamandok, Grdashin, Rovia, Sarta, and Bawakhan anticlines, all these structures were verified upon checking field visits.The delineation of the axes of the recently recognized anticlines with their accurate locations and extensions, will furnish interesting data, especially, for oil exploration activities, and may add further reservoir discoveries.The definition of potential petroleum systems facilitated pointing out the stratal units (formations) that can make each element of the petroleum systems: source, reservoir, and sealing rocks.