TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given a paragraph from the research paper and your task is to generate a suitable title for the research paper based on the given paper. Under 100 words is a good title length.
PROBLEM: Essential oil of star anise as well as phenylpropanoids and sesquiterpenes, for example, trans-anethole, eugenol, -eudesmol, farnesol, -caryophyllene and -caryophyllene oxide, which are present in many essential oils, were examined for their antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro. Antiviral activity was analyzed by plaque reduction assays and mode of antiviral action was determined by addition of the drugs to uninfected cells, to the virus prior to infection or to herpesvirusinfected cells. Star anise oil reduced viral infectivity by >99%, phenylpropanoids inhibited HSV infectivity by about 60-80% and sesquiterpenes suppressed herpes virus infection by 40-98%. Both, star anise essential oil and all isolated compounds exhibited anti-HSV-1 activity by direct inactivation of free virus particles in viral suspension assays. All tested drugs interacted in a dosedependent manner with herpesvirus particles, thereby inactivating viral infectivity. Star anise oil, rich in trans-anethole, revealed a high selectivity index of 160 against HSV, whereas among the isolated compounds only -caryophyllene displayed a high selectivity index of 140. The presence of -caryophyllene in many essential oils might contribute strongly to their antiviral ability. These results indicate that phenylpropanoids and sesquiterpenes present in essential oils contribute to their antiviral activity against HSV.

SOLUTION: Original Article Screening for Antiviral Activities of Isolated Compounds from Essential Oils

PROBLEM: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia in infants and young children worldwide. In the Middle East and Arab countries, the burden of RSV-associated hospitalizations is not well characterized. We sought to determine the burden and clinical/epidemiological characteristics of RSV hospitalization in young children in Amman, Jordan. We investigated risk factors for severity including vitamin D levels. Methods: We conducted viral surveillance with clinical and demographic data in children <2 years admitted with respiratory symptoms and/or fever at the Al-Bashir Government Hospital from March16, 2010 to March 31, 2013. Nasal/throat swabs were obtained and placed into lysis buffer, and frozen at 80 C until testing by real-time RT-PCR for 11 respiratory viruses. Heel stick blood or sera samples for 25hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were obtained and sent to a central laboratory for mass spectrometry. Results: Of the 3168 children, >80% testing positive for one virus, with RSV the most common virus detected (44%). The RSV-associated hospitalization rate was highest in children <6 months with an annual range of 21.1-25.9 per 1000, compared to 6.0-8.0 in 6-11-month-olds and 1.6-2.5 in 12-23-month-olds. RSV-positive children compared with RSV-negative were more likely to be previously healthy without underlying medical conditions, less likely to be born prematurely, had a higher frequency of supplemental oxygen use, and had lower median vitamin D levels. Risk factors for oxygen use in RSV-positive children included underlying medical conditions, lack of breastfeeding, younger age, and higher viral load. Conclusion: RSV is a major cause of illness in hospitalized Jordanian children and is associated with increased severity compared to other respiratory viruses. Children with RSV in the Middle East would benefit from future RSV vaccines and antiviral therapy.

SOLUTION: Natural history and epidemiology of respiratory syncytial virus infection in the Middle East: Hospital surveillance for children under age two in Jordan

PROBLEM: A series of the novel C-5 alkynyl pyrimidine nucleoside analogues (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) in which the sugar moiety was replaced by the conformationally restricted Z-and E-2-butenyl spacer between the phthalimido and pyrimidine ring were synthesized by using Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction. Cytostatic activity evaluation of the novel compounds showed that E-isomers exhibited, in general, better cytostatic activities than the corresponding Z-isomers. E-isomer 14 exhibited the best cytostatic effect against all evaluated malignant cell lines, particularly against hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2, IC 50 = 4.3 lM). However, this compound was also cytotoxic to human normal fibroblasts (WI 38). Its Z-isomer 7 showed highly specific antiproliferative activity against Hep G2 (IC 50 = 18 lM) and no cytotoxicity to WI 38. Moreover, compounds 3, 4 and 14 expressed some marginal inhibitory activity against HIV-1 and HIV-2.

SOLUTION:
Synthesis, cytostatic and anti-HIV evaluations of the new unsaturated acyclic C-5 pyrimidine nucleoside analogues