Improving plant adaptation to soil antimony contamination: the synergistic contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and olive mill waste.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the alterations in biochemical and physiological responses of oat plants exposed to antimony (Sb) contamination in soil. Specifically, we evaluated the effectiveness of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) and olive mill waste (OMW) in mitigating the effects of Sb contamination. The soil was treated with a commercial strain of AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) and OMW (4% w/w) under two different levels of Sb (0 and 1500 mg kg-1 soil). RESULTS: The combined treatment (OMW + AMF) enhanced the photosynthetic rate (+ 40%) and chlorophyll a (+ 91%) and chlorophyll b (+ 50%) content under Sb condition, which in turn induced more biomass production (+ 67-78%) compared to the contaminated control plants. More photosynthesis in OMW + AMF-treated plants gives a route for phenylalanine amino acid synthesis (+ 69%), which is used as a precursor for the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids (+ 110%), polyphenols (+ 26%), and anthocyanins (+ 63%) compared to control plants. More activation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (+ 38%) and chalcone synthase (+ 26%) enzymes in OMW + AMF-treated plants under Sb stress indicated the activation of phenylpropanoid pathways in antioxidant metabolites biosynthesis. There was also improved shifting of antioxidant enzyme activities in the ASC/GSH and catalytic pathways in plants in response to OMW + AMF and Sb contamination, remarkably reducing oxidative damage markers. CONCLUSIONS: While individual applications of OMW and AMF also demonstrated some degree of plant tolerance induction, the combined presence of AMF with OMW supplementation significantly enhanced plant biomass production and adaptability to oxidative stress induced by soil Sb contamination.

Expression of concern: Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO2 microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production.

Expression of concern for 'Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO2 microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production' by Ayman H. Zaki et al., Nanoscale Adv., 2020, 2, 2080-2086, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0NA00204F.

The Exploitation of Sodium Deoxycholate-Stabilized Nano-Vesicular Gel for Ameliorating the Antipsychotic Efficiency of Sulpiride.

The present study explored the effectiveness of bile-salt-based nano-vesicular carriers (bilosomes) for delivering anti-psychotic medication, Sulpiride (Su), via the skin. A response surface methodology (RSM), using a 33 Box-Behnken design (BBD) in particular, was employed to develop and optimize drug-loaded bilosomal vesicles. The optimized bilosomes were assessed based on their vesicle size, entrapment efficiency (% EE), and the amount of Sulpiride released. The Sulpiride-loaded bilosomal gel was generated by incorporating the optimized Su-BLs into a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose polymer. The obtained gel was examined for its physical properties, ex vivo permeability, and in vivo pharmacokinetic performance. The optimum Su-BLs exhibited a vesicle size of 211.26 ± 10.84 nm, an encapsulation efficiency of 80.08 ± 1.88% and a drug loading capacity of 26.69 ± 0.63%. Furthermore, the use of bilosomal vesicles effectively prolonged the release of Su over a period of twelve hours. In addition, the bilosomal gel loaded with Su exhibited a three-fold increase in the rate at which Su transferred through the skin, in comparison to oral-free Sulpiride. The relative bioavailability of Su-BL gel was almost four times as high as that of the plain Su suspension and approximately two times as high as that of the Su gel. Overall, bilosomes could potentially serve as an effective technique for delivering drugs through the skin, specifically enhancing the anti-psychotic effects of Sulpiride by increasing its ability to penetrate the skin and its systemic bioavailability, with few adverse effects.

Involvement of INF-γ functional single nucleotide polymorphism +874 T/A (rs2430561) in breast cancer risk.

According Global Cancer Statistics 2020 GLOBOCAN estimates female breast cancer was found as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7%), and the fourth leading cause (6.9%) of cancer death among women worldwide. Identification of new diagnostic marker sharply characterize the tumor feature is intensive need. The present work was performed to investigate the involvement of the INF-γ + 874 T/A gene polymorphism in different breast cancer prognostic factors. Polymorphism detection analysis was performed on 163 subjects from breast cancer patients, 79 with inflamed cells of breast patients and 144 controls. The gene polymorphism was detected using the amplification refractory mutation system- polymerase chain reaction method (ARMS-PCR). The distribution of INF-γ T + 874A gene polymorphism shows strong significant association between INF-γ + 874 T/A genotypes TT in BC patients (ORTT: 6.41 [95% CI = 2.72-15.1] P < 0.0001) as well as strong significant association regarding T allele (ORT: 1.99 [95% CI = 1.43-2.76] P < 0.0001) when compared to the healthy control. In ICB group the strong association was noted with INF-γ + 874 T/A genotypes AT genotype (ORAT: 2.28 [95% CI = 1.22-4.29] P = 0.007). From the different histological BC hormonal markers the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was showing significant association in INF-γ + 874 T/A genotypes TT (P = 0.03) and recessive model (TT versus AA + AT P = 0.03). Concerning different BC prognostic models, the poor prognostic one of luminal B, (ER+ve PR+ve Her2+ve) show significant association in the host INF-γ + 874 T/A genotype (TT, P = 0.03) and recessive model (TT versus AA + AT P = 0.02) when compared to the good prognostic hormonal status luminal A model, (ER+ve PR+ve Her2-ve). It seems that this is the first study that interested in correlate the INF-γ + 874 T/A gene polymorphisms in Egyptian BC patients. T allele, TT genotype and recessive model of the INF-γ + 874 T/A gene variants were documented as risk factors for BC pathogenesis. It may be used as practical biomarker to guide the BC carcinogenesis and risk process.

Bioremediation perspectives and progress in petroleum pollution in the marine environment: a review.

The marine environment is often affected by petroleum hydrocarbon pollution due to industrial activities and petroleum accidents. This pollution has recalcitrant and persistent compounds that pose a high risk to the ecological system and human health. For this reason, the world claims to seek to clean up these pollutants. Bioremediation is an attractive approach for removing petroleum pollution. It is considered a low-cost and highly effective approach with fewer side effects compared to chemical and physical techniques. This depends on the metabolic capability of microorganisms involved in the degradation of hydrocarbons through enzymatic reactions. Bioremediation activities mostly depend on environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, salinity, pressure, and nutrition availability. Understanding the effects of environmental conditions on microbial hydrocarbon degraders and microbial interactions with hydrocarbon compounds could be assessed for the successful degradation of petroleum pollution. The current review provides a critical view of petroleum pollution in seawater, the bioavailability of petroleum compounds, the contribution of microorganisms in petroleum degradation, and the mechanisms of degradation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. We consider different biodegradation approaches such as biostimulation, bioaugmentation, and phytoremediation.

Immunoinformatics design of multiepitopes peptide-based universal cancer vaccine using matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein as a target.

A new approach toward cancer therapy is the use of cancer vaccine, yet the different molecular bases of cancers, reduce the effectiveness of this approach. In this article, we aim to use matrix metalloproteinase-9 protein (MMP9) which is an essential molecule in the survival and metastasis of all types of cancers as a target for universal cancer vaccine design. The reference sequence of MMP9 protein was obtained from NCBI databases. Furthermore, the B-cell and T cell-related peptides were analyzed using the IEDB website and other related soft wares. The best candidate peptides were then visualized using chimera software. Three peptides were found to be good candidates for interactions with B cells (SLPE, RLYT, and PALPR), while 10 peptides were found as good targets for interactions with MHC1 and another 10 peptides founded suitable for interactions with MHC2 with population coverages of 94.77 and 90.67%, respectively. Finally, the immune response simulation and molecular docking were done using the C-IMMSIM simulator and AutoDock Vina to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed vaccine. By the end of this project: twenty-three peptide-based vaccine was designed for use as a universal cancer vaccine which has a high world population coverage for MHC1 (94.77%) and MHC2 (90.67%) related alleles.

Acceleration of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis using TiO2 microspheres as a catalyst for hydrogen production.

Titania microspheres are considered an adequate material with low cost and easily attainable pathways, and can be utilized in photocatalytic H2 production to solve the energy crisis. Spherical porous titanium dioxide materials, with nanostructure composition, were chemically synthesized from titanate nanotubes via a simple hydrothermal technique, then added as a catalyst to accelerate the route of ammonium phosphate hydrolysis for hydrogen production. The mechanism of sphere formation from titanate nanotubes is elucidated in detail through the current study. The prepared materials were applied as a photocatalyst to facilitate the separation and transfer of photoinduced electrons, while preventing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Experimental results show that the obtained microspheres possess significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) production performance. The amount of photocatalytic hydrogen product using the microspheres is found to be ∼2.5 fold greater than that of titanate nanotubes. Analytical techniques such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), simulated visible solar light and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used for the evaluation and characterization of the developed products, as well as the elucidation of the route of hydrolysis in the hydrogen production process.

The impact of phytoestrogen source supplementation on reproductive performance, plasma profile, yolk fatty acids and antioxidative status in aged laying hens.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds as a source of phytoestrogens in laying feed on productive performance, egg quality, yolk fatty acids, plasma profile and antioxidative status in aged laying hens. A total of 120 Bovans Brown hens at 65 weeks of age were housed individually in laying cages in an open-sided building under a 16-hr light: 8-hr dark lighting schedule. Hens were randomly divided into four experimental treatments (n = 30 each): (a) control (basal diet without any supplementation); (b) 1 g/kg of flaxseeds; (c) 1 g/kg of fenugreek seeds; and (d) combination of 1 g/kg flaxseeds and 1 g/kg fenugreek seeds from 65 to 71 weeks of age. Hen-day egg production and egg mass were significantly increased by dietary supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds, while feed intake was not affected; thus, feed conversion ratio was improved (p < 0.05). Weights of egg, albumen, yolk and shell were increased by the dietary treatments. Shell thickness and yolk colour were improved by supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds. Yolk crude protein was not significantly affected by treatments; however, crude fat and calcium contents in yolk were increased and egg yolk cholesterol content was decreased. Interestingly, dietary supplementation of flaxseeds, fenugreek seeds and their combination had a significant positive effect on plasma luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, oestradiol-17ß and triglycerides. Inclusion of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds in the diets enhanced the serum glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities and reduced the malondialdehyde and total cholesterol concentrations in plasma. Dietary supplementation of flaxseeds and/or fenugreek seeds increased α-linolenic and linoleic acids in egg yolk. It could be concluded that inclusion of mixed sources of phytoestrogens in diets improved laying performance, egg quality, the antioxidative status, hormonal profile and steroidogenesis in aged laying hens.

Human uterine leiomyoma contains low levels of 1, 25 dihdroxyvitamin D3, and shows dysregulated expression of vitamin D metabolizing enzymes.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate tissue concentration of 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, and gene expression level of CYP27B1 that codes for 1-α hydroxylase (vitamin D activating enzyme), and CYP24A1 that codes for 24-hydroxylase (vitamin D catabolizing enzyme) in human uterine leiomyoma (ULM), its adjacent myometrium (Myo-F), and normal myometrium (Myo-N). STUDY DESIGN: Levels of 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 were measured using HPLC and Diode detectors whereas CYP27B1, and CYP24A1 expressions were assessed using Real-Time PCR in ULM, Myo-F, and Myo-N. Non-parametric statistics were used. RESULTS: ULMs contained significantly less 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D3 compared to Myo-F (3.0, IQR: 1.0-9.0 versus 6.0, IQR: 3.0-13.0 µg/ kg, P value is 0.03). No significant difference was detected between ULM and Myo-N, or Myo-F and Myo-N. Intratumoral level of the active form of vitamin D did not differ according to the type of ULM (submucous or interstitial/subserous), or to the ULM volume. CYP27B1 was expressed in ULM (2.17, IQR: 0.65-4.9), Myo-F (4.94, IQR: 1.04-22.59), and Myo-N (0.99, IQR: 0.49-1.71) to a comparable level. CYP24A1 expression was significantly higher in ULM compared to Myo-N (2.00, IQR: 0.69-10.77 versus 0.22, IQR: 00- 0.96, respectively, P value is 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Human ULMs contain significantly lower 1, 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 than its adjacent myometrium. ULM, Myo-F, and Myo-N express CYP27B1 and CYP24A1. ULMs express significantly higher level of CYP24A1 than normal myometrium indicating that over expression of 24-hydroxylase is a mechanism by which ULMs sustain a relative state of hypovitaminosis D.

Assessment of liver fibrosis in Egyptian chronic hepatitis B patients: A comparative study including 5 noninvasive indexes.

Fibrosis assessment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is essential for prediction of long-term prognosis and proper treatment decision. This study was conducted to assess predictability of 5 simple noninvasive fibrosis indexes in comparison to liver biopsy in CHB patients.A total of 200 CHB adult Egyptian patients were consecutively included in this study, all were subjected to liver biopsy with staging of fibrosis using METAVIR scoring system. Fibrosis indexes including S-index, red cell distribution width to platelets ratio index (RPR), fibrosis-4 index (Fib-4), AST to platelets ratio index (APRI), and AST/ALT ratio index (AAR) were compared to biopsy result and their predictabilities for the different fibrosis stages were assessed using area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis.S-index showed the highest AUROCs for predicting fibrosis among the studied indexes. AUROCs of S-index, RPR, Fib-4, APRI, and AAR were: 0.81, 0.67, 0.70, 0.68, and 0.60 for prediction of significant fibrosis (F2-F4), 0.90, 0.66, 0.68, 0.67, and 0.57 for advanced fibrosis (F3-F4), and 0.96, 0.62, 0.61, 0.57, and 0.53 for cirrhosis (F4), respectively. The optimal S-index cutoff for ruling in significant fibrosis was ≥0.3 with 94% specificity, 87% PPV, and 68% accuracy, while that for ruling out significant fibrosis was <0.1 with 96% sensitivity, 91% NPV, and 67% accuracy. Accuracy of S-index was higher for predicting cirrhosis (91%) than that for predicting advanced fibrosis (79%) and significant fibrosis (68%).S-index has the highest predictability for all fibrosis stages among the studied fibrosis indexes in HBeAg-negative CHB patients, with higher accuracy in cirrhosis than in the earlier fibrosis stages.

Synthesis and characterization of hydrolysed starch-g-poly(methacrylic acid) composite.

A novel method for the synthesis of starch-g-poly(methacrylic acid) composite was adopted by graft polymerization of hydrolysed starch (HS) and methacrylic acid (MAA) in aqueous medium using an efficient sodium perborate (SPB)-thiourea (TU) redox initiation system. The parameters influencing the redox system efficiency and thence the polymerization method were considered. These parameters comprehended the concentrations of MAA, SPB, TU and SPB/TU molar ratio as well as the polymerization temperature. The polymerization reaction was scrutinized through calculation of the MAA total conversion percent (TC%). The resultant poly(MAA-HS) composite was assessed by evaluating the polymer criteria (the graft yield, GY%; the grafting efficiency, GE%; the homopolymer, HP%; and the total conversion). The comportment of the apparent viscosity of the cooked poly(MAA)-starch composite paste, obtained under diverse polymerization conditions, was examined. Tentative mechanisms, which depict all occasions that happen amid the entire course of the polymerization reaction, have been proffered.

Assessment of serum zinc, selenium, and prolactin concentrations in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND: In critically ill patients, there are reduced stores of antioxidants, which are associated with increased organ failure and even higher mortality. Trace elements, especially zinc and selenium, are the cornerstone of the antioxidant defense in acute systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Prolactin (PRL) is the counterregulatory stress hormone that prevents cortisol/stress-induced lymphocyte apoptosis. The aim of our study is to detect the serum levels of zinc, selenium, and PRL hormone as important immunomodulators in critically ill children and to investigate the relationship between these immunomodulators and the severity of illness. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study that included two groups; group 1: 50 critically ill children within 72 hours of intensive care unit admission, and group 2: 30 healthy children as controls. Blood samples were collected from the two groups for zinc, selenium, and PRL level measurement. RESULTS: Zinc and PRL levels were found to be decreased in critically ill children compared to control group, and these levels were inversely correlated with organ failure index and pediatric logistic organ dysfunction scores. Selenium levels were decreased in patients with sepsis and in patients with multiple organ failure. CONCLUSION: Serum concentrations of zinc and PRL are generally low in critically ill children, with a greater decrease in patients with sepsis and in the presence of multiple organ failure. The levels of zinc and PRL are inversely correlated with severity of illness. Selenium levels were decreased in patients with sepsis and in patients with multiple organ failure.

Hydrogel: Preparation, characterization, and applications: A review.

Hydrogel products constitute a group of polymeric materials, the hydrophilic structure of which renders them capable of holding large amounts of water in their three-dimensional networks. Extensive employment of these products in a number of industrial and environmental areas of application is considered to be of prime importance. As expected, natural hydrogels were gradually replaced by synthetic types due to their higher water absorption capacity, long service life, and wide varieties of raw chemical resources. Literature on this subject was found to be expanding, especially in the scientific areas of research. However, a number of publications and technical reports dealing with hydrogel products from the engineering points of view were examined to overview technological aspects covering this growing multidisciplinary field of research. The primary objective of this article is to review the literature concerning classification of hydrogels on different bases, physical and chemical characteristics of these products, and technical feasibility of their utilization. It also involved technologies adopted for hydrogel production together with process design implications, block diagrams, and optimized conditions of the preparation process. An innovated category of recent generations of hydrogel materials was also presented in some details.

Pretreatment with turmeric modulates the inhibitory influence of cisplatin and paclitaxel on CYP2E1 and CYP3A1/2 in isolated rat hepatic microsomes.

Previous animal studies have shown that turmeric can significantly modulate the activity of several drug metabolizing enzymes, this may dramatically affect the bioavailability of several drugs resulting in over dose or less therapeutic effects. This study was directed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of cisplatin and paclitaxel on two CYP450 enzymes namely CYP2E1 and CYP3A1/2 in hepatic microsomes isolated from normal and turmeric pretreated rats. Cisplatin and paclitaxel were added by different concentrations to hepatic microsomes isolated from untreated and turmeric (100 mg/kg/day) pretreated rats for 15 days after receiving pyrazole or dexamethasone for induction of CYP2E1 and CYP3A1/2 respectively. The kinetic potency of these drugs as CYP inhibitors was determined by analysis of Lineweaver-Burk plot. Addition of cisplatin or paclitaxel by (10, 50 and 100 µM) to hepatic microsomes from normal or turmeric pretreated rats caused a concentration dependent inhibition of CYP2E1, with an evidence of less inhibition in turmeric pretreated microsomes particularly at higher concentration. Both drugs at 100 µM displayed a mixed type of inhibition of CYP2E1 in normal or turmeric pretreated microsomes where paclitaxel was the most potent inhibitor. Cisplatin (10, 50 and 100 µM) caused a concentration dependant inhibition of CYP3A1/2 that was enhanced by turmeric pretreatment. The inhibition of CYP3A1/2 by cisplatin (100 µM) was in non-competitive manner with a smaller Ki value in turmeric pretreated microsomes. The inhibitory influence of paclitaxel (10, 50 and 100 µM) on CYP3A1/2 decreased with increasing the drug concentration and this inhibition was augmented by turmeric pretreatment. Interestingly, the inhibition of this enzyme by paclitaxel (10 µM) was switched from mixed type in normal microsomes to competitive manner in turmeric pretreated ones with a marked reduction of Ki values reflecting greater inhibitory influence of paclitaxel on CYP3A1/2 by turmeric pretreatment. In conclusion, turmeric pretreatment attenuated the inhibitory influence of cisplatin and paclitaxel on CYP2E1 activity and magnified their inhibition on CYP3A1/2, thus the use of turmeric with drugs or other medications should raise concern for drugs-herb interactions.

An innovative method for preparation of nanometal hydroxide superabsorbent hydrogel.

A novel method for preparation of a conducting nanometal hydroxide hydrogel was undertaken. In situ accommodation of metal hydroxide nanoparticles within swollen hydrogel networks is developed. Thus, poly(acrylic acid/acrylate) hydrogel (PAAc/AC) was prepared by simultaneous polymerization of acrylic acid/acrylate (AAc/AC). Electrodeposition hydroxide of nanoiron and nanocopper into (PAAc/AC) hydrogel was performed. Swelling behaviour and swelling kinetics of prepared hydrogel were evaluated in media having different pH values. The conductivity of both PAAc/AC/nanocopper hydroxide and PAAc/AC/nanoiron hydroxide were measured in comparison with that for PAAc/AC hydrogel. An amelioration in conductance of PAAc/AC hydrogel having 0.8×10(3)µS after being incorporated with nanocopper hydroxide and nanoiron hydroxide to be 1.5×10(3)µS and 2.6×10(3)µS, respectively has been achieved. Distribution of the metal hydroxide nanoparticles penetrated within the hydrogel networks using transmission electron microscopy has been thoroughly elucidated.