Resistance Mechanism of Plutella xylostella (L.) Associated with Amino Acid Substitutions in Acetylcholinesterase-1: Insights from Homology Modeling, Docking and Molecular Dynamic Simulation.

Plutella xylostella, a destructive crucifer pest, can rapidly develop resistance to most classes of pesticides. This study investigated the molecular resistance mechanisms to chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide. Two P. xylostella genes, ace1 and ace2, were described. The nucleotide sequence results revealed no variation in ace2, while the resistant strain (Kar-R) had four amino acid alterations in ace1, two of which (A298S and G324A) were previously shown to confer organophosphate resistance in P. xylostella. In the present study, the 3D model structures of both the wild-type (Gu-S) and mutant (Kar-R) of P. xylostella ace1 strains were studied through molecular dynamics (MDs) simulations and molecular docking. Molecular dynamics simulations of RMSD revealed less structural deviation in the ace1 mutant than in its wild-type counterpart. Higher flexibility in the 425-440 amino acid region in the mutant active site (Glu422 and Acyl pocket) increased the active site's entropy, reducing the enzyme's affinity for the inhibitors. Gene expression analysis revealed that the relative transcription levels of ace1 were significantly different in the Kar-R strain compared with the Gu-S strain. This study enhances the understanding of the mechanisms governing ace1's resistance to insecticide and provides essential insights for new insecticides as well as valuable insights into environmentally conscious pest management techniques.

Evaluation of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chest Trauma Patients with COVID-19 Infection Undergoing Emergency Surgeries.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to examine the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with chest trauma who were infected with COVID-19 and underwent emergency surgery. OBJECTIVE: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research investigates the impact of COVID-19 on patients with chest trauma who underwent emergency surgery. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 56 patients with chest trauma in two groups with COVID-19, and no covid who underwent surgery in Shahid Madani Hospital. RESULTS: Among the trauma patients, 21 were infected with COVID-19, and 35 were not. The predominant causes of trauma were car and motorcycle accidents. Among COVID-19 patients, 3.3% exhibited symptoms of fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal symptoms, while 5.9% had severe lung involvement confirmed by CT scan. Following surgery, 1.57% (12 individuals) of COVID-19 patients were transferred to the ICU, with an average hospitalization duration of 1.11 days. In contrast, the average hospitalization duration for non-COVID-19 chest trauma patients was 1.9 days (p =0.015). CONCLUSION: Patients with chest trauma who underwent surgery and were infected with COVID-19 demonstrated significant differences in average length of stay, ICU admissions, and pneumonia incidence. However, there was no significant distinction in the mortality rate between the two groups.

Relationship Between Preprocedural Lipid Levels and Periprocedural Myocardial Injury in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Periprocedural myocardial injury is a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: The authors examined the effects of preprocedural lipid levels (low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides) in 977 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention. RESULTS: Elevated cardiac troponin I level (≥5× the upper limit of normal) was used to indicate periprocedural myocardial injury. Serum lipid samples were collected 12 hours preprocedurally. Cardiac troponin I was collected 1, 6, and 12 hours postprocedurally. Correlations between preprocedural lipid levels and postprocedural cardiac troponin I were studied. Low-density lipoprotein levels were less than 70 mg/dL in 70% of patients and greater than 100 mg/dL in only 7.4% of patients; 13% had triglyceride levels greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL, and 96% had high-density lipoprotein levels less than 40 mg/dL. Patients with elevated cardiac troponin I had significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction than did those with cardiac troponin I levels less than 5× the upper limit of normal (P = .01). Double-and triple-vessel disease were more common in patients with elevated cardiac troponin I (P < .002). Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between lipid levels and postprocedural cardiac troponin I elevation, possibly because such large proportions of included patients had low levels of low-density lipoprotein (70%) and a history of statin intake (86%). CONCLUSION: The authors found no association between lipid profile and periprocedural myocardial injury.

Nanoencapsulation of Acetamiprid by Sodium Alginate and Polyethylene Glycol Enhanced Its Insecticidal Efficiency.

Nanoformulation has been considered one of the newly applied methods in integrated pest management strategies. In this research, a conventional neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid was nanoencapsulated via AL (Sodium Alginate) and PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) and tested against the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola. The synthesized particles had spherical-like morphology and nanoscale based on TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering). The encapsulation efficiency and loading percentages of acetamiprid in AL and PEG were 92.58% and 90.15%, and 88.46% and 86.79%, respectively. Leaf discs treated with different formulations by the leaf-dipping method were used for oral toxicity assays. The LC50 values (Lethal Concentration to kill 50% of insect population) of acetamiprid and Al- and PEG-nanoencapsulated formulations on third-instar larvae were 0.68, 0.04, and 0.08 ppm, respectively. Based on the highest relative potency, AL-encapsulated acetamiprid had the most toxicity. The content of energy reserve protein, glucose, and triglyceride and the activity of detoxifying enzymes esterase and glutathione S-transferase of the larvae treated by LC50 values of nanoformulations were also decreased. According to the current findings, the nanoencapsulation of acetamiprid by Al and PEG can increase its insecticidal performance in terms of lethal and sublethal toxicity.

The effect of resistance and endurance training with ursolic acid on atrophy-related biomarkers in muscle tissue of diabetic male rats induced by streptozotocin and a high-fat diet.

In this study, the effect of resistance and endurance training with/without ursolic acid supplementation was evaluated to identify atrophy-related biomarkers in elderly rats induced by diabetes and a high-fat diet (HFD) based on in silico analysis algorithms and pharmaceutical methods. The visualizer software found differential gene expression levels in skeletal muscle atrophy via computed hub gene network parameters. Also, the impact of ursolic acid, as a potent inducer of the Trp53 protein in ameliorating decreased muscle mass, was analyzed in diabetic rats. Fifty-six-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into seven groups, including healthy control (Control), diabetic control (DM), Ursolic acid supplementation (UA), resistance training (RT), endurance training (ET), resistance training+ Ursolic acid supplementation (RT + U), and endurance training in combination with Ursolic acid supplementation (ET + U). Exercise intervention included 8 weeks of resistance or endurance training programs. Biomedical informatic outputs determined the P53 signaling pathway as a remarkable causative factor in the pathomechanism of atrophy. In addition, the results demonstrated that exercise and supplementation of UA impeded the interactions among p53/ATF4/p21. Moreover, ET and ursolic acid had a synergetic effect on the signaling pathway of p53/ATF4/p21 and probably could inhibit the aging process and modulate the p53/ATF4/p21 molecular pathway. The interaction between UA and endurance exercise significantly modified the activity of the p53/ATF4/p21 signaling pathway. Based on in silico studies, the p53/ATF4/p21 pathway plays an essential role in aging, and the inhibition of this pathway would be beneficial in decelerating the aging process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ursolic acid (UA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid carboxylic acid found in apples (a major compound of apple wax) and other fruits; it is known to improve skeletal muscle function and reduce the muscular atrophy pathways. We indicated that p53/ATF4/p21 signaling is an essential factor in aging, and the suppression of this pathway could be beneficial in the deceleration of the aging process. Therefore, this work would shed light on understanding the effect of exercise and nutrition interventions on preventing atrophy markers of skeletal muscle in diabetic rats. Further studies are needed to seek the precise mechanism of the synergism between UA and exercise in ameliorating atrophy markers.

Personality profile and therapeutic response to lithium carbonate and sodium valproate in mania with psychotic features.

Bipolar disorder is one of the major psychiatric disorders. Therefore, determining the factors that predict mood stabilizer response is important. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between personality profile and the response to lithium carbonate and sodium valproate in patients with psychotic mania. In this study, 50 patients with bipolar I disorder (manic episode with psychotic features) were randomly assigned to receive lithium carbonate (up to a serum level of 0.8-1.5 mEq/L) or sodium valproate (20 mg/kg). After stabilization of acute manic phase, Temperament and Character Inventory was completed by the patients themselves. Fifty subjects completed this study. The mean age ± SD of participants in the sodium valproate group and lithium carbonate group was 32.99 ± 9.94 and 30.73±7.94 years, respectively. The responders to sodium valproate had significantly higher scores in novelty seeking, harm avoidance (P = 0.003 and 0.004, respectively) and lower scores in persistence (P = 0.006) than the non-responders, but the responders to lithium carbonate did not have significantly different personality profiles. The results of the present study revealed that the personality profiles in the inpatients with psychotic mania are related to the responses to sodium valproate, but are irrelevant to the responses to lithium carbonate.

Variation of Chemical Constituents and Antiradical Capacity of Nine Ferulago angulata Populations from Iran.

The present study was designed to assess the influence of geographical factors on essential oil (EO) composition, along with antiradical potential and phytochemical contents of Ferulago angulata (Schltdl.) Boiss (Apiaceae) extracts for the first time. The aerial parts were hydrodistilled by Clevenger apparatus and subjected to gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GC/FID) and mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The EO yields were significantly different from populations 'Mongar' (south-slope, 3000 m) with 1.34±0.06 % and 'Male-Amiri' (north slope, 2600 m) with 0.18±0.05 % of total oil. Thirty-nine compounds were identified from the EOs of nine populations. α-Pinene was the predominant component ranging from 20.84 to 49.06 % in 'Gandomkar' (north-slope, 2500 m) and 'Mongar' (3000 m), respectively. The methanolic extract of 'Mongar' (north-slope at 2500 m) possessed the highest total phenolic contents. Also, this population logically exhibited potent antiradical activity using both 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays with EC50 of 42.07±4.12 µg/mL and 8.34±0.21 mmol Trolox® equivalents/g, respectively. Due to its moderate free-radical scavenging potential and high α-pinene content, the population 'Mongar' might be considered as a perspective raw material in food and phytopharmaceutical industries.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Serum Retinol Binding Protein4, Insulin Resistance and Blood Lipids in Obese Women.

BACKGROUND: Retinol binding protein4 (RBP4) is a type of adipokine which transports vitamin A to serum. RBP4 could be a bridge between obesity and insulin resistance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercises on RBP4 serum's concentration and metabolic syndrome risk factors in obese women. METHODS: Twenty obese women with body max index 35.81±3.67Kg/m2, fat percentage 43.98±4.02, and waist to hip ratio 1.03±0.05 were included and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received aerobic exercises for a period of 12 weeks each three sessions on treadmill workout. The treadmill speed were based on a 60-65 and 80-85 maximal heart rate percentage and duration of 15-20 and 45-50 minutes, at the beginning and the end of exercise, respectively. Body composition, serum glucose, insulin, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, total cholesterol, and RBP4, were measured in both groups before and after the treatment by ELISA method. Insulin resistance was measured by HOMA-IR. To compare within group differences and between group comparisons t-correlated and t-independent tests were used, respectively. RESULTS: After 12 week aerobic exercises; weight, fat percentage, WHR, and BMI in the experimental group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). RBP4, insulin, insulin resistance, TG and HDL-C had significant differences between two groups. The cholesterol level, LDL-C and glucose did not have any significant changes. CONCLUSION: The aerobic exercises can decrease body composition, insulin resistance, TG, and RBP4, so it can be beneficial for obese women's health, because it.

The relationship between family planning methods, individual hygiene, and fertility with vaginal infections among the women referring to selected health centers in Isfahan city.

BACKGROUND: With regard to the high commonality of vaginal infections among pregnancy-age women, especially gardnerella, candidiasis vaginitis, trichomonal vaginitis and chlamydia and by attending to this fact that these infections have a high cost, including the medical expenses and other services like missing working hours and bear a negative effect on the life quality of women as influential individuals in family and society, we decided to examine the commonality of some of these infections and their related factors among women referring to selected health centers in Isfahan City. METHODS: This research was of an analytical-descriptive type conducted on 266 samples referred to the midwifery unit of selected health centers in Isfahan City due to one of the common vaginal infections (gardnerella, candidiasis vaginitis, trichomonal vaginitis and chlamydia). The collection of data was carried out via conducting interview with women and filling out the researcher-made questionnaire with close-ended answers (38 questions) and open-ended answers (25 questions). Data analysis was done by descriptive and analytical statistics (variance analysis and chi-square test). RESULTS: The findings of the study showed a significant relationship (p = 0.04) between suffering from different kinds of vaginal infection and fertility factors (the treatment record of the spouse). But, there was no significant statistical relationship between suffering from these infections and delivery type, period regulation, seeing stains and the pregnancy prevention type. Meanwhile, a significant relationship was found between suffering from vaginitis and demographic and individual factors like women's job (p=0.001), their educational level (p = 0.006), body mass index (p = 0.01) and their weight (p = 0.02). However, no significant relationship was found between suffering from common vaginal infections and individual health factors. CONCLUSIONS: With regard to the research findings, knowledge of the factors related to vaginal infection, including the fertility factors, can be instrumental in preventing and reducing the suffering from these infections. Therefore, training related to mothers' educational level and consulting with women for knowing the susceptibility factors like the effect of weight, attending to mothers' professional issues and prevention methods by following individual and sexual health-related issues by men and women can reduce the rate of suffering from these infections and promote the health level of mothers and hence, the society's health status.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy of kidney calculi in horseshoe kidney.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in horseshoe kidneys with calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2005, we performed PCNL in 9 patients with horseshoe kidney. In 3 of them, there was a single calculus and the rest had multiple calculi in the pelvis and at least 1 in the calyxes. Ultrasonography, plain abdominal radiography, and intravenous urography (IVU) were performed in all patients. We used fluoroscopy for entering the system and then, pneumatic or ultrasonic lithotripsy was used. RESULTS: In all except 1 patient (88.9%) we could access the system. Single calculi in 3 patients were removed. In 5 patients with multiple calculi, the calculus causing obstruction was removed, and in 3, the calculi located in the calyxes were removed too. Consequently, 66.7% were stone-free at the end of the procedure. In 2 patients, there were residual calculi in the calyxes and they underwent candidates for extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy can be used in patients with horseshoe kidney if the patient selection is appropriate and the surgeon is experienced enough. The success rate and complications are the same as the patients with normal anatomy. However, access to the lower calyx is more difficult due to its anatomic status.