First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia.

Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.

Morphological, Biochemical, and Molecular Diversity Assessment of Egyptian Bottle Gourd Cultivars.

The genetic variability and relationships between ten bottle gourd cultivars were evaluated based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. The results displayed high variability among selected cultivars in terms of photosynthetic pigments, total free amino acids, total phenol content, isozymes pattern, and protein electrophoresis. Furthermore, differences in molecular markers were revealed by the SCoT technique. The peroxidase (POD) and polyphenyl oxidase (PPO) isozymes patterns did not detect significant differences in bands among cultivars. The protein patterns revealed seventeen bands ranging from 126 to 9 kDa and five polymorphic bands representing 29.41%. On the other hand, eight SCoT primers were used to evaluate the genetic variability and relationships between the ten Egyptian bottle gourd cultivars. The results of SCoT analysis detected 44 amplicons with 50% polymorphism. In addition, the results of the phylogenetic tree that is constructed based on the similarity coefficient revealed by SCoT analysis confirm the results of biochemical analysis indicating a genetic relationship between the most efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S1 and S2 cultivars). In addition, there is a genetic relationship among the less efficient bottle gourd cultivars (S4 and S5 cultivars). These results could be beneficial to distinguish among bottle gourd cultivars in the plant breeding programs.

Assessment of intra- and inter-genetic diversity in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat genotypes based on omega, gamma and alpha-gliadin profiles.

Durum and bread wheat are well adapted to the Mediterranean Basin. Twenty-three genotypes of each species were grown to evaluate the intra- and inter-genetic diversity based on omega (ω), gamma (γ) and alpha (α)-gliadin profiles. To achieve this purpose, the endosperm storage proteins (both gliadins and glutenins) were extracted from wheat grains and electrophoresed on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels. The results of SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed nine polymorphic loci out of 16 loci with durum wheat genotypes and nine polymorphic loci out of 18 loci with bead wheat genotypes. The polymorphisms revealed by the SDS-PAGE were 56% and 50% in durum and bread wheat genotypes, respectively. Using the cluster analysis, the durum wheat genotypes were clustered into five groups, while the bread wheat genotypes were grouped into six clusters using un-weighed pair group mean analyses based on ω, γ, and α-gliadins profiles. The 46 durum and bread wheat genotypes were grouped into seven clusters based on the combined ω, γ, and α-gliadins profiles revealed by the SDS-PAGE. The in silico analysis determined the intra-genetic diversity between bread and durum wheat based on the sequences of ω, γ, and α-gliadins. The alignment of ω-gliadin revealed the highest polymorphism (52.1%) between bread and durum wheat, meanwhile, the alignment of γ and α-gliadins revealed very low polymorphism 6.6% and 15.4%, respectively. According to computational studies, all gliadins contain a lot of glutamine and proline residues. The analysis revealed that the bread wheat possessed ω and γ -gliadins with a lower content of proline and a higher content of glutamine than durum wheat. In contrast, durum wheat possessed α-gliadin with a lower content of proline and a higher content of glutamine than bread wheat. In conclusion, the SDS-PAGE, in silico and computational analyses are effective tools to determine the intra- and inter-genetic diversity in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat genotypes based on ω, γ, and α-gliadins profiles.

Potential Effects of Digoxin on Renal Functions in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure.

INTRODUCTION: Renal dysfunction is a common complication among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and can significantly impact their management, especially when medications like digoxin are involved. The clearance of digoxin is closely tied to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which suggests that the safety and efficacy of digoxin may vary with renal function. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the potential effects of digoxin on renal function in patients diagnosed with CHF at a tertiary hospital in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A retrospective study examined the records of 30 CHF patients treated with digoxin. Renal function markers like estimated GFR (eGFR), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin, and urine levels were compared before and after digoxin treatment. Liver enzymes and other relevant parameters were also examined. A statistical analysis using t-tests was conducted to evaluate the changes in renal function indicators before and after digoxin treatment. RESULTS: The mean eGFR decreased significantly from 65.4 ± 8.9 mL/min/1.73m2 before digoxin to 57.7 ± 7.8 mL/min/1.73m2 after (p = 0.001). Creatinine, BUN, albumin, and urine levels showed no significant changes. Digoxin significantly increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) from 34.5 ± 11.6 U/L to 53.8 ± 14.6 U/L (p = 0.002), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) from 38.5 ± 12.6 U/L to 55.3 ± 17.6 U/L (p = 0.013), and creatine kinase from 117.7 ± 22.5 U/L to 133.9 ± 15.8 U/L (p = 0.012). Hemoglobin decreased significantly from 12.8 ± 1.4 g/dL to 12.1 ± 1.4 g/dL (p = 0.034). No significant changes occurred in myoglobin, troponin, bilirubin, platelets, potassium, calcium, or chloride levels. Effects on kidney function did not differ significantly by gender or age, except blood urea nitrogen was higher in patients over 50 years (8.3 ± 2.3 vs. 5.6 ± 2.7 mg/dL, p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: This study suggests digoxin may adversely affect renal function in CHF patients, as evidenced by reduced eGFR. However, the small retrospective design limits definitive conclusions. Further prospective research with larger samples is warranted to elucidate digoxin's renal effects in CHF patients.

Exploring Salinity Tolerance Mechanisms in Diverse Wheat Genotypes Using Physiological, Anatomical, Agronomic and Gene Expression Analyses.

Salinity is a widespread abiotic stress that devastatingly impacts wheat growth and restricts its productivity worldwide. The present study is aimed at elucidating biochemical, physiological, anatomical, gene expression analysis, and agronomic responses of three diverse wheat genotypes to different salinity levels. A salinity treatment of 5000 and 7000 ppm gradually reduced photosynthetic pigments, anatomical root and leaf measurements and agronomic traits of all evaluated wheat genotypes (Ismailia line, Misr 1, and Misr 3). In addition, increasing salinity levels substantially decreased all anatomical root and leaf measurements except sclerenchyma tissue upper and lower vascular bundle thickness compared with unstressed plants. However, proline content in stressed plants was stimulated by increasing salinity levels in all evaluated wheat genotypes. Moreover, Na+ ions content and antioxidant enzyme activities in stressed leaves increased the high level of salinity in all genotypes. The evaluated wheat genotypes demonstrated substantial variations in all studied characters. The Ismailia line exhibited the uppermost performance in photosynthetic pigments under both salinity levels. Additionally, the Ismailia line was superior in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase activity (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes followed by Misr 1. Moreover, the Ismailia line recorded the maximum anatomical root and leaf measurements under salinity stress, which enhanced its tolerance to salinity stress. The Ismailia line and Misr 3 presented high up-regulation of H+ATPase, NHX2 HAK, and HKT genes in the root and leaf under both salinity levels. The positive physiological, anatomical, and molecular responses of the Ismailia line under salinity stress were reflected on agronomic performance and exhibited superior values of all evaluated agronomic traits.

Rosemary and neem methanolic extract: antioxidant, cytotoxic, and larvicidal activities supported by chemical composition and molecular docking simulations.

This study aimed to employ GC-MS to assess the chemical composition of MeOH leaf extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica and evaluate their insecticidal, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. Twelve components, representing 98.61% and 100% of the total volatile compounds, were deduced from the extracted R. officinalis and A. indica, respectively, using this method. In R. officinalis extract, limonene is typically positioned as the main component (23.03%), while the main chemicals identified in A. indica extract were methyl (E)-octadec-13-enoate (23.20%) and (2R)-1,3,8-trimethyl-4-propyl-5-ethyl-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-7-methoxycardonylethyl-6-methylenecarbonyl-porphyrin (23.03%). Both extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica exhibited different toxicity against the stored grain pest T. castaneum, with LC50 values of 1.470 and 2.588 mg/ml, respectively. Additionally, after 4 and 5 h of treatment at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, the A. indica extract showed the highest levels of repellent action (81.4% and 93.4%), and the R. officinalis extract showed a good repellent rate (64.9% and 80.7%) against T. castenum larvae. With an IC50 value of 35.83 and 28.68 mg/L and a radical scavenging activity percentage of 67.76% and 72.35%, the leaf extract was found to be the most potent plant extract when tested for DPPH antioxidant activity. Overall results showed that MeOH extracts of R. officinalis and A. indica were more effective against S. aureus than E. coli. To determine how the investigated chemicals attach to the active sites of E. coli DNA gyrase A and S. aureus undecaprenyl diphosphate synthase, docking studies were carried out. The consensus score analysis showed that limonene exhibits the best binding energy with both enzymes in docking analysis and more stability in molecular dynamics simulations. The RMSD was obtained at 20.6 and 4.199 (Kcal/mole). The two compounds were successfully used in molecular dynamics simulation research to generate stable complexes with DNA gyrase A.

Performance evaluation of Moringa oleifera seeds aqueous extract for removing Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystins from municipal treated-water.

Introduction: Toxic microcystins (MCs) produced by cyanoprokaryotes -particularly by the cosmopolitan cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa- pose adverse effects on aquatic organisms and their ecosystem and may also cause serious impacts on human health. These harmful monocyclic heptapeptides are the most prevalent cyanotoxins reported in freshwaters and must be eliminated for avoiding MCs release in receiving water bodies. Hence, this work aimed to test the efficacy of Moringa oleifera seeds water-based extract (MO) as a natural coagulant for removing cyanobacteria (especially M. aeruginosa), microalgae, and its associated MCs from pre-treated municipal wastewaters. Methodology: Four different MO coagulant doses (25, 50, 75 and 100 mg L-1) were investigated for cyanobacteria and microalgae removal by conventional coagulation assays and morphology-based taxonomy studies. Additionally, water turbidity and chlorophyll a (Chl a) content were also determined. Further, the presence and concentration of MCs soluble in water, remaining in the particulate fraction, and flocculated within the residual sludge were assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Results: The treatment with MO at 100 mg L-1 substantially reduced the number of cyanobacterial and microalgal species in the treated samples (average removal rate of 93.8% and 86.9%, respectively). These results agreed with a ∼44% concomitant reduction in Chl a and ∼97% reduction in water turbidity (a surrogate marker for suspended solids content). Notably, MCs concentrations in the treated water were significantly lowered to 0.6 ± 0.1 µg L-1 after addition of 100 mg L-1 MO. This value is below the WHO recommended limits for MCs presence in drinking water (<1.0 µg L-1). Discussion: The present study provides promising insights into the applicability of MO as a cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable natural coagulant, particularly for using in developing countries, to eliminate harmful cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in municipal water treatment facilities.

Potential bioactivity of Phoenix dactylifera fruits, leaves, and seeds against prostate and pancreatic cancer cells.

The use of functional foods' phytochemicals in the chemoprevention of different cancer diseases has become one of the hot scientific areas in the clinical nutrition field. For instance, the Khalas palm cultivar (KPC; Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the natural sustainable resources that have high bioactivity and functionality. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative activity and mode of action of KPC's different parts on prostate (Pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells at a molecular level. In the methods, KPC's leaves, seeds, and fruits' chemical composition and phytochemical analysis were analyzed. Also, the cytotoxic effects of each extract were assessed against pc3 and panc1 cell lines. Besides, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle analysis, and gene expression of both Cap3 and Cap9 were studied. The obtained results indicated that KPC leaves extract exhibited the highest significant (P < 0.01) anti-proliferation activity against the utilized cancer cell lines compared to fruits and seeds extracts. Also, there were significant (P < 0.05) differences in the phenolic contents, flavonoid of compounds, and antioxidant power of the leaves when compared to the seeds and fruits. Additionally, the highest cytotoxic effect (lowest IC50) was recorded with leave extract than seeds and fruits. Meanwhile, the seeds extract induced (P < 0.05) the apoptosis and arrested cells in the G2/M phase as well as up-regulated the gene expression of the apoptotic-related genes (Casp3 and Casp9) compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study showed that the presence of bioactive components in the KPC different parts extracts have the significant ability to induce the apoptotic pathway that could down-regulate the proliferation of prostate (pc3) and pancreatic (panc1) cancer cells. The pathway mechanism of action was induced by the phytol molecule presented in its leaves extract.