Clinical and genetic analysis of children with glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome.

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1-DS) is a rare metabolic encephalopathy with a wide variety of clinical phenotypes. In the present study, 15 patients diagnosed with GLUT1-DS were selected, all of whom had obvious clinical manifestations and complete genetic testing. Their clinical data and genetic reports were collated. All patients were provided with a ketogenic diet (KD) and an improvement in their symptoms was observed during a follow-up period of up to 1 year. The results revealed that the 15 cases had clinical symptoms, such as convulsions or dyskinesia. Although none had a cerebrospinal fluid/glucose ratio <0.4, the genetic report revealed that all had the solute carrier family 2 member 1 gene variant, and their clinical symptoms basically improved following the use of the KD. GLUT1-DS is a genetic metabolic disease that causes a series of neurological symptoms due to glucose metabolism disorders in the brain. Low glucose levels in cerebrospinal fluid and genetic testing are key diagnostic criteria, and the KD is a highly effective treatment option. By summarizing and analyzing patients with GLUT1-DS, summarizing clinical characteristics and expanding their gene profile, the findings of the present study may be of clinical significance for the early recognition and diagnosis of the disease, so as to conduct early treatment and shorten the duration of brain energy deficiency. This is of utmost importance for improving the prognosis and quality of life of affected children.

Modulating the HSP90 control over NFκB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis is a new therapeutic target in the management of liver fibrosis: Insights into the role of TAS-116 (Pimitespib).

Aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is recognized to induce a chronic inflammatory response in the liver, ultimately leading to hepatic fibrosis. HSP90 is suggested to regulate NLRP3 activation and its downstream signaling. This study is the first to explore the potential therapeutic role of pimitespib in mitigating liver fibrosis in rats. The results of the study revealed that pimitespib effectively suppressed hepatic inflammation and fibrogenesis by modulating HSP90's control over the NFκB/NLRP3/caspase-1 axis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that pimitespib reduced LDH levels and increased hepatocyte survival, whereas in vivo, it prolonged the survival of rats with hepatic fibrosis. Additionally, pimitespib exhibited improvements in the function and microscopic characteristics of rat livers. Pimitespib effectively inhibited NFκB, which serves as the priming signal for NLRP3 activation. Pimitespib's inhibitory effect on NLRP3, identified as an HSP90 client protein, plays a central role in the observed anti-fibrotic effect. The simultaneous inhibition of both priming and activation signals of NLRP3 by pimitespib led to a reduction in caspase-1 activity and subsequent suppression of the N-terminal fragment of gasdermin D, ultimately constraining hepatocyte pyroptotic cell death. These diverse effects were associated with a decrease in the transcription of inflammatory mediators IL-1ß, IL-18, and TNF-α, as well as the fibrogenic mediators TGF-ß, TIMP-1, PDGF-BB, and Col1a1. Moreover, pimitespib induced the expression of HSP70, which could further contribute to the repression of fibrosis development. In summary, our findings provide an evolutionary perspective on managing liver fibrosis, positioning pimitespib as a promising candidate for anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic therapy.

An eco-friendly first and second derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetry for quantification of florfenicol in presence of its different degradation products. Application to kinetic stability study.

Two rapid, simple, sensitive and selective derivative spectrofluorimetric methods (first and second derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetric (FDSFS and SDSFS) procedures) have been developed for the analysis of florfenicol in the presence of its various degradation products. FDSFS was applied to assay the drug in the presence of its alkaline, oxidative and photolytic degradation products while SDSFS was used to quantify it in the presence of its acidic degradation product. These methods permitted quantification of florfenicol at corresponding λ Em of 288, 287, 279 and 284 nm without interferences from any of its degradation products. Full validation procedures were applied to the suggested method according to International Conference of Harmonization guidelines. Moreover, different degradation kinetic parameters were calculated such as half-life (t 1/2), degradation rate constant (K) and activation energy (E a). Using the analytical eco-scale, green analytical procedure index and analytical greenness metric approach AGREE as greenness assessment tools, the proposed method was found to be environmentally friendly.

Immunohistochemical Localization of Glucose Transporter GLUT1 and GLUT3 in the Testes of some Mammals / Localización Inmunohistoquímica del Transportador de Glucosa GLUT1 y GLUT3 en los Testículos de Algunos Mamíferos

SUMMARY: Glucose has an essential role in the proliferation and survival of testicular tissue. Glucose transporters (GLUTs) are responsible for glucose uptake across cell membranes. In the present work, two main isoforms GLUT1 and GLUT3 were investigated in the testes of Laboratory mouse (BALB/c), Lesser Egyptian jerboa (Jaculus jaculus), Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), and Desert Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus). Immunofluorescent localization of GLUT1 and GLUT3 showed considerable species differences. The lowest expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3 was localized in the testis of Laboratory mouse (BALB/c), the highest GLUT1 localization was detected in the testis of Lesser Egyptian jerboa (Jaculus jaculus), and the highest GLUT3 immunofluorescent localization was observed in the testis of Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus). The results imply that GLUT3 is the principal glucose transporter in the studied testes, which is related to species differences. The different immunolocalization of GLUT in examined testes suggests using various transport systems for energy gain in different species.

La glucosa tiene un papel esencial en la proliferación y supervivencia del tejido testicular. Los transportadores de glucosa (GLUT) son responsables de la absorción de glucosa a través de las membranas celulares. En el presente trabajo, se investigaron dos isoformas principales GLUT1 y GLUT3 en los testículos de un ratón de laboratorio (BALB/c), un jerbo egipcio menor (Jaculus jaculus), un hámster dorado (Mesocricetus auratus) y un erizo del desierto (Paraechinus aethiopicus). La localización inmunofluorescente de GLUT1 y GLUT3 mostró diferencias considerables entre especies. La expresión más baja de GLUT1 y GLUT3 se localizó en el testículo del ratón de laboratorio (BALB/c), la localización más alta de GLUT1 se detectó en el testículo del jerbo egipcio menor (Jaculus jaculus) y la localización inmunofluorescente de GLUT3 más alta se observó en el testículo de Erizo (Paraechinus aethiopicus). Los resultados implican que GLUT3 es el principal transportador de glucosa en los testículos estudiados, lo que está relacionado con diferencias entre especies. La diferente inmunolocalización de GLUT en los testículos examinados sugiere el uso de varios sistemas de transporte para ganar energía en diferentes especies.

Effect of fiber addition on strength and toughness of rubberized concretes.

In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to examine the static and dynamic behaviors of rubberized fiber-reinforced concrete (RFRC). Crumb rubber was partially replaced from sand at volume fractions of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Steel fibers (SFs) with fiber volume fractions (Vf%) of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% were used for the production of FRCs, while polypropylene fiber (PPF) with Vf% = 0.4% was adopted to produce others FRCs. A combination of 0.4% PPF and 1% SF was used for hybrid FRC. The static properties were evaluated through compression, indirect tension, and flexural tests. However, the drop weight impact test was conducted to assess the dynamic property by estimating the impact energy. It was observed that the replacement of sand with rubber reduced all mechanical properties of concrete. In the case of RFRC, a reduction in compressive strength, compared to samples without fibers, was noted, and this reduction increased with higher Vf%. Both toughness indices and fracture energy were affected slightly by increasing rubber percentages while markedly increased with higher Vf%. However, adding rubber and/or fibers enhanced the impact energy of concrete.

Prevalence of Surgical Site Infection (SSI) and Its Association With Vitamin D Deficiency.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are one of the significant complications detected after surgical procedures. Recent studies have highlighted the antimicrobial, wound-healing, and immunological properties of vitamin D. Therefore, this study examined the association between levels of preoperative vitamin D and SSI occurrence in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We conducted this retrospective observational study among patients who underwent surgery at King Faisal Medical Complex, Saudi Arabia. We included data from patients who underwent surgery between January 2021 and October 2023 in the study. If vitamin D concentrations were not measured at admission, patients were excluded from the final analysis. The researchers performed statistical analysis using the computer program Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The significant level was considered when the p-value was less than 0.05. RESULTS: The study included 130 patients with a mean (SD) age of 26.98 (9.3) years. Most patients were females (n = 92, 70.8%), had diabetes mellitus disease (n = 121, 93.1%), had a vitamin D deficiency (<30 ng/dl) (n = 106, 81.5%), and underwent cesarean section (n = 80, 61.5%). The mean (SD) vitamin D level among patients was 19.9 (9.7) ng/dl, and the mean (SD) hemoglobin level was almost normal (12.30 (2.1) g/dl). Out of 40.8% (n = 53) of patients, the most detected pathogenic bacteria was Escherichia coli, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (n = 11, 44%, and n = 7, 25%, respectively). Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency significantly impacted positive SSI; patients with insufficient levels had a higher infection rate compared to those with sufficient levels (n = 58, 54.7% vs. n = 7, 29.2%, p-value = 0.024). A longer surgery duration did not increase the risk of SSI (p-value = 0.047). Patients with class 3 wounds were more prone to SSI than those with class 2 wounds (n = 12, 100% vs. n = 53, 44.9%, p-value<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides important evidence supporting the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and SSI incidence. Patients with lower levels of vitamin D reported a higher incidence of SSIs. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients undergoing surgery. Screening for vitamin D deficiency and implementing convenient interventions to optimize vitamin D levels could help reduce the incidence of SSIs. Further research with larger sample sizes, more diverse populations, and different surgery types is necessary to validate these findings and explore additional factors influencing SSI development.

Cold atmospheric plasma induces the curing mechanism of diabetic wounds by regulating the oxidative stress mediators iNOS and NO, the pyroptotic mediators NLRP-3, Caspase-1 and IL-1ß and the angiogenesis mediators VEGF and Ang-1.

It has been demonstrated that cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) accelerates the wound healing process, however the underlying molecular pathways behind this effect remain unclear. Thus, the goal of the proposed investigation is to elucidate the therapeutic advantages of CAP on angiogenesis, pyroptotic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory mediators during the wound-healing mechanisms associated with diabetes. Intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/Kg) of body weight was used to induce type-1 diabetes. Seventy-five male mice were randomized into 3 groups: the control non-diabetic group, the diabetic group that was not treated, and the diabetic group that was treated with CAP. The key mediators of pyroptosis and its impact on the slow healing process of diabetic wounds were examined using histological investigations employing H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and Western blotting analysis. Angiogenesis proteins (VEGF, Ang-1, and HO-1) showed a significant decline in expression concentrations in the diabetic wounds, indicating that diabetic animals' wounds were less likely to heal. Furthermore, compared to the controls, the major mediators of pyroptosis (NLRP-3, IL-1ß, and caspase-1), oxidative stress (iNOS and NO), and inflammation (TNF-α and IL-6) have higher expression levels in the diabetic wounds. These factors substantially impede the healing mechanism of diabetic wounds. Interestingly, our results disclosed the therapeutic impacts of CAP treatment in the healing process of diabetic wounds via significantly regulating the expression levels of angiogenesis, pyroptosis, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators. Our findings demonstrated the curative likelihood of CAP and the underlying mechanisms for enhancing the healing process of diabetic wounds.

Bee gomogenat enhances the healing process of diabetic wounds by orchestrating the connexin-pannexin gap junction proteins in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Delay in wound healing remains one of diabetes's worse side effects, which increases mortality. The proposed study sought to scrutinize the implications of bee gomogenat (BG) on diabetic's wound closure in a streptozotocin-(STZ)-enhanced type-1 diabetes model's rodents. We used 3 different mice groups: group 1 non-diabetic rodents "serving as control", group 2 diabetic rodents, and group3 BG-treated diabetic rodents. We noticed that diabetic rodents experience a delayed wound closure, which emerged as a significant (*P < 0.05) decline in the deposition of collagen as compared to control non-diabetic animals. We noticed that diabetic rodents have a delayed wound closure characterized by a significant (*P < 0.05) decrease in the CD31 expression (indicator for wound angiogenesis and neovascularization) and an apparent elevation in the expression of such markers of inflammation as MCP-1 and HSP-70 as compared to control animals. Moreover, diabetic animals displayed a significant (*P < 0.05) increase in the expression of gap junction proteins Cx43 and a significant decrease in the expression of Panx3 in the wounded skin tissues when compared to the controls. Intriguingly, topical application with BG on the diabetic wounded skin tissues contributes to a significant (#P < 0.05) enhancing in the collagen deposition, up-regulating the level of CD31 expression and a significant (#P < 0.05) down-regulation in the MCP-1 and HSP-70 expressions as compared to diabetic non-treated animals. The expression's levels of Cx43 and Panx3 were significantly (#P < 0.05) retrieved in diabetic rodents after BG treatment. Taken together, our findings showed for the first time that BG promotes the recovering process and accelerated the closure of diabetic related wounds.

Mechanical properties of sustainable concrete comprising various wastes.

Due to the rapid increase of pollution around the world, the disposal of waste materials such as granite powder (GP), iron powder (IP), brick powder (BP), and waste plastic particles (PP) is a major environmental problem in the entire world. Utilizing these industrial waste materials has many advantages for the construction industry regarding cost-effectiveness and the sustainability of natural resources. This investigation examined the addition of GP, IP, BP, and PP as a fine aggregate with ratios of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of sand in producing and assessing sustainable concrete. The static properties, i.e., compressive, tensile, flexural strength, and dynamic properties using the drop-weight impact test, were evaluated of such materials. The results showed that using IP as a partial replacement enhances both static and dynamic properties of concrete; the enhancement kept increasing up to 20% of IP, and the compressive, tensile, flexural strength, and impact energy increased by 8.4%, 12.5%, 8.5, and 125%, respectively. Therefore, IP can be suggested to replace sand by up to 20%. Using PP up to 15% enhanced the impact energy at failure by about 225%. It also observed that the optimum value for GP and BP was 10%. When using 10% GP the increase in the compressive, tensile, flexural strength, and impact energy was 11.7%, 25%, 21.5%, and 100%, respectively, while it increased by 12.9%, 7.6%, 15.4%, and 63% respectively when using BP.

Valuable effects of lactobacillus and citicoline on steatohepatitis: role of Nrf2/HO-1 and gut microbiota.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more dangerous form of chronic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the current investigation, the influence of citicoline on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NASH was examined, both alone and in combination with Lactobacillus (probiotic). NASH was induced by feeding HFD (10% sugar, 10% lard stearin, 2% cholesterol, and 0.5% cholic acid) to rats for 13 weeks and received single i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg) after 4 weeks. Citicoline was given at two dose levels (250 mg and 500 mg, i.p.) at the beginning of the sixth week, and in combination with an oral suspension of Lactobacillus every day for eight weeks until the study's conclusion. HFD/STZ induced steatohepatitis as shown by histopathological changes, elevated serum liver enzymes, serum hyperlipidemia and hepatic fat accumulation. Moreover, HFD convinced oxidative stress by increased lipid peroxidation marker (MDA) and decreased antioxidant enzymes (GSH and TAC). Upregulation of TLR4/NF-kB and the downstream inflammatory cascade (TNF-α, and IL-6) as well as Pentaraxin, fetuin-B and apoptotic markers (caspase-3 and Bax) were observed. NASH rats also had massive increase in Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium spp., E. coli, Clostridium spp., Providencia spp., Prevotella interrmedia, and P. gingivalis while remarkable drop in Bifidobacteria spp. and Lactobacillus spp. Co-treatment with citicoline alone and with Lactobacillus improve histopathological NASH outcomes and reversed all of these molecular pathological alterations linked to NASH via upregulating the expression of Nrf2/HO-1 and downregulating TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathways. These results suggest that citicoline and lactobacillus may represent new hepatoprotective strategies against NASH progression.

Numerical study and experimental validation of the size effect of smooth and mode I cracked semi-circular bend specimens.

The edge-cracked semi-circular bend (SCB) specimen subjected to three-point bending loading is used in many applications to measure the fracture behavior of quasi-brittle materials. The main objective of the present work was to study the effect of the crack length to SCB specimen radius ratio (a/R), span to specimen diameter ratio (S/D), and specimen size on its flexural and mode I crack growth behavior. The contour integral method was implemented using the 3-D finite element method to determine the mode I stress intensity factor. In addition, high-strength concrete specimens were experimentally studied to validate the numerical results. The results show that the maximum compression stress is not sensitive to the S/D value, while the tensile stress is very sensitive. The value of S/D is the main parameter controlling the crack driving force (i.e., the crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) and the normalized stress intensity factor, YI). For the same S/D, the SCB specimen diameter value change has a marginal effect on CMOD and YI. The specimen with S/D = 0.8 showed that it is the most compatible specimen with three-point bending test conditions, regardless of the SCB specimen size. A good agreement between the numerical and experimental results was achieved.

Hospital-Based Quasi-Experimental Study on Hydroxychloroquine Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19 in Healthcare Providers with Its Potential Side-Effects.

Considering that it has been more than 24 months since SARS-CoV-2 emerged, it is crucial to identify measures that prevent and control pathogen transmission in workplace settings. Our aim was to report results of a hospital-based program that delivered hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets as COVID-19 prophylaxis to the frontline healthcare workers (HCW)s who cared for COVID-19 patients and to evaluate the efficacy of HCQ. Setting and participants: Quasi-experimental, controlled, single-center study. The included participants were doctors, nurses, health workers, cleaning staff, and non-healthcare supportive staff. The main outcome was contracting COVID-19 anytime during the period of taking the prophylaxis, confirmed by RT-PCR. A total of 336 participants, without any clinical evidence of COVID-19 and without any known contact with family members, were included in the trial; 230 were assigned to HCQ and 106 declined to take any drug. Results: Among the participants, 43 (18.7%) in the HCQ group and 11 (10.4%) participants in the control group developed COVID-19. For the evaluation of side effects, we evaluated 12-lead ECGs of both groups at the baseline and after 4 weeks to monitor QTc interval. A total of 91% (198 of 217) participants in the prophylaxis group and 92% (11 of 12) in the control group had a QTc < 45o msec, which is within normal limits. Conclusions: Although the number of symptomatic infections in health personnel was lower in the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. However, in the absence of any effective pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine for COVID-19, practicing proper infection prevention and control (IPC) and vaccination is the only way forward.

Thermoluminescence (TL), kinetic parameters and dosimetric features of Pakistani limestone.

Thermoluminescence (TL), kinetic parameters and dosimetric features of Pakistani limestone (CaCO3) is reported in this study. Both compositional and structural analyses reveal that the material has a crystalline nature with rhombohedral structure and non-uniform crystallite size having major content of CaCO3. A powdered limestone sample of 30 mg is found to be the optimized weight for TL and other dosimetric studies. After irradiating the samples with a test dose of 100 Gy using a ß source three composite glow peaks termed as P1, P2 and P3 are visible at 100, 230 and 330 °C respectively using a linear heating rate of 1 °C/s during the TL readout. The Coefficient of Variation (COV) is found to be about 4%. Kinetic parameters (i.e., frequency factor (f), activation energy (E), and the kinetic order (b)) are estimated using both first and second Order of kinetics using an in-house Computerized Glow Curve Deconvolution (GCD) software. The figure-of-merit (FOM) is found to be 2.12%. The distribution of continuum traps with activation energy in the range of 0.77-2.59 eV is observed in the kinetic parameter analysis of the glow peaks of the sample. The TL response in the dose range of 1-5 Gy (not reported previously) and linearity in the dose response in the dose range of 1-10 Gy is observed in samples of Pakistani limestone. The Minimum Detectable Dose (MDD) is 1.01 Gy clearly resembling the experimentally linear fitted results. After a fading study for a period of thirty days, only the first peak i.e., P1 majorly fades while no major change is observed in the amplitude of peaks P2 and P3. In addition, P1 is the main contributor fading by 92% within the first 24 h of irradiation while P2 fades by 30 %. However, P3 shows stability with a very minor fading of 0.05% within 24 h of irradiation. This study concludes that Pakistani limestone can be further assessed as a potential radiation dosimeter for various applications.

Exemplar deep and hand-modeled features based automated and accurate cerebral hemorrhage classification method.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral hemorrhage (CH) is a commonly seen disease, and an accurate diagnosis of the type of CH is a very crucial step in treatment. Therefore, CH requires a prompt and accurate diagnosis. To simplify this process, an accurate CH classification model is presented using a machine learning technique. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A computed tomography (CT) image dataset was collected retrospectively in this research. This dataset contains 9818 images with five categories. An exemplar fused feature generator is presented to classify these features. This generator uses pre-trained AlexNet, local binary pattern (LBP), and local phase quantization (LPQ). The neighborhood component analysis (NCA) method selects the top features, and the chosen feature vector is classified on the support vector machine. RESULTS: Six validation methods are utilized to calculate the performance of the presented exemplar fused features and NCA-based CH classification model. This model attained 97.47%, 96.05%, 95.21%, 93.62%, 91.28% and 96.34% accuracies using five hold-out validations and ten-fold cross-validation respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The calculated results clearly demonstrate the success and robustness of the introduced exemplar fused feature generation and NCA-based model. Furthermore, this model can be used in emergency services to overcome a prompt diagnosis of CH.

A Comparative Analysis Between Ketamine Versus Combination of Midazolam and Haloperidol for Rapid Safe Control of Agitated Patients in Emergency Department: A Systematic Review.

We aim to discuss the efficacy and adverse effects of using ketamine in agitated patients in the emergency department (ED) compared with the combination therapy of haloperidol with benzodiazepine. This systematic review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An electronic search from PubMed/Medline, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar was conducted from their inception to 30th April 2022. We included agitated patients in ED who were given infusion with ketamine only. Our comparative group was patients infused with combined therapy of haloperidol and benzodiazepine. We did not include letters, case reports, abstracts, conference papers, appraisals, reviews, and studies where full text was unavailable. We did not put any language restrictions. Three studies were selected in our manuscript (one cohort and two randomized controlled trials). All three studies showed that ketamine was used to achieve sedation in less time than the other group. However, two studies reported significantly more adverse effects in ketamine-infused groups. We concluded that ketamine use is superior when its primary focus is to sedate the patient as quickly as possible, but it carries some side effects that should be considered. However, we still need more studies assessing the efficacy of ketamine in agitated patients presenting in the ED.

Endorsement and phylogenetic analysis of some Fabaceae plants based on DNA barcoding.

BACKGROUND: DNA barcoding have been considered as a tool to facilitate species identification based on its simplicity and high-level accuracy in compression to the complexity and subjective biases linked to morphological identification of taxa. MaturaseK gene (MatK gene) of the chloroplast is very vital in the plant system which is involved in the group II intron splicing. The main objective of this study is to determine the relative utility of the "MatK" chloroplast gene for barcoding in 15 legume as a tool to facilitate species identification based on their simplicity and high-level accuracy linked to morphological identification of taxa. METHODS AND RESULTS: MatK gene sequences were submitted to GenBank and the accession numbers were obtained with sequence length ranging from 730 to 1545 nucleotides. These DNA sequences were aligned with database sequence using PROMALS server, Clustal Omega server and Bioedit program. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining algorithms were employed for constructing phylogeny. Overall, these results indicated that the phylogenetic tree analysis and the evolutionary distances of an individual dataset of each species were agreed with a phylogenetic tree of all each other consisting of two clades, the first clade comprising (Enterolobium contortisiliquum, Albizia lebbek), Acacia saligna, Leucaena leucocephala, Dichrostachys Cinerea, (Delonix regia, Parkinsonia aculeata), (Senna surattensis, Cassia fistula, Cassia javanica) and Schotia brachypetala were more closely to each other, respectively. The remaining four species of Erythrina humeana, (Sophora secundiflora, Dalbergia Sissoo, Tipuana Tipu) constituted the second clade. CONCLUSION: Moreover, their sequences could be successfully utilized in single nucleotide polymorphism or as part of the sequence as DNA fragment analysis utilizing polymerase chain reaction in plant systematic. Therefore, MatK gene is considered promising a candidate for DNA barcoding in the plant family Fabaceae and provides a clear relationship between the families.

Anti-bacterial activity of essential oils against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens isolated from raw milk.

The presence of pathogenic bacteria in food is considered as a primary cause of food-borne illness and food quality deterioration worldwide. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of five essential oils (EOs) against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens. In the current study Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Proteus, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella) and the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus were isolated from raw milk and biochemically characterized. The anti-bacterial effect of different antibiotics and EOs (thyme, oregano, lemongrass, mint, and rosemary) was determined using the standard disc diffusion method. The antibiogram study revealed that Gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to penicillin while Staphylococcus was resistant to streptomycin, amoxicillin, and lincomycin. Moderate resistance was observed to doxycycline, amikacin, enrofloxacin, kanamycin and cefixime. Isolates were found less resistant to gentamycin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin. EOs showed a broad range of antimicrobial activity against all bacteria except P. aeruginosa. Of these, thyme was more effective against most of the multi-drug resistant bacterial strains and formed the largest zone of inhibition (26 mm) against Escherichia followed by oregano oil (18 mm) against Staphylococcus (p<0.05). Klebsiella spp and Citrobacter spp showed resistance to mint and lemongrass oil respectively. The EOs such as lemongrass, mint and rosemary were less active against all the bacteria. The findings of the recent study suggest the use of EOs as natural antibacterial agents for food preservation.

Bee gomogenat rescues lymphoid organs from degeneration by regulating the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that causes severe complications in several tissues due to redox imbalances, which in turn cause defective angiogenesis in response to ischemia and activate a number of proinflammatory pathways. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of bee gomogenat (BG) dietary supplementation on the architecture of immune organs in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes (T1D) mouse model. Three animal groups were used: the control non-diabetic, diabetic, and BG-treated diabetic groups. STZ-induced diabetes was associated with increased levels of blood glucose, ROS, and IL-6 and decreased levels of IL-2, IL-7, IL-4, and GSH. Moreover, diabetic mice showed alterations in the expression of autophagy markers (LC3, Beclin-1, and P62) and apoptosis markers (Bcl-2 and Bax) in the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. Most importantly, the phosphorylation level of AKT (a promoter of cell survival) was significantly decreased, but the expression levels of MCP-1 and HSP-70 (markers of inflammation) were significantly increased in the spleen and lymph nodes in diabetic mice compared to control animals. Interestingly, oral supplementation with BG restored the levels of blood glucose, ROS, IL-6, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, and GSH in diabetic mice. Treatment with BG significantly abrogated apoptosis and autophagy in lymphoid organs in diabetic mice by restoring the expression levels of LC3, Beclin-1, P62, Bcl-2, and Bax; decreasing inflammatory signals by downregulating the expression of MCP-1 and HSP-70; and promoting cell survival by enhancing the phosphorylation of AKT. Our data were the first to reveal the therapeutic potential of BG on the architecture of lymphoid organs and enhancing the immune system during T1D.

Assessment of the Toxicity of Aluminum Oxide and Its Nanoparticles in the Bone Marrow and Liver of Male Mice: Ameliorative Efficacy of Curcumin Nanoparticles.

The potential influence of nanoparticles (NPs) on the liver and bone marrow has received attention. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of nanocurcumin on the oxidative stress, apoptosis, and toxicity induced by Al2O3 and its NPs. The experimental animals (n = 72 mice) were divided into the following groups: group I, as a control; groups II and III, as aluminum oxide and its NPs (6 mg/kg); group IV, as aluminum oxide + nanocurcumin (Al2O3 + N-Cur, 20 mg/kg); and group V, as aluminum oxide NPs + nanocurcumin (Al2O3-NP + N.Cur., 20 mg/kg). Al2O3 and its NP groups significantly increased p53, Nrf2 levels, and the white blood cell count. They also decreased the Hsp70 level, antitrypsin, immunoglobulin G, and the red blood cell count. In addition, they significantly decreased the total and differential bone marrow cell counts and the maturation index ratio (MIR). Nanocurcumin (N.Cur.) reverted the previous proteins, blood parameters, total bone marrow cell count, and the MIR as M/E, I/Mg, MMI, I/Me, and EMI to normal. Furthermore, N.Cur. prevented apoptosis and reduced the histopathological score and collagen fiber percentage caused by Al2O3 and its NPs in the liver. Nanotechnology was used to increase the therapeutic efficiency of curcumin against the harmful effects of oxidative stress associated with Al2O3 NPs.

The Effect of Reinforcement Preheating Temperatures on Tribological Behavior of Advanced Quranic Metal-Matrix Composites (QMMC).

The growing applications of iron/copper bimetallic composites in various industries are increasing. The relationship between the properties of these materials and manufacturing parameters should be well understood. This paper represents an experimental study to evaluate the effect of reinforcement (steel rod) preheating temperature on the mechanical properties (bond strength, microhardness, and wear resistance) of copper matrix composites (QMMC). In preparing the QMMC samples, the melted copper was poured on a steel rod that had been preheated to various temperatures, namely, room temperature, 600 °C, 800 °C, and 1200 °C. Properties of the QMMC (interface microstructure, interfacial bonding strength, microhardness, and wear) were investigated. The experimental results revealed that the best bond between the copper matrix and steel rod formed only in the composites prepared by preheating the steel rods with temperatures lower than the recrystallization temperature of steel (723 °C). This is because the oxide layer and shrinkage voids (due to the difference in shrinkage between the two metals) at the interface hinder atom diffusion and bond formation at higher temperatures. The microhardness test showed that preheating steel rod to 600 °C gives the highest value among all the samples. Furthermore, the QMMC's wear behavior confirmed that the optimization of preheating temperature is 600 °C.