Deoxynivalenol Induces Drp-1-Mediated Mitochondrial Dysfunction via Elevating Oxidative Stress.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is often linked to neurotoxicity and neurological diseases and stems from oxidative stress, yet effective therapies are lacking. Deoxynivalenol (DON or vomitoxin) is one of the most common and hazardous type-B trichothecene mycotoxins, which contaminates crops used for food and animal feed. Despite the abundance of preliminary reports, comprehensive investigations are scarce to explore the relationship between these fungal metabolites and neurodegenerative disorders. The present study aimed to elucidate the precise role of DON in mitochondrial dynamics and cell death in neuronal cells. Excessive mitochondrial fission is associated with the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases. Human SH-SY5Y cells were treated with different concentrations of DON (250-1000 ng/mL). Post 24 and 48 h DON treatment, the indexes were measured as follows: generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, calcium levels, and cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. The results showed that cytotoxicity, intracellular calcium levels, and ROS in the DON-treated group increased, while the ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in a dose-dependent manner. With increasing DON concentrations, the expression levels of P-Drp-1, mitochondrial fission proteins Mff, and Fis-1 were elevated with reduced activities of MFN1, MFN2, and OPA1, further resulting in an increased expression of autophagic marker LC3 and beclin-1. The reciprocal relationship between mitochondrial damage and ROS generation is evident as ROS can instigate structural and functional deficiencies within the mitochondria. Consequently, the impaired mitochondria facilitate the release of ROS, thereby intensifying the cycle of damage and exacerbating the overall process. Using specific hydroxyl, superoxide inhibitors, and calcium chelators, our study confirmed that ROS and Ca2+-mediated signaling pathways played essential roles in DON-induced Drp1 phosphorylation. Therefore, ROS and mitochondrial fission inhibitors could provide critical research tools for drug development in mycotoxin-induced neurodegenerative diseases.

Nanocarrier - Mediated Salinomycin Delivery Induces Apoptosis and Alters EMT Phenomenon in Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

Salinomycin (Sal) has been recently discovered as a novel chemotherapeutic agent against various cancers including prostate cancer which is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers affecting male populations worldwide. Herein we designed salinomycin nanocarrier (Sal-NPs) to extend its systemic circulation and to increase its anticancer potential. Prepared nanoform showed high encapsulation and sustained release profile for salinomycin. The present study elucidated the cytotoxicity and mechanism of apoptotic cell death of Sal-NPs against prostate cancer both in vitro and in vivo. At all measured concentrations, Sal-NPs showed more significant cytotoxicity to DU145 and PC3 cells than Sal alone. This effect was mediated by apoptosis, as confirmed by ROS generation, loss of MMP and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase in both cells. Sal-NPs efficiently inhibited migration of PC3 and DU145 cells via effectively downregulating the epithelial mesenchymal transition. Also, the results confirmed that Sal-NPs can effectively inhibit the induction of Prostate adenocarcinoma in male Wistar rats. Sal-NPs treatment exhibited a decrease in tumour sizes, a reduction in prostate weight, and an increase in body weight, which suggests that Sal-NPs is more effective than salinomycin alone. Our results suggest that the molecular mechanism underlying the Sal-NPs anticancer effect may lead to the development of a potential therapeutic strategy for treating prostate adenocarcinoma.

Efficacy of Hydrocortisone, Povidone-Iodine, and Normal Saline as an Irrigating Solution During Surgical Removal of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background The surgical removal of mandibular third molars is one of the most common procedures in dentistry. Researchers have extensively studied the treatment of postoperative sequelae such as pain, edema, trismus, and alveolar osteitis throughout the past six decades. Many approaches have been used to address clinical difficulties after third molar surgery, including various flap designs and irrigating solutions. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of three irrigating solutions, hydrocortisone, povidone-iodine, and normal saline, on pain, trismus, and edema following surgical removal of the impacted mandibular third molar. Methodology The study involved 105 participants who required surgical extraction of mandibular third molars. The patients' ages ranged from 18 to 40 years, and they fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Using a simple random sampling technique, they were divided into three groups (group 1: hydrocortisone, group 2: povidone-iodine, group 3: normal saline). The parameters evaluated were edema, pain, and trismus on the second and seventh postoperative days. All data were input into Microsoft Excel (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, USA) worksheets and analyzed using Stata 17.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, USA). The visual analog scale (VAS) score was used to measure postoperative pain, and postoperative swelling was measured using linear measurements from four fixed anatomical points and compared to preoperative values. To assess trismus, the inter-incisal distance was measured in millimeters with a caliper. A p-value of <0.01 was considered statistically significant. Results The mean VAS score for pain in group 1 was lower than the other two groups. The effect of group 1 was significant on the second postoperative day but insignificant on the seventh postoperative day for swelling. The effect of all three groups on trismus was significant on the second and seventh days. Conclusions Hydrocortisone as an irrigating solution showed promising results in managing postoperative swelling in the first 48 hours, but its effect gradually declined by the seventh postoperative day. Additionally, it was effective in controlling postoperative pain and trismus. This suggests that utilizing hydrocortisone as an irrigating solution, compared to povidone-iodine, has been proven to be a significantly effective option in reducing postoperative pain, edema, and trismus resulting from the surgical removal of impacted teeth.

Alcohol induces ER stress and apoptosis by inducing oxidative stress and disruption of calcium homeostasis in glial cells.

Alcohol has teratogenic effects that can cause developmental abnormalities and alter anatomical and functional characteristics of the developed brain and other organs. Glial cells play a crucial role in alcohol metabolism and protect neurons from toxic effects of alcohol. However, chronic alcohol exposure can lead to uncontrollable levels of reactive oxygen species, resulting in the death of glial cells and exposing neuronal cells to the toxic effects of alcohol. The exact molecular mechanism of alcohol-induced glial cell death has not been fully explored. This study reported that different concentrations of alcohol induce different expressions of ER stress markers in glial cells, focusing on the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Alcohol-induced concentration-dependent toxicity in both cells also induced oxidative stress, leading to mitochondrial damage. The expression of p53 and apoptotic proteins was significantly up-regulated after alcohol exposure, while Bcl2 (anti-apoptotic) was down-regulated. The signalling pathway for ER stress was activated and up-regulated marker proteins in a concentration-dependent manner. Cells pre-treated with BAPTA-AM and NAC showed significant resistance against alcohol assault compared to other cells. These in vitro findings will prove valuable for defining the mechanism by which alcohol modulates oxidative stress, mitochondrial and ER damage leading to glial cell death.

The Elbow's Achilles Heel: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Triceps Tendon Rupture and Repair Techniques.

Triceps tendon avulsion is a rare but debilitating condition and the least frequent of all tendon injuries, but it is receiving increasing attention in the literature. The most common mechanism of injury is resisted extension, which is typically seen in a fall onto an extended hand. Such injuries are easily overlooked and should be considered a differential diagnosis in all patients who describe pain and swelling at the posterior aspect of the elbow following a traumatic event. Non-operative management is the general principle for partial rupture as opposed to a variety of surgical treatments for a complete avulsion. The goal of this meta-analysis is to analyse the current literature on triceps avulsion and provide a detailed overview of the occurrence, diagnosis, treatment options and outcomes, comparison of various repair techniques, and consequences of this injury.

Mucormycosis and Aspergillosis Infection Following Maxillofacial Trauma: Case Report.

An invasive fungal infection caused by saprophytic and aerobic fungi Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, and Cunninghamella genera of the family Mucoraceae is known as Mucormycosis. Typically, Mucormycosis manifests in patients with conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, renal failure, patients receiving chemotherapy, long term steroid therapy or patients who are immunocompromised such as Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. The authors report a case of mixed opportunistic fungal infection of Mucormycosis and Aspergillosis following maxillofacial trauma that was treated by both medical and surgical line of management.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review for Understanding the Big Picture.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has an invariably fatal outcome. Aside from rapidly progressive dementia, this condition manifests as myoclonus, cerebellar, pyramidal, extrapyramidal, visual, and psychiatric symptoms. On the other hand, nonspecific symptoms might be difficult to diagnose, leading to a late or incorrect diagnosis. Given its high fatality, most patients die within 12 months of the disease's onset. This case report describes a healthy man who presented with cerebellar and pyramidal signs along with memory loss worsening over six weeks. He also had indications of corticobasal degeneration, such as myoclonus and alien limb syndrome, but with reasonably maintained cognition. These signs are all non-specific, and premortem diagnosis is typically difficult and challenging owing to a lack of knowledge and clinical suspicion. However, after a thorough and extensive investigation, CJD was diagnosed. Despite the fact that CJD is a rare disease, it should always be included in the differential diagnosis whenever neuropsychological manifestations are present. Nevertheless, CJD can be successfully and promptly ruled out with a detailed clinical examination and appropriate investigation.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems: Environmental Exposure and Human Health Risks.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent synthetic organic contaminants that can cause serious human health concerns such as obesity, liver damage, kidney cancer, hypertension, immunotoxicity and other human health issues. Integrated crop-livestock systems combine agricultural crop production with milk and/or meat production and processing. Key sources of PFAS in these systems include firefighting foams near military bases, wastewater sludge and industrial discharge. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances regularly move from soils to nearby surface water and/or groundwater because of their high mobility and persistence. Irrigating crops or managing livestock for milk and meat production using adjacent waters can be detrimental to human health. The presence of PFAS in both groundwater and milk have been reported in dairy production states (e.g., Wisconsin and New Mexico) across the United States. Although there is a limit of 70 parts per trillion of PFAS in drinking water by the U.S. EPA, there are not yet regional screening guidelines for conducting risk assessments of livestock watering as well as the soil and plant matrix. This systematic review includes (i) the sources, impacts and challenges of PFAS in integrated crop-livestock systems, (ii) safety measures and protocols for sampling soil, water and plants for determining PFAS concentration in exposed integrated crop-livestock systems and (iii) the assessment, measurement and evaluation of human health risks related to PFAS exposure.

Bilateral Facial Palsy: A Case Study of an Exceedingly Rare and Difficult Diagnosis.

Bilateral facial nerve palsy is a rare condition, representing only 0.3-2.0% of all facial palsy cases. Facial paralysis constitutes the result of a diverse array of systemic disorders and heterogeneous aetiologies and thus represents a diagnostic challenge. This case report describes a previously healthy male who presented to the emergency department numerous times within a few weeks with unrelated non-specific symptoms. These symptoms could not be attributed to any specific aetiology after various radiological and laboratory examinations, and hence presented a diagnostic dilemma until he developed bilateral seventh nerve palsy and was admitted for a further workup.

Epigenetics: The Key to Future Diagnostics and Therapeutics of Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is still the major cause of cancer-related mortality around the globe. The interplay of permanent genetic and dynamic epigenetic changes leads to the onset and progression of lung cancer. The diagnosis is often made at an advanced stage when the prognosis is dismal and therapy choices are restricted. Epigenetic association with lung cancer has long been studied but with fewer success rates. Research is still progressing, and with an advanced understanding of human genomics, more and more information is being unveiled. In the last decade, epigenetics and particularly research on DNA methylation and histone modification have provided vital information to understand lung cancer pathogenesis better. As a result, stage-specific epigenetic modifications can be employed as strong and reliable tools for early lung cancer detection and patient prognosis monitoring. The information on epigenetic biomarkers for lung cancer is summarised in this review, which focuses on DNA methylation and histone modification, as well as its implications for early detection, diagnosis, prognostication, and treatments.

Alcohol induced impairment/abnormalities in brain: Role of MicroRNAs.

Alcohol is a highly toxic substance and has teratogenic properties that can lead to a wide range of developmental disorders. Excessive use of alcohol can change the structural and functional aspects of developed brain and other organs. Which can further lead to significant health, social and economic implications in many countries of the world. Convincing evidence support the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) as important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in neurodevelopment and maintenance. They also show differential expression following an injury. MiRNAs are the special class of small non coding RNAs that can modify the gene by targeting the mRNA and fine tune the development of cells to organs. Numerous pieces of evidences have shown the relationship between miRNA, alcohol and brain damage. These studies also show how miRNA controls different cellular mechanisms involved in the development of alcohol use disorder. With the increasing number of research studies, the roles of miRNAs following alcohol-induced injury could help researchers to recognize alternative therapeutic methods to treat/cure alcohol-induced brain damage. The present review summarizes the available data and brings together the important miRNAs, that play a crucial role in alcohol-induced brain damage, which will help in better understanding complex mechanisms. Identifying these miRNAs will not only expand the current knowledge but can lead to the identification of better targets for the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

Ultra-compact dual-band smart NEMS magnetoelectric antennas for simultaneous wireless energy harvesting and magnetic field sensing.

Ultra-compact wireless implantable medical devices are in great demand for healthcare applications, in particular for neural recording and stimulation. Current implantable technologies based on miniaturized micro-coils suffer from low wireless power transfer efficiency (PTE) and are not always compliant with the specific absorption rate imposed by the Federal Communications Commission. Moreover, current implantable devices are reliant on differential recording of voltage or current across space and require direct contact between electrode and tissue. Here, we show an ultra-compact dual-band smart nanoelectromechanical systems magnetoelectric (ME) antenna with a size of 250 × 174 µm2 that can efficiently perform wireless energy harvesting and sense ultra-small magnetic fields. The proposed ME antenna has a wireless PTE 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than any other reported miniaturized micro-coil, allowing the wireless IMDs to be compliant with the SAR limit. Furthermore, the antenna's magnetic field detectivity of 300-500 pT allows the IMDs to record neural magnetic fields.

The Interplay Between Sugar and Yeast Infections: Do Diabetics Have a Greater Predisposition to Develop Oral and Vulvovaginal Candidiasis?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases impacting individuals of both developing and developed nations. DM patients have a weaker immune system in comparison to healthy subjects, rendering them more prone to develop infections. Even the typical gut microflora can become pathogenic in such immunocompromised conditions. Microorganisms belonging to Candida species are capable of causing infections in DM subjects. A comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken. The PubMed database was searched using well-defined search terms. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to classify relevant manuscripts. The results of the review show that DM patients have an increased susceptibility to Candida sp. This paper will summarize the previously conducted research discussing the relationship between DM and candidiasis, features specific to Candida species that make it pathogenic, and compare oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) morbidity in diabetics versus healthy subjects.

Agricultural soils of the Animas River watershed after the Gold King Mine spill: An elemental spatiotemporal analysis via portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

In August 2015, 11.3 million L of heavy metal-contaminated water spilled into the Animas River from the Gold King Mine (Colorado, USA). National attention focused on water quality and agricultural production in areas affected by the spill. In response to local concerns, surface soil elemental concentrations were analyzed in three New Mexico agricultural fields to determine potential threats to agronomic production. Irrigated fields in the Animas watershed were scanned using portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry to monitor the spatiotemporal variability of Pb, As, Cu, and Cr. A total of 175 locations were scanned using PXRF before and after the growing season for 3 yr. The geostatistical model with the lowest RMSE was chosen as the optimal model. The lowest RMSE for the elements ranged from to 0.10 to 0.44 m for As, from 0.50 to 0.98 m for Cr, from 0.15 to 0.91 m for Cu, and from 0.14 to 0.44 m for Pb across the models selected. The spatial dependence between the measured values exhibited strong to moderate autocorrelation for all metals except for As, for which spatial dependence was strong to weak. Some areas in each field exceeded the New Mexico Environment Department soil screening limit of 7.07 mg As kg-1 . All sampling locations were below the screening limit at last sampling time in 2019. Mixed models used for temporal analysis showed a significant decrease only in As below the screening value at the end of the study. Results indicate that the agricultural soils were below the soil screening guideline values.

Heavy metal content of produce grown in San Juan County (New Mexico, USA).

The Animas River Watershed has long received discharges of naturally occurring acid rock drainage; however, on August 5, 2015, three million gallons flowed into the agricultural region of Farmington, New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. Consumers and growers in the region were fearful that produce might absorb heavy metals from contaminated irrigation water originating from these rivers. Samples were collected from the region including corn (n = 30), pumpkin (n = 10), squash (n = 10), and cucumber (n = 10) then processed and tested using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for concentrations of nine metals of interest. These include toxic metals: Al, As, and Pb, which were compared to the World Health Organization limits, 18.29 mg d-1, 0.192 mg d-1, and 0.05 mg kg-1, respectively and essential metals: Cr, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ca, and Cu whose levels were compared to the National Academies' dietary references for tolerable upper intake levels. Results indicate that produce grown in the region contained significantly less metal than the allowable limits, except for Pb in two corn samples. This research is the first attempt to monitor and analyze heavy metal absorption of produce in the area.

Electrode Degradation in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Although Li-ion batteries have emerged as the battery of choice for electric vehicles and large-scale smart grids, significant research efforts are devoted to identifying materials that offer higher energy density, longer cycle life, lower cost, and/or improved safety compared to those of conventional Li-ion batteries based on intercalation electrodes. By moving beyond intercalation chemistry, gravimetric capacities that are 2-5 times higher than that of conventional intercalation materials (e.g., LiCoO2 and graphite) can be achieved. The transition to higher-capacity electrode materials in commercial applications is complicated by several factors. This Review highlights the developments of electrode materials and characterization tools for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with a focus on the structural and electrochemical degradation mechanisms that plague these systems.

Rapid, Wet Chemical Fabrication of Radial Junction Electroluminescent Wires.

A wet chemical process involving two electrodeposition steps followed by a solution casting step, the "EESC" process, is described for the fabrication of electroluminescent, radial junction wires. EESC is demonstrated by assembling three well-studied nanocrystalline (or amorphous) materials: Au, CdSe, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The tri-layered device architecture produced by EESC minimizes the influence of an electrically resistive CdSe emitter layer by using a highly conductive gold nanowire that serves as both a current collector and a negative electrode. Hole injection, at a high barrier CdSe-PEDOT:PSS interface (ϕh ≈ 1.1 V), is facilitated by a contact area that is 1.9-4.7-fold larger than the complimentary gold-CdSe electron-injecting contact (ϕe ≈ 0.6 V), contributing to low-voltage thresholds (1.4-1.7 V) for electroluminescence (EL) emission. Au@CdSe@PEDOT:PSS wire EL emitters are 25 µm in length, amongst the longest so far demonstrated to our knowledge, but the EESC process is scalable to nanowires of any length, limited only by the length of the central gold nanowire that serves as a template for the fabrication process. Radial carrier transport within these multishell wires conforms to the back-to-back diode model.

Hierarchical Metal-Organic Framework-Assembled Membrane Filter for Efficient Removal of Particulate Matter.

Here, we propose heterogeneous nucleation-assisted hierarchical growth of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for efficient particulate matter (PM) removal. The assembly of two-dimensional (2D) Zn-based zeolite imidazole frameworks (2D-ZIF-L) in deionized water over a period of time produced hierarchical ZIF-L (H-ZIF-L) on hydrophilic substrates. During the assembly, the second nucleation and growth of ZIF-L occurred on the surface of the first ZIF-L, leading to the formation of flowerlike H-ZIF-L on the substrate. The flowerlike H-ZIF-L was easily synthesized on various substrates, namely, glass, polyurethane three-dimensional foam, nylon microfibers, and nonwoven fabrics. We demonstrated H-ZIF-L-assembled polypropylene microfibers as a washable membrane filter with highly efficient PM removal property (92.5 ± 0.8% for PM2.5 and 99.5 ± 0.2% for PM10), low pressure drop (10.5 Pa at 25 L min-1), long-term stability, and superior recyclability. These outstanding particle filtering properties are mainly attributed to the unique structure of the 2D-shaped H-ZIF-L, which is tightly anchored on individual fibers comprising the membrane.

Hollow Pd-Ag Composite Nanowires for Fast Responding and Transparent Hydrogen Sensors.

Pd based alloy materials with hollow nanostructures are ideal hydrogen (H2) sensor building blocks because of their double-H2 sensing active sites (interior and exterior side of hollow Pd alloy) and fast response. In this work, for the first time, we report a simple fabrication process for preparing hollow Pd-Ag alloy nanowires (Pd@Ag HNWs) by using the electrodeposition of lithographically patterned silver nanowires (NWs), followed by galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) to form palladium. By controlling the GRR time of aligned Ag NWs within an aqueous Pd2+-containing solution, the compositional transition and morphological evolution from Ag NWs to Pd@Ag HNWs simultaneously occurred, and the relative atomic ratio between Pd and Ag was controlled. Interestingly, a GRR duration of 17 h transformed Ag NWs into Pd@Ag HNWs that showed enhanced H2 response and faster sensing response time, reduced 2.5-fold, as compared with Ag NWs subjected to a shorter GRR period of 10 h. Furthermore, Pd@Ag HNWs patterned on the colorless and flexible polyimide (cPI) substrate showed highly reversible H2 sensing characteristics. To further demonstrate the potential use of Pd@Ag HNWs as sensing layers for all-transparent, wearable H2 sensing devices, we patterned the Au NWs perpendicular to Pd@Ag HNWs to form a heterogeneous grid-type metallic NW electrode which showed reversible H2 sensing properties in both bent and flat states.

Accelerating Palladium Nanowire H2 Sensors Using Engineered Nanofiltration.

The oxygen, O2, in air interferes with the detection of H2 by palladium (Pd)-based H2 sensors, including Pd nanowires (NWs), depressing the sensitivity and retarding the response/recovery speed in air-relative to N2 or Ar. Here, we describe the preparation of H2 sensors in which a nanofiltration layer consisting of a Zn metal-organic framework (MOF) is assembled onto Pd NWs. Polyhedron particles of Zn-based zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF-8) were synthesized on lithographically patterned Pd NWs, leading to the creation of ZIF-8/Pd NW bilayered H2 sensors. The ZIF-8 filter has many micropores (0.34 nm for gas diffusion) which allows for the predominant penetration of hydrogen molecules with a kinetic diameter of 0.289 nm, whereas relatively larger gas molecules including oxygen (0.345 nm) and nitrogen (0.364 nm) in air are effectively screened, resulting in superior hydrogen sensing properties. Very importantly, the Pd NWs filtered by ZIF-8 membrane (Pd NWs@ZIF-8) reduced the H2 response amplitude slightly (ΔR/R0 = 3.5% to 1% of H2 versus 5.9% for Pd NWs) and showed 20-fold faster recovery (7 s to 1% of H2) and response (10 s to 1% of H2) speed compared to that of pristine Pd NWs (164 s for response and 229 s for recovery to 1% of H2). These outstanding results, which are mainly attributed to the molecular sieving and acceleration effect of ZIF-8 covered on Pd NWs, rank highest in H2 sensing speed among room-temperature Pd-based H2 sensors.