Role of MicroRNAs in Inflammatory Joint Diseases: A Review.

Inflammatory arthritis commonly initiates in the soft tissues lining the joint. This lining swells, as do the cells in it and inside the joint fluid, producing chemicals that induce inflammation signs such as heat, redness, and swelling. MicroRNA (miRNA), a subset of non-coding small RNA molecules, post-transcriptionally controls gene expression by targeting their messenger RNA. MiRNAs modulate approximately 1/3 of the human genome with their multiple targets. Recently, they have been extensively studied as key modulators of the innate and adaptive immune systems in diseases such as allergic disorders, types of cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, research on the different inflammatory joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, Lyme disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis, remains in its infancy. This review presents a deeper understanding of miRNA biogenesis and the functions of miRNAs in modulating the immune and inflammatory responses in the above-mentioned inflammatory joint diseases. According to the literature, it has been demonstrated that the development of inflammatory joint disorders is closely related to different miRNAs and their specific regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, they may present as possible prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for all diseases and may help in developing a therapeutic response. However, further studies are needed to determine whether manipulating miRNAs can influence the development and progression of inflammatory joint disorders.

Low performance of internal medicine senior residents in in-service examinations.

We observed an unprecedented and consistent low performance of senior residents as compared with juniors in monthly examinations. This compelled us to evaluate systematically and compare the scores of senior residents with their junior colleagues. This retrospective observational study was conducted in April 2020 among internal medicine residents. Residents in first and second year of their training were labelled as junior residents. Residents in third or fourth year of their training were labelled as senior residents. Comparison of mean scores of each resident level was done separately both for monthly formative multiple-choice questions tests, and summative yearly end of term examinations. We discussed the possible reasons as well. There were 67 residents in year 2018 and 69 in 2019. There is no significant difference between scores of monthly examinations of years 2018 and 2019 among residents of each level. Rather, in March and December 2018, junior residents perform better than senior residents with p values of 0.01 and 0.04, respectively. In February and September 2019, senior residents performed better than junior residents with p value of 0.02. Similarly, there is no significant difference in scores of residents of each level in end-of-term examinations of years 2018 and 2019 with p values 0.18 and 0.25, respectively. Performance of senior residents in our residency programme in in-service examinations is relatively low as compared with their junior colleagues. There is a need to evaluate reasons for this relatively low performance of senior residents.

Learning-based control approaches for service robots on cloth manipulation and dressing assistance: a comprehensive review.

BACKGROUND: Service robots are defined as reprogrammable, sensor-based mechatronic devices that perform useful services in an autonomous or semi-autonomous way to human activities in an everyday environment. As the number of elderly people grows, service robots, which can operate complex tasks like dressing tasks for disabled people, are being demanded increasingly. Consequently, there is a growing interest in studying dressing tasks, such as putting on a t-shirt, a hat, or shoes. Service robots or robot manipulators have been developed to accomplish these tasks using several control approaches. The robots used in this kind of application are usually bimanual manipulator (i.e. Baxter robot) or single manipulators (i.e. Ur5 robot). These arms are usually used for recognizing clothes and then folding them or putting an item on the arm or on the head of a person. METHODS: This work provides a comprehensive review of the most relevant attempts/works of robotic dressing assistance with a focus on the control methodology used for dressing tasks. Three main areas of control methods for dressing tasks are proposed: Supervised Learning (SL), Learning from Demonstration (LfD), and Reinforcement Learning (RL). There are also other methods that cannot be classified into these three areas and hence they have been placed in the other methods section. This research was conducted within three databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Accurate exclusion criteria were applied to screen the 2594 articles found (at the end 39 articles were selected). For each work, an evaluation of the model is made. CONCLUSION: Current research in cloth manipulation and dressing assistance focuses on learning-based robot control approach. Inferring the cloth state is integral to learning the manipulation and current research uses principles of Computer Vision to address the issue. This makes the larger problem of control robot based on learning data-intensive; therefore, a pressing need for standardized datasets representing different cloth shapes, types, materials, and human demonstrations (for LfD) exists. Simultaneously, efficient simulation capabilities, which closely model the deformation of clothes, are required to bridge the reality gap between the real-world and virtual environments for deploying the RL trial and error paradigm. Such powerful simulators are also vital to collect valuable data to train SL and LfD algorithms that will help reduce human workload.

Linking exogenous foliar application of glycine betaine and stomatal characteristics with salinity stress tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings.

BACKGROUND: Glycine betaine (GB) plays a crucial role in plants responding to abiotic stresses. Studying the physiological response of cotton seedlings to exogenous GB under salt stress provides a reference for the application of GB to improve the resistance of cotton seedlings under salt stress. The purpose of this research is to examine the impacts of foliar-applied GB on leaf stomatal structure and characteristics, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and plant growth indicators of Gossypium hirsutum L. under NaCl stress conditions. RESULTS: Under the salinity of 150 mM, the four concentrations of GB are 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mM, and the control (CK) was GB-untreated non-saline. Salt stress negatively affected leaf stomata as well as gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence and decreased plant growth parameters of cotton seedlings. The treatment with 5 mM GB significantly increased the evolution of photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), intracellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and stomatal conductance (gs) compared to the GB-untreated saline treatment. The Exogenous foliar-applied GB has sustainably decreased the carboxylation efficiency (Pn/Ci) and water use efficiency (WUE). The concentration of 5 mM GB leads to a significant improvement of leaf stomatal characteristics. The leaf gas exchange attributes correlated positively with stomatal density (SD), stomatal length (SL) and stomatal with (SW). CONCLUSION: The overall results suggested that exogenous foliar supplementation with GB can effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress to cotton seedlings. The effect of applying 5 mM GB could be an optional choice for protecting cotton seedlings from NaCl stress through promoting the stomatal functions, photosynthetic activities and growth characteristics.

Functional outcomes of patients with short-segment Hirschsprung disease after transanal endorectal pull-through.

BACKGROUND: Transanal endorectal pull-through (TEPT) is considered the most preferable treatment method for Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) since it is less invasive and has fewer morbidities than transabdominal pull-through. Here, functional outcomes in short-segment HSCR patients after TEPT were assessed and associated with the prognostic factors. METHODS: Krickenbeck classification was used to assess the functional outcomes in patients with HSCR after TEPT surgery at our institution from 2012 to 2020. RESULTS: Fifty patients were involved in this study. Voluntary bowel movement (VBM) was achieved in 82% of subjects. Nine (18%) subjects had soiling grade 1, while two (4%) and two (4%) patients suffered constipation that was manageable with diet and laxative agents, respectively. Patients who underwent TEPT at ≥ 4 years old tended to have soiling more than patients who underwent TEPT at < 4 years old (OR = 16.47 [95% CI 0.9-301.61]; p = 0.06), whereas patients with post-operative complications had 10.5-fold higher risk for constipation than patients without post-operative complications (p = 0.037; 95% CI 1.15-95.92). Multivariate analysis showed male sex was significantly associated with VBM (OR = 9.25 [95% CI 1.34-63.77]; p = 0.024), while post-operative complications were strongly correlated with constipation (OR = 10 [95% CI 1.09-91.44]; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The functional outcomes of HSCR patients after TEPT in our institution are considered relatively good. Moreover, the VBM, soiling, and constipation risk after TEPT might be affected by sex, age at TEPT performed, and post-operative complications, respectively, while the age at TEPT performed might not be associated with functional outcomes. Further multicenter studies with a larger sample size are necessary to clarify and confirm our findings.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase downregulation by RNA interference modulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial energy production.

Telomerase is a cancer promoting ribonucleoprotein complex and is a potential therapeutic target for cancer. In this study, the effects of telomerase downregulation on the whole cell proteome were investigated. Understanding how the effect of downregulation on the whole proteome profile will generate a greater understanding of the possible roles played by telomerase in cancer. Downregulation was achieved by RNA interference (RNAi), targeting the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) subunits of telomerase. Transfection of TERT siRNA downregulates TERT gene expression and induced downregulation of telomerase activity. Investigation of the effect of silencing TERT in telomerase was further validated through proteomic analysis by performing 2-dimension electrophoresis (2DE) coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF. 12 protein spots in HeLa cells were reported to be significantly differentially expressed with 11 of them were upregulated and 1 downregulated. Through STRING analysis, differentially expressed proteins demonstrated strong associations with endoplasmic reticulum stress marker and mitochondrial energy production marker. In conclusions, the result exhibited novel integrated proteomic response involving endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial energy production in response to the TERT downregulation in cervical cancer cells.

Physiological and biochemical response of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to TiO2 nanoparticles in phosphorous amended soil: A full life cycle study.

Nanoparticles (NPs) application in soil as nano-fertilizers to increase crop yield is getting attention due to their higher efficiency and less environmental risks. This study investigated the interactive effects of variable titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) levels (0, 30, 50 and 100 mg kg-1) superimposed to phosphorus (P) fertilizer application in soil at the rates of 0, 25 and 50 mg kg-1 on wheat crop. Physiological parameters of plants, their antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD, POD), and contents of crude protein, H2O2, MDA and metals/nutrients (Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Cu) were measured. Data on physiological traits revealed that application of 50 mg kg-1 of TiO2-NPs without P fertilizer significantly enhanced the root and shoot length by 63 and 26%, respectively. Increased contents of nutrients in the shoots, viz., Ca (316%), Cu (296%), Al (171%) and Mg (187%) with 50 mg kg-1 TiO2-NPs treatment reflected improvement in crop growth and grain quality. Furthermore, P contents in plant tissues were raised up to 56% with 50 mg kg-1 of TiO2-NPs even in the absence of P fertilizer. In the soil, concentration of phytoavailable P was significantly increased up to 63.3% in the presence of 50 mg kg-1 TiO2-NPs as compared to control. Contents of crude protein in grain were also enhanced by 22.8% (at P50) and 17.4% (at P25) with 50 mg kg-1 TiO2-NPs application. Along with P application, TiO2-NPs triggered the activities of SOD (2.06-33.97%) and POD (up to 13.19%), and H2O2 production (50.6-138.8%). However, MDA contents were not elevated significantly at any level of TiO2-NPs, and remained at par with control. It was noteworthy that highest level of TiO2-NPs, viz., 100 mg kg-1 exhibited plant and nutrients response lower than that with 50 mg kg-1. Further, TiO2-NPs triggered the bioavailability of micronutrient heavy metals (Zn, Cu and Fe) and Al, which could have toxicity at higher concentrations. These results suggested that TiO2-NPs might have some affinities with phosphate compounds and metal ions in the soil to bring them in soluble form, which enhanced their bioavailability. Although it improved the crop yield and quality, but toxic or negative impact of TiO2-NPs was also apparent at higher dose. Therefore, investigations on the potential interactions of NPs with other nutrients and toxic metals are needed to enhance our understanding for the safer application of nano-fertilizer.

Exosomes in Osteoarthritis: A Review on Their Isolation Techniques and Therapeutic Potential.

Background: Exosomes are the smallest extracellular vesicles (30-150 nm) secreted by all cell types, including synovial fluid. However, because biological fluids are complex, heterogeneous, and contain contaminants, their isolation is difficult and time-consuming. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) involves exosomes carrying complex components that cause macrophages to release chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. This narrative review aims to provide in-depth insights into exosome biology, isolation techniques, role in OA pathophysiology, and potential role in future OA therapeutics. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for studies involving exosomes in the osteoarthritis using keywords "Exosomes" and "Osteoarthritis". Relevant articles in the last 15 years involving both human and animal models were included. Studies involving exosomes in other inflammatory diseases were excluded. Results: Despite some progress, conventional techniques for isolating exosomes remain laborious and difficult, requiring intricate and time-consuming procedures across various body fluids and sample origins. Moreover, exosomes are involved in various physiological processes associated with OA, like cartilage calcification, degradation of osteoarthritic joints, and inflammation. Conclusion: The process of achieving standardization, integration, and high throughput of exosome isolation equipment is challenging and time-consuming. The integration of various methodologies can be employed to effectively address specific issues by leveraging their complementary benefits. Exosomes have the potential to effectively repair damaged cartilage OA, reduce inflammation, and maintain a balance between the formation and breakdown of cartilage matrix, therefore showing promise as a therapeutic option for OA.

Nanotechnology in precision agriculture: Advancing towards sustainable crop production.

Nanotechnology offers many potential solutions for sustainable agroecosystem, including improvement in nutrient use efficiency, efficacy of pest management, and minimizing the adverse environmental effects of agricultural production. Herein, we first highlighted the integrated application of nanotechnology and precision agriculture for sustainable productivity. Application of nanoparticle mediated material and advanced biosensors in precision agriculture is only possible by nanochips or nanosensors. Nanosensors offers the measurement of various stresses, soil quality parameters and detection of heavy metals along with the enhanced data collection, enabling precise decision-making and resource management in agricultural systems. Nanoencapsulation of conventional chemical fertilizers (known as nanofertilizers), and pesticides (known as nanopesticides) helps in sustained and slow release of chemicals to soils and results in precise dosage to plants. Further, nano-based disease detection kits are popular tools for early and speedy detection of viral diseases. Many other innovative approaches including biosynthesized nanoparticles have been evaluated and proposed at various scales, but in fact there are some barriers for practical application of nanotechnology in soil-plant system, including safety and regulatory concerns, efficient delivery at field levels, and consumer acceptance. Finally, we outlined the policy options and actions required for sustainable agricultural productivity, and proposed various research pathways that may help to overcome the upcoming challenges regarding practical implications of nanotechnology.

Cryptic footprint of thallium in soil-plant systems; A review.

The current review highlights the complex behavior of thallium (Tl) in soil and plant systems, offering insight into its hazardous characteristics and far-reaching implications. The research investigates the many sources of Tl, from its natural existence in the earth crust to its increased release through anthropogenic activities such as industrial operations and mining. Soil emerges as a significant reservoir of Tl, with diverse physicochemical variables influencing bioavailability and entrance into the food chain, notably in Brassicaceae family members. Additionally, the study highlights a critical knowledge gap concerning Tl influence on legumes (e.g., soybean), underlining the pressing demand for additional studies in this crucial sector. Despite the importance of leguminous crops in the world food supply and soil fertility, the possible impacts of Tl on these crops have received little attention. As we traverse the ecological complexity of Tl, this review advocates the collaborative research efforts to eliminate crucial gaps and provide solutions for reducing Tl detrimental impacts on soil and plant systems. This effort intends to pave the path for sustainable agricultural practices by emphasizing the creation of Tl-tolerant legume varieties and revealing the complicated dynamics of Tl-plant interactions, assuring the long-term durability of our food systems against the danger of Tl toxicity.

Silicon a key player to mitigate chromium toxicity in plants: Mechanisms and future prospective.

Chromium is a serious heavy metal (HM) and its concentration in plant-soil interface is soaring due to anthropogenic activities, unregulated disposals, and lack of efficient treatments. High concentration of Cr is toxic to ecosystems and human health. Cr stress also diminishes the plant performance by changing the plant's vegetative and reproductive development that ultimately affects sustainable crop production. Silicon (Si) is the second-most prevalent element in the crust of the planet, and has demonstrated a remarkable potential to minimize the HM toxicity. Amending soils with Si mitigates adverse effects of Cr by improving plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular functioning and ensuring better Cr immobilization, compartmentation, and co-precipitation. However, there is no comprehensive review on the role of Si to mitigate Cr toxicity in plants. Thus, in this present review; the discussion has been carried on; 1) the source of Cr, 2) underlying mechanisms of Cr uptake by plants, 3) how Si affects the plant functioning to reduce Cr toxicity, 4) how Si can cause immobilization, compartmentation, and co-precipitation 5) strategies to improve Si accumulation in plants to counter Cr toxicity. We also discussed the knowledge gaps and future research needs. The present review reports up-to-date knowledge about the role of Si to mitigate Cr toxicity and it will help to get better crop productivity in Cr-contaminated soils. The findings of the current review will educate the readers on Si functions in reducing Cr toxicity and will offer new ideas to develop Cr tolerance in plants through the use of Si.

Co-exposure to tire wear particles and nickel inhibits mung bean yield by reducing nutrient uptake.

Soil and terrestrial contamination with microplastics and nanoplastics has been discussed extensively, while tire wear particles (TWPs) have been largely overlooked. We investigated the root-surface interactions and growth response of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) plants exposed to tire wear particles (TWPs) (0.05, 0.1, and 0.25% w/w) and nickel sulfate (50 and 100 mg kg-1 NiSO4) alone and in co-exposure scenarios for the full life cycle (105 days) under soil conditions. The results show that TWPs adhered to the root surface and reduced the water and nutrient uptake by the plant, particularly at higher concentrations of TWPs (0.25% w/w), without any observed organic contaminant accumulation in the root tissue. TWPs alone at 0.01, 0.1, and 0.25% (w/w) decreased mung bean yield by 11, 28, and 52%, respectively. Co-exposure to TWPs at 0.01, 0.1 and 0.25% w/w with 100 mg kg-1 NiSO4 decreased yield by 73, 79 and 88%, respectively. However, co-exposure to TWPs at 0.01 and 0.1% w/w with 50 mg kg-1 NiSO4 enhanced the yield by 32% and 7%, respectively. These changes in yield and nutritional aspects appear to be linked to Ni's regulatory influence on mineral homeostasis. Moreover, exposure to NiSO4 at 100 mg kg-1 increased Ni uptake in the root, shoot, and grain by 9, 26, and 20-fold, respectively as compared to the unamended control; this corresponded to increased antioxidant enzyme activity (10-127%) as compared to the control. TWPs caused blockages, significantly reducing plant yield and altering nutrient dynamics, highlighting emerging risks to plant health.

Pb uptake, accumulation, and translocation in plants: Plant physiological, biochemical, and molecular response: A review.

Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic contaminant that is ubiquitously present in the ecosystem and poses severe environmental issues, including hazards to soil-plant systems. This review focuses on the uptake, accumulation, and translocation of Pb metallic ions and their toxicological effects on plant morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes. We highlight that the uptake of Pb metal is controlled by cation exchange capacity, pH, size of soil particles, root nature, and other physio-chemical limitations. Pb toxicity obstructs seed germination, root/shoot length, plant growth, and final crop-yield. Pb disrupts the nutrient uptake through roots, alters plasma membrane permeability, and disturbs chloroplast ultrastructure that triggers changes in respiration as well as transpiration activities, creates the reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activates some enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Pb also impairs photosynthesis, disrupts water balance and mineral nutrients, changes hormonal status, and alters membrane structure and permeability. This review provides consolidated information concentrating on the current studies associated with Pb-induced oxidative stress and toxic conditions in various plants, highlighting the roles of different antioxidants in plants mitigating Pb-stress. Additionally, we discussed detoxification and tolerance responses in plants by regulating different gene expressions, protein, and glutathione metabolisms to resist Pb-induced phytotoxicity. Overall, various approaches to tackle Pb toxicity have been addressed; the phytoremediation techniques and biochar amendments are economical and eco-friendly remedies for improving Pb-contaminated soils.

Integrating nanotechnology with plant microbiome for next-generation crop health.

Nanotechnology has enormous potential for sustainable agriculture, such as improving nutrient use efficiency, plant health, and food production. Nanoscale modulation of the plant-associated microbiota offers an additional valuable opportunity to increase global crop production and ensure future food and nutrient security. Nanomaterials (NMs) applied to agricultural crops can impact plant and soil microbiota, which offers valuable services to host plants, including the acquisition of nutrients, abiotic stress tolerance, and disease suppression. Dissecting the complex interactions between NMs and plants by integrating multi-omic approaches is providing new insights into how NMs can activate host responses and functionality as well as influence native microbial communities. Such nexus and moving beyond descriptive microbiome studies to hypothesis-driven research will foster microbiome engineering and open up opportunities for the development of synthetic microbial communities to provide agronomic solutions. Herein, we first summarize the significant role of NMs and the plant microbiome in crop productivity and then focus on NMs effects on plant-associated microbiota. We outline three urgent priority research areas and call for a transdisciplinary collaborative approach, involving plant scientists, soil scientists, environmental scientists, ecologists, microbiologists, taxonomists, chemists, physicists, and stakeholders, to advance nano-microbiome research. Detailed understanding of the nanomaterial-plant-microbiome interactions and the mechanisms underlying NMs-mediated shifts in the microbiome assembly and functions may help to exploit the services of both nano-objects and microbiota for next-generation crop health.

Developing a tactical irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer management strategy for winter wheat through drip irrigation.

Introduction: Agricultural activities in the North China Plain are often challenged by inadequate irrigation and nutrient supply. Inadequate and improper resource utilization may impose negative impacts on agricultural sustainability. To counteract the negative impacts, a deeper understanding of the different resource management strategies is an essential prerequisite to assess the resource saving potential of crops. Methods: We explored plausible adaptation strategies including drip irrigation lateral spacings of 40 and 80 cm (hereafter referred to as LS40 and LS80, respectively), irrigating winter wheat after soil water consumption of 20 and 35 mm (hereafter represented as IS20 and IS35, respectively), and nitrogen fertilization scheme of a) applying 50% nitrogen as a basal dose and 50% as a top-dressing dose (NS50:50), b) 25% nitrogen as a basal dose and 75% as a topdressing dose (NS25:75), and c) no nitrogen application as a basal dose and 100% application as a top-dressing dose (NS0:100). Results and discussion: The consecutive 2 years (2017-2018 and 2018-2019) of field study results show that growing winter wheat under LS40 enhanced the water use efficiency (WUE), grain yield, 1,000-grain weight, and number of grains per spike by 15.04%, 6.95%, 5.67%, and 21.59% during the 2017-2018 season, respectively. Additionally, the corresponding values during the 2018-2019 season were 12.70%, 7.17%, 2.66%, and 19.25%, respectively. Irrigation scheduling of IS35 treatment improved all the growth-related and yield parameters of winter wheat. Further, treating 25% nitrogen as a basal dose and application of 75% as a top-dressing dose positively influenced the winter wheat yield. While NS0:100 increased the plant height, leaf area index (LAI), and aboveground biomass as compared to the other application strategies, but high nitrogen was observed in deeper soil layers. Regarding soil environment, the lowest soil moisture and nitrate nitrogen contents were observed in LS80 during both growing seasons. Overall, coupling the IS35 with NS25:75 under 40-cm lateral spacing is a suitable choice for sustainable winter wheat production in theNorth China Plain. The results of our study may be helpful in advancing the knowledge of the farmer community for winter wheat production. The findings can also aid in advancing new insights among scientists working on soil water and nitrogen distribution in drip irrigation for better productivity.

Comparison Between Two Types Of Matrix Systems For Contact Tightness In Class-Ii Composite Restorations.

BACKGROUND: The reconstruction of proximal defects with tight contacts has always been a challenge for dental clinicians, especially with composite material. Recent literature shows that the most frequently used matrix systems for the restoration of proximal cavities are circumferential or sectional matrix band systems. The objective of this study was to compare the contact tightness that is achieved with these two matrix band systems when using composite material. METHODS: A total of 30 patients, i.e., 60 cavities were selected in this quasi-experimental study. Patients with two cavities in the posterior teeth were selected. Both the cavities were restored with the circumferential system, i.e., Tofflemire and sectional matrix band system, i.e., Palodent plus on the same appointment. Hence both systems were used in every patient and then contact tightness assess was ed based on an evaluation criterion, i.e., Fédération Dentaire Internationale clinical criteria for evaluation of contact in direct and indirect restorations. To make a comparison between the two systems Chi square test was used and p<0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the study was 31 years (SD, 7.59 years) with a range from 18 to 45 years. Most of the contact tightness in the Palodent matrix system was score 1 (n=33, 55%) and score 2 (n=17, 28.3%) while in Tofflemire was score 4 (n=28, 46.7%) and score 5 (n=19, 31.7%). Statistical analysis showed significance (p=.037) between Palodent matrix system contact tightness and Tofflemire. Conclusion: The sectional matrix band system was statistically superior to the circumferential matrix band system in achieving a tighter contact for class II composite restorations.

Mechanistic Insights and Potential Therapeutic Approaches in PolyQ Diseases via Autophagy.

Polyglutamine diseases are a group of congenital neurodegenerative diseases categorized with genomic abnormalities in the expansion of CAG triplet repeats in coding regions of specific disease-related genes. Protein aggregates are the toxic hallmark for polyQ diseases and initiate neuronal death. Autophagy is a catabolic process that aids in the removal of damaged organelles or toxic protein aggregates, a process required to maintain cellular homeostasis that has the potential to fight against neurodegenerative diseases, but this pathway gets affected under diseased conditions, as there is a direct impact on autophagy-related gene expression. The increase in the accumulation of autophagy vesicles reported in neurodegenerative diseases was due to an increase in autophagy or may have been due to a decrease in autophagy flux. These reports suggested that there is a contribution of autophagy in the pathology of diseases and regulation in the process of autophagy. It was demonstrated in various disease models of polyQ diseases that autophagy upregulation by using modulators can enhance the dissolution of toxic aggregates and delay disease progression. In this review, interaction of the autophagy pathway with polyQ diseases was analyzed, and a therapeutic approach with autophagy inducing drugs was established for disease pathogenesis.

Implementation of machine learning in DNA barcoding for determining the plant family taxonomy.

The DNA barcoding approach has been used extensively in taxonomy and phylogenetics. The differences in certain DNA sequences are able to differentiate and help classify organisms into taxa. It has been used in cases of taxonomic disputes where morphology by itself is insufficient. This research aimed to utilize hierarchical clustering, an unsupervised machine learning method, to determine and resolve disputes in plant family taxonomy. We take a case study of Leguminosae that historically some classify into three families (Fabaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, and Mimosaceae) but others classify into one family (Leguminosae). This study is divided into several phases, which are: (i) data collection, (ii) data preprocessing, (iii) finding the best distance method, and (iv) determining disputed family. The data used are collected from several sources, including National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), journals, and websites. The data for validation of the methods were collected from NCBI. This was used to determine the best distance method for differentiating families or genera. The data for the case study in the Leguminosae group was collected from journals and a website. From the experiment that we have conducted, we found that the Pearson method is the best distance method to do clustering ITS sequence of plants, both in accuracy and computational cost. We use the Pearson method to determine the disputed family between Leguminosae. We found that the case study of Leguminosae should be grouped into one family based on our research.

Lithium-induced alterations in soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation through multifunctional mechanisms.

The increasing footprints of lithium (Li) in agroecosystems combined with limited recycling options have raised uncertain consequences for important crops. Nitrogen (N2)-fixation by legumes is an important biological response process, but the cause and effect of Li exposure on plant root-nodule symbiosis and biological N2-fixation (BNF) potential are still unclear. Soybean as a model plant was exposed to Li at low (25 mg kg-1), medium (50 mg kg-1), and high (100 mg kg-1) concentrations. We found that soybean growth and nodulation capacity had a concentration-dependent response to Li. Li at 100 mg kg-1 reduced the nodule numbers, weight, and BNF potential of soybean in comparison to the low and medium levels. Significant shift in soybean growth and BNF after exposure to Li were associated with alteration in the nodule metabolic pathways involved in nitrogen uptake and metabolism (urea, glutamine and glutamate). Importantly, poor soybean nodulation after high Li exposure was due in part to a decreased abundance of bacterium Ensifer in the nodule bacterial community. Also, the dominant N2-fixing bacterium Ensifer was significantly correlated with carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways. The findings of our study offer mechanistic insights into the environmental and biological impacts of Li on soybean root-nodule symbiosis and N2-acquisition and provide a pathway to develop strategies to mitigate the challenges posed by Li in agroecosystems.

Interplay of higher plants with lithium pollution: Global trends, meta-analysis, and perspectives.

Lithium (Li) is gaining attention due to rapid rise in modern industries but their ultimate fingerprints on plants are not well established. Herein, we executed a meta-analysis of the existing recent literature investigating the impact of Li sources and levels on plant species under different growth conditions to understand the existing state of knowledge. Toxic effects of Li exposure in plants varies as a function of medium and interestingly, more negative responses are reported in hydroponic media as compared to soil and foliar application. Additionally, toxic effects of Li vary with Li source materials and LiCl more negatively affected plant development parameters such as plant germination (n = 48) and root biomass (n = 57) and recorded highly uptake in plants (n = 78), while LiNO3 has more negative effects on shoot biomass. The Li at <50 mg L-1 concentrations significantly influenced the plant physiological indicators including plant germination and root biomass, while 50-500 mg L-1 Li concentration influence the biochemical parameters. The dose-response relationship (EC50) ranges regarding the exposure medium of Li sources in plant species were observed 24.6-196.7 ppm respectively. The uptake potential of Li is dose-dependent and their translocation/bioaccumulation remains unknown. Future work should include full life cycle studies of the crops to elucidate the bioaccumulation of Li in edible tissues and to investigate possible trophic transfer of Li.