Exogenously applied silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) differentially affect bacterial blight disease control in twenty-seven wheat cultivars.

The bacterial blight of wheat is an important global disease causing a significant decline in crop yield. Nanotechnology offers a potential solution for managing plant diseases. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in controlling bacterial blight in 27 locally grown wheat cultivars. The study examined the impact of AgNPs at three distinct time points: 1, 3, and 5 days after the onset of the disease. Biochemical assay revealed that one day after applying the disease stress, the Inia cultivar had the highest amount of soluble protein (55.60 µg.g-1FW) content in the treatment without AgNPs. The Azadi cultivar, without AgNPs treatment, had the lowest amount of soluble protein content (15.71 µg.g-1FW). The Tabasi cultivar had the highest activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) (61.62 mM.g-1FW) with the combination treatment of AgNPs. On the other hand, the Karchia cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (0.6 mM.g-1FW) in the treatment of disease without AgNPs. Furthermore, three days after the application of stress, the Mahdavi cultivar had the highest amount of soluble protein content (54.16 µg.g-1FW) in the treatment of disease without AgNPs. The Niknejad cultivar had the highest activity of the SOD (74.15 mM.g-1FW) with the combined treatment of the disease without AgNPs. The Kavir cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (1.95 mM.g-1FW) and the lowest peroxidase (POX) activity (0.241 mM g-1FW min-1) in the treatment of the disease with AgNPs. Five days after exposure to stress, the Mahooti cultivar had the highest SOD activity (88.12 mM.g-1FW) with the combined treatment of the disease with AgNPs, and the Karchia cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (2.39 mM.g-1FW) in the treatment of the disease with AgNPs. Further, the results indicated that exposure to AgNPs could improve the antioxidant properties of wheat seeds in blight-infected and disease-free conditions in some cultivars.

Resistive gas sensors for the detection of NH3gas based on 2D WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2: a review.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with a two-dimensional (2D) structure and semiconducting features are highly favorable for the production of NH3gas sensors. Among the TMD family, WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2exhibit high conductivity and a high surface area, along with high availability, reasons for which they are favored in gas-sensing studies. In this review, we have discussed the structure, synthesis, and NH3sensing characteristics of pristine, decorated, doped, and composite-based WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2gas sensors. Both experimental and theoretical studies are considered. Furthermore, both room temperature and higher temperature gas sensors are discussed. We also emphasized the gas-sensing mechanism. Thus, this review provides a reference for researchers working in the field of 2D TMD gas sensors.

Selecting the Best Gastric Anatomical Place for Biopsy to Detect Helicobacter Pylori in Iranian Morbid Obese Patients.

Background: Obesity and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection are public health problems in the world and Iran. This study aimed to indicate the anatomical place with the most accurate results for H. pylori. According to gastric mapping, this study will be able to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori based on the pathology of gastric mapping and the accuracy of the antral rapid urease test (RUT) based on endoscopic findings. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, upper digestive endoscopy and gastric pathology were studied in 196 obese patients candidates for bariatric surgery. Statistical analyses were performed using a t-test and Chi-square/fisher's exact test to compare the groups. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and odds ratio (OR) were used to compare RUT and pathological H. pylori test of each of the six areas of the stomach. We set a positive test of the pathology of 6 regions of the stomach as our gold standard (in this study). Results: The most common area of the stomach for pathological findings of H. pylori were incisura (116, 59.2%), greater curvature of the antrum (115, 58.3%), lesser curvature of the antrum (113, 57.7%), lesser curvature of the corpus (112, 57.1%), greater curvature of the corpus (111, 56.6%) and cardia (103, 52.6%). The prevalence of H. pylori was 58.2% (114 cases) and 61.2% (120 cases) with RUT and gastric pathology, respectively. Mild, moderate, and severe infection of H. pylori in cardia (58, 29.6%), greater and lesser curvature of the antrum (61, 31.1%), and greater curvature of the antrum (37, 18.9%) had the highest percentages of incidence comparing to other sites of the stomach, respectively. The most sensitive area for pathologic biopsy was incisura (96.6%, 95% confidence interval: 91.7, 98.7). Conclusion: According to the highest sensitivity, PLR, NPV, and pathological findings of H. pylori in accordance with the lowest NLR in the incisura compared with other parts of the stomach, it is highly recommended to take the biopsy from the incisura instead of other anatomical places of stomach for detecting H. pylori specifically if our strategy is taking only one biopsy.

Deafness induces complete crossmodal plasticity in a belt region of dorsal auditory cortex.

Many neural areas, where patterned activity is lost following deafness, have the capacity to become activated by the remaining sensory systems. This crossmodal plasticity can be measured at perceptual/behavioural as well as physiological levels. The dorsal zone (DZ) of auditory cortex of deaf cats is involved in supranormal visual motion detection, but its physiological level of crossmodal reorganisation is not well understood. The present study of early-deaf DZ (and hearing controls) used multiple single-channel recording methods to examine neuronal responses to visual, auditory, somatosensory and combined stimulation. In early-deaf DZ, no auditory activation was observed, but 100% of the neurons were responsive to visual cues of which 21% were also influenced by somatosensory stimulation. Visual and somatosensory responses were not anatomically organised as they are in hearing cats, and fewer multisensory neurons were present in the deaf condition. These crossmodal physiological results closely correspond with and support the perceptual/behavioural enhancements that occur following hearing loss.

Arsenic trioxide and Erlotinib loaded in RGD-modified nanoliposomes for targeted combination delivery to PC3 and PANC-1 cell lines.

During the past few years, advances in drag delivery have provided many opportunities in the treatment of various diseases and cancer. Arsenic trioxide (ATO) and Erlotinib (Erlo) are two drugs, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to treat cancer, but their use is limited in terms of the toxicity of ATO and the low solubility of Erlo. This study aimed to prepare arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-decorated nanoliposomes (NLPs) containing Erlo and ATO (NLPs-ATO-Erlo-RGD) to increase the solubility and reduce the toxicity of Erlo and ATO for cancer treatment. The results of transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering showed that NLPs were synthesized uniformly, with spherical shape morphology and particle sizes between 140 and 160 nm. High-performance liquid chromatography and ICP-MS results showed that about 90% of the drug was loaded in the NLPs. In comparison with NLPs-ATO-Erlo, NLPs-ATO-Erlo-RGD demonstrated considerable toxicity against the αvß3 overexpressing PC3 cell line in the MTT experiment. It had no effect on the PANC-1 cell line. In addition, apoptosis assays using Annexin V/PI demonstrated that NLPs-ATO-Erlo-RGD generated the highest apoptotic rates in PC3 cells when compared with NLPs-ATO-Erlo and the combination of free ATO and Erlo. Furthermore, treatment with NLPs-ATO-Erlo-RGD in (p < 0.05) PC3 cell line significantly reduced EGFR level. It is concluded NLPs-ATO-Erlo-RGD as a novel drug delivery system may be a promising platform for the treatment of cancer.

Room Temperature Chemiresistive Gas Sensors Based on 2D MXenes.

Owing to their large surface area, two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting nanomaterials have been extensively studied for gas-sensing applications in recent years. In particular, the possibility of operating at room temperature (RT) is desirable for 2D gas sensors because it significantly reduces the power consumption of the sensing device. Furthermore, RT gas sensors are among the first choices for the development of flexible and wearable devices. In this review, we focus on the 2D MXenes used for the realization of RT gas sensors. Hence, pristine, doped, decorated, and composites of MXenes with other semiconductors for gas sensing are discussed. Two-dimensional MXene nanomaterials are discussed, with greater emphasis on the sensing mechanism. MXenes with the ability to work at RT have great potential for practical applications such as flexible and/or wearable gas sensors.

Does macroprudential policy alleviate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the resilience of banks?

This paper examines the resilience of banks as perceived by market participants during the COVID-19 crisis. We analyse how bank stock returns during January-March 2020 relate to the pre-crisis activation of macroprudential policy across 52 countries in a cross-sectional dimension. We find that, overall, a tighter macroprudential policy stance is beneficial for bank systemic risk, as assessed by equity market investors. A robust finding is that a perceived decrease in bank risk stems primarily from the use of credit growth limits, reserve requirements, and dynamic provisioning. By contrast, a pre-crisis build-up of capital surcharges on systemically important financial institutions seems to lower bank stock returns. Alternative bank risk indicators suggest that the latter is likely to be driven by concerns about profits rather than the probability of default.

The association of plasma levels of miR-146a, miR-27a, miR-34a, and miR-149 with coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is considered to be one of the most pivotal causes of death in the world. Over the past two decades, significant changes occurred in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of CAD, which has helped reduce mortality rates. microRNAs (miRs) are a class of more than 5000 non-encoding RNA molecules (21-25 nucleotides across the length) that regulate complex biological processes. Today, miRNAs are used to study cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, the expression of miR-146a،miR-27, miR-149, and miR-34a in plasma suffering from CAD and the control group were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present research was performed on 30 men with CAD and 30 healthy men as controls. The expression levels of miR-146a, miR-27a, miR-149, and miR-34a in the plasma of patients with CAD and the control group were measured using real-time PCR. Also, the correlation between the expression of circulating miRs levels and biochemical LDL-C, HDL-C, BMI, and total cholesterol was evaluated. The expression of miR-27a in the plasma of the CAD group was higher than in the control group (p = 0.020). The expression of miR-146a was downregulated in CAD patients compared to normal subjects (p = 0. 026). However, the expression of miR-34a, miR-149 in the plasma of CAD patients was not significantly different with the control group. In addition to, a direct correlation was found between the expression of miR-146a and HDL-c, the expression of miR-27a and LDL-C and the expression of miR-34a and total cholesterol. Also, the negative correlation between expressions of miR-149 with BMI was reported. CONCLUSION: The obtained results demonstrated that miRs were closely related to biochemical factors and it points out the fact that miRNAs can be applied as a potential strategy for diagnosis and treatment of CAD.

Circulating expression levels of CircHIPK3 and CDR1as circular-RNAs in type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations suggested that deregulated levels of Circular RNAs (circRNAs) could be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathogenesis. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the expression levels of circulating CircHIPK3, CDR1as and their correlation with biochemical parameters in patients with T2DM, pre-diabetes and control subjects. METHODS AND RESULTS: The expression of circRNAs in peripheral blood was determined using QRT-PCR in 70 patients with T2DM, 60 pre-diabetes and in 69 age and sex matched healthy controls. Moreover, bioinformatics tools were applied to explore and predict the potential interactions between circRNAs and other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Our analysis revealed that the expression level of CircHIPK3 was significantly elevated in T2DM patients compared to healthy participants (P < 0.001) and pre-diabetes subjects (P = 0.018). In addition, ROC analysis suggested that at the cutoff value of 0.24 and the sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 88.4%, respectively, CircHIPK3 could distinguish between T2DM patients and control subjects. Furthermore, it was observed that the expression level of CDR1as is higher in pre-diabetic individuals than healthy individuals (P = 0.004). Finally, Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between CircHIPK3 and CDR1as expression levels and clinical and anthropometrical parameters such as BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The data of this study provided evidence that the expression levels of CircHIPK3, CDR1as increased in T2DM and pre-diabetes subjects, respectively.

Sensitivity Enhancement of Resistive Ethanol Gas Sensor by Optimized Sputtered-Assisted CuO Decoration of ZnO Nanorods.

In this study, sputtered-assisted CuO-decorated ZnO nanorod (NR) gas sensors were fabricated for ethanol gas sensing studies. CuO nanoparticles have been successfully formed on ZnO nanorods by means of a physical process as the decorative metallic element. The amount of decoration affecting the sensor's performance has been optimized. Cu layers with different thicknesses of 5, 10, and 20 nm were deposited on hydrothermally grown ZnO NRs using the sputtering technique. Upon subsequent annealing, Cu was oxidized to CuO. The gas sensing studies revealed that the sensor with an initial Cu layer of 5 nm had the highest response to ethanol at 350 °C. The sensor also showed good selectivity, repeatability, and long-term stability. The enhanced ethanol sensing response of the optimized gas sensor is related to the formation of p-n heterojunction between p-type CuO and n-type ZnO and the presence of the optimal amount of CuO on the surface of ZnO NRs. The results presented in this study highlight the need for optimizing the amount of Cu deposition on the surface of ZnO NRs in order to achieve the highest response to ethanol gas.

Resistive-Based Gas Sensors Using Quantum Dots: A Review.

Quantum dots (QDs) are used progressively in sensing areas because of their special electrical properties due to their extremely small size. This paper discusses the gas sensing features of QD-based resistive sensors. Different types of pristine, doped, composite, and noble metal decorated QDs are discussed. In particular, the review focus primarily on the sensing mechanisms suggested for these gas sensors. QDs show a high sensing performance at generally low temperatures owing to their extremely small sizes, making them promising materials for the realization of reliable and high-output gas-sensing devices.

Effect of Ag Addition on the Gas-Sensing Properties of Nanostructured Resistive-Based Gas Sensors: An Overview.

Nanostructured semiconducting metal oxides (SMOs) are among the most popular sensing materials for integration into resistive-type gas sensors owing to their low costs and high sensing performances. SMOs can be decorated or doped with noble metals to further enhance their gas sensing properties. Ag is one of the cheapest noble metals, and it is extensively used in the decoration or doping of SMOs to boost the overall gas-sensing performances of SMOs. In this review, we discussed the impact of Ag addition on the gas-sensing properties of nanostructured resistive-based gas sensors. Ag-decorated or -doped SMOs often exhibit better responsivities/selectivities at low sensing temperatures and shorter response times than those of their pristine counterparts. Herein, the focus was on the detection mechanism of SMO-based gas sensors in the presence of Ag. This review can provide insights for research on SMO-based gas sensors.

Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO)-Loaded Metal-Oxide Nanofiber Gas Sensors: An Overview.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a reduced form of graphene oxide used extensively in gas sensing applications. On the other hand, in its pristine form, graphene has shortages and is generally utilized in combination with other metal oxides to improve gas sensing capabilities. There are different ways of adding rGO to different metal oxides with various morphologies. This study focuses on rGO-loaded metal oxide nanofiber (NF) synthesized using an electrospinning method. Different amounts of rGO were added to the metal oxide precursors, and after electrospinning, the gas response is enhanced through different sensing mechanisms. This review paper discusses rGO-loaded metal oxide NFs gas sensors.

State-of-the-Art Research on Chemiresistive Gas Sensors in Korea: Emphasis on the Achievements of the Research Labs of Professors Hyoun Woo Kim and Sang Sub Kim.

This review presents the results of cutting-edge research on chemiresistive gas sensors in Korea with a focus on the research activities of the laboratories of Professors Sang Sub Kim and Hyoun Woo Kim. The advances in the synthesis techniques and various strategies to enhance the gas-sensing performances of metal-oxide-, sulfide-, and polymer-based nanomaterials are described. In particular, the gas-sensing characteristics of different types of sensors reported in recent years, including core-shell, self-heated, irradiated, flexible, Si-based, glass, and metal-organic framework sensors, have been reviewed. The most crucial achievements include the optimization of shell thickness in core-shell gas sensors, decrease in applied voltage in self-heated gas sensors to less than 5 V, optimization of irradiation dose to achieve the highest response to gases, and the design of selective and highly flexible gas sensors-based WS2 nanosheets. The underlying sensing mechanisms are discussed in detail. In summary, this review provides an overview of the chemiresistive gas-sensing research activities led by the corresponding authors of this manuscript.

Unfolded protein response-mediated modulation of mesenchymal stem cells.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) receives unfolded proteins predestined for the secretory pathway or to be incorporated as transmembrane proteins. The ER has to accommodate the proper folding and glycosylation of these proteins and also to properly incorporate transmembrane proteins. However, under various circumstances, the proteins shuttling through the ER can be misfolded and undergo aggregation, which causes activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR is mediated through three primary pathways: activating transcription factor-6, inositol-requiring enzyme-1 (IRE1), and PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase, which up-regulate ER folding chaperones and temporarily suppress protein translation. The UPR can be both cytoprotective and/or cytotoxic depending on the duration of UPR activation and the type of host cell. Proteostasis controls stem cell function, while stress responses affect stem cell identity and differentiation. The present review aimed to explore and discuss the effects of the UPR pathways on mesenchymal stem cells.

Nanostructured Metal Oxide-Based Acetone Gas Sensors: A Review.

Acetone is a well-known volatile organic compound that is widely used in different industrial and domestic areas. However, it can have dangerous effects on human life and health. Thus, the realization of sensitive and selective sensors for recognition of acetone is highly important. Among different gas sensors, resistive gas sensors based on nanostructured metal oxide with high surface area, have been widely reported for successful detection of acetone gas, owing to their high sensitivity, fast dynamics, high stability, and low price. Herein, we discuss different aspects of metal oxide-based acetone gas sensors in pristine, composite, doped, and noble metal functionalized forms. Gas sensing mechanisms are also discussed. This review is an informative document for those who are working in the field of gas sensors.

Comparison of osteogenic differentiation potential of induced pluripotent stem cells on 2D and 3D polyvinylidene fluoride scaffolds.

In recent decades, tissue engineering has been the most contributor for introducing 2D and 3D biocompatible osteoinductive scaffolds as bone implants. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), due to the unique mechanical strength and piezoelectric properties, can be a good choice for making a bone bioimplant. In the present study, PVDF nanofibers and film were fabricated as 3D and 2D scaffolds, and then, osteogenic differentiation potential of the human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was investigated when grown on the scaffolds by evaluating the common osteogenic markers in comparison with tissue culture plate. Biocompatibility of the fabricated scaffolds was confirmed qualitatively and quantitatively by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and scanning electron microscopy assays. Human iPSCs cultured on PVDF nanofibers showed a significantly higher alkaline phosphate activity and calcium content compared with the iPSCs cultured on PVDF film. Osteogenic-related genes and proteins were also expressed in the iPSCs seeded on PVDF nanofibers significantly higher than iPSCs seeded on PVDF film, when investigated by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. According to the results, the PVDF nanofibrous scaffold showed a greater osteoinductive property compared with the PVDF film and due to the material similarity of the scaffolds, it could be concluded that the 3D structure could lead to better bone differentiation. Taken together, the obtained results demonstrated that human iPSC-seeded PVDF nanofibrous scaffold could be considered as a promising candidate for use in bone tissue engineering applications.

Incorporation of Pt Nanoparticles on the Surface of TeO2-Branched Porous Si Nanowire Structures for Enhanced Room-Temperature Gas Sensing.

A new gas sensor working in room temperature, which is compatible with silicon fabrication technology is presented. Porous silicon nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by metal-assisted chemical etching method and then TeO2 NWs branches were attached to their stem by thermal evaporation of Te powders in the presence of air. Afterwards TeO2 branched porous Si NWs were functionalized by Pt via sputtering followed by low temperature thermal annealing. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy collectively confirmed successful formation of TeO2 branched porous Si NWs functionalized by Pt nanoparticles. Their gas sensing properties in the presence of CO, C6H6 and C7H8 were tested at room temperature, for Si wafer, pristine porous Si NWs, pristine TeO2 branched porous Si NWs, and Pt functionalized TeO2 branched porous Si NWs sensors. Pt functionalized TeO2 branched porous Si NWs have higher responses to all tested gases than the other sensors. The origin of high response is discussed in detail. This new room temperature gas sensor can open a new aperture for development of gas sensors with minimum energy consumption which are compatible with silicon fabrication technology.

ppb-Level Selective Hydrogen Gas Detection of Pd-Functionalized In2O3-Loaded ZnO Nanofiber Gas Sensors.

Pd nanoparticle-functionalized, xIn2O3 (x = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15)-loaded ZnO nanofibers were synthesized by an electrospinning and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation method and assessed for their hydrogen gas sensing properties. Morphological and chemical analyses revealed the desired morphology and chemical composition of the synthesized nanofibers. The optimal gas sensor namely Pd-functionalized, 0.1In2O3-loaded ZnO nanofibers showed a very strong response to 172-50 ppb hydrogen gas at 350 °C, which is regarded as the optimal sensing temperature. Furthermore, the gas sensors showed excellent selectivity to hydrogen gas due to the much lower response to CO and NO2 gases. The enhanced gas response was attributed to the excellent catalytic activity of Pd to hydrogen gas, and the formation of Pd/ZnO and In2O3/ZnO heterojunctions, ZnO-ZnO homojunction, as well as the formation of PdHx. Overall, highly sensitive and selective hydrogen gas sensors can be produced based on a simple methodology using a synergistic effect from Pd functionalization and In2O3 loading in ZnO nanofibers.

Porous Si nanowires for highly selective room-temperature NO2 gas sensing.

We report the room-temperature sensing characteristics of Si nanowires (NWs) fabricated from p-Si wafers by a metal-assisted chemical etching method, which is a facile and low-cost method. X-ray diffraction was used to the the study crystallinity and phase formation of Si NWs, and product morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After confirmation of Si NW formation via the SEM and TEM micrographs, sensing tests were carried out at room temperature, and it was found that the Si NW sensor prepared from Si wafers with a resistivity of 0.001-0.003 Ω.cm had the highest response to NO2 gas (Rg/Ra = 1.86 for 50 ppm NO2), with a fast response (15 s) and recovery (30 s) time. Furthermore, the sensor responses to SO2, toluene, benzene, H2, and ethanol were nearly negligible, demonstrating the excellent selectivity to NO2 gas. The gas-sensing mechanism is discussed in detail. The present sensor can operate at room temperature, and is compatible with the microelectronic fabrication process, demonstrating its promise for next-generation Si-based electronics fused with functional chemical sensors.