Assessment of the changes in growth, photosynthetic traits and gene expression in Cynodon dactylon against drought stress.

Drought stress considered a key restrictive factor for a warm-season bermudagrass growth during summers in China. Genotypic variation against drought stress exists among bermudagrass (Cynodon sp.), but the selection of highly drought-tolerant germplasm is important for its growth in limited water regions and for future breeding. Our study aimed to investigate the most tolerant bermudagrass germplasm among thirteen, along latitude and longitudinal gradient under a well-watered and drought stress condition. Current study included high drought-resistant germplasm, "Tianshui" and "Linxiang", and drought-sensitive cultivars; "Zhengzhou" and "Cixian" under drought treatments along longitude and latitudinal gradients, respectively. Under water deficit conditions, the tolerant genotypes showed over-expression of a dehydrin gene cdDHN4, antioxidant genes Cu/ZnSOD and APX which leads to higher antioxidant activities to scavenge the excessive reactive oxygen species and minimizing the membrane damage. It helps in maintenance of cell membrane permeability and osmotic adjustment by producing organic osmolytes. Proline an osmolyte has the ability to keep osmotic water potential and water use efficiency high via stomatal conductance and maintain transpiration rate. It leads to optimum CO2 assimilation rate, high chlorophyll contents for photosynthesis and elongation of leaf mesophyll, palisade and thick spongy cells. Consequently, it results in elongation of leaf length, stolon and internode length; plant height and deep rooting system. The CdDHN4 gene highly expressed in "Tianshui" and "Youxian", Cu/ZnSOD gene in "Tianshui" and "Linxiang" and APX gene in "Shanxian" and "Linxiang". The genotypes "Zhongshan" and "Xiaochang" showed no gene expression under water deficit conditions. Our results indicate that turfgrass show morphological modifications firstly when subjected to drought stress; however the gene expression is directly associated and crucial for drought tolerance in bermudagrass. Hence, current research has provided excellent germplasm of drought tolerant bermudagrass for physiological and molecular study and future breeding.

Modulation of apoptosis and Inflammasome activation in chondrocytes: co-regulatory role of Chlorogenic acid.

BACKGROUND: The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein regulates programmed cell death throughout the disease conditions by upholding apoptotic pathways. However, the mechanism by which it's expressed in chondrocytes still needs to be studied in chondrocyte-related disorders. Additionally, exploring the potential therapeutic role of Chlorogenic acid (CGA) in confluence with Bcl-2 modulation is of significant interest. METHODS: In vivo and in vitro studies were performed according to our previous methodologies. The chondrocytes were cultured in specific growth media under standard conditions after expression verification of different microRNAs through high-throughput sequencing and verification of Bcl-2 involvement in tibial growth plates. The effect of Bcl-2 expression was investigated by transfecting chondrocytes with miR-460a, siRNA, and their negative controls alone or in combination with CGA. The RNA was extracted and subjected to a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assays were performed to visualize the intracellular localization of Bcl-2 and associated proteins related to apoptotic and inflammasome pathways. Moreover, apoptosis through flow cytometry was also performed to understand the modulation of concerning pathways. RESULTS: The suppression of Bcl-2 induced higher apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to IL-1ß maturation and affecting the inflammasome during chondrocyte proliferation. Conversely, overexpression attenuated the activation, as evidenced by reduced caspase activity and IL-1ß maturation. In parallel, CGA successfully reduced siRNA-induced apoptosis by decreasing Cytochrome C (Cyto C) release from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm, which in turn decreased Caspase-3 and Caspase-7 cleavage with Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). Furthermore, siBcl-2 transfection and CGA therapy increased chondrocyte proliferation and survival. The CGA also showed a promising approach to maintaining chondrocyte viability by inhibiting siRNA-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting Bcl-2-mediated regulation might be a possible treatment for chondrocyte-related conditions. Moreover, these results add knowledge of the complicated processes underlying chondrocyte function and the pathophysiology of related diseases, highlighting the significance of target specific therapies. Video Abstract.

UV-spectrophotometric Optimization of Temperature, pH, Concentration and Time for Eucalyptus Globulus Capped Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis, their Characterization and Evaluation of Biological Applications.

Morphology (size, shape) and structural variations (bonding pattern, crystallography, and atomic arrangements) have significant impacts on the efficacy of the metallic nanoparticles. Fabrication of these metal nanoparticles through green synthesis using plant extracts has increased attention due to their low cost, less hazardous byproducts, and multiple applications. In present study, Eucalyptus globulus extract was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Change of color from light brown to reddish brown and UV-visible spectral peak at 423 nm confirmed the formation of AgNPs. The shifting of FTIR spectra peaks indicated the potential role of the functional groups in extract as capping agents. The DLS evaluated the average size and stability of the nanoparticles while the surface morphology, size and the elemental composition of the AgNPs was established by the FESEM and EDX analysis. The SEM images revealed spherical nanoparticles of size ranging from 40-60 nm. Biogenic AgNPs showed better DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC50 (13.44 ± 0.3) as compared to leaves extract with IC50 (10.57 ± 0.2). The synthesized AgNPs showed higher zones of inhibition (ZOI) by well diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Results of present study highlights the potential benefits of Eucalyptus globulus leaves extract-based AgNPs for various biomedical uses.

From port to planet: Assessing NO2 pollution and climate change effects with Sentinel-5p satellite imagery in maritime zones.

The growing effects of climate change on Malaysia's coastal ecology heighten worries about air pollution, specifically caused by urbanization and industrial activity in the maritime sector. Trucks and vessels are particularly noteworthy for their substantial contribution to gas emissions, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is the primary gas released in port areas. The application of advanced analysis techniques was spurred by the air pollution resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels such as fuel oil, natural gas and gasoline in vessels. The study utilized satellite photos captured by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel-5P satellite to evaluate the levels of NO2 gas pollution in Malaysia's port areas and exclusive economic zone. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, unrestricted gas emissions led to persistently high levels of NO2 in the analyzed areas. The temporary cessation of marine industry operations caused by the pandemic, along with the halting of vessels to prevent the spread of COVID-19, resulted in a noticeable decrease in NO2 gas pollution. In light of these favourable advancements, it is imperative to emphasize the need for continuous investigation and collaborative endeavours to further alleviate air contamination in Malaysian port regions, while simultaneously acknowledging the wider consequences of climate change on the coastal ecology. The study underscores the interdependence of air pollution, maritime activities and climate change. It emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies that tackle both immediate environmental issues and the long-term sustainability and resilience of coastal ecosystems in the context of global climate challenges.

Evaluating climate change impacts on reef environments via multibeam echosounder and Acoustic Doppler Current profiler technology.

Crucial to the Earth's oceans, ocean currents dynamically react to various factors, including rotation, wind patterns, temperature fluctuations, alterations in salinity and the gravitational pull of the moon. Climate change impacts coastal ecosystems, emphasizing the need for understanding these currents. This study explores multibeam echosounder (MBES), specifically R2-Sonic 2020 instrument, offering detailed seabed information. Investigating coral reefs, rocky reefs and artificial reefs aimed to map seafloor currents movement and their climate change responses. MBES data viz. Bathymetry and backscatter were classified and acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) ground data were validated using random forest regression. Results indicated high precision in currents speed measurement i.e. coral reefs with 0.96, artificial reefs with 0.94 and rocky reefs with 0.97. Currents direction accuracy was notable in coral reefs with 0.85, slightly lower in rocky reefs with 0.72 and artificial reefs with 0.60. Random forest identified sediment and backscatter as key for speed prediction while direction relies on bathymetry, slope and aspect. The study emphasizes integrating sediment size, backscatter, bathymetry and ADCP data for seafloor current analysis. This multibeam data on sediments and currents support better marine spatial planning and determine biodiversity patterns planning in the reef area.

Glyphosate in the environment: interactions and fate in complex soil and water settings, and (phyto) remediation strategies.

Glyphosate (Gly) and its formulations are broad-spectrum herbicides globally used for pre- and post-emergent weed control. Glyphosate has been applied to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Critics have claimed that Gly-treated plants have altered mineral nutrition and increased susceptibility to plant pathogens because of Gly ability to chelate divalent metal cations. Still, the complete resistance of Gly indicates that chelation of metal cations does not play a role in herbicidal efficacy or have a substantial impact on mineral nutrition. Due to its extensive and inadequate use, this herbicide has been frequently detected in soil (2 mg kg-1, European Union) and in stream water (328 µg L-1, USA), mostly in surface (7.6 µg L-1, USA) and groundwater (2.5 µg L-1, Denmark). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) already classified Gly as a category 2 A carcinogen in 2016. Therefore, it is necessary to find the best degradation techniques to remediate soil and aquatic environments polluted with Gly. This review elucidates the effects of Gly on humans, soil microbiota, plants, algae, and water. This review develops deeper insight toward the advances in Gly biodegradation using microbial communities. This review provides a thorough understanding of Gly interaction with mineral elements and its limitations by interfering with the plants biochemical and morphological attributes.

Glyphosate (Gly) contamination in water, soil, and crops is an eminent threat globally. Various advanced and integrated approaches have been reported to remediate Gly contamination from the water-soil-crop system. This review elucidates the effects of Gly on human health, soil microbial communities, plants, algae, and water. This review develops deeper insight into the advances in Gly biodegradation using microbial communities, particularly soil microbiota. This review provides a brief understanding of Gly interaction with mineral elements and its limitations in interfering with the plants biochemical and morphological attributes.

Risk factors for femoral stem fracture following total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Femoral stem fracture following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an infrequent but nevertheless devastating complication, with an increasing worldwide prevalence as demand for primary THA continues to increase. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of risk factors for femoral stem fracture to help identify at risk patients. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on EMBASE, MEDLINE and AMED to identify relevant studies. Data regarding study design, source, population, intervention, and outcomes was collated. Data extraction was performed on a custom form generated using Cochrane recommended methodology and analysis of risk factors performed including odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 15 studies reporting a total of 402 stem fractures in 49 723 THAs were identified. The median time from index procedure to stem fracture was 68 months (IQR 42.5-118) whilst mean age at index surgery was 61.8 years (SD 6.9). Male gender (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 2.59-4.13, p < 0.001), patient weight above 80 kg (OR = 3.55, 95% CI = 2.88-4.37, p < 0.001), age under 63 years (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.01-1.49, p < 0.001), varus stem alignment (OR = 5.77, 95% CI = 3.83-8.7, p < 0.001), use of modular implants (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.56-2.44, p < 0.01) and undergoing revision arthroplasty (OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 2.70-4.1, p < 0.001) were significant risk factors for prosthetic stem fracture. A risk window of 15 years post-surgery was identified. CONCLUSIONS: This review concludes that patient weight, younger age, male sex, varus stem alignment, revision arthroplasty and use of modular stems are significant risk factors for femoral stem fracture. Modifying these risk factors where possible may help reduce incidence of femoral stem fracture in at risk patients.

Burgeoning therapeutic strategies to curb the contemporary surging viral infections.

Significant efforts and initiatives were already made in the health care systems, however in the last few years; our world is facing emergences of viral infections which potentially leading to considerable challenges in terms of higher morbidity, mortality, increased and considerable financial loads on the affected populations. Over ten major epidemics or pandemics have been recorded in the twenty-first century, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic being one of them. Viruses being distinct obligate pathogens largely dependent on living beings are considered as one of the prominent causes of death globally. Although effective vaccines and antivirals have led to the eradication of imperative viral pathogens, the emergences of new viral infections as well as novel drug-resistant strains have necessitated the implementation of ingenious and efficient therapeutic approaches to treat viral outbreaks in the future. Nature being a constant source of tremendous therapeutical resources has inspired us to develop multi-target antiviral drugs, overcoming the challenges and limitations faced by pharmaceutical industry. Recent breakthroughs in the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of viral reproduction have laid the groundwork for potential treatment approaches including antiviral gene therapy relying on the application of precisely engineered nucleic acids for disabling pathogen replication. The development of RNA interference and advancements in genome manipulating tools have proven to be especially significant in this regard. In this review, we discussed mode of actions and pathophysiological events associated with the viral infections; followed by distributions, and advancement made towards the detection strategies for timely diagnosis. In the later section, current approaches to cope up the viral pathogens and their key limitations have also been elaborated. Lastly, we also explored some novel and potential targets to treat such infections, where attentions were made on next generation gene editing technologies.

Exploration of computational approaches to predict the structural features and recent trends in α-amylase production for industrial applications.

Amylases are biologically active enzymes that can hydrolyze starch to produce dextrin, glucose, maltose, and oligosaccharides. The amylases contribute approximately 30% to the global industrial enzyme market. The globally produced amylases are widely used in textile, biofuel, starch processing, food, bioremediation of environmental pollutants, pulp, and paper, clinical, and fermentation industries. The purpose of this review article is to summarize recent trends and aspects of α-amylases, classification, microbial production sources, biosynthesis and production methods, and its broad-spectrum applications for industrial purposes, which will depict the latest trends in α-amylases production. In the present article, we have comprehensively compared the biodiversity of α-amylases in different model organisms ranging from archaea to eukaryotes using in silico structural analysis tools. The detailed comparative analysis: regarding their structure, function, cofactor, signal peptide, and catalytic domain along with their catalytic residues of α-amylases in 16 model organisms were discussed in this paper. The comparative studies on alpha (α) amylases' secondary and tertiary structures, multiple sequence alignment, transmembrane helices, physiochemical properties, and their phylogenetic analysis in model organisms were briefly studied. This review has documented the recent trends and future perspectives of industrially important novel thermophilic α-amylases. In conclusion, this review sheds light on the current understanding and prospects of α-amylase research, highlighting its importance as a versatile enzyme with numerous applications and emphasizing the need for further exploration and innovation in this field.

Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics to High Value-Added Products via Pyrolysis: Current Trends, Future Perspectives, and Techno-Feasibility Analysis.

Chemical upcycling of waste plastics into high-value-added products is one of the most effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally beneficial solutions. Many studies have been published over the past few years on the topic of recycling plastics into usable materials through a process called catalytic pyrolysis. There is a significant research gap that must be bridged in order to use catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics to produce high-value products. This review focuses on the enhanced catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics to produce jet fuel, diesel oil, lubricants, aromatic compounds, syngas, and other gases. Moreover, the reaction mechanism, a brief and critical comparison of different catalytic pyrolysis studies, as well as the techno-feasibility analysis of waste plastic pyrolysis and the proposed catalytic plastic pyrolysis setup for commercialization is also covered.

Oleuropein: Chemistry, extraction techniques and nutraceutical perspectives-An update.

Olive family (Oleaceae) contains several species among which Olea europaea L. is mostly used for production of olive oils. Various parts of olive tree are rich source of diverse bioactive compounds such as Apigenin, elenolic acid, Hydroxytyrosol, Ligstroside, Oleoside, Oleuropein, Oleuropein aglycone, Tyrosol, etc. Among these, oleuropein, a secoiridoid is predominantly found in olive leaves and young olive fruits of different species of Oleaceae family. Scientists have adopted numerous extraction methods (conventional & latest) to increase the yield of oleuropein. Among these techniques, maceration, soxhlet, microwave-assisted, ultrasonication, and supercritical fluid methods are most commonly employed for extraction of oleuropein. Evidently, this review emphasizes on various in-vitro and in-vivo studies focusing on nutraceutical properties of oleuropein. Available literature highlights the pharmaceutical potential of oleuropein against various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular complications, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, inflammation, microbial infections, and oxidation. This review will benefit the scientific community as it narrates comprehensive literature regarding absorption, metabolism, bioavailability, extraction techniques, and nutraceutical perspectives associated with oleuropein.

Prime editing: A potential treatment option for ß-thalassemia.

The potential to therapeutically alter the genome is one of the remarkable scientific developments in recent years. Genome editing technologies have provided an opportunity to precisely alter genomic sequence(s) in eukaryotic cells as a treatment option for various genetic disorders. These technologies allow the correction of harmful mutations in patients by precise nucleotide editing. Genome editing technologies such as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat) and base editors have greatly contributed to the practical applications of gene editing. However, these technologies have certain limitations, including imperfect editing, undesirable mutations, off-target effects, and lack of potential to simultaneously edit multiple loci. Recently, prime editing (PE) has emerged as a new gene editing technology with the potential to overcome the above-mentioned limitations. Interestingly, PE not only has higher specificity but also does not require double-strand breaks. In addition, a minimum possibility of potential off-target mutant sites makes PE a preferred choice for therapeutic gene editing. Furthermore, PE has the potential to introduce insertion and deletions of all 12 single-base mutations at target sequences. Considering its potential, PE has been applied as a treatment option for genetic diseases including hemoglobinopathies. ß-Thalassemia, for example, one of the most significant blood disorders characterized by reduced levels of functional hemoglobin, could potentially be treated using PE. Therapeutic reactivation of the γ-globin gene in adult ß-thalassemia patients through PE technology is considered a promising therapeutic strategy. The current review aims to briefly discuss the genome editing strategies and potential applications of PE for the treatment of ß-thalassemia. In addition, the review will also focus on challenges associated with the use of PE.

Characteristics and epidemiological investigation of equid herpesvirus 8 in donkeys in Shandong, China.

Equid herpesvirus 8 (EHV-8), also known as asinine herpesvirus type 3 (AHV-3), can cause severe respiratory disease, abortion in mares, and neurological disorders. There is limited information on the prevalence of EHV-8 in donkeys in China. In this study, we investigated EHV-8 infection in donkeys using PCR, resulting in the identification of a field strain, termed EHV-8 SD2020113, which was isolated using RK-13 cells and characterized by high-throughput sequencing and transmission electron microscopy. Our data indicated that 38.7% (457/1180) of donkeys showed the presence of EHV-8 in blood samples. Analysis of the ORF70 gene showed the highest similarity (99.8-99.9% identity) to EHV-8 IR/2015/40 (MF431614.1) and SDLC66 (MW816102), and, in phylogenetic analysis, it clustered with EHV-8 SDLC66 from China. The findings of this study indicate that EHV-8 is likely to represent a threat to the donkey industry, and breeders and veterinarians who care for donkey farms should be aware of this.

Understanding metabolic alterations after SARS-CoV-2 infection: insights from the patients' oral microenvironmental metabolites.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 is a type of acute infectious pneumonia and frequently confused with influenza since the initial symptoms. When the virus colonized the patient's mouth, it will cause changes of the oral microenvironment. However, few studies on the alterations of metabolism of the oral microenvironment affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported. In this study, we explored metabolic alterations of oral microenvironment after SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Untargeted metabolomics (UPLC-MS) was used to investigate the metabolic changes between oral secretion samples of 25 COVID-19 and 30 control participants. To obtain the specific metabolic changes of COVID-19, we selected 25 influenza patients to exclude the metabolic changes caused by the stress response of the immune system to the virus. Multivariate analysis (PCA and PLS-DA plots) and univariate analysis (students' t-test) were used to compare the differences between COVID-19 patients and the controls. Online hiplot tool was used to perform heatmap analysis. Metabolic pathway analysis was conducted by using the MetaboAnalyst 5.0 web application. RESULTS: PLS-DA plots showed significant separation of COVID-19 patients and the controls. A total of 45 differential metabolites between COVID-19 and control group were identified. Among them, 35 metabolites were defined as SARS-CoV-2 specific differential metabolites. Especially, the levels of cis-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid and hexanoic acid changed dramatically based on the FC values. Pathway enrichment found the most significant pathways were tyrosine-related metabolism. Further, we found 10 differential metabolites caused by the virus indicating the body's metabolism changes after viral stimulation. Moreover, adenine and adenosine were defined as influenza virus-specific differential metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that 35 metabolites and tyrosine-related metabolism pathways were significantly changed after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The metabolic alterations of oral microenvironment in COVID-19 provided new insights into its molecular mechanisms for research and prognostic treatment.

Assessing coastal bathymetry and climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery.

Coastal ecosystems are facing heightened risks due to human-induced climate change, including rising water levels and intensified storm events. Accurate bathymetry data is crucial for assessing the impacts of these threats. Traditional data collection methods can be cost-prohibitive. This study investigates the feasibility of using freely accessible Landsat and Sentinel satellite imagery to estimate bathymetry and its correlation with hydrographic chart soundings in Port Klang, Malaysia. Through analysis of the blue and green spectral bands from the Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 datasets, a bathymetry map of Port Klang's seabed is generated. The precision of this derived bathymetry is evaluated using statistical metrics like Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and the coefficient of determination. The results reveal a strong statistical connection (R2 = 0.9411) and correlation (R2 = 0.7958) between bathymetry data derived from hydrographic chart soundings and satellite imagery. This research not only advances our understanding of employing Landsat imagery for bathymetry assessment but also underscores the significance of such assessments in the context of climate change's impact on coastal ecosystems. The primary goal of this research is to contribute to the comprehension of Landsat imagery's utility in bathymetry evaluation, with the potential to enhance safety protocols in seaport terminals and provide valuable insights for decision-making concerning the management of coastal ecosystems amidst climate-related challenges. The findings of this research have practical implications for a wide range of stakeholders involved in coastal management, environmental protection, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness.

Engineering processive cellulase of Clostridium thermocellum to divulge the role of the carbohydrate-binding module.

The processive cellulase (CelO) is an important modular enzyme of Clostridium thermocellum. To study the effect of the carbohydrate-binding module (CBM3b) on the catalytic domain of CelO (GH5), four engineered derivatives of CelO were designed by truncation and terminal fusion of CBM3b. These are CBM at the N-terminus, native form (CelO-BC, 62 kDa); catalytic domain only (CelO-C, 42 kDa); CBM at the C-terminus (CelO-CB, 54 kDa) and CBM attached at both termini (CelO-BCB, 73 kDa). All constructs were cloned into pET22b (+) and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) star. The expression levels of CelO-C, CelO-CB, CelO-BC, and CelO-BCB were 35%, 35%, 30%, and 20%, respectively. The enzyme activities of CelO-C, CelO-CB, CelO-BC, and CelO-BCB against 1% regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) were 860, 758, 985, and 1208 units per µmole of the enzyme, respectively. The enzymes were partially purified from the lysate of E. coli cells by heat treatment followed by anion exchange FPLC purification. Against RAC, CelO-C, CelO-CB, CelO-BC, and CelO-BCB showed KM values of 32, 33, 45, and 43 mg⋅mL-1 and Vmax values of 3571, 3846, 3571, and 4545 U⋅min-1 , respectively. CBM3b at the N-terminus of GH5 linked through a P/T-rich linker was found to enhance the catalytic activity and thermostability of the enzyme.

Chemical Characterization, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxicity and in Silico Studies of Hexane Extract and Essential Oils from Citrus limon Leaves.

The present study investigates the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial bioactivities of essential oil and hexane extract from Citrus limon leaves. The isolation of essential oil was carried out using the Clevenger apparatus. The percentage yield of essential oil and hexane extract from Citrus limon leaves was 0.59 and 0.50 %, respectively. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay highlighted that Citrus limon leaves essential oil (CLEO) and hexane extract exhibited the significant antioxidant potential of 69.64 and 67.55 %, respectively, compared to the BHT standard. Similarly, a significant inhibition in linoleic acid peroxidation was recorded in both CLEO (81.93 %) and hexane extract (50.34 %). Characterization of chemical constituents in CLEO and extract was executed using GC/MS, where Limonene was detected as a major compound in CLEO (60.52 %) and hexane extract (73.62 %). The haemolytic activity ranged from 2.46 to 5.75 % revealing negligible cytotoxicity of CLEO and hexane extract. In silico studies agree with the in vitro antimicrobial studies, where vinimalol, taraxasterol, and moretenol present in CLEO showed strong interactions/inhibition against dihydroorotase and DNA gyrase from E. coli, and the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase and DNA gyrase from S. aureus. Based on the current data, it may be concluded that both CLEO and hexane extract possessed significant bioactivities, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, with minimal cytotoxicity.

Performance of a single-ventricle home-monitoring programme: survival and predictors of adverse outcome.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: Mortality between stages 1 and 2 single-ventricle palliation is significant. Home-monitoring programmes are suggested to reduce mortality. Outcomes and risk factors for adverse outcomes for European programmes have not been published. AIMS: To evaluate the performance of a home-monitoring programme at a medium-sized United Kingdom centre with regards survival and compare performance with other home-monitoring programmes in the literature. METHODS: All fetal and postnatal diagnosis of a single ventricle were investigated with in-depth analysis of those undergoing stage 1 palliation and entered the home-monitoring programme between 2016 and 2020. The primary outcome was survival. Secondary outcomes included multiple parameters as potential predictors of death or adverse outcome. RESULTS: Of 217 fetal single-ventricle diagnoses during the period 2016-2020, 50.2% progressed to live birth, 35.4% to stage 1 and 29.5% to stage 2. Seventy-four patients (including 10 with postnatal diagnosis) entered the home-monitoring programme with six deaths making home-monitoring programme mortality 8.1%. Risk factors for death were the hybrid procedure as the only primary procedure (OR 33.0, p < 0.01), impaired cardiac function (OR 10.3, p < 0.025), Asian ethnicity (OR 9.3, p < 0.025), lower mean birth-weight (2.69 kg versus 3.31 kg, p < 0.01), and lower mean weight centiles during interstage follow-up (mean centiles of 3.1 versus 10.8, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Survival in the home-monitoring programme is comparable with other home-monitoring programmes in the literature. Hybrid procedure, cardiac dysfunction, sub-optimal weight gain, and Asian ethnicity were significant risk factors for death. Home-monitoring programmes should continue to raise awareness of these factors and seek solutions to mitigate adverse events. Future work to generalise home-monitoring programme and single-ventricle fetus to stage 2 outcomes in the United Kingdom will require multi-centre collaboration.

Embedding patient safety in a scaffold of interprofessional education; a qualitative study with thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Regardless of a proliferation of interest in reducing unsafe practices in healthcare, threats to patient safety (PS) remain high. Moreover, little attention has been paid towards the role of interprofessional education (IPE) in enhancing PS. This qualitative study was conducted to unfold the insights of the senior medical, dental and health sciences students at the University of Sharjah (UoS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about PS in an online IPE-based workshop. METHODS: This inductive thematic analysis study was conducted on senior medical and health students at the Colleges of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health Sciences, and Pharmacy of UoS. During an online workshop, students discussed plausible solutions for four real practice-based clinical scenarios with elements of unsafe healthcare practices. During the breakout rooms, the students exhibited high level of articulation and proactively participated in discussions. The data from the online workshop were transcribed and then coding, categorizing, and labelling of recurrent themes were carried out. Multiple individual deliberations, consolidation, incorporation of the identified preliminary themes, and merging and reorganizing sub-themes led to a final thematic framework. RESULTS: This work delved into the perspectives of 248 students regarding teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and other aspects concerning PS in interprofessional settings in an online workshop. The iterative process of data transcription, curating and qualitative analysis surfaced 32 codes. Later, the inductive themaric analysis yielded five themes with distinct yet interconnected nested subthemes in the context of PS in IPE settings. These themes of information sharing and grounding (problem-solving, social skills), maintaining communication (clinical reasoning, shared mental model), executing interprofessional activities (collaborative practice, collaboration scripts), professional cognitive abilities (cognitive maturity, metacognition), and negotiating professional identities (systematic change, socio-economic scaffolding) emerged as fundamental pillars for enhancing PS in healthcare. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated the outcome of an innovative and team-based workshop which embedded PS within a scaffold of IPE environment. This research calls for incorporation of the emerging areas of clinical reasoning, problem solving, collaborative practice, and shared mental model into medical curricula for structured IPE in improving PS domains in medical education. These findings underscore the need for multifaceted dimensions of IPE imperatives for cultivating collaborative competence.

Phytoremediation of indoor formaldehyde by plants and plant material.

Formaldehyde evolves from various household items and is of environmental and public health concern. Removal of this contaminant from the indoor air is of utmost importance and currently, various practices are in the field. Among these practices, indoor plants are of particular importance because they help in controlling indoor temperature, moisture, and oxygen concentration. Plants and plant materials studied for the purpose have been reviewed hereunder. The main topics of the review are, mechanism of phytoremediation, plants and their benefits, plant material in formaldehyde remediation, and airtight environmental and health issues. Future research in the field is also highlighted which will help new researches to plan for the remediation of formaldehyde in indoor air. The remediation capacity of several plants has been tabulated and compared, which gives easy access to assess various plants for remediation of the target pollutant. Challenges and issues in the phytoremediation of formaldehyde are also discussed.Novelty statement: Phytoremediation is a well-known technique to mitigate various organic and inorganic pollutants. The technique has been used by various researchers for maintaining indoor air quality but its efficiency under real-world conditions and human activities is still a question and is vastly affected relative to laboratory conditions. Several modifications in the field are in progress, here in this review article we have summarized and highlighted new directions in the field which could be a better solution to the problem in the future.