De novo missense variants in phosphatidylinositol kinase PIP5KIγ underlie a neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with altered phosphoinositide signaling.

Phosphoinositides (PIs) are membrane phospholipids produced through the local activity of PI kinases and phosphatases that selectively add or remove phosphate groups from the inositol head group. PIs control membrane composition and play key roles in many cellular processes including actin dynamics, endosomal trafficking, autophagy, and nuclear functions. Mutations in phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] phosphatases cause a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Lowe and Joubert syndromes and congenital muscular dystrophy with cataracts and intellectual disability, which are thus associated with increased levels of PI(4,5)P2. Here, we describe a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with an increase in the production of PI(4,5)P2 and with PI-signaling dysfunction. We identified three de novo heterozygous missense variants in PIP5K1C, which encodes an isoform of the phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5KIγ), in nine unrelated children exhibiting intellectual disability, developmental delay, acquired microcephaly, seizures, visual abnormalities, and dysmorphic features. We provide evidence that the PIP5K1C variants result in an increase of the endosomal PI(4,5)P2 pool, giving rise to ectopic recruitment of filamentous actin at early endosomes (EEs) that in turn causes dysfunction in EE trafficking. In addition, we generated an in vivo zebrafish model that recapitulates the disorder we describe with developmental defects affecting the forebrain, including the eyes, as well as craniofacial abnormalities, further demonstrating the pathogenic effect of the PIP5K1C variants.

Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage for Late-Stage Functionalization.

Late-stage functionalization (LSF) introduces functional group or structural modification at the final stage of the synthesis of natural products, drugs, and complex compounds. It is anticipated that late-stage functionalization would improve drug discovery's effectiveness and efficiency and hasten the creation of various chemical libraries. Consequently, late-stage functionalization of natural products is a productive technique to produce natural product derivatives, which significantly impacts chemical biology and drug development. Carbon-carbon bonds make up the fundamental framework of organic molecules. Compared with the carbon-carbon bond construction, the carbon-carbon bond activation can directly enable molecular editing (deletion, insertion, or modification of atoms or groups of atoms) and provide a more efficient and accurate synthetic strategy. However, the efficient and selective activation of unstrained carbon-carbon bonds is still one of the most challenging projects in organic synthesis. This review encompasses the strategies employed in recent years for carbon-carbon bond cleavage by explicitly focusing on their applicability in late-stage functionalization. This review expands the current discourse on carbon-carbon bond cleavage in late-stage functionalization reactions by providing a comprehensive overview of the selective cleavage of various types of carbon-carbon bonds. This includes C-C(sp), C-C(sp2), and C-C(sp3) single bonds; carbon-carbon double bonds; and carbon-carbon triple bonds, with a focus on catalysis by transition metals or organocatalysts. Additionally, specific topics, such as ring-opening processes involving carbon-carbon bond cleavage in three-, four-, five-, and six-membered rings, are discussed, and exemplar applications of these techniques are showcased in the context of complex bioactive molecules or drug discovery. This review aims to shed light on recent advancements in the field and propose potential avenues for future research in the realm of late-stage carbon-carbon bond functionalization.

Small RNAs contribute to citrus Huanglongbing tolerance by manipulating methyl salicylate signaling and exogenous methyl salicylate primes citrus groves from emerging infection.

Citrus production is severely threatened by the devastating Huanglongbing (HLB) disease globally. By studying and analyzing the defensive behaviors of an HLB-tolerant citrus cultivar 'Shatangju', we discovered that citrus can sense Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) infection and induce immune responses against HLB, which can be further strengthened by both endogenously produced and exogenously applied methyl salicylate (MeSA). This immune circuit is turned on by an miR2977-SAMT (encoding a citrus Salicylate [SA] O-methyltransferase) cascade, by which CLas infection leads to more in planta MeSA production and aerial emission. We provided both transgenic and multi-year trail evidences that MeSA is an effective community immune signal. Ambient MeSA accumulation and foliage application can effectively induce defense gene expression and significantly boost citrus performance. We also found that miRNAs are battle fields between citrus and CLas, and about 30% of the differential gene expression upon CLas infection are regulated by miRNAs. Furthermore, CLas hijacks host key processes by manipulating key citrus miRNAs, and citrus employs miRNAs that coordinately regulate defense-related genes. Based on our results, we proposed that miRNAs and associated components are key targets for engineering or breeding resistant citrus varieties. We anticipate that MeSA-based management, either induced expression or external application, would be a promising tool for HLB control.

Sequence variants in the BTD underlying biotinidase deficiency in families of Pakistani origin.

BACKGROUND: Biotinidase deficiency (BTD) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disease, which develops neurological symptoms because of the impaired biotin recycling. Pathogenic mutations on BTD gene cause BTD deficiency. The clinical features and mutation analysis of Pakistani children with BTD deficiency have rarely been described. Herein, for the first time, we report the clinical features, BTD gene mutations and biochemical analysis of seven symptomatic children with BTD deficiency from Pakistan. METHODS: Seven suspected BTD-deficient patients who presented abnormal organic acid profiles and clinical features were subjected to Sanger sequencing to identify pathogenic mutations in the BTD gene. The results were analyzed by Mutation Surveyor Software. RESULTS: All seven patients exhibited common biotinidase deficiency symptoms including hypotonia, developmental delay and seizures. Biochemical analysis shows marked excretion of 3-hydroxy isovalerate in all cases, followed by 3-hydroxy propionate and methyl citrate. Sanger sequencing revealed one frame-shift mutation, c.98_104delinsTCC (p.Cys33Phefs), and two missense mutations, c.1612C>A (p.Arg538Ser) and c.1330G>C (p.Asp444His). All mutations were in the homozygous state and classified as pathogenic in published studies and mutation databases. CONCLUSIONS: This study has validated the BTD variants as the underlying cause of biotinidase deficiency in which molecular testing of BTD is supported by urinary organic acid analysis and clinical diagnosis. Secondly, the strength of the local availability of this test in Pakistan will paved the way for the neonatal screening of biotinidase deficiency.

A variant in sperm-specific glycolytic enzyme enolase 4 (ENO4) causes human male infertility.

BACKGROUND: Although defects in sperm morphology and physiology lead to male infertility, in many instances, the exact disruption of molecular pathways in a given patient is often unknown. The glycolytic pathway is an essential process to supply energy in sperm cell motility. Enolase 4 (ENO4) is crucial for the glycolytic process, which provides the energy for sperm cells in motility. ENO4 is located in the sperm principal piece and is essential for the motility and organization of the sperm flagellum. In the present study, we characterized a family with asthenozoospermia and abnormal sperm morphology as a result of a variant in the enolase 4 (ENO4) gene. METHODS: Computer-assisted semen analysis, papanicolaou smear staining and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine sperm motility and morphology for semen analysis in patients. For genetic analysis, whole-exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing was performed. RESULTS: Two brothers in a consanguineous family were being clinically investigated for sperm motility and morphology issues. Genetic analysis by whole-exome sequencing revealed a homozygous variant [c.293A>G, p.(Lys98Arg)] in the ENO4 gene that segregated with infertility in the family, shared by affected but not controls. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the association of asthenozoospermia and abnormal sperm morphology in Eno4 knockout mice, we consider this to be the first report describing the involvement of ENO4 gene in human male infertility. We also explore the possible involvement of another variant in explaining other phenotypic features in this family.

Scaling Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption of CO2 Using Bipolar Electrode Stacks.

Supercapacitive swing adsorption (SSA) modules with bipolar stacks having 2, 4, 8, and 12 electrode pairs made from BPL 4 × 6 activated carbon are constructed and tested for carbon dioxide capture applications. Tests are performed with simulated flue gas (15%CO2 /85%N2) at 2, 4, 8, and 12 V, respectively. Reversible adsorption with sorption capacities (≈58 mmol kg-1) and adsorption rates (≈38 µmol kg-1 s-1) are measured for all stacks. The productivity scales with the number of cells in the module, and increases from 70 to 390 mmol h-1 m-2. The energy efficiency and energy consumption improve with increasing number of bipolar electrodes from 67% to 84%, and 142 to 60 kJ mol-1, respectively. Overall, the results show that SSA modules with bipolar electrodes can be scaled without reducing the adsorptive performance, and with improvement of energetic performance.

ZnO/SrTiO3, ZnO/WO3, and ZnO/Zn2SnO4 Bilayer as Electron Transport Layers for Lead Sulfide Colloidal Quantum Dots Solar Cells.

In order to enhance the overall efficiency of colloidal quantum dots solar cells, it is crucial to suppress the recombination of charge carriers and minimize energy loss at the interfaces between the transparent electrode, electron transport layer (ETL), and colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) light-absorbing material. In the current study, ZnO/SrTiO3 (STO), ZnO/WO3 (TO), and ZnO/Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) bilayers are introduced as an ETL using a spin-coating technique. The ZTO interlayer exhibits a smoother surface with a root-mean-square (RMS) value of ≈ 3.28 nm compared to STO and TO interlayers, which enables it to cover the surface of the ITO/ZnO substrate entirely and helps to prevent direct contact between the CQDs absorber layer and the ITO/ZnO substrate, thereby effectively preventing efficient charge recombination at the interfaces of the ETL/CQDs. Furthermore, the ZTO interlayer possesses superior electron mobility, a higher visible light transmission, and a suitable energy band structure compared to STO and TO. These characteristics are advantageous for extracting charge carriers and facilitating electron transport. The PbS CQDs solar cell based on the ITO/ZnO/ZTO/PbS-FABr/PbS-EDT/NiO/Au device configuration exhibits the highest efficiency of 15.28%, which is significantly superior than the ITO/ZnO/PbS-FABr/PbS-EDT/NiO/Au solar cell device (PCE = 14.38%). This study is anticipated to offer a practical approach to develop ultrathin and compact ETL for highly efficient CQDSCs.

A novel homozygous FAM92A gene (CIBAR1) variant further confirms its association with non-syndromic postaxial polydactyly type A9 (PAPA9).

Polydactyly is a very common digit anomaly, having extra digits in hands and/or toes. Non-syndromic polydactyly in both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms are caused by disease-causing variants in several genes, including GLI1, GLI3, ZNF141, FAM92A, IQCE, KIAA0825, MIPOL1, STKLD1, PITX1, and DACH1. Whole exome sequencing (WES) followed by bi-directional Sanger sequencing was performed for the single affected individual (II-1) of the family to reveal the disease causative variant/gene. 3D protein modeling and structural molecular docking was performed to determine the effect of the identified mutation on the overall protein structure. WES revealed a novel biallelic missense variant (c.472G>C; p.Ala158Pro) in exon 6 of the FAM92A gene. The identified variant segregated perfectly with the disease phenotype using Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, Insilco analysis revealed that the variant significantly changes the protein secondary structure, and substantially impact the stability of FAM92A. We report the second FAM92A disease-causing mutation associated with recessive non-syndromic postaxial polydactyly. The data further confirms the contribution of FAM92A in limb development and patterning.

Clinical and genetic investigation of 14 families with various forms of short stature syndromes.

Skeletal dysplasias are a heterogeneous group of disorders presenting mild to lethal defects. Several factors, such as genetic, prenatal, and postnatal environmental may contribute to reduced growth. Fourteen families of Pakistani origin, presenting the syndromic form of short stature either in the autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant manner were clinically and genetically investigated to uncover the underlying genetic etiology. Homozygosity mapping, whole exome sequencing, and Sanger sequencing were used to search for the disease-causing gene variants. In total, we have identified 13 sequence variants in 10 different genes. The variants in the HSPG2 and XRCC4 genes were not reported previously in the Pakistani population. This study will expand the mutation spectrum of the identified genes and will help in improved diagnosis of the syndromic form of short stature in the local population.

Antifreeze Polysaccharides from Wheat Bran: The Structural Characterization and Antifreeze Mechanism.

Exploring a novel natural cryoprotectant and understanding its antifreeze mechanism allows the rational design of future sustainable antifreeze analogues. In this study, various antifreeze polysaccharides were isolated from wheat bran, and the antifreeze activity was comparatively studied in relation to the molecular structure. The antifreeze mechanism was further revealed based on the interactions of polysaccharides and water molecules through dynamic simulation analysis. The antifreeze polysaccharides showed distinct ice recrystallization inhibition activity, and structural analysis suggested that the polysaccharides were arabinoxylan, featuring a xylan backbone with a majority of Araf and minor fractions of Manp, Galp, and Glcp involved in the side chain. The antifreeze arabinoxylan, characterized by lower molecular weight, less branching, and more flexible conformation, could weaken the hydrogen bonding of the surrounding water molecules more evidently, thus retarding the transformation of water molecules into the ordered ice structure.

Understanding adefovir pharmacokinetics as a component of a transporter phenotyping cocktail.

PURPOSE: Adefovir (as dipivoxil) was selected as a probe drug in a previous transporter cocktail phenotyping study to assess renal organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), with renal clearance (CLR) as the primary parameter describing renal elimination. An approximately 20% higher systemic exposure of adefovir was observed when combined with other cocktail components (metformin, sitagliptin, pitavastatin, and digoxin) compared to sole administration. The present evaluation applied a population pharmacokinetic (popPK) modeling approach to describe adefovir pharmacokinetics as a cocktail component in more detail. METHODS: Data from 24 healthy subjects were reanalyzed. After establishing a base model, covariate effects, including the impact of co-administered drugs, were assessed using forward inclusion then backward elimination. RESULTS: A one-compartment model with first-order absorption (including lag time) and a combination of nonlinear renal and linear nonrenal elimination best described the data. A significantly higher apparent bioavailability (73.6% vs. 59.0%) and a lower apparent absorption rate constant (2.29 h-1 vs. 5.18 h-1) were identified in the combined period compared to the sole administration period, while no difference was seen in renal elimination. The population estimate for the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of the nonlinear renal elimination was 170 nmol/L, exceeding the observed range of adefovir plasma maximum concentration, while the maximum rate (Vmax) of nonlinear renal elimination was 2.40 µmol/h at the median absolute estimated glomerular filtration rate of 105 mL/min. CONCLUSION: The popPK modeling approach indicated that the co-administration primarily affected the apparent absorption and/or prodrug conversion of adefovir dipivoxil, resulting in the minor drug-drug interaction observed for adefovir as a victim. However, renal elimination remained unaffected. The high Km value suggests that assessing renal OAT1 activity by CLR has no relevant misspecification error with the cocktail doses used.

Assessment of body mass-related covariates for rifampicin pharmacokinetics in healthy Caucasian volunteers.

PURPOSE: Currently, body weight-based dosing of rifampicin is recommended. But lately, fat-free mass (FFM) was reported to be superior to body weight (BW). The present evaluation aimed to assess the influence of body mass-related covariates on rifampicin's pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters in more detail using non-linear mixed effects modeling (NLMEM). METHODS: Twenty-four healthy Caucasian volunteers were enrolled in a bioequivalence study, each receiving a test and a reference tablet of 600 mg of rifampicin separated by a wash-out period of at least 9 days. Monolix version 2023R1 was used for NLMEM. Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) were performed to visualize the relationship of body size descriptors to the exposure to rifampicin. RESULTS: A one-compartment model with nonlinear (Michaelis-Menten) elimination and zero-order absorption kinetics with a lag time best described the data. The covariate model including fat-free mass (FFM) on volume of distribution (V/F) and on maximum elimination rate (Vmax/F) lowered the objective function value (OFV) by 56.4. The second-best covariate model of sex on V/F and Vmax/F and BW on V/F reduced the OFV by 51.2. The decrease in unexplained inter-individual variability on Vmax/F in both covariate models was similar. For a given dose, MCS showed lower exposure to rifampicin with higher FFM and accordingly in males compared to females with the same BW and body height. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that beyond BW, body composition as reflected by FFM could also be relevant for optimized dosing of rifampicin. This assumption needs to be studied further in patients treated with rifampicin.

Molecular hybrids of substituted phenylcarbamoylpiperidine and 1,2,4-triazole methylacetamide as potent 15-LOX inhibitors: Design, synthesis, DFT calculations and molecular docking studies.

Inflammation is a multifaceted phenomenon triggered by potentially active mediators acutely released arachidonic acid metabolites partially in lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway which are primarily accountable for causing several diseases in humans. It is widely believed that an inhibitor of the LOX pathway represents a rational approach for designing more potent antiinflammatory leads with druggable super safety profiles. In our continual efforts in search for anti-LOX molecules, the present work was to design a new series of N-alkyl/aralkyl/aryl derivatives (7a-o) of 4-phenyl-5-(1-phenylcarbamoylpiperidine)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol which was commenced in seriate formation of phenylcarbamoyl derivative (1), hydrazide (2), semicarbazide (3) and 4-phenyl-5-(1-phenylcarbamoylpiperidine)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol (4). The aimed compounds were obtained by reacting 4-phenyl-5-(1-phenylcarbamoylpiperidine)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol with assorted N-alkyl/aralkyl/aryl electrophiles. All compounds were characterized by FTIR, 1H-, 13C-NMR spectroscopy, EI-MS and HR-EI-MS spectrometry and screened against soybean 15-LOX for their inhibitory potential using chemiluminescence method. All the compounds except 7m and 7h inhibited the said enzyme remarkably. Compounds 7c,7l, 7j and 7a displayed potent inhibitions ranging from IC50 1.92 ± 0.13 µM to 7.65 ± 0.12 µM. Other analogues 7g, 7o, 7e, 7b, 7d, 7k and 7n revealed excellent inhibitory values ranging from IC50 12.45 ± 0.38 µM to 24.81 ± 0.47 µM. All these compounds did not reveal DPPH radical scavenging activity. Compounds 7i-o maintained > 90 % human blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) viability at 0.125 mM as assayed by MTT whilst others were found toxic. Pharmacokinetic profiles predicted good oral bioavailability and drug-likeness properties of the active scaffolds. SAR investigations showed that phenyl substituted analogue on amide side decreased inhibitory activity due to inductive and mesomeric effects while the mono-alkyl substituted analogues were more active than disubstituted ones and ortho substituted analogues were more potent than meta substituted ones. MD simulation predicted the stability of the 7c ligand and receptor complex as shown by their relative RMSD (root mean square deviation) values. Molecular docking studies displayed hydrogen bonding between the compounds and the enzyme with Arg378 which was common in 7n, 7g, 7h and baicalein. In 7a and quercetin, hydrogen bonding was established through Asn375. RMSD values exhibited good inhibitory profiles in the order quercetin (0.73 Å) < 7 g < baicalein < 7a < 7n < 7 h (1.81 Å) and the binding free energies followed similar pattern. Density functional theory (DFT) data established good correlation between the active compounds and significant activity was associated with more stabilized LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals) orbitals. Nevertheless, the present studies declare active analogues like 7c, 7 l, 7a, 7j as leads. Work is ongoing in derivatizing active molecules to explore more effective leads as 15-LOX inhibitors as antiinflammatory agents.

Enzyme-linked carbon nanotubes as biocatalytic tools to degrade and mitigate environmental pollutants.

A wide array of organic compounds have been recognized as pollutants of high concern due to their controlled or uncontrolled presence in environmental matrices. The persistent prevalence of diverse organic pollutants, including pharmaceutical compounds, phenolic compounds, synthetic dyes, and other hazardous substances, necessitates robust measures for their practical and sustainable removal from water bodies. Several bioremediation and biodegradation methods have been invented and deployed, with a wide range of materials well-suited for diverse environments. Enzyme-linked carbon-based materials have been considered efficient biocatalytic platforms for the remediation of complex organic pollutants, mostly showing over 80% removal efficiency of micropollutants. The advantages of enzyme-linked carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in enzyme immobilization and improved catalytic potential may thus be advantageous for environmental research considering the current need for pollutant removal. This review outlines the perspective of current remediation approaches and highlights the advantageous features of enzyme-linked CNTs in the removal of pollutants, emphasizing their reusability and stability aspects. Furthermore, different applications of enzyme-linked CNTs in environmental research with concluding remarks and future outlooks have been highlighted. Enzyme-linked CNTs serve as a robust biocatalytic platform for the sustainability agenda with the aim of keeping the environment clean and safe from a variety of organic pollutants.

Magnetic nanomaterials as an effective absorbent material for removal of fluoride concentration in water: a review.

The rapid increases in industrialization and populations are significant sources of water contamination. The speed with which contamination of groundwater and surface water occurs is becoming a serious problem and poses a significant obstacle for water stakeholders. Heavy metals, organic, and inorganic contaminants in the form of suspended and dissolved materials are just a few of the contaminants that can be found in drinking water. One of the most common contaminants in the water is fluoride, which is responsible for numerous toxic diseases. Different traditional techniques, for example, coagulation, ion exchange, absorption, and membrane filtration are being used to dispose of fluoride from water. However, nanomaterials such as magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are very efficient, reliable, cost-effective, and stable materials to replace traditional water treatment techniques. There has been an increase in interest in the application of nanomaterials to the purification of drinking water over the past few decades. The use of magnetic NPs, such as metal and metal oxide NPs, to remove fluoride ions and organic matter from water is highlighted in this review article. Also, this section also discusses the properties, benefits and drawbacks, and difficulties of utilizing magnetic NPs in the process of purifying drinking water.

Impact of pneumothorax on mortality, morbidity, and hospital resource utilization in COVID-19 patients: a propensity matched analysis of nationwide inpatient sample database.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) is more prevalent among COVID-19 patients than other critically ill patients, but studies on this are limited. This study compared clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes among COVID-19 patients with concomitant PTX to provide insight into how PTX affects health care utilization and complications, which informs clinical decisions and healthcare resource allocation. METHODS: The 2020 Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used analyze patient demographics and outcomes, including age, race, sex, insurance status, median income, length of hospital stay, mortality rate, hospitalization costs, comorbidities, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor support. Propensity score matching was employed for additional analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,572,815 COVID-19 patients, 1.41% had PTX. These patients incurred significantly higher hospitalization costs ($435,508 vs. $96,668, p < 0.001) and longer stays (23.6 days vs. 8.6 days, p < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was substantially elevated for PTX patients (65.8% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001), with an adjusted odds ratio of 14.3 (95% CI 12.7-16.2). Additionally, these patients were more likely to require vasopressors (16.6% vs. 3.3%), mechanical circulatory support (3.5% vs. 0.3%), hemodialysis (16.6% vs. 5.6%), invasive mechanical ventilation (76.9% vs. 15.1%), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (19.1% vs. 5.8%), tracheostomy (13.3% vs. 1.1%), and chest tube placement (59.8% vs. 0.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the severe impact of PTX on COVID-19 patients, characterized by higher mortality, more complications, and increased resource utilization. Also, being Hispanic, male, or obese increased the risk of developing concomitant PTX with COVID-19.

Dynamic interplay of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with plants: Influencing factors, action mechanisms, and assessment of stimulatory and inhibitory effects.

Nanoparticles (NPs) of metals and metal oxides have received increasing attention regarding their characteristic behavior in plant systems. The fate and transport of metal NPs and metal oxide NPs in plants is of emerging concern for researchers because they ultimately become part of the food chain. The widespread use of metal-based NPs (MBNPs) in plants has revealed their beneficial and harmful effects. This review addresses the main factors affecting the uptake, translocation, absorption, bioavailability, toxicity, and accumulation of MBNPs in different plant species. It appraises the mechanism of nanoparticle-plant interaction in detail and provides understanding of the estimation strategies for the associated pros and cons with this interplay. Critical parameters of NPs include, but are not limited to, particle size and shape, surface chemistry, surface charge, concentration, solubility, and exposure route. On exposure to MBNPs, the molecular, physiological, and biochemical reactions of plants have been assessed. We have filled knowledge gaps and answered research questions regarding the positive and negative effects of metal and metal oxide NPs on seed germination, callus induction, growth and yield of plant, nutritional content, antioxidants, and enzymes. Besides, the phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and detoxification studies of MBNPs in plants have been outlined. Furthermore, the recent developments and future perspectives of the two-way traffic of interplay of MBNPs and plants have been provided in this comprehensive review.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy against Escherichia coli by exploiting endogenously produced Protoporphyrin IX- In vitro study.

Due to antimicrobial drug resistance, there is a growing interest in the development of light based alternative antibacterial therapies. This research work is focused on the inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by exploiting the absorption bands 405, 505, 542, 580 and 631 nm of its indigenously produced Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) excited by three LEDs with broad emission bands at 418, 522 and 630 nm and two laser diodes with narrow emission bands at 405 and 635 nm. Fluorescence spectroscopy and plate count method have been employed for studying the inactivation rate of E. coli strain in autoclaved water suspension. It has been found that LEDs at 418, 522 and 630 nm produced pronounced antimicrobial photodynamic effect on E. coli strain comparing laser diodes at 405 and 635 nm, which might be attributed to the overlapping of broad emission bands of LEDs with the absorption bands of PpIX than narrow emission bands of laser diodes. Particular effect of LED at 522 nm has been noticed because its broad emission band overlaps three absorption bands 505, 542 and 580 nm of PpIX. The gold standard plate count method strongly correlates with Fluorescence spectroscopy, making it an innovative tool to administer bacterial inactivation. The experimental results suggested the development of a light source that entirely overlap absorption bands of PpIx to produce a pronounced antimicrobial photodynamic effect, which might become an effective modality for in vivo disinfection of antibiotic resistant microbes in wounds and lesions.

Bio-perfume guns: Antifungal volatile activity of Bacillus sp. LNXM12 against postharvest pathogen Botrytis cinerea in tomato and strawberry.

Gray mold disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea is a major postharvest disease impacting fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes. This study explores the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Bacillus spp. as eco-friendly biocontrol agents against B. cinerea. In vitro experiments demonstrated that VOCs from Bacillus sp. LNXM12, B. thuringiensis GBAC46, and B. zhanghouensis LLTC93-VOCs inhibited fungal growth by 61.2%, 40.5%, and 21.6%, respectively, compared to the control. LNXM12 was selected for further experiments due to its highest control efficacy of 58.3% and 76.6% on tomato and strawberry fruits, respectively. The LNXM12 VOCs were identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and 22 VOCs were identified. Synthetic VOCs with the highest probability percentage, namely ethyloctynol, 3-methyl-2-pentanone (3M2P), 1,3-butadiene-N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and squalene were used in experiments. The results showed that the synthetic VOCs ethyloctynol and 3M2P were highly effective, with an inhibition rate of 56.8 and 57.1% against fungal mycelium radial growth at 120 µg/mL on agar plates. Trypan blue staining revealed strongly disrupted, deeper blue, and lysed mycelium in VOC-treated B. cinerea. The scanning and transmission electron microscope (SEM and TEM) results showed that fungal mycelium was smaller, irregular, and shrunken after synthetic VOC treatments. Furthermore, the synthetic VOCs Ethyloctynol and 3M2P revealed high control efficacy on tomatoes and strawberries infected by B. cinerea. The control efficacy on leaves was 67.2%, 66.1% and 64.5%, 78.4% respectively. Similarly, the control efficiency on fruits was 45.5%, 67.3% and 46.3% 65.1%. The expression of virulence genes in B. cinerea was analyzed, and the results revealed that selected genes BcSpl1, BcXyn11A, BcPG2, BcNoxB, BcNoxR, and BcPG1 were downregulated after VOCs treatment. The overall result revealed novel mechanisms by which Bacillus sp. volatiles control postharvest gray mold disease.

Multi-Objective Task-Aware Offloading and Scheduling Framework for Internet of Things Logistics.

IoT-based smart transportation monitors vehicles, cargo, and driver statuses for safe movement. Due to the limited computational capabilities of the sensors, the IoT devices require powerful remote servers to execute their tasks, and this phenomenon is called task offloading. Researchers have developed efficient task offloading and scheduling mechanisms for IoT devices to reduce energy consumption and response time. However, most research has not considered fault-tolerance-based job allocation for IoT logistics trucks, task and data-aware scheduling, priority-based task offloading, or multiple-parameter-based fog node selection. To overcome the limitations, we proposed a Multi-Objective Task-Aware Offloading and Scheduling Framework for IoT Logistics (MT-OSF). The proposed model prioritizes the tasks into delay-sensitive and computation-intensive tasks using a priority-based offloader and forwards the two lists to the Task-Aware Scheduler (TAS) for further processing on fog and cloud nodes. The Task-Aware Scheduler (TAS) uses a multi-criterion decision-making process, i.e., the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), to calculate the fog nodes' priority for task allocation and scheduling. The AHP decides the fog nodes' priority based on node energy, bandwidth, RAM, and MIPS power. Similarly, the TAS also calculates the shortest distance between the IoT-enabled vehicle and the fog node to which the IoT tasks are assigned for execution. A task-aware scheduler schedules delay-sensitive tasks on nearby fog nodes while allocating computation-intensive tasks to cloud data centers using the FCFS algorithm. Fault-tolerant manager is used to check task failure; if any task fails, the proposed system re-executes the tasks, and if any fog node fails, the proposed system allocates the tasks to another fog node to reduce the task failure ratio. The proposed model is simulated in iFogSim2 and demonstrates a 7% reduction in response time, 16% reduction in energy consumption, and 22% reduction in task failure ratio in comparison to Ant Colony Optimization and Round Robin.