Linagliptin ameliorates tacrolimus-induced renal injury: role of Nrf2/HO-1 and HIF-1α/CTGF/PAI-1.

BACKGROUND: Tacrolimus (TAC) is a frequently used immunosuppressive medication in organ transplantation. However, its nephrotoxic impact limits its long-term usage. This study aims to investigate the effect of linagliptin (Lina) on TAC-induced renal injury and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-two Sprague Dawley rats were treated with TAC (1.5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously) and/or Lina (5 mg/kg/day, orally) for 4 weeks. Histological examination was conducted, and serum and urinary biomarkers were measured to assess kidney function and integrity. Furthermore, ELISA, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical assay were employed to determine signaling molecules of oxidative stress, profibrogenic, hypoxic, and apoptotic proteins. Tacrolimus caused renal dysfunction and histological deterioration evidenced by increased serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary cystatin C, and decreased serum albumin as well as elevated tubular injury and interstitial fibrosis scores. Additionally, TAC significantly increased the expression of collagen type-1, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-ß1) renal content. Moreover, TAC decreased the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2). In addition, TAC increased protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor1-alpha (HIF-1α), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), as well as nitric oxide (NO), 4-hydroxynonenal, caspase-3 and Bax renal contents. Furthermore, TAC decreased Bcl-2 renal contents. The Lina administration markedly attenuated these alterations. CONCLUSION: Lina ameliorated TAC-induced kidney injury through modulation of oxidative stress, hypoxia, and apoptosis related proteins.

Linagliptin Mitigates TGF-ß1 Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Tacrolimus-Induced Renal Interstitial Fibrosis via Smad/ERK/P38 and HIF-1α/LOXL2 Signaling Pathways.

The dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, a novel anti-diabetic medication family, are renoprotective in diabetes, but a comparable benefit in chronic non-diabetic kidney diseases is still under investigation. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of linagliptin's (Lina) protective role in a rat model of chronic kidney injury caused by tacrolimus (TAC) independent of blood glucose levels. Thirty-two adult male Sprague Dawley rats were equally randomized into four groups and treated daily for 28 d as follows: The control group; received olive oil (1 mL/kg/d, subcutaneously), group 2; received Lina (5 mg/kg/d, orally), group 3; received TAC (1.5 mg/kg/d, subcutaneously), group 4; received TAC plus Lina concomitantly in doses as the same previous groups. Blood and urine samples were collected to investigate renal function indices and tubular injury markers. Additionally, signaling molecules, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and fibrotic-related proteins in kidney tissue were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis, immunohistochemical and histological examinations. Tacrolimus markedly induced renal injury and fibrosis as indicated by renal dysfunction, histological damage, and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. It also increased transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), Smad4, p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2/ERK1/2, and p-P38/P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein levels. These alterations were markedly attenuated by the Lina administration. Moreover, Lina significantly inhibited EMT, evidenced by inhibiting Vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and elevating E-cadherin. Furthermore, Lina diminished hypoxia-related protein levels with a subsequent reduction in Snail and Twist expressions. We concluded that Lina may protect against TAC-induced interstitial fibrosis by modulating TGF-ß1 mediated EMT via Smad-dependent and independent signaling pathways.

Hydroxytyrosol Alleviates Methotrexate-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats: Involvement of TGF-ß1, Tissue Factor, and VEGF.

Methotrexate (MTX) is an indispensable drug used for the treatment of many autoimmune and cancerous diseases. However, its clinical use is associated with serious side effects, such as lung fibrosis. The main objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that hydroxytyrosol (HT) can mitigate MTX-induced lung fibrosis in rats while synergizing MTX anticancer effects. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in the rats using MTX (14 mg/kg/week, per os (p.o.)). The rats were treated with or without HT (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d p.o.) or dexamethasone (DEX; 0.5 mg/kg/d, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) for two weeks concomitantly with MTX. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), interleukin-4 (IL-4), thromboxane A2 (TXA2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG), tissue factor (TF) and fibrin were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, and RT-PCR. Pulmonary fibrosis was manifested by an excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and a marked increase in TGF-ß1 and IL-4 in lung tissues. Furthermore, cotreatment with HT or dexamethasone (DEX) significantly attenuated MTX-induced ECM deposition, TGF-ß1, and IL-4 expression. Similarly, HT or DEX notably reduced hydroxyproline contents, TXA2, fibrin, and TF expression in lung tissues. Moreover, using HT or DEX downregulated the gene expression of TF. A significant decrease in lung contents of VEGF, IL-8, and 8-OHdG was also observed in HT + MTX- or DEX + MTX -treated animals in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, the results of our study suggest that HT might represent a potential protective agent against MTX-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

PRIMA-1 synergizes olaparib-induced cell death in p53 mutant triple negative human breast cancer cell line via restoring p53 function, arresting cell cycle, and inducing apoptosis.

This study concerned with assessing the effect of restoring p53 using PRIMA-1 on the anti-cancer activity of olaparib against TP53-mutant triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and exploring the optimum synergistic concentrations and the underlying mechanism. Human BC cell lines, MDA-MB-231 with mutated TP53 gene, and MCF-7 with wild-type TP53 gene were treated with olaparib and/or PRIMA-1. The IC50 value for olaparib was significantly decreased by PRIMA-1 in MDA-MB-231 cells compared to MCF-7 cells. Contrary to MCF-7 cells, co-treatment with olaparib and PRIMA-1 had a synergistic anti-proliferative effect in MDA-MB-231 at all tested concentrations with the best synergistic combination at 45 and 8.5 µM, respectively, and furthermore PRIMA-1 enhanced olaparib-induced apoptosis. This synergistic apoptotic effect was associated with a significant boost in mRNA expression of TP53 gene, cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, modulation of BRCA-1, BAX and Bcl2 proteins expressions, and induction of active caspase-3. These results present a clue for the utility of combined olaparib and PRIMA-1 in treatment of TP53-mutant TNBC invitro. PRIMA-1 triggers olaparib-induced MDA-MB-231 cell death in a synergistic manner via restoring TP53, decreasing BRCA-1 expression, cell cycle arrest, and enhancement of apoptosis via p53/BAX/Bcl2/caspase 3 pathway.

Production and evaluation of novel functional cream cottage cheese fortified with bovine colostrum and probiotic bacteria.

Nutrient-dense colostrum can be employed as a functional food ingredient. This work aimed to produce novel functional probiotic Cream cottage cheese (FPC) using probiotic (ABT) culture and bovine colostrum powder (BCP) at levels of 1, 2, and 3%. Physicochemical and functional properties (antioxidant activity, fatty acid profile, and antibacterial activity) were analyzed. The outcome revealed that hardness, cohesiveness, and gumminess were increased while springiness and chewiness were decreased for the treated cheeses. In FPC, medium-chain fatty acids were the predominant forms, followed by short- and long-chain fatty acids, polyunsaturated (PUFA), and small amounts of monounsaturated (MUFA). The antioxidant activity of all the cheese samples was significantly (P < 0.05) increased by increasing the quantity of colostrum powder and lengthening storage time. Color parameters were influenced by enrichment with BCP, whether in fresh or stored samples. With the addition of BCP, the growth of lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria was enhanced, whereas that of pathogenic bacteria, mold and yeast, and coliform groups was inhibited. Cheeses fortified with 2% BCP had significantly higher score values than those in the other treatments. Therefore, it could be concluded that cottage cheese fortified with 2% BCP has high nutritional value and health benefits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05910-0.

Zirconium Metal-Organic Cages: Synthesis and Applications.

ConspectusFor the last two decades, materials scientists have contributed to a growing library of porous crystalline materials. These synthetic materials are typically extended networks, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), or discrete materials like metal-organic cages (MOCs) and porous organic cages (POCs). Advanced porous materials have shown promise for various applications due to their modular nature and structural tunability. MOCs have recently garnered attention because of their molecularity that bestows them with many unique possibilities (e.g., solution-processability, structural diversity, and postsynthetic processability).MOCs are discrete molecular assemblies of organic ligands coordinated with either metal cations or metal oxide clusters of different nuclearities, resulting in architectures with inherent porosity. Notably, the molecular nature of MOCs endows them with easy solution-processability unattainable with traditional framework materials. To date, a number of stable MOCs have been reported, such as those based on Rh (Rh-O bond energy: 405 ± 42 kJ/mol), Fe (Fe-O bond energy: 407.0 ± 1.0 kJ/mol), Cr (Cr-O bond energy: 461 ± 8.7 kJ/mol), Ti (Ti-O bond energy: 666.5 ± 5.6 kJ/mol), and Zr (Zr-O bond energy: 766.1 ± 10.6 kJ/mol). Paddle-wheel MOCs have also shown great stability in aqueous environments due to their rigid backbones. The zirconium MOC (Zr-MOCs) family emerges as a class of very robust cages for which their high bond energy endows them with high hydrothermal stability.In 2013, we reported the first four zirconocene tetrahedrons assembled from trinuclear zirconium oxide clusters with ditopic or tritopic organic ligands. Since then, significant progress in the rational design of Zr-MOC has led to an assortment of structures dedicated to meaningful applications.In this Account, we highlight the recent progress in synthesizing Zr-MOCs and Zr-MOC-based higher dimensional frameworks and their applications dedicated in our laboratories and beyond. The general Zr-MOC synthetic strategy involves assembling Zr trinuclear clusters with organic ligands (rigid or flexible) containing various functional groups. This chemistry has afforded cages with structural versatility and active sites, e.g., amino groups, for postsynthetic modifications (PSMs). Since the extrinsic porosity of cage-based frameworks is relatively weak, the resulting frameworks are susceptible to structural rearrangement after solvent removal. To circumvent this limitation, increasing the hydrogen bond ratio and strength between interlinked cages and conducting in situ catalytic polymerizations have been reported to afford permanently porous structures amenable to host-guest reactions.To expand their potential applications, multifunctional Zr-MOCs are highly desired. Such multivariate MOCs can be attained by either employing the isoreticular expansion strategy to create MOCs with high surface areas or using mixed-ligand approaches to afford heterogeneous MOCs. In addition, amorphous MOCs, flexible organic ligands, new functionalities, and MOC-based extended networks are exciting new approaches to developing materials with structural versatility and enhanced characteristics. Thereby, we believe the stability and versatility of the Zr-MOC family hold great potential in expanding and addressing challenging applications.

Effect of Functional Groups on Low-Concentration Carbon Dioxide Capture in UiO-66-Type Metal-Organic Frameworks.

The selective capture of low-concentration CO2 from air or confined spaces remains a great challenge. In this study, various functional groups were introduced into UiO-66 to generate functionalized derivatives (UiO-66-R, R = NO2, NH2, OH, and CH3), aiming at significantly enhancing CO2 adsorption and separation efficiency. More significantly, UiO-66-NO2 and UiO-66-NH2 with high polarity exhibit exceptional CO2 affinity and optimal separation characteristics in mixed CO2/O2/N2 (1:21:78). In addition, the impressive stability of UiO-66-NO2 and UiO-66-NH2 endows them with excellent recycling stability. The effective adsorption and separation performances demonstrated by these two functional materials suggest their potential as promising physical adsorbents for capturing low-concentration CO2.

Numerical analysis of magnetohydrodynamics in an Eyring-Powell hybrid nanofluid flow on wall jet heat and mass transfer.

The customization of hybrid nanofluids to achieve a particular and controlled growth rate of thermal transport is done to meet the needs of applications in heating and cooling systems, aerospace and automotive industries, etc. Due to the extensive applications, the aim of the current paper is to derive a numerical solution to a wall jet flow problem through a stretching surface. To study the flow problem, authors have considered a non-Newtonian Eyring-Powell hybrid nanofluid with water and CoFe2O4and TiO2nanoparticles. Furthermore, the impact of a magnetic field and irregular heat sink/source are studied. To comply with the applications of the wall jet flow, the authors have presented the numerical solution for two cases; with and without a magnetic field. The numerical solution is derived with a similarity transformation and MATLAB-based bvp4c solver. The value of skin friction for wall jet flow at the surface decreases by more than 50% when the magnetic fieldMA=0.2is present. The stream function value is higher for the wall jet flow without the magnetic field. The temperature of the flow rises with the dominant strength of the heat source parameters. The results of this investigation will be beneficial to various applications that utilize the applications of a wall jet, such as in car defrosters, spray paint drying for vehicles or houses, cooling structures for the CPU of high-processor laptops, sluice gate flows, and cooling jets over turbo-machinery components, etc.

Estrogen Attenuates Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Female Rats via Modulation of Estrogen Receptor/FASN/CD36/IL-6 Axis.

This study was designed to evaluate the potential protective impact of estrogen and estrogen receptor against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. The levels of liver injury serum biomarkers, liver content of interleukin-6 (IL-6), relative liver weight and distortion of liver histological pictures were significantly increased in ovariectomized (OVX) rats and SHAM rats that received DEN alone and were further exaggerated when DEN was combined with fulvestrant (F) compared to non-DEN treated rats. The OVX rats showed higher insults than SHAM rats. The tapering impact on these parameters was clear in OVX rats that received estradiol benzoate (EB), silymarin (S) or orlistat (ORS). The immunohistochemistry and/or Western blot analysis of liver tissues showed a prominent increase in fatty acid synthase (FASN) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) expressions in OVX and SHAM rats who received DEN and/ or F compared to SHAM rats. In contrast to S, treatment of OVX rats with EB mitigated DEN-induced expression of FASN and CD36 in liver tissue, while ORS improved DEN-induced expression of FASN. In conclusion, the protective effect against HCC was mediated via estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) which abrogates its downstream genes involved in lipid metabolism namely FASN and CD36 depriving the tumor from survival vital energy source. In addition, ORS induced similar mitigating effect against DEN-induced HCC which could be attributed to FASN inhibition and anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, S alleviated DEN-induced HCC, independent of its estrogenic effect.

Association of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) gene polymorphism with growth and litter-related traits in NMER rabbits.

This study investigated the associations between the c.189G > T polymorphism of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) gene and the growth and litter size-related traits in the Native rabbit in Middle Egypt (NMER). One hundred sixty-two NMER rabbits were genotyped by RFLP-PCR using Sau3AI restriction enzyme and the associations of the reported genotypes with body weights at 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th week old, body gain, and daily gain plus, the litter size-related traits were determined. Additionally, the genotypic and allelic frequencies, the effective (Ne) and observed (NA) numbers of alleles, observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), and the decrease in heterozygosity because of inbreeding (FIS) were calculated. Three genotypes; GG, GT, and TT with 0.65, 0.33, and 0.02 frequencies, respectively which fit HWE were reported. These genotypes displayed a marked low FIS value. Significant associations of the genotypes with the body weights, and gains, except at the 5th week old determined with superiority of the GT genotype compared with the other genotypes. All reported litter size-related traits significantly varied among different genotypes. In summary, the c.189G > T SNP of the IRS-1 gene is an effective genetic marker to improve growth performance and litter size traits of the NMER rabbits.

Promising anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-inflammatory metabolites from unused parts of Phoenix dactylifera CV 'Zaghloul': in vitro and in silico study.

CONTEXT: Date palm waste is an agricultural waste that accumulates in massive amounts causing serious pollution and environmental problems. OBJECTIVES: Date palm trees, Phoenix dactylifera Linn CV 'Zaghloul' (Arecaceae) grown in Egypt, leave behind waste products that were investigated to produce compounds with anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-inflammatory activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chromatographic workup of P. dactylifera aqueous methanol extract derived from fibrous mesh and fruit bunch (without fruit) afforded a new sesquiterpene lactone derivative, phodactolide A (1), along with ten known compounds (2-11), primarily identified as polyphenols. Chemical structures were unambiguously elucidated based on mass and 1D/2D NMR spectroscopy. All isolated compounds were assessed for their activities against H. pylori using broth micro-well dilution method and clarithromycin as a positive control. The anti-inflammatory response of isolated compounds was evaluated by inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme using TMPD Assay followed by an in silico study to validate their mechanism of action using celecoxib as a standard drug. RESULTS: Compounds 4, 6 and 8-10 exhibited potent anti-H. pylori activity with MIC values ranging from 0.48 to 1.95 µg/mL that were comparable to or more potent than clarithromycin. For COX-2 inhibitory assay, 4, 7 and 8 revealed promising activities with IC50 values of 1.04, 0.65 and 0.45 µg/mL, respectively. These results were verified by molecular docking studies, where 4, 7 and 8 showed the best interactions with key amino acid residues of COX-2 active site. CONCLUSION: The present study characterizes a new sesquiterpene lactone and recommends 4 and 8 for future in vivo studies as plausible anti-ulcer remedies.

Spirulina platensis extract improves the production and defenses of the common bean grown in a heavy metals-contaminated saline soil.

Plants have to cope with several abiotic stresses, including salinity and heavy metals (HMs). Under these stresses, several extracts have been used as effective natural biostimulants, however, the use of Spirulina platensis (SP) extract (SPE) remains elusive. The effects of SPE were evaluated as soil addition (SA) and/or foliar spraying (FS) on antioxidant defenses and HMs content of common bean grown in saline soil contaminated with HMs. Individual (40 or 80 mg SPE/hill added as SA or 20 or 40 mg SPE/plant added as FS) or integrative (SA+FS) applications of SPE showed significant improvements in the following order: SA-80+FS-40 > SA-80+FS-20 > SA-40+FS-40 > SA-40+FS-20 > SA-80 > SA-40 > FS-40 > FS-20 > control. Therefore, the integrative SA+FS with 40 mg SP/plant was the most effective treatment in increasing plant growth and production, overcoming stress effects and minimizing contamination of the edible part. It significantly increased plant growth (74%-185%) and yield (107%-227%) by enhancing net photosynthetic rate (78.5%), stomatal conductance (104%), transpiration rate (124%), and contents of carotenoids (60.0%), chlorophylls (49%-51%), and NPK (271%-366%). These results were concurrent with the marked reductions in malondialdehyde (61.6%), hydrogen peroxide (42.2%), nickel (91%-94%), lead (80%-9%), and cadmium (74%-91%) contents due to the improved contents of glutathione (87.1%), ascorbate (37.0%), and α-tocopherol (77.2%), and the activities of catalase (18.1%), ascorbate peroxidase (18.3%), superoxide dismutase (192%), and glutathione reductase (52.2%) as reinforcing mechanisms. Therefore, this most effective treatment is recommended to mitigate the stress effects of salinity and HMs on common bean production while minimizing HMs in the edible part.

Proposed Mechanism for Emodin as Agent for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: In Vitro Testing and In Silico Study.

In the search for a new anti-MRSA lead compound, emodin was identified as a good lead against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Emodin serves as a new scaffold to design novel and effective anti-MRSA agents. Because rational drug discovery is limited by the knowledge of the drug target, α-hemolysin of Staphylococcus aureus was used in this study because it has an essential role in Staphylococcus infections and because emodin shares structural features with compounds that target this enzyme. In order to explore emodin's interactions with α-hemolysin, all possible ligand binding pockets were identified and investigated. Two ligand pockets were detected based on bound ligands and other reports. The third pocket was identified as a cryptic site after molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. MD simulations were conducted for emodin in each pocket to identify the most plausible ligand site and to aid in the design of potent anti-MRSA agents. Binding of emodin to site 1 was most stable (RMSD changes within 1 Å), while in site 2, the binding pose of emodin fluctuated, and it left after 20 ns. In site 3, it was stable during the first 50 ns, and then it started to move out of the binding site. Site 1 is a possible ligand binding pocket, and this study sheds more light on interaction types, binding mode, and key amino acids involved in ligand binding essential for better lead design. Emodin showed an IC50 value of 6.3 µg/mL, while 1, 6, and 8 triacetyl emodin showed no activity against MRSA. A molecular modeling study was pursued to better understand effective binding requirements for a lead.

Global patterns of soil gross immobilization of ammonium and nitrate in terrestrial ecosystems.

Microbial nitrogen (N) immobilization, which typically results in soil N retention but based on the balance of gross N immobilization over gross N production, affects the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N. However, global patterns and drivers of soil gross immobilization of ammonium (INH4 ) and nitrate (INO3 ) are still only tentatively known. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis considering gross N production rates, soil properties, and climate and their interactions for a deeper understanding of the patterns and drivers of INH4 and INO3 . By compiling and analyzing 1966 observations from 274 15 N-labelled studies, we found a global average of INH4 and INO3 of 7.41 ± 0.72 and 2.03 ± 0.30 mg N kg-1  day-1 with a ratio of INO3 to INH4 (INO3 :INH4 ) of 0.79 ± 0.11. Soil INH4 and INO3 increased with increasing soil gross N mineralization (GNM) and nitrification (GN), microbial biomass, organic carbon, and total N and decreasing soil bulk density. Our analysis revealed that GNM and GN were the main stimulators for INH4 and INO3 , respectively. The structural equation modeling showed that higher soil microbial biomass, total N, pH, and precipitation stimulate INH4 and INO3 through enhancing GNM and GN. However, higher temperature and soil bulk density suppress INH4 and INO3 by reducing microbial biomass and total N. Soil INH4 varied with terrestrial ecosystems, being greater in grasslands and forests, which have higher rates of GNM, than in croplands. The highest INO3 :INH4 was observed in croplands, which had higher rates of GN. The global average of GN to INH4 was 2.86 ± 0.31, manifesting a high potential risk of N loss. We highlight that anthropogenic activities that influence soil properties and gross N production rates likely interact with future climate changes and land uses to affect soil N immobilization and, eventually, the fate of the anthropogenic reactive N.

Endoscopic procedure as a diagnostic tool for intestinal parasitic pathological changes.

Parasitic infections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) may cause severe morbidity and even death in untreated patients. In certain cases, endoscopy may be the only possible option for diagnosis and management of GIT parasitic diseases. This study aimed to elucidate the role of endoscopy in the identification of GIT pathological changes during parasitic infections. Three hundred patients suffering from GIT manifestation were enrolled in this study. Stool samples were collected from all patients and examined for the presence of parasitic stages by direct and concentrated techniques. Parasite-infected patients were further examined by CBC and narrow-band endoscopic procedure. Stool examination has demonstrated parasitic stages in stool samples of 100 (33.3%) patients. Eighty-nine patients (89%) had a single parasitic infection while 11 patients (11%) had mixed infections. Complete blood examination of infected patients was within the normal ranges in almost all types of infections except for eosinophilia in some of them. Upper endoscopic examination revealed that parasitic infections led to various pathological changes in the esophagus (6%), stomach (42%), and duodenum (50%). Colonoscopy revealed abnormal findings at the rectum (25%) and the colon (32%). In conclusion, the endoscopic examination can be considered an important diagnostic option for the detection of pathological changes in GIT during chronic parasitic diseases and can be included in the differential diagnosis of other GIT pathological changes detected by endoscopy.

Flupyradifurone induces transgenerational hormesis effects in the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora.

With low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition, insecticide-induced hormesis, a biphasic phenomenon, can contribute to pest resurgence. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora (Koch) (Homoptera: Aphididae), is a vital insect that infests legume crops. Its hormesis of flupyradifurone has not been previously established. Age-stage two-sex life analysis is used to investigate the sublethal and transgenerational effects of flupyradifurone on two successive generations of A. craccivora. A leaf-dip bioassay method revealed high toxicity of flupyradifurone against A. craccivora, with lethal concentration 50% value (LC50) of 1.82 mg L-1 after 48 h exposure. Treatment of parent generation (F0) with LC10 and LC25 of flupyradifurone significantly increased the longevity and fecundity of the directly exposed adults. The results of transgenerational effects showed that the treatment of (F0) with LC25 induced significant hormetic effects in progeny generation (F1). Furthermore, flupyradifurone at LC25 significantly enhanced the biological traits, such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproductive rate (R0) compared with the control. Similarly, both LC10 and LC25 induced a significant increase in the mean generation time T (d). Conversely, both treatments caused a significant decrease in the doubling time (DT). Data in the present study demonstrate that the exposure of (F0) to flupyradifurone at LC10 and LC25 enhanced longevity and fecundity in the directly exposed adults of A. craccivora, and induced transgenerational hormesis across the subsequent (F1) generation. These results should be taken into consideration when using flupyradifurone for controlling cowpea aphid.

Enhancement of the CAST Block Algorithm Based on Novel S-Box for Image Encryption.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: due to the rapid growth of data communication and multimedia system applications, security becomes a critical issue in the communication and storage of images. This study aims to improve encryption and decryption for various types of images by decreasing time consumption and strengthening security. METHODOLOGY: An algorithm is proposed for encrypting images based on the Carlisle Adams and Stafford Tavares CAST block cipher algorithm with 3D and 2D logistic maps. A chaotic function that increases the randomness in the encrypted data and images, thereby breaking the relation sequence through the encryption procedure, is introduced. The time is decreased by using three secure and private S-Boxes rather than using six S-Boxes, as in the traditional method. Moreover, the CAST encryption algorithm was modified to be used on the private keys and substitution stage (S-Boxes), with the keys and S-Boxes of the encryption algorithm being generated according to the 2D and 3D chaotic map functions. The proposed system passed all evaluation criteria, including (MSE, PSNR, EQ, MD, SC, NC, AD, SNR, SIM, MAE, Time, CC, Entropy, and histograms). RESULTS: Moreover, the results also illustrate that the created S-Boxes passed all evaluation criteria; compared with the results of the traditional method that was used in creating S-Box, the proposed method achieved better results than other methods used in the other works. The proposed solution improves the entropy which is between (7.991-7.999), reduces the processing time which is between (0.5-11 s/Images), and improves NCPR, which is between (0.991-1). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed solution focuses on reducing the total processing time for encryption and decryption and improving transmission security. Finally, this solution provides a fast security system for surgical telepresence with secure real-time communication. The complexity of this work needs to know the S-Box creation method used, the chaotic method, the values of the chaotic parameters, and which of these methods was used in the encryption process.

Identification and Quantification of Anthocyanin and Catechin Compounds in Purple Tea Leaves and Flakes.

Tea is the first most popular beverage worldwide and is available in several selections such as black (fully oxidized), Oolong (partially oxidized) and green (non-oxidized), in addition to purple tea, an emerging variety derived from the same tea plant (Camellia sinensis). This study investigated purple tea leaves (non-oxidized) and flakes (water extractable) to thoroughly identify their composition of anthocyanins and catechins and to study the effect of a water extraction process on their compositional properties in comparison with green tea. Anthocyanin and catechin compounds were separated and quantified using UPLC, and their identity was confirmed using LC-MS/MS in positive and negative ionization modes. Delphinidin was the principal anthocyaninidin in purple tea, while cyanidin came in second. The major anthocyanin pigments in purple tea were delphinidin-coumaroyl-hexoside followed by delphinidin-3-galactoside and cyanidin-coumaroyl-hexoside. The water extraction process resulted in substantial reductions in anthocyanins in purple tea flakes. There were no anthocyanin compounds detected in green tea samples. Both purple and green tea types were rich in catechins, with green tea containing higher concentrations than purple tea. The main catechin in purple or green tea was epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) followed by either epicatechin gallate (ECG) or epigallocatechin (EGC), subject to tea type. The extraction process increased the concentration of catechins in both purple and green tea flakes. The results suggest that purple tea holds promise in making healthy brews, natural colorants and antioxidants and/or functional ingredients for beverages, cosmetics and healthcare industries due to its high content of anthocyanins and catechins.

Identification of Carotenoids in Hairless Canary Seed and the Effect of Baking on Their Composition in Bread and Muffin Products.

Carotenoids are essential components in the human diet due to their positive functions in ocular and cognitive health. This study investigated composition of carotenoids in hairless canary seed (HCS) as a novel food and the effect of baking on carotenoids in bread and muffin made from HCS, wheat and corn. Three bread formulations made from wheat and HCS blends were evaluated and compared with control wheat bread. In addition, three low-fat muffin recipes prepared from HCS alone or in blends with corn were assessed. The fate of carotenoid compounds in breads and muffins was monitored after dry mixing, dough/batter formation and oven baking. Carotenoids in products were quantified using UPLC and their identification was confirmed based on LC-MS/MS. Hairless canary seed and corn were fairly rich in carotenoids with a total content of 7.6 and 12.9 µg/g, respectively, compared with wheat (1.3 µg/g). Nineteen carotenoid compounds were identified, with all-trans lutein being the principal carotenoid in HCS followed by lutein 3-O-linoleate, lutein 3-O-oleate and lutein di-linoleate. There were significant reductions in carotenoids in muffin and bread products. It appears that batter or dough preparation causes more reductions in carotenoids than oven baking, probably due to enzymatic oxidation and degradation. Muffin-making resulted in lower lutein reductions compared with the bread-making process. The results suggest that muffins made from hairless canary seed alone or in blends with corn could boost the daily intake of lutein and/or zeaxanthin.

Some Novel Results Involving Prototypical Computation of Zagreb Polynomials and Indices for SiO4 Embedded in a Chain of Silicates.

A topological index as a graph parameter was obtained mathematically from the graph's topological structure. These indices are useful for measuring the various chemical characteristics of chemical compounds in the chemical graph theory. The number of atoms that surround an atom in the molecular structure of a chemical compound determines its valency. A significant number of valency-based molecular invariants have been proposed, which connect various physicochemical aspects of chemical compounds, such as vapour pressure, stability, elastic energy, and numerous others. Molecules are linked with numerical values in a molecular network, and topological indices are a term for these values. In theoretical chemistry, topological indices are frequently used to simulate the physicochemical characteristics of chemical molecules. Zagreb indices are commonly employed by mathematicians to determine the strain energy, melting point, boiling temperature, distortion, and stability of a chemical compound. The purpose of this study is to look at valency-based molecular invariants for SiO4 embedded in a silicate chain under various conditions. To obtain the outcomes, the approach of atom-bond partitioning according to atom valences was applied by using the application of spectral graph theory, and we obtained different tables of atom-bond partitions of SiO4. We obtained exact values of valency-based molecular invariants, notably the first Zagreb, the second Zagreb, the hyper-Zagreb, the modified Zagreb, the enhanced Zagreb, and the redefined Zagreb (first, second, and third). We also provide a graphical depiction of the results that explains the reliance of topological indices on the specified polynomial structure parameters.