Intrinsic relationship of outdoor activities between climate change and coastal management: Fresh evidence from the spatial analysis of China.

By utilizing the mediation effect model and the spatial Durbin model, this research investigates the influence that environmental restrictions have had on marine pollution in 38 coastal prefecture-level cities from the years 2000-2018. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effect that environmental legislation has on contamination in offshore regions as well as its primary goal, the research takes a variety of different approaches into consideration. Following are the findings from the study; Firstly, pollution levels in coastal marine areas tend to rise at first and then fall when environmental laws are enacted, illustrating a non-linear pattern known as an inverted "U" shape. In order to improve the maritime environment through environmental legislation, it is crucial to support new green technologies. There is a "U" shaped linkage amongst environmental legislation and development of environmentally friendly technologies. Spatial spillover effects may allow for the regulation of coastal city environments to affect marine pollution in neighboring areas. Secondly, there is also an inverted "U" pattern visible in the impact trajectory of this effect. According to the results of this research, it is crucial to set up a strict and factually sound regulatory framework in the field of marine environmental governance. It is also suggested that local context be taken into account while crafting environmental regulating regulations. Also, it's crucial to promote development, dissemination, and use of green technology by completely capitalizing on the innovation's conduction effect. Thirdly, promoting cooperation efforts among areas to avoid and control such pollution is essential, and the transfer and management of offshore pollution between regions must be a top priority.

Repeated sessions of PACK-CXL WA for the treatment of resistant bacterial keratitis: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated sessions of photo-activated chromophore for keratitis-cross linking (PACK-CXL) window absorption (WA) for the treatment of resistant bacterial keratitis (BK). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective clinical cohort study. Thirty eyes with clinically suspected and lab-confirmed bacterial keratitis, resistant to appropriate antibiotic therapy- which was modified by sensitivity reports- for 2 weeks with failure of epithelialization for 4 weeks after the standard anti-microbial therapy (SAT) together with one setting of PACK-CXL WA were included. If after the first session of PACK-CXL, there is a start of improvement in the form of reduction of the size of corneal ulcer and stromal infiltrates together with the start of epithelialization on clinical examination and AS-OCT, another session of PACK-CXL WA was performed after one week, and so on, till the complete healing and resolution of bacterial keratitis and confirmation by negative bacterial culture. Identification of the micro-organisms was done by lab study before and after treatment. Corneal healing was evaluated by corneal examination and anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT). RESULTS: Thirty eyes of 30 patients were recruited in this study. They were 16 males and 14 females, their mean age was 44.3 ± 5.38 years. The mean ulcer size was 3.96 ± 1.87 (mm3), while the mean size of stromal infiltrates was 4.52 ± 2.24 (mm3). PACK-CXL WA treatment was performed an average of 2.87 times for the 30 eyes. Complete healing and resolution (Successful treatment) was observed in 27 eyes (90%) of cases and failure of epithelialization was observed only in 3 eyes (10%). Complete corneal healing was reported in the second month postoperatively in 90% of eyes. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: PACK-CXL WA may be a promising, non-invasive treatment option for resistant bacterial keratitis. It may have a synergistic effect with standard antimicrobial treatment (SAT). Also, it can overcome the antibiotics resistance that has become rapidly spreading worldwide. Repeated sessions of PACK-CXL WA may be more effective for the treatment of resistant bacterial keratitis till complete epithelialization and resolution of BK than a single session with few complications. However, further prospective and comparative studies to support the results are needed.

AI-Assisted Cotton Grading: Active and Semi-Supervised Learning to Reduce the Image-Labelling Burden.

The assessment of food and industrial crops during harvesting is important to determine the quality and downstream processing requirements, which in turn affect their market value. While machine learning models have been developed for this purpose, their deployment is hindered by the high cost of labelling the crop images to provide data for model training. This study examines the capabilities of semi-supervised and active learning to minimise effort when labelling cotton lint samples while maintaining high classification accuracy. Random forest classification models were developed using supervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and active learning to determine Egyptian cotton grade. Compared to supervised learning (80.20-82.66%) and semi-supervised learning (81.39-85.26%), active learning models were able to achieve higher accuracy (82.85-85.33%) with up to 46.4% reduction in the volume of labelled data required. The primary obstacle when using machine learning for Egyptian cotton grading is the time required for labelling cotton lint samples. However, by applying active learning, this study successfully decreased the time needed from 422.5 to 177.5 min. The findings of this study demonstrate that active learning is a promising approach for developing accurate and efficient machine learning models for grading food and industrial crops.

SMILE lenticule versus amniotic membrane graft (AMG) augmented with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of perforated corneal ulcer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of stromal lenticule obtained from small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery versus amniotic membrane graft (AMG) augmented with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of perforated corneal ulcers and compare the results between the two groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a comparative retrospective study that included 40 eyes with medium-sized corneal perforations, which were classified into two equal groups of 20 eyes each; group (A) was treated with SMILE lenticule graft and group (B) was treated with AMG augmented with PRP. Pre- and postoperative evaluations were carried out using both slit-lamp (SL) examination and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), including closure of perforation, complete healing, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). RESULTS: Complete closure of the perforation was achieved in both groups. However, healing was faster in the SMILE lenticule group than in the AMG with PRP group (P < 0.05). Complete healing was achieved in both groups: 100% in SMILE lenticule group and 95% in AMG with PRP group (P > 0.05). Both groups had few insignificant complications (30% in each), which were managed. CONCLUSION: Both methods achieved adequate healing of corneal perforations within few weeks without significant complications. However, the stromal lenticule obtained from small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery tended to be safer with faster healing than AMG with PRP.

Domain Adaptation for In-Line Allergen Classification of Agri-Food Powders Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

The addition of incorrect agri-food powders to a production line due to human error is a large safety concern in food and drink manufacturing, owing to incorporation of allergens in the final product. This work combines near-infrared spectroscopy with machine-learning models for early detection of this problem. Specifically, domain adaptation is used to transfer models from spectra acquired under stationary conditions to moving samples, thereby minimizing the volume of labelled data required to collect on a production line. Two deep-learning domain-adaptation methodologies are used: domain-adversarial neural networks and semisupervised generative adversarial neural networks. Overall, accuracy of up to 96.0% was achieved using no labelled data from the target domain moving spectra, and up to 99.68% was achieved when incorporating a single labelled data instance for each material into model training. Using both domain-adaptation methodologies together achieved the highest prediction accuracies on average, as did combining measurements from two near-infrared spectroscopy sensors with different wavelength ranges. Ensemble methods were used to further increase model accuracy and provide quantification of model uncertainty, and a feature-permutation method was used for global interpretability of the models.

Psychiatric comorbidities in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

BACKGROUND: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are major challenges for diagnosis and management. The heterogeneity of psychogenic seizures is attributed to diverse psychopathological comorbidities, and the causal relationship between PNES and underlying psychopathologies is still enigmatic. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study psychiatric comorbidities and personality constructs in patients with PNES and compare them to a control group of patients with epilepsy. METHOD: We randomly recruited 33 patients with PNES and 33 patients with epilepsy. All patients completed the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to screen for psychiatric comorbidities, the Structured Clinical Interview for psychiatric disorders in Axis II (SCID II) to screen for personality disorders, and Goldberg's International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Big Five personality questionnaire to study the psychological constructs of extroversion-introversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability-neuroticism, and intellect. RESULT: Mood and anxiety disorders were highly prevalent in patients with PNES (72.7% and 54.5%, respectively); however, the prevalence of only cluster B personality disorder was higher in patients with PNES (69.7%) compared to 33.3% among patients with epilepsy (p < 0.05). Screening for personality disorders using SCID II showed that the prevalence of borderline and depressive personality disorders was significantly higher in patients with PNES (p < 0.001). Patients with psychogenic seizures were more likely to be receiving polydrug therapy (75.8%) compared to patients with epileptic seizures (45.5%); this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Psychiatric comorbidities are highly prevalent among patients with PNES.

Biological Aspects of the Tongue and Oropharyngeal Cavity of the Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto, Columbiformes, Columbidae): Anatomical, Histochemical, and Ultrastructure Study.

We characterized the morphological and anatomical adaptations of the lingual microstructures of the Eurasian collared dove and discussed their implications for its dietary niche. We analyzed tongues of nine S. decaocto using histological, histochemical, stereomicroscopic, and scanning electron microscopic techniques. Our findings showed that the tongue is relatively short with a tapered apex that carries a terminal lingual nail. However, the lingual body has median scales and is bordered laterally by filiform papillae. Further, the tongue body bears a distinctive papillary crest. The tongue root is nonpapillate and infiltered with orifices of the posterior salivary glands. The bulky laryngeal mound has a circular glottic fissure, carrying a single row of papillae at the rear edge. Concurrently, our histological and histochemical findings demonstrate that the tongue has taste buds, anterior and posterior salivary glands, along with an elongated entoglossum that extends from lingual apex to root. Besides, ovoid and globular mucous glands displayed intense alcianophilic reactions. More substantially, the palate is made up of three palatine ridges with a caudal choanal cleft that was bounded by two rows of palatine papillae. Our data indicate multiple and novel structural variations for the lingual and palatal sculptures coopted for their feeding style.

The Effect of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy on Emotion Dysregulation in Couples.

BACKGROUND: Divorce rates have increased during the last decade, leading to a greater focus of marital scholars on the importance of understanding couple-maintaining strategies within marital life. Distresses in couples are attributable to difficulties controlling felt, experienced, and expressed emotions; thus, emotion dysregulation is a core stressor in couples with maladaptive responses. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) on outpatient couples to treat emotion dysregulation. METHODS: We recruited 20 couples with marital distress in which partners presented emotion dysregulation. We offered the couples the opportunity to join a couple DBT group at their convenience and based on the immediate availability of treatment slots. We measured the treatment efficacy using psychometric tools (the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Dyadic Adjustment Ccale (DAS) at baseline and after DBT therapy. RESULTS: Both male and female partners presented significant improvements in marital adjustment DAS and emotion regulation scores. Female partners showed significantly greater amplitude changes in both scales. Female partners showed significant improvement in most DERS subscales (except the GOALS subscale); on the other hand, male partners showed significant improvements in impulse, awareness, strategies, and clarity subscales. We found significant improvements in most DAS subscales in both sexes; only affectional expression remained unchanged before and after therapy. CONCLUSION: DBT for couples is an effective approach to treat emotion dysregulation.

Prevalence of Alexithymia in Patients with Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms: A Cross-sectional Study in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: There is a high incidence of alexithymia in people who report medically unexplained symptoms. There have been limited studies on the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) in various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with MUPS and examine their socio-demographic data. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 196 patients with MUPS were recruited from tertiary care internal medicine and neuropsychiatry clinics during the first quarter of 2019. Patients completed a structured interview; socio-demographic and medical history data were collected. Somatic symptom severity was assessed using the Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15). Alexithymia was assessed using the Arabic version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. RESULTS: General fatigue was the most common complaint observed, followed by headache and dyspepsia. In addition, 73.5% of patients had a high Patient Health Questionnaire score, 17.9% had somatic symptoms of medium severity, while 8% and 0.5% had low and marginal somatic symptoms, respectively. Alexithymia was presented in 49.5%, 22.9% had no alexithymia, and 27.6% had borderline/intermediate alexithymia.A weak positive correlation (r<0.4) was found between somatic symptom severity and alexithymic psychopathology (r=0.277;p<0.05). Only the 'difficulty identifying feelings' dimension of alexithymic psychopathology was positively correlated with the severity of somatic symptoms (r=0.271;p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Alexithymia is associated with the development of MUPS.

The Effect of Light Intensity, Sensor Height, and Spectral Pre-Processing Methods when using NIR Spectroscopy to Identify Different Allergen-Containing Powdered Foods.

: Food allergens present a significant health risk to the human population, so their presence must be monitored and controlled within food production environments. This is especially important for powdered food, which can contain nearly all known food allergens. Manufacturing is experiencing the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), which is the use of digital technologies, such as sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, to improve the productivity, efficiency, and safety of manufacturing processes. This work studied the potential of small low-cost sensors and machine learning to identify different powdered foods which naturally contain allergens. The research utilised a near-infrared (NIR) sensor and measurements were performed on over 50 different powdered food materials. This work focussed on several measurement and data processing parameters, which must be determined when using these sensors. These included sensor light intensity, height between sensor and food sample, and the most suitable spectra pre-processing method. It was found that the K-nearest neighbour and linear discriminant analysis machine learning methods had the highest classification prediction accuracy for identifying samples containing allergens of all methods studied. The height between the sensor and the sample had a greater effect than the sensor light intensity and the classification models performed much better when the sensor was positioned closer to the sample with the highest light intensity. The spectra pre-processing methods, which had the largest positive impact on the classification prediction accuracy, were the standard normal variate (SNV) and multiplicative scattering correction (MSC) methods. It was found that with the optimal combination of sensor height, light intensity, and spectra pre-processing, a classification prediction accuracy of 100% could be achieved, making the technique suitable for use within production environments.

Allelic variation of melanocortin-1 receptor locus in Saudi indigenous sheep exhibiting different color coats.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to characterize the DNA polymorphisms of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene in indigenous Saudi Arabian sheep breeds exhibiting different color coats, along with individuals of the Sawaknee breed, an exotic sheep imported from Sudan. METHODS: The complete coding region of MC1R gene including parts of 3' and 5' untranslated regions was amplified and sequenced from three the indigenous Saudi sheep; Najdi (generally black, n = 41), Naeimi (generally white with brown faces, n = 36) and Herri (generally white, n = 18), in addition to 13 Sawaknee sheep. RESULTS: Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in the MC1R gene: two led to nonsynonymous mutations (c.218 T>A, p.73 Met>Lys and c.361 G>A, p.121 Asp>Asn) and three led to synonymous mutations (c.429 C>T, p.143 Tyr>Tyr; c.600 T>G, p.200 Leu>Leu, and c.735 C>T, p.245 Ile>Ile). Based on these five SNPs, eight haplotypes representing MC1R Ed and E+ alleles were identified among the studied sheep breeds. The most common haplotype (H3) of the dominant Ed allele was associated with either black or brown coat color in Najdi and Sawaknee sheep, respectively. Two other haplotypes (H6 and H7) of Ed allele, with only the nonsynonymous mutation A218T, were detected for the first time in Saudi indigenous sheep. CONCLUSION: In addition to investigating the MC1R allelic variation in Saudi indigenous sheep populations, the present study supports the assumption that the two independent nonsynonymous Met73Lys and Asp121Asn mutations in MC1R gene are associated with black or red coat colors in sheep breeds.

Potential effects of samsum ant, Brachyponera sennaarensis, venom on TNF-α/NF-κB mediated inflammation in CCL4-toxicity in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Ant venom shows antimicrobial, anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory activities, both in vitro and in vivo. Our recent studies have confirmed the role of samsum ant venom (SAV) as a powerful antioxidant. This study aimed to investigate whether SAV as a potential treatment for CCl4-induced acute liver toxicity in an animal (rat) model. METHODS: Thirty-two rats were assigned into four groups; the first one served as the control. The second group received a single dose of 1 ml/kg CCl4 in a 1:1 ratio with olive oil through an intraperitoneal injection. The third group received a single dose of 1 ml/kg CCl4 and then treated with SAV at a dose of 100 µg SAV twice a week for three weeks. The fourth group received a dose of 100 µg SAV only twice a week for three weeks. ELISA, RT-PCR and histopathological examinations were applied. RESULTS: Results showed that antioxidant enzymes were significantly reduced in the diseased animals. SAV was found to significantly restore the oxidative stability in diseased animals. ELISA estimation and RT-PCR analysis also showed significant upregulation of both nuclear factor (κB) NF-κB and inhibitor (κB) IκB, respectively, in the diseased animals compared to the normal ones. The expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and pro-apoptotic receptor (Fas) were also significantly up-regulated in the diseased rats. Interestingly, SAV was found to significantly restore NF-κB, IκB and TNF-α in the diseased rats to the normal values. As a result, liver enzymes, serum proteins and lipid concentrations were significantly improved by SAV in CCl4-animals in comparison with the control ones. Moreover, SAV obviously improved the hepatic tissues of the same group was. CONCLUSION: SAV treatment restores the normal biochemical and oxidative stability by improving the TNF-α/NF-κB mediated inflammation in CCL4-treated rats.

Neurochemical, structural and neurobehavioral evidence of neuronal protection by whey proteins in diabetic albino mice.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is associated with pathological changes in the central nervous system (CNS) and alterations in oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary supplement with whey protein (WP) could improve neurobehavior, oxidative stress and neuronal structure in the CNS. METHODS: Animals were distributed in three groups, a control group (N), a diabetic mellitus group (DM) and a DM group orally supplemented with WP (WP). RESULTS: The DM group of animals receiving WP had reduced blood glucose, significantly decreased free radical Diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and lower lipid peroxidation in brain tissue. The WP group of animals showed improvement in balancing, coordination and fore-limb strength, oxidative stress and neuronal structure. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that dietary supplementation with WP reduced oxidative stress, protected CNS neurons and improved the neurobehavior of diabetic mice.

Zinc improves the immune function and the proliferation of lymphocytes in Cadmium-treated rats.

The effects of Cadmium (Cd) exposure and the treatment with Zinc (Zn) on immune functions of splenocytes and cultured lymphocytes of rats were studied. The exposure of rats to Cd was at a dose of 2.2 mg/kg CdCl2, injected subcutaneously four times weekly for 2 months. Rats were supplemented with Zn (2.2 mg/kg ZnCl2, injected subcutaneously four times weekly for 2 months) one hour prior to Cd exposure. Spleens were removed and splenocytes were isolated and cultured. The proliferation capacity of lymphocytes and their homing to the spleen were studied. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from stimulated lymphocytes in order to analyse gene expressions using RT-PCR. Accordingly, proliferation of lymphocytes was found to be suppressed in Cd-treated rats, both in vivo and in vitro. Zinc served to activate the proliferation of B and T lymphocytes in Cd-treated rats both in vivo and in vitro. Antigen-activated lymphocytes showed that Cd impaired the mRNA expression of CD68, Ccl22 and CXCL10. Zinc was not found to restore mRNA expression of these genes to the normal levels. Zinc was found to decrease the MDA level with replenishment of activity of key antioxidant enzymes and proteins in Cd-pre-treated animals significantly. Moreover, the histopathological examination of spleen samples also agreed with the molecular, immunological and redox findings. Hence, Zn is able to restore the normal structure, redox status and immunity in Cd-induced damage in the rat model system.

Study of gene polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor 2 in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Objectives: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a multifactorial disease that results from the interaction between multiple genetic factors. ALL is characterized by uncontrolled production of hematopoietic precursor cells of the lymphoid progenitors within the bone marrow. The development of hematological malignancies has been associated with malignant-like cells that express low levels of immunogenic surface molecules, thus, facilitating their escape from cellular antineoplastic immune responses. This risk may be partly influenced by variations in polymorphic genes that control immune function and regulation. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well known pattern recognition receptors playing key role in innate immune response. Abnormal expression and dysregulation of TLRs will provide an opportunity for cancer cells to escape from the immune system and enhance their proliferation and angiogenesis. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) play an essential role in innate immunity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are present in a number of TLR genes and have been associated with various disorders. Methods: In this study, 265 subjects have been divided into two groups included 150 patients with ALL and115 healthy volunteers. All subjects were genotyped using TaqMan PCR techniques. In total, Five SNPs were statistically evaluated in the TLR2 (rs1898830 A/G, rs3804099 T/C, rs3804100 T/C, rs1339 T/C, and rs1337 C/G), which may influence the susceptibility of ALL. Minor allele frequency and genotype distribution were compared across the study groups, and the relative risk and differences between patients and controls were estimated. Moreover, the mRNA expression level was evaluated in patients with ALL and the matched healthy individuals by Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: TLR2 rs1898830 A/G; rs3804099 T/C; rs3804100 T/C; rs1339 T/C, were significantly decrease the risk in our population, overall and for certain subtypes and ALL samples exhibited significant increase in the mRNA levels of TLR2. Conclusions: This study shows that TLR2 could be an independent prognostic factor of ALL risks in the Saudi population. Suggesting that genetic variation in genes associated with an immune response may be important in the etiology of ALL. In addition, the results herein revealed that TLR2 overexpression is associated with ALL and has diverse biological significance in the context of the complex relationship between inflammation and cancer development. Therefore, these data could open further studies to explore the possible clinical relevance of TLRs as pathological markers for Leukemia and enhance the strategies regarding hematological malignancies prevention based on their gene expression.

Cellular patterning and cyto-architectural organization of the skin of electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus, Siluriformes) with a particular emphasis on its ampullary electroreceptor.

The functional morphology of the skin of Malapteruridae is presumably evolved to cope with a diversified range of ambient physiological, environmental, and behavioral conditions. Herein, we firstly characterized the microstructures and intriguing patterning of the skin of twelve adult electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus, Malapteruridae) using histological, histochemical, immunofluorescent, and ELISA standard methodology. The skin comprises three sequentially-oriented layers: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis with a significantly increased thickness of the former. The epidermis contains four types of cells: the surface epithelial cells, mucous cells, granular cells, and club cells. We defined distinctive ampullary electroreceptors in the outer epidermis that possess flask-shaped sensory crypt containing electroreceptor cells together with vertical collagen rods. Dermis and hypodermis are composed of connective tissue; however, the former is much more coarse and dense with comparable reactivity for Masson-Goldner trichrome (MT). Placing our data in the context of the limited body of previous work, we showed subtle changes in the expression of mucin subunits together with cytoskeletal fractions of collagens, myosin, F-actin, keratins, and tubulins. Taken as a whole, our results convincingly showed that the skin of M. electricus shares some structural similarities to other Siluriformes, however, it has some functional modifications that are implicated in protection, defense, and foraging behavior.

Silver incorporated SeTe nanoparticles with enhanced photothermal and photodynamic properties for synergistic effects on anti-bacterial activity and wound healing.

Bacteria invade the host's immune system, thereby inducing serious infections. Current treatments for bacterial infections mostly rely on single modalities, which cannot completely inhibit bacteria. This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of SeTe-Ag NPs, designed with excellent photo responsiveness, with a particular focus on their dual-action antibacterial effect and wound healing properties. SeTe-Ag NPs exhibited promising synergistic antibacterial effects due to their superior photothermal and photodynamic properties. The investigation records substantial zones of inhibition of bacteria, demonstrating potent antibacterial effect. Furthermore, upon the irradiation of near-infrared (NIR) light, SeTe-Ag NPs exhibit remarkable antibiofilm and wound-healing capabilities. Overall, this study shows the applications of NIR-active SeTe-Ag NPs, which serve as a versatile platform for biomedical applications.

Genomic Exploration: Unraveling the Intricacies of Indica Rice Oryza sativa L. Germin-Like Protein Gene 12-3 (OsGLP12-3) Promoter via Cloning, Sequencing, and In Silico Analysis.

Germin and Germin-like proteins (GLPs) are a class of plant proteins that are part of the Cupins superfamily, found in several plant organs including roots, seeds, leaves, and nectar glands. They play a crucial role in plant defense against pathogens and environmental stresses. Herein, this study focused on the promoter analysis of OsGLP12-3 in rice cultivar Swat-1 to elucidate its regulation and functions. The region (1863bp) of the OsGLP12-3 promoter from Swat-1 genomic DNA was amplified, purified, quantified, and cloned using Topo cloning technology, followed by sequencing. Further in silico comparative analysis was conducted between the OsGLP12-3 promoters from Nipponbare and Swat-1 using the Plant CARE database, identifying 24 cis-acting regulatory elements with diverse functions. These elements exhibited distinct distribution patterns in the 2 rice varieties. The OsGLP12-3 promoter revealed an abundance of regulatory elements associated with biotic and abiotic stress responses. Computational tools were employed to analyze the regulatory features of this region. In silico expression analysis of OsGLP12-3, considering various developmental stages, stress conditions, hormones, and expression timing, was performed using the TENOR tool. Pairwise alignment indicated 86% sequence similarity between Nipponbare and Swat-1. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to explore the evolutionary relationship between the OsGLP12-3 and other plant GLPs. Additionally, 2 unique regulatory elements were modeled and docked, GARE and MBS to understand their hydrogen bonding interactions in gene regulation. The study highlights the importance of OsGLP12-3 in plant defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, supported by its expression patterns in response to various stressors and the presence of specific regulatory elements within its promoter region.

Photodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on soil surface: Kinetics and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model development.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have attracted much attention because of their widespread existence and toxicity. Photodegradation is the main natural decay process of PAHs in soil. The photodegradation kinetics of benzopyrene (BaP) on 16 kinds of soils and 10 kinds of PAHs on Hebei (HE) soil were studied. The results showed that BaP had the highest degradation rate in Shaanxi (SN) soil (kobs = 0.11 min-1), and anthracene (Ant) was almost completely degraded after 16 h of irradiation in HE soil. Two quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were established by the multiple linear regression (MLR) method. The developed QSAR models have good stability, robustness and predictability. The model revealed that the main factors affecting the photodegradation of PAHs are soil organic matter (SOM) and the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (Egap). SOM can function as a photosensitizer to induce the production of active species for photodegradation, thus favoring the photodegradation of PAHs. In addition, compounds with lower Egap are less stable and more reactive, and thus are more prone to photodegradation. Finally, the QSAR model was optimized using machine learning approach. The results of this study provide basic information on the photodegradation of PAHs and have important significance for predicting the environmental behavior of PAHs in soil.