Two-Year Incidence and Cumulative Risk and Predictors of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (Anal Precancer) Among Women With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Detection and treatment of anal histologic high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (hHSIL) prevents anal cancer. However, anal hHSIL incidence among women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, WHIV) remains unknown. Performance of anal high-risk human papillomavirus ([hr]HPV), anal cytology (anal-cyt), and both for hHSIL detection longitudinally over 2 years also remains undetermined. METHODS: We determined 2-year incidence and cumulative risk estimates (2-y-CR) of anal hHSIL among WHIV using prevalence and incidence (per 100 person-years [py]) observations stratified by baseline hrHPV and/or anal-cyt results. RESULTS: In total, 229 WHIV with complete baseline data were included in the analysis; 114 women without prevalent anal hHSIL were followed with 2 annual evaluations. Median age was 51, 63% were Black, and 23% were Hispanic. Anal hrHPV or abnormal anal-cyt was associated with an increased risk of incident anal hHSIL at 2 years (18.9/100py [95% confidence interval {CI} 11.4-31.3] and 13.4/100py [95% CI 8.0-22.7], respectively) compared with no detection of anal HPV or negative cytology (2.8/100py [95% CI 1.1-7.4] and 4.2 [95% CI, 1.8-10.2]) The presence of anal hrHPV with abnormal cytology was associated with 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL of 65.6% (95% CI 55.4%-75%); negative hrHPV with negative cytology was associated with 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL of 9.2% (95% CI 7.0-16.0). CONCLUSIONS: Detection of anal hrHPV or abnormal anal cytology are comparable predictors for 2-y-CR of anal hHSIL. The absence of anal hrHPV combined with negative cytology was predictive of a lower (but measurable) risk of developing anal hHSIL. These findings provide important data to inform anal cancer screening guidelines for WHIV.

BCG invokes superior STING-mediated innate immune response over radiotherapy in a carcinogen murine model of urothelial cancer.

Radiation and bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations are used clinically for treatment of urothelial carcinoma, but the precise mechanisms by which they activate an immune response remain elusive. The role of the cGAS-STING pathway has been implicated in both BCG and radiation-induced immune response; however, comparison of STING pathway molecules and the immune landscape following treatment in urothelial carcinoma has not been performed. We therefore comprehensively analyzed the local immune response in the bladder tumor microenvironment following radiotherapy and BCG instillations in a well-established spontaneous murine model of urothelial carcinoma to provide insight into activation of STING-mediated immune response. Mice were exposed to the oral carcinogen, BBN, for 12 weeks prior to treatment with a single 15 Gy dose of radiation or three intravesical instillations of BCG (1 × 108 CFU). At sacrifice, tumors were staged by a urologic pathologist and effects of therapy on the immune microenvironment were measured using the NanoString Myeloid Innate Immunity Panel and immunohistochemistry. Clinical relevance was established by measuring immune biomarker expression of cGAS and STING on a human tissue microarray consisting of BCG-treated non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinomas. BCG instillations in the murine model elevated STING and downstream STING-induced interferon and pro-inflammatory molecules, intratumoral M1 macrophage and T-cell accumulation, and complete tumor eradication. In contrast, radiotherapy caused no changes in STING pathway or innate immune gene expression; rather, it induced M2 macrophage accumulation and elevated FoxP3 expression characteristic of immunosuppression. In human non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, STING protein expression was elevated at baseline in patients who responded to BCG therapy and increased further after BCG therapy. Overall, these results show that STING pathway activation plays a key role in effective BCG-induced immune response and strongly indicate that the effects of BCG on the bladder cancer immune microenvironment are more beneficial than those induced by radiation. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Anal High-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in Women Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

BACKGROUND: Women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) have disproportionately high rates of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus compared with the general population of women. Anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) precede anal cancer, and accurate studies of HSIL prevalence among WLHIV in the United States are lacking. METHODS: The AIDS Malignancy Consortium 084 study was a multicenter national trial to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for anal HSIL in a US cohort. Eligible participants were WLHIV aged ≥18 years with no history of anal HSIL. Study participants had an examination including collection of cervical/vaginal and anal specimens, followed by high-resolution anoscopy with biopsy. RESULTS: We enrolled 256 women with evaluable anal pathology. The mean age was 49.4 years, 64% women were non-Hispanic black, 67% were former or current smokers, and 56% reported ever having anal sex with a man. The median CD4 T-cell count was 664 cells/µL. The prevalence of anal histologic HSIL (hHSIL) was 27% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22%-33%). There was a strong concordance (240/254) between local and consensus pathologists for hHSIL vs less than hHSIL (κ = 0.86 [95% CI, .79-.93]). Current CD4 count of ≤200 cells/µL was the strongest predictor of consensus anal hHSIL diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 10.34 [95% CI, 3.47-30.87]). History of anoreceptive intercourse was also associated with hHSIL (aOR, 2.44 [95% CI, 1.22-4.76]). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anal hHSIL in WLHIV in the United States was 27% in this study where all participants received high-resolution anoscopy and biopsy.

Intensification of serum albumin amyloidogenesis by a glycation-peroxidation loop (GPL).

The interaction of reducing sugars with proteins leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) and reactive oxidative species (ROS). ROS peroxidise free or membrane included unsaturated fatty acids, leading to generate reactive aldehydes as advanced lipid peroxidation end products (ALE). Aldehydes from lipid peroxidation (LPO) react with proteins to cause alteration of protein structure to exacerbate complication of diseases. Here we studied serum albumin glycation in the presence and absence of liposomes as a bio-membrane model to investigate protein structural changes using various techniques including intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopies and electron microscopy analysis. Accordingly, serum albumin glycation and fibrillation were accelerated and intensified in the presence of liposomes through a hypothesized glycation-peroxidation loop (GPL). Together, our results shed light on the necessity of reconsidering diabetic protein glycation to make it close to physiological conditions mimicry, more importantly, proteins structural change due to diabetic glycation is intensified in the proximity of cell membranes which probably potentiates programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis.

Foraging behavior of Aphidius matricariae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on tobacco aphid, Myzus persicae nicotianae (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The aim of this study was to investigate the foraging behavior of Aphidius matricariae (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a biological control agent of Myzus persicae nicotianae Blackman (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a key and cosmopolitan pest of tobacco fields. To achieve a strategy for the control of this pest and a mass-rearing program of the parasitoid, host stage preference, switching, functional response, and mutual interference of A. matricariae were investigated at 25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 5% RH and 16:8 h L:D photoperiod. The parasitoid showed a preference for third- and fourth-instar nymphs of tobacco aphid in both choice and no-choice experiments. Using the Murdach's model, switching behavior was observed in A. matricariae between different density proportions of third- and fourth-instar nymphs. Further, the parasitoid exhibited a type II functional response when it was offered to third-instar nymphs of M. persicae nicotianae at six densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64). Based on the linear regression analysis, there was a significance difference between the logarithm of per capita searching efficiency and the logarithm of parasitoid density. As the wasp density increased, per capita searching efficiency decreased. The result of this study revealed that A. matricariae is an effective agent in the integrated management of M. persicae nicotianae. In addition, application of these results can be important in mass-rearing program of A. matricariae.

L-arginine modified magnetic nanoparticles: green synthesis and characterization.

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in Arg which is a unique, nontoxic, and biocompatible biomolecule since it can be utilized as an agent for the functionalization and subsequent stabilization of MNPs against oxidation and aggregation, during or after a synthesis procedure. Our studies demonstrate that Arg has great impacts on MNPs with the decreasing size of the particle. Also, saturation magnetization and electrostatic interactions of RMNPs have a direct impact on biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. By controlling the concentration of Arg, it is possible to accurately control the above-mentioned characteristics, which are useful tools for applications such as connecting to antibodies, catalysis, drug loading, and modification of MNP stability. In the current study, three RMNPs with different Arg densities, i.e. 0.42, 1.62, and 2.29 µg per mg were successfully synthesized through a simple co-precipitation method (named p 0.5, p 1, and p 1.5, respectively) and verified by colorimetric determination. Also, the as-synthesized RMNP powders were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDAX, FTIR, VSM, and zeta potential analysis. The presence of a magnetic core was proved by XRD, FTIR, and EDAX. Colorimetric analysis showed the existence of Arg in the synthesized samples. According to the zeta potential and VSM results, increasing the cap of Arg on the MNP surface leads to an increase in the surface charge and decrease in the magnetization of the RMNPs, respectively.

Total replacement of corn silage with sorghum silage improves milk fatty acid profile and antioxidant capacity of Holstein dairy cows.

Total mixed rations containing corn silage (CS) or forage sorghum silage (SS) were fed to mid-lactation Holstein cows to determine the effects on feed intake, lactation performance, milk composition and fatty acid profile, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, rumen microbial N synthesis, and antioxidant status. The experiment was designed as a 2-period change-over (two 28-d periods) trial with 2 diets including CS diet or SS diet and 12 cows. Total replacement of CS with SS had no significant influence on dry matter intake. Substituting CS with SS had no effect on milk production, feed efficiency, and milk concentrations of fat, protein, lactose, and solids-not-fat, whereas yields of milk fat, protein, and lactose were greater for cows fed the CS diet. Blood parameters including glucose, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, urea N, and fatty acids were not affected by the dietary treatments. Apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber were not significantly influenced by the diets. Replacing CS with SS had no effect on total saturated fatty acids and total monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas total polyunsaturated fatty acid percentage was greater with the SS diet. Proportions of C20:0, C18:3n-3, and C18:3n-6 were affected by feeding SS. Cows fed CS had a greater amount of urinary purine derivatives. Feeding SS had a positive effect on total antioxidant capacity of blood and milk. In conclusion, SS can be fed to lactating Holstein cows as a total replacement for CS without undesirable effects on animal performance, but with positive effects on antioxidant capacity and polyunsaturated fatty acids of milk. This forage can be an excellent choice for dairy farms in areas where cultivation of corn is difficult due to water shortage.

Modeling, simulation, and employing dilution-dialysis microfluidic chip (DDMC) for heightening proteins refolding efficiency.

Miniaturized systems based on the principles of microfluidics are widely used in various fields, such as biochemical and biomedical applications. Systematic design processes are demanded the proper use of these microfluidic devices based on mathematical simulations. Aggregated proteins (e.g., inclusion bodies) in solution with chaotropic agents (such as urea) at high concentration in combination with reducing agents are denatured. Refolding methods to achieve the native proteins from inclusion bodies of recombinant protein relying on denaturant dilution or dialysis approaches for suppressing protein aggregation is very important in the industrial field. In this paper, a modeling approach is introduced and employed that enables a compact and cost-effective method for on-chip refolding process. The innovative aspect of the presented refolding method is incorporation dialysis and dilution. Dilution-dialysis microfluidic chip (DDMC) increases productivity folding of proteins with the gradual reduction of the amount of urea. It has shown the potential of DDMC for performing refolding of protein trials. The principles of the microfluidic device detailed in this paper are to produce protein on the dilution with slow mixing through diffusion of a denatured protein solution and stepwise dialysis of a refolding buffer flowing together and the flow regime is creeping flow. The operation of DDMC was modeled in two dimensions. This system simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics Modeling Software. The simulation results for a microfluidic refolding chip showed that DDMC was deemed to be perfectly suitable for control decreasing urea in the fluid model. The DDMC was validated through an experimental study. According to the results, refolding efficiency of denaturant Hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) (EC 3.2.1.17) used as a model protein was improved. Regard to the remaining activity test, it was increased from 42.6 in simple dilution to 93.7 using DDMC.

Body growth, intestinal morphology and microflora of quail on diets supplemented with micronised wheat fibre.

1. Particle size reductions of fibre-rich materials alter structure, functional and digestive properties. To determine the effects of using fibre as an additive in Japanese quail rations on performance and gut physiology, a trial using micronised wheat fibre (MWF) at levels of 0.0, 5, 10 and 15 g/kg in feed was conducted. 2. Growth rate and feed efficiency were significantly improved when diets contained MWF while feed intake was not affected by levels of the fibre. As MWF content increased, the relative weight of gizzard and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) significantly increased whereas liver relative weight significantly decreased. 3. MWF inclusion significantly increased relative length of gut segments, villi height, villus thickness, the villi height to crypt depth proportion in jejunum and ileum and the number of goblet cells in different parts of intestine. 4. Tibia weight, length and ash content were increased linearly with rising MWF inclusion. Litter moisture was affected by MWF inclusions in a quadratic manner. The colony forming unit (CFU/g) of Streptococci spp. in ileal digesta was decreased with increasing MWF inclusion levels in the diet. 5. In conclusion, MWF can be used as a feed additive in quail diets and its inclusion in feed resulted in better performance, beneficial changes in intestinal microbial counts and improvements in small intestine morphology.

Animal models of spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

STUDY DESIGN: PRISMA-guided systematic review. OBJECTIVES: To provide a comprehensive framework of the current animal models for investigating spinal cord injury (SCI) and categorize them based on the aims, patterns and levels of injury, and outcome measurements as well as animal species. SETTING: Sina Trauma and Surgery Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. METHODS: An electronic search of the Medline database for literature describing animal models of SCI was performed on 1 January 2016 using the following keywords: 'spinal cord injuries' and 'animal models'. The search retrieved 2870 articles. Reviews and non-original articles were excluded. Data extraction was independently performed by two reviewers. RESULTS: Among the 2209 included studies, testing the effects of drug's or growth factor's interventions was the most common aim (36.6%) followed by surveying pathophysiologic changes (30.2%). The most common spinal region involved was thoracic (81%). Contusion was the most common pattern of injury (41%) followed by transection (32.5%) and compression (19.4%). The most common species involved in animal models of SCI was the rat (72.4%). Two or more types of outcome assessments were used in the majority of the studies, and the most common assessment method was biological plus behavioral (50.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Prior to choosing an animal model, the objectives of the proposed study must precisely be defined. Contusion and compression models better simulate the biomechanics and neuropathology of human injury, whereas transection models are valuable to study anatomic regeneration. Rodents are the most common and probably best-suited species for preliminary SCI studies.

Antiamyloidogenic Effects of Ellagic Acid on Human Serum Albumin Fibril Formation Induced by Potassium Sorbate and Glucose.

Oxidative stress has the main role in protein conformational changes and consequent direct involvement in different kind of diseases. Potassium sorbate as a widespread industrial preservative and glucose are two important oxidants that can be involved in oxidative stress. In this study the effect of ellagic acid as a phenolic antioxidant on amyloid fibril formation of human serum albumin upon incubation of potassium sorbate and glucose was studied using thioflavin T assay, surface tension, atomic force microscopy, Amadori product, and carbonyl content assays. The thioflavin T assay and atomic force microscopy micrographs demonstrated the antiamyloidogenic effect of ellagic acid on the human serum albumin fibril formation. This antioxidant also had the repair effect on surface tension of the modified human serum albumin (amyloid intermediates), which was destructed, caused by potassium sorbate and glucose. This mechanism takes place because of potent carbonyl stress suppression effect of ellagic acid, which was strengthening by potassium sorbate in the presence and absence of glucose.

Structural colour printing from a reusable generic nanosubstrate masked for the target image.

Structural colour printing has advantages over traditional pigment-based colour printing. However, the high fabrication cost has hindered its applications in printing large-area images because each image requires patterning structural pixels in nanoscale resolution. In this work, we present a novel strategy to print structural colour images from a pixelated substrate which is called a nanosubstrate. The nanosubstrate is fabricated only once using nanofabrication tools and can be reused for printing a large quantity of structural colour images. It contains closely packed arrays of nanostructures from which red, green, blue and infrared structural pixels can be imprinted. To print a target colour image, the nanosubstrate is first covered with a mask layer to block all the structural pixels. The mask layer is subsequently patterned according to the target colour image to make apertures of controllable sizes on top of the wanted primary colour pixels. The masked nanosubstrate is then used as a stamp to imprint the colour image onto a separate substrate surface using nanoimprint lithography. Different visual colours are achieved by properly mixing the red, green and blue primary colours into appropriate ratios controlled by the aperture sizes on the patterned mask layer. Such a strategy significantly reduces the cost and complexity of printing a structural colour image from lengthy nanoscale patterning into high throughput micro-patterning and makes it possible to apply structural colour printing in personalized security features and data storage. In this paper, nanocone array grating pixels were used as the structural pixels and the nanosubstrate contains structures to imprint the nanocone arrays. Laser lithography was implemented to pattern the mask layer with submicron resolution. The optical properties of the nanocone array gratings are studied in detail. Multiple printed structural colour images with embedded covert information are demonstrated.

ERBB4 gene polymorphisms and the risk of prostate cancer in a sample of Iranian Population.

Genetic polymorphisms in ERBB4 are thought to be associated with cancer susceptibility. In the present study, we aimed to assess the impact of ERBB4 rs12052398 T>C, rs13393577 A>G, rs13424871 A>T, rs16847082 A>G and rs6147150 (12-bp I/D) polymorphisms on risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in a sample of Iranian population. In a case-control study, we enrolled 169 patients with pathologically confirmed PCa and 182 subjects with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). No significant association was found among ERBB4 polymorphisms and risk of PCa. Subjects carrying TT/AA/AA/AG/ID, TC/AA/AA/AA/II, TT/AA/AT/AA/II and TT/AA/AT/AG/ID genotypes are associated with a decreased risk of PCa. Our findings suggest that haplotypes CAAAI and TAAAD (rs12052398, rs13393577, rs13424871, rs16847082 and rs6147150I) of the ERBB4 polymorphisms are associated with a significantly lower risk of PCa. Further studies with a larger sample sizes and diverse ethnicities are necessary to verify our findings.

Semiquantitative and Quantitative Analyses of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Thyroid Nodules.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to determine the utility of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating benign and malignant lesions in patients with known thyroid gland lesions scheduled for resection. METHODS: Patients scheduled for resection of a thyroid mass were prospectively enrolled. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI scans of the neck were performed before surgery. After resection, patients were divided into benign and malignant groups. Quantitative and semiquantitative MRI kinetic measurements of benign and malignant lesions were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve benign and 9 malignant lesions were identified in 19 patients. Mean Ktrans, Ve, and Kep for benign lesions were 1.69 ± 1.59 min, 0.44 ± 0.21 min, and 4.51 ± 2.96 min, respectively; for the malignant lesions, 0.96 ± 0.57 min, 0.45 ± 0.19 min, and 3.57 ± 3.53 min, respectively (P = 0.1886, 0.8036, and 0.3028, respectively). Tpeak, ERmax, slopemax, and iAUGC60 for benign lesions were 7.00 ± 8.09 seconds, 293.27 ± 141.25 seconds, 76.45 ± 65.80 seconds, and 63.46 ± 46.84, respectively; for malignant lesions, 8.11 ± 8.55 seconds, 227.6 ± 113.37 seconds, 81.17 ± 109.71 seconds, and 43.69 ± 26.19, respectively (P = 0.7525, 0.4941, 0.4474, and 0.3028, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI pattern of kinetics was not significantly different for benign and malignant lesions of the thyroid using quantitative or semiquantitative methods.

Adjuvant Rosa Damascena has a Small Effect on SSRI-induced Sexual Dysfunction in Female Patients Suffering from MDD.

BACKGROUND: Treating major depressive disorders (MDD) with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may impact negatively on sexual function. On the other hand, a satisfying sexual life is associated with overall life satisfaction. Therefore, managing this negative side effect of SSRIs may have an important role in the treatment of MDD. In a former study, adjuvant Rosa damascena oil improved sexual dysfunction in male patients suffering from both MDD and SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction (SSRI-I SD). The aim of the present study was to test whether the same pattern of results would be observed among female patients suffering from both SSRI-I SD and MDD. METHOD: In a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical trial, a total of 50 female patients (mean age: 34 years) treated with an SSRI and suffering from MDD and SSRI-I SD were randomly assigned either to the verum (Rosa damascena oil) or to the placebo condition. Patients completed self-ratings of depression and sexual function at baseline, 4 weeks later, and at the end of the study 8 weeks after its start. RESULTS: Sexual desire, sexual orgasms, and sexual satisfaction increased over time. Patients in the verum group reported decreased pain. Overall sexual score increased in the verum as compared to the placebo condition. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas in male patients suffering from both MDD and SSRI-I SD adjuvant Rosa damascena oil improved sexual function, data on female patients are less robust and suggest only modest effects on female sexual function.

Fraction distribution and bioavailability of sediment heavy metals in the environment surrounding MSW landfill: a case study.

The aim of this study was to characterize the sediment samples from vicinity of a landfill in Qayen City, Iran. The samples were obtained from four different sampling stations. Sequential extraction was performed via a four-step procedure defined to evaluate the distribution of the element fraction in various samples. In the stations 3 and 4, Cd was found in large quantities during the first extraction F1, accounting for 40.4 and 38.7%, respectively. Pb was primarily presented in F2 of station 1 (approximately 44.80%), station 2 (approximately 41.8%), and station 4 (approximately 37.7%). Moreover, principal component analysis showed that heavy metal fraction in the sediment samples can be explained by two principal components (PCs). PC1 represented Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn, while PC2 represented Pb and Cu. Pearson correlation coefficient indicated significant correlations in Cu-Pb, Zn-Cu, and Cr-Zn pairings. The present study concluded that the spatial distributions of sediment heavy metals were influenced by MSW landfill.

Sediment toxicity and ecological risk of trace metals from streams surrounding a municipal solid waste landfill.

The present study is an attempt to assess the pollution intensity and corresponding ecological risk of heavy metals such as Cd, Ni, Pb, Cu, Zn and Cr using various indices like geo-accumulation index, concentration factor, pollution loading and ecological risk index. In all 21 surface sediments samples were collected from the stream flowing around the solid waste disposal landfill of Qayen city in southeastern Iran. Although Igeo values for Cd varied greatly, sites 18-21 with class 5 show heavy loads of Cd (values between 4.13 and 4.45). PLI values (3.37-12.89) clearly suggest strong contamination with respect to the measured metals. This study clearly indicates that the contamination risk in the downstream reservoir is much higher than upstream sites due to transfer and accumulation of leached metals from upstream to downstream.

Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil from the Leaves and Seeds of Coriandrum sativum toward Food-borne Pathogens.

The increasing incidence of drug-resistant pathogens and toxicity of existing antibacterial compounds has drawn attention toward the antimicrobial activity of natural products. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of the leaves and seeds of Coriandrum sativum. The five strains of bacteria comprising Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella enterica and Vibrio cholerae were used for the antibacterial tests. In this study, antimicrobial effects of the essential oil from the leaves and seeds of Coriandrum sativum are evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the inhibition zone and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The essential oil from Coriandrum sativum was extracted by steam distillation. The results indicate that the antimicrobial activities against the five pathogens were in the range of 2.5- 320 µg/mL. Increase in essential oil concentration caused significant increase in inhibitory feature. The essential oil of the leaves and seeds of Coriandrum sativum showed antimicrobial activity against the food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Thus, its oil can be used as an alternative to synthetic food preservative without toxic effects. Also, it can be used in biotechnological fields as ingredients in antibiotics and the pharmaceutical industry. These results suggest that the essential oil of C sativum leaves and seeds may have potential use in pharmaceutical and food industries for preservatives or antimicrobial agents.

Inhibition of fluorescent advanced glycation end products (AGEs) of human serum albumin upon incubation with 3-ß-hydroxybutyrate.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are the final products of glycation, have a major role in diabetic complication and neurodegenerative disorders. The 3-ß-hydroxybutyrate (3BHB), a ketone body which is produced by the liver, can be detected in increased concentrations in individuals post fasting and prolonged exercises and in diabetic (type I) patients. In this study, the inhibitory effect of 3BHB on AGEs formation by glucose from the human serum albumin (HSA) was studied at physiological conditions after 35 days of incubation, using physical techniques such as circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The fluorescence intensity measurements of glycated HSA by glucose (GHSA) in the presence of 3BHB indicate a decrease in AGEs formation. The DSC deconvolution profile results also confirm the protective role of 3BHB on incubated with glucose by preventing the enthalpy reduction of the HSA tail segment, compared with the deconvolution profile seen for incubated with glucose alone. The concentration of 3BHB used in this study is in accordance with the concentration detected in the body of individuals post fasting and prolonged exercises.

New combination bands of N2O-CO2, N2O-OCS, and N2O-N2 complexes in the N2O ν(1) region.

Spectra of the weakly bound complexes N2O-CO2, N2O-OCS, and N2O-N2 were studied in the region of the ν1 fundamental of N2O (∼2224 cm(-1)) using a tunable quantum cascade laser to probe a pulsed supersonic jet expansion with an effective rotational temperature of about 2.5 K. One new combination band was observed for each complex: a band involving an intermolecular in-plane bending mode for N2O-N2, a band involving the disrotation (in-plane geared bend) for of N2O-CO2, and a band involving the out-of-plane torsional vibration for isomer b of N2O-OCS. Small perturbations were noted for the N2O-OCS band. Because of the absence of theoretical prediction, the nature of the intermolecular bending mode for N2O-N2 has not been identified. The resulting intermolecular frequencies are 34.175(1), 17.107(1), and 22.334(1) cm(-1) for N2O-CO2, N2O-OCS, and N2O-N2, respectively. In addition, the previously known fundamental band of N2O-N2 at 2225.99 cm(-1) was analyzed in improved detail. This band exhibits very weak a-type transitions which were not detected in the first infrared observation of this complex, indicating that N2O-N2 is not exactly T-shaped. That is, the N2O molecular axis is not exactly perpendicular to the a-inertial axis, in agreement with a previous structural determination of this complex by rotational spectroscopy.