Production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants in solid-state fermentation: process optimization and characterization studies.

BACKGROUND: Rhamnolipids are a group of the extracellular microbial surface-active molecules produced by certain Pseudomonas species with various environmental and industrial applications. The goal of the present research was to identify and optimize key process parameters for Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1074s synthesis of rhamnolipids utilizing soybean meal in solid state fermentation. A fractional factorial design was used to screen the key nutritional and environmental parameters to achieve the high rhamnolipid production. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the levels of four significant factors. RESULTS: The characterization of biosurfactant by TLC, FT-IR and H-NMR showed the rhamnolipids presence. In the optimum conditions (temperature 34.5 °C, humidity 80%, inoculum size 1.4 mL, and glycerol 5%), the experimental value of rhamnolipid production was 19.68 g/kg dry substrate. The obtained rhamnolipid biosurfactant decreased water's surface tension from 71.8 ± 0.4 to 32.2 ± 0.2 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration of nearly 70 mg/L. Additionally, analysis of the emulsification activity revealed that the generated biosurfactant was stable throughout a broad pH, temperature, and NaCl concentration range. CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirmed the considerable potential of agro-industrial residues in the production of rhamnolipid and enhanced the production yield by screening and optimizing the significant process parameters.

Intraoperative radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We report our experiences with Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) among breast cancer (BC) patients in our region. METHODS: All patients who received radical IORT from April 2014 on to March 2020 were included in the study. Patient selection criteria included: Age equal or older than 45 years old; All cases of invasive carcinomas (in cases of lobular carcinomas only with MRI and confirmation); Patients who were 45-50 years old with a tumor size of 0-2 cm, 50-55 years old with a tumor size of < 2.5 cm, and those who were ≥ 55 years old with a tumor size of < 3 cm; Invasive tumors only with a negative margin; Negative nodal status (exception in patients with micrometastasis); A positive estrogen receptor status. Primary endpoints included death and recurrence which were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Overall, 252 patients entered the study. Mean (SD) age of patients was 56.43 ± 7.79 years. In total, 32.9% of patients had a family history of BC. Mean (SD) tumor size was 1.56 ± 0.55 cm. Mean (IQR) follow-up of patients was 36.3 ± 18.7 months. Overall, 8 patients (3.1%) experienced recurrence in follow-up visits (disease-free-survival of 96.1%), among which four (1.5%) were local recurrence, two (0.8%) were regional recurrence and two patients (0.8%) had metastasis. Median (IQR) time to recurrence was 46 (22, 53.7) months among the eight patient who had recurrence. Overall, one patient died due to metastasis in our series. Eleven patients (4.3%) with DCIS in our study received IORT. All these patients had free margins in histopathology examination and none experienced recurrence. CONCLUSION: Inhere we reported our experience with the use of IORT in a region where facilities for IORT are limited using our modified criteria for patient selection.

Heartland Virus in Lone Star Ticks, Alabama, USA.

We detected Heartland virus (HRTV) in lone star nymphs collected in 2018 in northern Alabama, USA. Real-time reverse transcription PCR selective for the small segment of the HRTV genome and confirmatory sequencing of positive samples showed high identity with HRTV strains sequenced from Tennessee and Missouri.

The biochemical composition and transcriptome of cotyledons from Brassica napus lines expressing the AtGL3 transcription factor and exhibiting reduced flea beetle feeding.

BACKGROUND: Previously, transgenic trichome-bearing (hairy leaf) Brassica napus lines expressing either the Arabidopsis thaliana GL3 gene (line AtGL3+) [1] or the AtGL3 gene in combination with an RNAi construct to down-regulate TTG1 (line K-5-8) [2] were developed. The leaves of these lines exhibited altered insect feeding (flea beetle) and oviposition (diamondback moth) behaviour compared to the non-transgenic semi-glabrous leaves of B. napus cv. Westar. Interestingly, the cotyledons of these lines remained glabrous, but also showed reduced feeding by flea beetles. Here we examine the composition and global transcriptome of the glabrous cotyledons from these transgenic lines to ascertain the mechanism(s) underlying this unexpected phenomenon. RESULTS: Approximately, 7500 genes were up-regulated in cotyledons of each hairy line, compared with < 30 that were down-regulated. The up-regulated genes included those involved in cell wall synthesis, secondary metabolite production, redox, stress and hormone-related responses that have the potential to impact host plant cues required to elicit defense responses toward insect pests. In particular, the expression of glucosinolate biosynthetic and degradation genes were substantially altered in the glabrous cotyledons of the two hairy leaf lines. The transcriptomic data was supported by glucosinolate and cell wall composition profiles of the cotyledons. Changes in gene expression were much more extreme in the AtGL3+ line compared with the K-5-8 line in terms of diversity and intensity. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides a roadmap for the isolation and identification of insect resistance compounds and proteins in the glabrous cotyledons of these hairy leaf lines. It also confirms the impact of mis-expression of GL3 and TTG1 on types of metabolism other than those associated with trichomes. Finally, the large number of up-regulated genes encoding heat shock proteins, PR proteins, protease inhibitors, glucosinolate synthesis/breakdown factors, abiotic stress factors, redox proteins, transcription factors, and proteins required for auxin metabolism also suggest that these cotyledons are now primed for resistance to other forms of biotic and abiotic stress.

Changes in CYP2D enzyme activity following induction of type 2 diabetes, and administration of cinnamon and metformin: an experimental animal study.

1. Alterations in the activity of hepatic cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes result in changes in the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs. This study was designed to explore the impact of type II diabetes, metformin and cinnamon on the activity of CYP2D isoenzyme. 2. Streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic and normal rats were gavaged by cinnamon and/or metformin for 14 days. Using isolated perfusion of rat livers, the metabolic activity of CYP2D in the study groups was evaluated based on the oxidative biotransformation of tramadol hydrochloride. 3. The metabolic ratios of O-desmethyltramadol, the product of CYP2D-mediated metabolism of tramadol, in normal and diabetic control rats were found to be 0.33 ± 0.12 and 0.29 ± 0.07, respectively. Cinnamon significantly reduced the mentioned ratio in both normal and diabetic rats (0.13 ± 0.05 and 0.15 ± 0.04) and metformin increased the reduced activity in diabetic rats (0.37 ± 0.09 versus 0.29 ± 0.07). 4. In conclusion, it is evident that this study has shown the significant inhibitory effect of cinnamon on CYP2D. This finding suggests that it should be taken into consideration the possible metabolism-related pharmacokinetic drug-cinnamon interactions. 5. Additionally, type 2 diabetes condition reduced the enzyme activity and metformin consumption reversed this reduction; however, the significance of the latest is not clear.

Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Simultaneous Identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Its Ciprofloxacin Susceptibility Status.

A real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assay was designed for the simultaneous identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and its ciprofloxacin susceptibility status. A SYBR green-based multiplex RT-PCR format was used; it comprised two different forward primers and a common reverse primer to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in gyrA of N. gonorrhoeae The primer pairs were evaluated for their sensitivity and specificity using genomic DNA from 254 N. gonorrhoeae isolates (82 were ciprofloxacin susceptible and 172 were ciprofloxacin resistant) and 23 non-N. gonorrhoeae species isolates. The performance of the primers was validated using genomic DNA from 100 different N. gonorrhoeae isolates (46 were ciprofloxacin susceptible and 54 were ciprofloxacin resistant) and 52 non-N. gonorrhoeae isolates. The latter panel was revalidated by testing 99 (46 isolates were ciprofloxacin susceptible and 53 isolates were ciprofloxacin resistant) of the N. gonorrhoeae isolates and 23 non-N. gonorrhoeae isolates. These primers detected N. gonorrhoeae and its ciprofloxacin susceptibility status with over 99% sensitivity and specificity for all panels tested. This assay has the potential to be an inexpensive and rapid test for the simultaneous identification of N. gonorrhoeae and its ciprofloxacin susceptibility status.

The compact genome of the plant pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae is adapted to intracellular interactions with host Brassica spp.

BACKGROUND: The protist Plasmodiophora brassicae is a soil-borne pathogen of cruciferous species and the causal agent of clubroot disease of Brassicas including agriculturally important crops such as canola/rapeseed (Brassica napus). P. brassicae has remained an enigmatic plant pathogen and is a rare example of an obligate biotroph that resides entirely inside the host plant cell. The pathogen is the cause of severe yield losses and can render infested fields unsuitable for Brassica crop growth due to the persistence of resting spores in the soil for up to 20 years. RESULTS: To provide insight into the biology of the pathogen and its interaction with its primary host B. napus, we produced a draft genome of P. brassicae pathotypes 3 and 6 (Pb3 and Pb6) that differ in their host range. Pb3 is highly virulent on B. napus (but also infects other Brassica species) while Pb6 infects only vegetable Brassica crops. Both the Pb3 and Pb6 genomes are highly compact, each with a total size of 24.2 Mb, and contain less than 2 % repetitive DNA. Clustering of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of Pb3, Pb6 and three additional re-sequenced pathotypes (Pb2, Pb5 and Pb8) shows a high degree of correlation of cluster grouping with host range. The Pb3 genome features significant reduction of intergenic space with multiple examples of overlapping untranslated regions (UTRs). Dependency on the host for essential nutrients is evident from the loss of genes for the biosynthesis of thiamine and some amino acids and the presence of a wide range of transport proteins, including some unique to P. brassicae. The annotated genes of Pb3 include those with a potential role in the regulation of the plant growth hormones cytokinin and auxin. The expression profile of Pb3 genes, including putative effectors, during infection and their potential role in manipulation of host defence is discussed. CONCLUSION: The P. brassicae genome sequence reveals a compact genome, a dependency of the pathogen on its host for some essential nutrients and a potential role in the regulation of host plant cytokinin and auxin. Genome annotation supported by RNA sequencing reveals significant reduction in intergenic space which, in addition to low repeat content, has likely contributed to the P. brassicae compact genome.

Hairy Canola (Brasssica napus) re-visited: Down-regulating TTG1 in an AtGL3-enhanced hairy leaf background improves growth, leaf trichome coverage, and metabolite gene expression diversity.

BACKGROUND: Through evolution, some plants have developed natural resistance to insects by having hairs (trichomes) on leaves and other tissues. The hairy trait has been neglected in Brassica breeding programs, which mainly focus on disease resistance, yield, and overall crop productivity. In Arabidopsis, a network of three classes of proteins consisting of TTG1 (a WD40 repeat protein), GL3 (a bHLH factor) and GL1 (a MYB transcription factor), activates trichome initiation and patterning. Introduction of a trichome regulatory gene AtGL3 from Arabidopsis into semi-glabrous Brassica napus resulted in hairy canola plants which showed tolerance to flea beetles and diamondback moths; however plant growth was negatively affected. In addition, the role of BnTTG1 transcription in the new germplasm was not understood. RESULTS: Here, we show that two ultra-hairy lines (K-5-8 and K-6-3) with BnTTG1 knock-down in the hairy AtGL3+ B. napus background showed stable enhancement of trichome coverage, density, and length and restored wild type growth similar to growth of the semi-glabrous Westar plant. In contrast, over-expression of BnTTG1 in the hairy AtGL3+ B. napus background gave consistently glabrous plants of very low fertility and poor stability, with only one glabrous plant (O-3-7) surviving to the T3 generation. Q-PCR trichome gene expression data in leaf samples combining several leaf stages for these lines suggested that BnGL2 controlled B. napus trichome length and out-growth and that strong BnTTG1 transcription together with strong GL3 expression inhibited this process. Weak expression of BnTRY in both glabrous and trichome-bearing leaves of B. napus in the latter Q-PCR experiment suggested that TRY may have functions other than as an inhibitor of trichome initiation in the Brassicas. A role for BnTTG1 in the lateral inhibition of trichome formation in neighbouring cells was also proposed for B. napus. RNA sequencing of first leaves identified a much larger array of genes with altered expression patterns in the K-5-8 line compared to the hairy AtGL3(+) B. napus background (relative to the Westar control plant). These genes particularly included transcription factors, protein degradation and modification genes, but also included pathways that coded for anthocyanins, flavonols, terpenes, glucosinolates, alkaloids, shikimates, cell wall biosynthesis, and hormones. A 2nd Q-PCR experiment was conducted on redox, cell wall carbohydrate, lignin, and trichome genes using young first leaves, including T4 O-3-7-5 plants that had partially reverted to yield two linked growth and trichome phenotypes. Most of the trichome genes tested showed to be consistant with leaf trichome phenotypes and with RNA sequencing data in three of the lines. Two redox genes showed highest overall expression in K-5-8 leaves and lowest in O-3-7-5 leaves, while one redox gene and three cell wall genes were consistently higher in the two less robust lines compared with the two robust lines. CONCLUSION: The data support the strong impact of BnTTG1 knockdown (in the presence of strong AtGL3 expression) at restoring growth, enhancing trichome coverage and length, and enhancing expression and diversity of growth, metabolic, and anti-oxidant genes important for stress tolerance and plant health in B. napus. Our data also suggests that the combination of strong (up-regulated) BnTTG1 expression in concert with strong AtGL3 expression is unstable and lethal to the plant.

ERD: a fast and reliable tool for RNA design including constraints.

BACKGROUND: The function of an RNA in cellular processes is directly related to its structure. The free energy of RNA structure in another important key to its function as only some structures with a specific level of free energy can take part in cellular reactions. Therefore, to perform a specific function, a particular RNA structure with specific level of free energy is required. For a given RNA structure, the goal of the RNA design problem is to design an RNA sequence that folds into the given structure. To mimic the biological features of RNA sequences and structures, some sequence and energy constraints should be considered in designing RNA. Although the level of free energy is important, it is not considered in the available approaches for RNA design problem. RESULTS: In this paper, we present a new version of our evolutionary algorithm for RNA design problem, entitled ERD, and extend it to handle some sequence and energy constraints. In the sequence constraints, one can restrict sequence positions to a fixed nucleotide or to a subset of nucleotides. As for the energy constraint, one can specify an interval for the free energy ranges of the designed sequences. We compare our algorithm with INFO-RNA, MODENA, NUPACK, and RNAiFold approaches for some artificial and natural RNA secondary structures and constraints. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that our algorithm outperforms the other mentioned approaches in terms of accuracy, speedup, divergency, nucleotides distribution, and similarity to the natural RNA sequences. Particularly, the designed RNA sequences in our method are much more reliable and similar to the natural counterparts. The generated sequences are more diverse and they have closer nucleotides distribution to the natural one. The ERD tool and web server are freely available at http://mostafa.ut.ac.ir/corna/erd-cons/ .

Evolutionary solution for the RNA design problem.

MOTIVATION: RNAs play fundamental roles in cellular processes. The function of an RNA is highly dependent on its 3D conformation, which is referred to as the RNA tertiary structure. Because the prediction or experimental determination of these structures is difficult, so many works focus on the problems associated with the RNA secondary structure. Here, we consider the RNA inverse folding problem, in which an RNA secondary structure is given as a target structure and the goal is to design an RNA sequence that folds into the target structure. In this article, we introduce a new evolutionary algorithm for the RNA inverse folding problem. Our algorithm, entitled Evolutionary RNA Design, generates a sequence whose minimum free energy structure is the same as the target structure. RESULTS: We compare our algorithm with INFO-RNA, MODENA, RNAiFold and NUPACK approaches for some biological test sets. The results presented in this article indicate that for longer structures, our algorithm performs better than the other mentioned algorithms in terms of the energy range, accuracy, speedup and nucleotide distribution. Particularly, the generated RNA sequences in our method are much more reliable and similar to the natural RNA sequences.

Brassica villosa, a system for studying non-glandular trichomes and genes in the Brassicas.

Brassica villosa is a wild Brassica C genome species with very dense trichome coverage and strong resistance to many insect pests of Brassica oilseeds and vegetables. Transcriptome analysis of hairy B. villosa leaves indicated higher expression of several important trichome initiation genes compared with glabrous B. napus leaves and consistent with the Arabidopsis model of trichome development. However, transcripts of the TRY inhibitory gene in hairy B. villosa were surprisingly high relative to B. napus and relative transcript levels of SAD2, EGL3, and several XIX genes were low, suggesting potential ancillary or less important trichome-related roles for these genes in Brassica species compared with Arabidopsis. Several antioxidant, calcium, non-calcium metal and secondary metabolite genes also showed differential expression between these two species. These coincided with accumulation of two alkaloid-like compounds, high levels of calcium, and other metals in B. villosa trichomes that are correlated with the known tolerance of B. villosa to high salt and the calcium-rich natural habitat of this wild species. This first time report on the isolation of large amounts of pure B. villosa trichomes, on trichome content, and on relative gene expression differences in an exceptionally hairy Brassica species compared with a glabrous species opens doors for the scientific community to understand trichome gene function in the Brassicas and highlights the potential of B. villosa as a trichome research platform.

Using crude whole-genome assemblies of Neisseria gonorrhoeae as a platform for strain analysis: clonal spread of gonorrhea infection in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Using crude whole-genome assemblies, we analyzed 25 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by using a high-resolution single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) approach for nine housekeeping genes, characterizing penA alleles, and antimicrobial susceptibility phenotypes coupled with population structure analysis. Two clonal complexes, characterized by their spatial and geographical persistence, were identified. In addition, the clonal spread of penicillin-resistant/intermediate phenotypes and a novel introduction of the azithromycin resistance phenotype in Saskatchewan, Canada, were ascertained using this method.

Incorporation of Prosopis cineraria Extract Improved the Mechanical, Barrier and Antioxidant Properties but Not the Antibacterial Activity of Tigertooth croaker Fish Scale Gelatin Film.

Scale gelatin films derived from croaker fish and infused with Prosopis (Prosopis cineraria) extract (PE) at concentrations of 0.3% and 0.7% were produced. A control film, void of extract, was employed for comparative purposes. The thickness of each film was found to be statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). The results show that the highest solubility (78.57 ± 3.57%) was found for the glycerol film, and the least permeability was found for the water vapor (0.74 ± 0.09 ×10-10g s-1m-1Pa-1); however, the water vapor permeability (WVP) and water solubility (WS) of the films that contained PE were considerably lower than those of the control film (p < 0.05). In contrast to the control film, those infused with 0.7% PE exhibited exceptional UV-barrier properties (>99%) and favorable thermal characteristics. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities were found for the 7% Prosopis cineraria extract (56.96 ± 2.6%) and the glycerol film (40.66 ± 2.46%), respectively. No antibacterial activity was observed in these films. Microscopic pictures showed that all three films had a uniform and plain surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) analysis revealed distinct amide bands and protein-polyphenol interactions within the films that contained the extract.

Transcriptomic analysis of alternative splicing events for different stages of growth and development in Sistan Yaghooti grape clusters.

Sistan Yaghooti grape variety, despite characteristics such as early ripening, is vulnerable to cluster rot due to small berries and dense clusters. In this regard, AS may serve as a regulatory mechanism during developmental processes and in response to environmental signals. RNA-Seq analysis was performed to measure gene expression and the extent of AS events in the cluster growth and development stages of Sistan Yaghooti grape. The number of AS events increased during stages, suggesting that it contributes to the grapevine's adaptability to various stresses. In addition, DEG and DAS genes showed little overlap in cluster growth stages. Functional analysis of 19,194 DAS -gene sets showed that VIT_06s0004g06670 gene is involved in the activation of calcium channels (Ca2+) through the activation of 5 PLC biosynthetic pathways. Among the 27,229 DEG -sets, VIT_07s0005g05320 gene showed higher expression. Interestingly, this gene is involved in the synthesis of an EF -hand domain-containing protein capable of binding to Ca2+ by activating 4 biochemical pathways. These genes increase cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, enhancing plant stress tolerance and resistance to cracking. These results show that AS can respond independently to different types of stress. Among the other DAS genes, the GA2ox gene (VvGA2ox) showed an increase in AS events during cluster development. This gene is critical for initiating the degradation process of GA and plays a crucial role in different stages of seed development. Therefore, it is very likely that this gene is one of the main factors responsible for the density and seedlessness of Sistan Yaghooti grape.

Genome-Wide Association study for root system architecture traits in field soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.].

Roots play a crucial role in plant development, serving to absorb water and nutrients from the soil while also providing structural stability. However, the impacts of global warming can impede root growth by altering soil conditions that hinder overall plant growth. To address this challenge, there is a need to screen and identify plant genotypes with superior Root System Architecture traits (RSA), that can be used for future breeding efforts in enhancing their resilience to these environmental changes. In this project, 500 mid to late-maturity soybean accessions were grown on blue blotting papers hydroponically with six replicates and assessed seven RSA traits. Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) were carried out with root phenotypic data and SNP data from the SoySNP50K iSelect SNP BeadChip, using both the TASSEL 5.0 and FarmCPU techniques. A total of 26 significant SNP-trait correlations were discovered, with 11 SNPs on chromosome 13. After SNP selection, we identified 14 candidate genes within 100-kb regions flanking the SNPs, which are related to root architecture. Notably, Glyma.17G258700, which exhibited substantial differential expression in root tips and its Arabidopsis homolog, AT4G24190 (GRP94) is involved in the regulation of meristem size and organization. Other candidate genes includes Glyma.03G023000 and Glyma.13G273500 that are also play a key role in lateral root initiation and root meristem growth, respectively. These findings significantly contribute to the discovery of key genes associated with root system architecture, facilitating the breeding of resilient cultivars adaptable to changing climates.

Extraction and characterization of collagen and gelatin from body wall of sea cucumbers Stichopus horrens and Holothuria arenicola.

Background: Marine invertebrates, including sponges, molluscs, jellyfish, mussels, and sea cucumbers, are abundant sources of high-quality collagen and offer advantages such as availability, ease of processing, lower inflammatory response, and good metabolic compatibility. Approximately 70% of the total protein in the body wall of sea cucumbers is collagen. Gelatin is a water-soluble protein produced from heat-denatured collagen and has various industrial applications. Methods: Pepsin-solubilized collagen was extracted from the body wall of two sea cucumber Stichopus horrens and Holothuria arenicola, species found in the Oman Sea and characterized with SDS-PAGE and amino acid composition. Then gelatin was extracted from pepsin-solubilized collagen of S. horrens and some rheological properties were measured. Results: Amino acid composition and SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the collagen from both species was type I, with one α1 chain and ß chains, with molecular weights of 125 and 250 kDa, respectively. Glycine was the most abundant amino acid in the collagen from both sea cucumber species. The pepsin-soluble collagens from both species had high levels of glycine, proline, alanine, glutamic acid, and hydroxyproline. The gelatin from S. horrens had a melting point of 30 °C and displayed exceptional thermal stability, surpassing that of mammalian gelatin. Its gelling point was 5 °C, like that of cold-water fish gelatin, with a viscosity of 2.065 cp-lower than mammal gelatins. These findings suggested that collagen and gelatin from sea cucumbers could be useful in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

A simulation study on the radiosensitization properties of gold nanorods.

Objective. Gold nanorods (GNRs) have emerged as versatile nanoparticles with unique properties, holding promise in various modalities of cancer treatment through drug delivery and photothermal therapy. In the rapidly evolving field of nanoparticle radiosensitization (NPRS) for cancer therapy, this study assessed the potential of gold nanorods as radiosensitizing agents by quantifying the key features of NPRS, such as secondary electron emission and dose enhancement, using Monte Carlo simulations.Approach. Employing the TOPAS track structure code, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the radiosensitization behavior of spherical gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods. We systematically explored the impact of nanorod geometry (in particular size and aspect ratio) and orientation on secondary electron emission and deposited energy ratio, providing validated results against previously published simulations.Main results. Our findings demonstrate that gold nanorods exhibit comparable secondary electron emission to their spherical counterparts. Notably, nanorods with smaller surface-area-to-volume ratios (SA:V) and alignment with the incident photon beam proved to be more efficient radiosensitizing agents, showing superiority in emitted electron fluence. However, in the microscale, the deposited energy ratio (DER) was not markedly influenced by the SA:V of the nanorod. Additionally, our findings revealed that the geometry of gold nanoparticles has a more significant impact on the emission of M-shell Auger electrons (with energies below 3.5 keV) than on higher-energy electrons.Significance. This research investigated the radiosensitization properties of gold nanorods, positioning them as promising alternatives to the more conventionally studied spherical gold nanoparticles in the context of cancer research. With increasing interest in multimodal cancer therapy, our findings have the potential to contribute valuable insights into the perspective of gold nanorods as effective multipurpose agents for synergistic photothermal therapy and radiotherapy. Future directions may involve exploring alternative metallic nanorods as well as further optimizing the geometry and coating materials, opening new possibilities for more effective cancer treatments.

Hypertension among persons with type 2 diabetes and its related demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in the Fasa cohort study.

Hypertension is a very common comorbidity in type 2 diabetes patients, which leads to important health and treatment challenges. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in type 2 diabetes patients. This study was conducted using cross-sectional data from 1245 participants aged between 35 and 70 years and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at baseline in the Fasa cohort study. The prevalence hypertension was determined and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between various risk factors and hypertension prevalence. The average age of the participants was 53.5 ± 8.7 years and 71.7% (n = 893) were female and 28.3% (n = 352) were male. The prevalence of hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes was 45.5% (n = 566). Higher age (AOR, 95% CI: 8.1, 4.6-14.3), female gender (OR, 95% CI: 1.8, 1.2-2.5), Fars (AOR, 95% CI: 1.6, 1.1-2.4) and Turk (AOR, 95% CI: 1.6, 1.1-2.5) vs. other ethnicity, and overweight (AOR, 95% CI: 1.8, 1.38-2.38) and obesity (AOR, 95% CI: 2.7, 2.0-3.8) vs. BMI < 25 was associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension, while higher physical activity (AOR, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.42-0.78) was associated with lower prevalence of hypertension in the multivariable model. The prevalence of hypertension in persons with type 2 diabetes was high and increased with greater age, in some ethnic groups, and with higher BMI and low physical activity. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate these associations in this population.

Rapid detection of pathogenic E. coli based on CRISPR Cas system.

Access to safe and nutritious food is critical for maintaining life and supporting good health. Eating food that is contaminated with pathogens leads to serious diseases ranging from diarrhea to cancer. Many foodborne infections can cause long-term impairment or even death. Hence, early detection of foodborne pathogens such as pathogenic Escherichia coli strains is essential for public safety. Conventional methods for detecting these bacteria are based on culturing on selective media and following standard biochemical identification. Despite their accuracy, these methods are time-consuming. PCR-based detection of pathogens relies on sophisticated equipment and specialized technicians which are difficult to find in areas with limited resources. Whereas CRISPR technology is more specific and sensitive for identifying pathogenic bacteria because it employs programmable CRISPR-Cas systems that target particular DNA sequences, minimizing non-specific binding and cross-reactivity. In this project, a robust detection method based on CRISPR-Cas12a sensing was developed, which is rapid, sensitive and specific for detection of pathogenic E. coli isolates that were collected from the fecal samples from adult goats from 17 farms in Tennessee. Detection reaction contained amplified PCR products for the pathogenic regions, reporter probe, Cas12a enzyme, and crRNA specific to three pathogenic genes-stx1, stx2, and hlyA. The CRISPR reaction with the pathogenic bacteria emitted fluorescence when excited under UV light. To evaluate the detection sensitivity and specificity of this assay, its results were compared with PCR based detection assay. Both methods resulted in similar results for the same samples. This technique is very precise, highly sensitive, quick, cost effective, and easy to use, and can easily overcome the limitations of the present detection methods. This project can result in a versatile detection method that is easily adaptable for rapid response in the detection and surveillance of diseases that pose large-scale biosecurity threats to human health, and plant and animal production.

Synthesis of novel azo compounds containing 5(4H)-oxazolone ring as potent tyrosinase inhibitors.

Six new azo dyes containing of 5(4H)-oxazolone ring were prepared by diazotization of 4-aminohippuric acid and coupling with N,N-dimethylaniline, 1-naphthol and 2-naphthol and condensation with 4-fluoro benzaldehyde or 4-trifluoromethoxy benzaldehyde. The new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic techniques. All synthesized compounds exhibited high tyrosinase inhibitory behavior. The results of mushroom tyrosinase inhibition assays indicate that the 4-trifluoromethoxy derivatives have high degrees of inhibition and N,N-dimethylaniline derivatives are better for tyrosinase inhibition than 1-naphthol and 2-naphthol derivatives. All synthesized azo compounds (4a-4f) showed the most potent mushroom tyrosinase inhibition, comparable to that of Kojic acid and l-mimosine, as reference standard inhibitors.