A novel SpaSA based hyper-parameter optimized FCEDN with adaptive CNN classification for skin cancer detection.

Skin cancer is the most prevalent kind of cancer in people. It is estimated that more than 1 million people get skin cancer every year in the world. The effectiveness of the disease's therapy is significantly impacted by early identification of this illness. Preprocessing is the initial detecting stage in enhancing the quality of skin images by removing undesired background noise and objects. This study aims is to compile preprocessing techniques for skin cancer imaging that are currently accessible. Researchers looking into automated skin cancer diagnosis might use this article as an excellent place to start. The fully convolutional encoder-decoder network and Sparrow search algorithm (FCEDN-SpaSA) are proposed in this study for the segmentation of dermoscopic images. The individual wolf method and the ensemble ghosting technique are integrated to generate a neighbour-based search strategy in SpaSA for stressing the correct balance between navigation and exploitation. The classification procedure is accomplished by using an adaptive CNN technique to discriminate between normal skin and malignant skin lesions suggestive of disease. Our method provides classification accuracies comparable to commonly used incremental learning techniques while using less energy, storage space, memory access, and training time (only network updates with new training samples, no network sharing). In a simulation, the segmentation performance of the proposed technique on the ISBI 2017, ISIC 2018, and PH2 datasets reached accuracies of 95.28%, 95.89%, 92.70%, and 98.78%, respectively, on the same dataset and assessed the classification performance. It is accurate 91.67% of the time. The efficiency of the suggested strategy is demonstrated through comparisons with cutting-edge methodologies.

Exploring the potential of Ziziphus nummularia and luteolin-7-O-glucoside as tubulin inhibitors in cancer therapy and survival.

Cancer is responsible for approximately 10 million deaths worldwide, with 70% of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries; as such safer and more effective anti-cancer drugs are required. Therefore, the potential benefits of Ziziphus nummularia and Ziziphus spina-christi as sources of anti-cancer agents were investigated. Z. nummularia and Z. spina-christi extracts were prepared using chloroform, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and water. The extracts' anti-cancer properties were determined using the MTT Cell Viability Assay in four cancer cell lines: breast (KAIMRC2 and MDA-MB-231), colorectal (HCT8), and liver (HepG2). The ApoTox-Glo Triplex Assay and high-content imaging (HCI)-Apoptosis Assay were used to assess KAIMRC2 and HCT8 cells further. In addition, KAIMRC2 cells were tested for microtubule staining, and AKT/mTOR protein expression was determined by western blot analysis. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was performed to identify the secondary metabolites in the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, followed by in silico techniques to predict molecular targets and interactions, safety, and pharmacokinetic profile for identified metabolites. Out of the eight extracts, the ethanolic extract of Z. nummularia, exhibited the most potent activity against KAIMRC2 cells with an IC50 value of 29.2 µg/ml. Cancer cell treatment with the ethanolic extract of Z. nummularia resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability with increased apoptosis and cytotoxic effects. Microtubule staining showed a disrupted microtubular network. The ethanolic extract treatment of KAIMRC2 cells led to upregulated expression of pAKT and pmTOR. In silico studies predicted luteolin-7-O-glucoside to be a ligand for tubulin with the highest docking score (- 7.686) and similar binding interactions relative to the native ligand. Further computational analysis of the metabolites showed acceptable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles, although ethanolic extract metabolites were predicted to have cardiotoxic effects. Ethanolic extraction is optimal for solubilizing active anticancer metabolites from Z. nummularia, which may act by causing M-phase arrest via inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside is the lead candidate for further research and development as an anti-cancer agent. In addition, this study suggests that herbal treatment could switch on mechanisms of adaptation and survival in cancer cells.

Moringa oleifera Gum-Assisted Synthesis and Characterization of CoAgxFe2-xO4: Insight into Structural, Magnetic, Optical, and Biomedical Properties.

The sol-gel method was employed to prepare nano CoFe2O4 and silver-substituted CoFe2O4 nanohybrids (CoAgxFe2-xO4, x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) utilizing Moringa oleifera gum as biofuel. The morphology, size, shape, magnetic, optical, and functional groups of the crystallites were determined using various techniques such as UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Rietveld, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and photoluminescence. The produced nanoferrite has a spherical shape with cubic spinal structures. The optical properties were investigated in two different bands in the photoluminescence emission spectra at 469 and 493 nm. Saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) decrease as the Ag content increases significantly. Furthermore, antibacterial (Gram-positive bacteria bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacterial strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli), antibiofilm activity (E. coli), and antioxidant (DPPH) activities were investigated. The substantial increase in the silver content offers a constructive impact on studied biomedical activities. These findings encourage additional research into the use of hybrid nanoparticles (an amalgamation of ferrite and a noble metal) in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.

Community-developed checklists for publishing images and image analyses.

Images document scientific discoveries and are prevalent in modern biomedical research. Microscopy imaging in particular is currently undergoing rapid technological advancements. However, for scientists wishing to publish obtained images and image-analysis results, there are currently no unified guidelines for best practices. Consequently, microscopy images and image data in publications may be unclear or difficult to interpret. Here, we present community-developed checklists for preparing light microscopy images and describing image analyses for publications. These checklists offer authors, readers and publishers key recommendations for image formatting and annotation, color selection, data availability and reporting image-analysis workflows. The goal of our guidelines is to increase the clarity and reproducibility of image figures and thereby to heighten the quality and explanatory power of microscopy data.

Angiotensin II modulates THP-1-like macrophage phenotype and inflammatory signatures via angiotensin II type 1 receptor.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major component of the renin-angiotensin or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which is the main element found to be involved in cardiopathology. Recently, long-term metabolomics studies have linked high levels of angiotensin plasma to inflammatory conditions such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Monocyte/macrophage cellular function and phenotype orchestrate the inflammatory response in various pathological conditions, most notably cardiometabolic disease. An activation of the Ang II system is usually associated with inflammation and cardiovascular disease; however, the direct effect on monocyte/macrophages has still not been well elucidated. Herein, we have evaluated the cellular effects of Ang II on THP-1-derived macrophages. Ang II stimulated the expression of markers involved in monocyte/macrophage cell differentiation (e.g., CD116), as well as adhesion, cell-cell interaction, chemotaxis, and phagocytosis (CD15, CD44, CD33, and CD49F). Yet, Ang II increased the expression of proinflammatory markers (HLA-DR, TNF-α, CD64, CD11c, and CD38) and decreased CD206 (mannose receptor), an M2 marker. Moreover, Ang II induced cytosolic calcium overload, increased reactive oxygen species, and arrested cells in the G1 phase. Most of these effects were induced via the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R). Collectively, our results provide new evidence in support of the effect of Ang II in inflammation associated with cardiometabolic diseases.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Potential Role of RBMS1 in Adipogenesis and Adipocyte Metabolism.

Adipocytes play a critical role in maintaining a healthy systemic metabolism by storing and releasing energy in the form of fat and helping to regulate glucose and lipid levels in the body. Adipogenesis is the process through which pre-adipocytes are differentiated into mature adipocytes. It is a complex process involving various transcription factors and signaling pathways. The dysregulation of adipogenesis has been implicated in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate adipogenesis and the factors that contribute to its dysregulation may provide insights into the prevention and treatment of these conditions. RNA-binding motif single-stranded interacting protein 1 (RBMS1) is a protein that binds to RNA and plays a critical role in various cellular processes such as alternative splicing, mRNA stability, and translation. RBMS1 polymorphism has been shown to be associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but the role of RBMS1 in adipose metabolism and adipogenesis is not known. We show that RBMS1 is highly expressed during the early phase of the differentiation of the murine adipocyte cell line 3T3-L1 and is significantly upregulated in the adipose tissue depots and adipocytes of high-fat-fed mice, implying a possible role in adipogenesis and adipose metabolism. Knockdown of RBMS1 in pre-adipocytes impacted the differentiation process and reduced the expression of some of the key adipogenic markers. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis indicated that RBMS1 depletion affected the expression of several genes involved in major metabolic processes, including carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Our findings imply that RBMS1 plays an important role in adipocyte metabolism and may offer novel therapeutic opportunity for metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

MICaFVi: A Novel Magnetic Immuno-Capture Flow Virometry Nano-Based Diagnostic Tool for Detection of Coronaviruses.

COVID-19 has resulted in a pandemic that aggravated the world's healthcare systems, economies, and education, and caused millions of global deaths. Until now, there has been no specific, reliable, and effective treatment to combat the virus and its variants. The current standard tedious PCR-based tests have limitations in terms of sensitivity, specificity, turnaround time, and false negative results. Thus, an alternative, rapid, accurate, and sensitive diagnostic tool that can detect viral particles, without the need for amplification or viral replication, is central to infectious disease surveillance. Here, we report MICaFVi (Magnetic Immuno-Capture Flow Virometry), a novel precise nano-biosensor diagnostic assay for coronavirus detection which combines the MNP-based immuno-capture of viruses for enrichment followed by flow-virometry analysis, enabling the sensitive detection of viral particles and pseudoviruses. As proof of concept, virus-mimicking spike-protein-coated silica particles (VM-SPs) were captured using anti-spike-antibody-conjugated MNPs (AS-MNPs) followed by detection using flow cytometry. Our results showed that MICaFVi can successfully detect viral MERS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2-mimicking particles as well as MERS-CoV pseudoviral particles (MERSpp) with high specificity and sensitivity, where a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.9 µg/mL (20 pmol/mL) was achieved. The proposed method has great potential for designing practical, specific, and point-of-care testing for rapid and sensitive diagnoses of coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

Characterisation of engineered titanium dioxide nanoparticles in selected food.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2), an E171 manufacturer-made food additive, is extensively utilised as a colourant in drug and a food products. Some studies showed that most of confectionary and food items contain inexplicable particles. The aim of this article is to determine the size and structure of TiO2 nanoparticles in different food products. Ten food samples, including coffee cream, white chocolate concentrate, frosting, gum, yoghurt candy, hard candies and chewy candies, were investigated for this purpose. The crystalline structure and particle size of TiO2 were determined by Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). TEM images revealed that a few of the extracted nanoparticles had a rod-like shape, but most were spherical. Also, the size of the TiO2 particle had a wide distribution between 12 and 450 nm. Thus, to avoid human health risk, crucial factors such as size, and shape should be considered and regulated by food authorities.

Stimulatory effects of Lycium shawii on human melanocyte proliferation, migration, and melanogenesis: In vitro and in silico studies.

There is no first-line treatment for vitiligo, a skin disease characterized by a lack of melanin produced by the melanocytes, resulting in an urgent demand for new therapeutic drugs capable of stimulating melanocyte functions, including melanogenesis. In this study, traditional medicinal plant extracts were tested for cultured human melanocyte proliferation, migration, and melanogenesis using MTT, scratch wound-healing assays, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot technology. Of the methanolic extracts, Lycium shawii L. (L. shawii) extract increased melanocyte proliferation at low concentrations and modulated melanocyte migration. At the lowest tested concentration (i.e., 7.8 µg/mL), the L. shawii methanolic extract promoted melanosome formation, maturation, and enhanced melanin production, which was associated with the upregulation of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 and TRP-2 melanogenesis-related proteins, and melanogenesis-related proteins. After the chemical analysis and L. shawii extract-derived metabolite identification, the in silico studies revealed the molecular interactions between Metabolite 5, identified as apigenin (4,5,6-trihydroxyflavone), and the copper active site of tyrosinase, predicting enhanced tyrosinase activity and subsequent melanin formation. In conclusion, L. shawii methanolic extract stimulates melanocyte functions, including melanin production, and its derivative Metabolite 5 enhances tyrosinase activity, suggesting further investigation of the L. shawii extract-derived Metabolite 5 as a potential natural drug for vitiligo treatment.

The effect of novel antihypertensive drug valsartan on lysozyme aggregation: A combined in situ and in silico study.

Protein misfolding can result in amyloid fiber aggregation, which is associated with various types of diseases. Therefore, preventing or treating abnormally folded proteins may provide therapeutic intervention for these diseases. Valsartan (VAL) is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) that is used to treat hypertension. In this study, we examine the anti-aggregating effect of VAL against hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) amyloid fibrils through spectroscopy, docking, and microscopic analysis. In vitro formation of HEWL amyloid fibrils was indicated by increased turbidity, RLS (Rayleigh light scattering), and ThT fluorescence intensity. 10 µM VAL, amyloid/aggregation was inhibited up to 83% and 72% as measured by ThT and RLS respectively. In contrast, 100 µM VAL significantly increases the fibril aggregation of HEWL. CD spectroscopy results show a stabilization of HEWL α-helical structures in the presence of 10 µM VAL while the increase in ß-sheet was detected at 100 µM concentration of VAL. The hydrophobicity of HEWL was increased at 100 µM VAL, suggesting the promotion of aggregation via its self-association. Steady-state quenching revealed that VAL and HEWL interact spontaneously via hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images illustrate that the needle-like fibers of HEWL amyloid were reduced at 10 µM VAL, while at 100 µM the fibrils of amyloid were increased. Additionally, our computational studies showed that VAL could bind to two binding sites within HEWL. In the BS-1 domain of HEWL, VAL binds to ASN59, ILE98, ILE58, TRP108, VAL109, SER50, ASP52, ASN59, ALA107, and TRP108 residues with a binding energy of -9.72 kcal mol-1. Also, it binds to GLU7, ALA10, ALA11, CYS6, ARG128, and ARG14 in the BS-2 domain with a binding energy of -5.89 kcal mol-1. VAL, therefore, appears to have dual effect against HEWL aggregation. We suggest that VAL stabilizes HEWL's aggregation-prone region (APR) at 10 µM, preventing aggregation. Also, we assume that at 100 µM, VAL occupies BS-2 beside BS-1 and destabilizes the folding structure of HEWL, resulting in aggregation. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism of action and determine its potential side effects.

Community-developed checklists for publishing images and image analyses.

Images document scientific discoveries and are prevalent in modern biomedical research. Microscopy imaging in particular is currently undergoing rapid technological advancements. However for scientists wishing to publish the obtained images and image analyses results, there are to date no unified guidelines. Consequently, microscopy images and image data in publications may be unclear or difficult to interpret. Here we present community-developed checklists for preparing light microscopy images and image analysis for publications. These checklists offer authors, readers, and publishers key recommendations for image formatting and annotation, color selection, data availability, and for reporting image analysis workflows. The goal of our guidelines is to increase the clarity and reproducibility of image figures and thereby heighten the quality and explanatory power of microscopy data is in publications.

Efficacy of Denture Cleansers on Microbial Adherence and Surface Topography of Conventional and CAD/CAM-Processed Denture Base Resins.

This study assessed the efficacy of five denture cleansers on the microbial adherence and surface topography of conventional and CAD/CAM denture base resins. Acrylic resin discs were fabricated using conventional, milling, and 3D printing methods (N = 180). The discs were contaminated with dual species of Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans biofilm for 72 h and then disinfected with either of the denture cleansers (Fittydent cleansing tablets, 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate, 0.2% Chlorhexidine gluconate, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, and 1% sodium hypochlorite (n = 10). Distilled water served as the control group. The colony-forming units of the microorganisms were calculated, followed by post-treatment surface roughness. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA, paired t-test, and post hoc Tukey HSD test (α = 0.05). Among the denture cleansers, 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, and 1% sodium hypochlorite had the best cleansing effect on the resin discs and demonstrated zero growth of colonies for both the species. Comparing the material groups, the 3D-processed discs showed higher colony-forming units followed by the conventional and CAD/CAM milled group. The highest surface roughness was demonstrated by the 3D-printed discs (0.690 ± 0.08 µm), followed by the conventional (0.493 ± 0.11 µm) and the milled groups (0.301 ± 0.08 µm). The tested chemical denture cleansers affected the Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans adhesion compared to control discs immersed in distilled water. The clinician may recommend to their patient to use 2% chlorhexidine gluconate for the disinfection of CAD/CAM PMMA denture base materials.

Integration of in vitro and in-silico analysis of Caulerpa racemosa against antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities.

Marine algae are found to be excellent in their nutritional and potential therapeutic properties. This study explores the antidiabetic and anticancer potential of fractionated polyphenolic extract of Caulerpa racemosa, green macroalgae. Crude polyphenolic extract (CPE) of C. racemosa and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and distilled water) were tested for its total phenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant potential. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The in vitro antidiabetic activity was assessed by alpha-amylase, glucosidase inhibition and anti-glycation assays. Also, in-silico studies were conducted to test the binding affinities between caulerpin with alpha-glucosidase enzyme and estrogen receptor (ER) active sites. Each fraction was tested for its in vitroin vitroanticancer activity by CellTiter-Glo and MTT cell proliferation assays. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant potential of the crude extract were observed to be dose dependent. The GC/MS analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction yielded 47 peaks, whereas n-hexadecanoic acid and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester showed the highest compatibility percentages of 99% and 96%, respectively. The CPE exhibited a higher potential in both alpha-amylase inhibitory and anti-glycation activities. The ethyl acetate fraction was more effective against alpha-glucosidase inhibition. Molecular docking revealed a high binding affinity between the alpha-glucosidase enzyme and caulerpin and showed high binding affinity toward caulerpin, with H-bond interactions. The in vitro anticancer analyses revealed that chloroform fraction and CPE exhibited moderate activity on the KAIMRC1 cell line. Also, the CPE exhibited high specificity compared to the standard drug in anticancer studies. Our findings evidence the pharmacological potential of the CPE of C. racemosa, and bioactive compounds of the species may be utilized as lead molecules to develop anti-diabetic and anti-cancer drugs.

Surfactant modified waste ash for the removal of chloro and nitro group substituted benzene from wastewater.

A surfactant-modified coal fly ash was developed as a multifunctional adsorbent for the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used to modify the surface of coal fly ash (CFA). The modified CFA was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface porosity analyzer, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results showed that loading CFA with SDS not only improved the functionality and surface morphology of the raw ash for the adsorption of organic pollutants, but also enhanced its thermal stability. The efficiency of the modified fly ash was tested in terms of removal of two non-polar organic pollutants namely chlorobenzene (CB) and nitrobenzene (NB) from aqueous phase. The maximum uptake capacity of chlorobenzene and nitrobenzene with SDS-modified coal fly ash (SCFA) was 225 mg/g and 90 mg/g, respectively. The kinetic analysis was done by controlled kinetic models, i.e., pseudo first and second order kinetic models. The results showed that adsorption of CB and NB onto SCFA followed a pseudo second order kinetic model. The adsorption of chlorobenzene was exothermic over the modified adsorbent while nitrobenzene showed an endothermic behavior. The isotherm analysis depicted the multilayer adsorption of both pollutants onto the surface of the surfactant modified adsorbent. This work has shown that surface modification using surfactants can be a viable option to enhance the adsorption capacity of fly ash for pollutants removal.

Could the academic advisor, intrinsic motivation, and time management influence students' attitudes towards research work on campus?

BACKGROUND: Research is essential and necessary for those who love learning, whether they belong to a research institution or not. Numerous elements influence researchers' attitudes towards good research work, but in this study we focus on the most significant ones: advisor support, intrinsic motivation, timing, and planning. OBJECTIVES: The current study aims at motivating readers to help improve students' attitudes towards research work within the university context. METHOD: The target demographic of the current research comprises masters and doctoral students from three major public institutions in Xi'an, China. We aimed to examine the effects of the variables and the study employed correlation and stepwise regression. RESULTS: The results show that advisor support influences attitudes towards research positively and significantly (ß= 0.20, p < 0.01). Likewise, intrinsic motivation has a positive and significant effect on attitude towards research (ß= 0.18, p < 0.01). Time attitudes significantly influenced attitudes towards research (ß= 0.14, p < 0.05). Furthermore, time planning also positively and significantly influenced the attitude towards research (ß= 0.15, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: To achieve an excellent attitude towards research work, students need a cooperative academic advisor who will intrinsically motivate them in their research activities. However, they must manage their academic time and be equipped with time management skills.

Brain hemispheres with right temporal lobe damage swap dominance in early auditory processing of lexical tones.

Labor division of the two brain hemispheres refers to the dominant processing of input information on one side of the brain. At an early stage, or a preattentive stage, the right brain hemisphere is shown to dominate the auditory processing of tones, including lexical tones. However, little is known about the influence of brain damage on the labor division of the brain hemispheres for the auditory processing of linguistic tones. Here, we demonstrate swapped dominance of brain hemispheres at the preattentive stage of auditory processing of Chinese lexical tones after a stroke in the right temporal lobe (RTL). In this study, we frequently presented lexical tones to a group of patients with a stroke in the RTL and infrequently varied the tones to create an auditory contrast. The contrast evoked a mismatch negativity response, which indexes auditory processing at the preattentive stage. In the participants with a stroke in the RTL, the mismatch negativity response was lateralized to the left side, in contrast to the right lateralization pattern in the control participants. The swapped dominance of brain hemispheres indicates that the RTL is a core area for early-stage auditory tonal processing. Our study indicates the necessity of rehabilitating tonal processing functions for tonal language speakers who suffer an RTL injury.

Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.Bip Flower Dichloromethane Extract Exerts Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Properties in Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (MDA-MB-231) Cells: In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

The aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a challenging disease due to the absence of tailored therapy. The search for new therapies involves intensive research focusing on natural sources. Achillea fragrantissima (A. fragrantissima) is a traditional medicine from the Middle East region. Various solvent extracts from different A. fragrantissima plant parts, including flowers, leaves, and roots, were tested on TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells. Using liquid chromatography, the fingerprinting revealed rich and diverse compositions for A. fragrantissima plant parts using polar to non-polar solvent extracts indicating possible differences in bioactivities. Using the CellTiter-Glo™ viability assay, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined for each extract and ranged from 32.4 to 161.7 µg/mL. The A. fragrantissima flower dichloromethane extract had the lowest mean IC50 value and was chosen for further investigation. Upon treatment with increasing A. fragrantissima flower dichloromethane extract concentrations, the MDA-MB-231 cells displayed, in a dose-dependent manner, enhanced morphological and biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis, including cell shrinkage, phosphatidylserine exposure, caspase activity, and mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, assessed using phase-contrast microscopy, fluorescence-activated single-cell sorting analysis, Image-iT™ live caspase, and mitochondrial transition pore opening activity, respectively. Anticancer target prediction and molecular docking studies revealed the inhibitory activity of a few A. fragrantissima flower dichloromethane extract-derived metabolites against carbonic anhydrase IX, an enzyme reported for its anti-apoptotic properties. In conclusion, these findings suggest promising therapeutic values of the A. fragrantissima flower dichloromethane extract against TNBC development.

The Role of Myrrh Metabolites in Cancer, Inflammation, and Wound Healing: Prospects for a Multi-Targeted Drug Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Myrrh extract is a well-known medicinal plant with significant therapeutic benefits attributed to the activity of its diverse metabolites. It has promising activity against cancer and inflammatory diseases, and could serve as a potential therapeutic alternative since most therapeutic agents have severe side effects that impair quality of life. METHOD: The current study identified the active metabolites from the myrrh resin methanolic extract. Then, the extracts were tested for in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity using cancer cell lines and Tamm-Horsfall Protein 1 (Thp-1)-like macrophage cell lines. Furthermore, using an in vivo rat model, the extracts' anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activity was investigated. In addition, in silico predictions of the myrrh constituents highlighted the pharmacokinetic properties, molecular targets, and safety profile, including cytochrome P 450 (CYP) inhibition and organ toxicity. RESULTS: Nine secondary metabolites were identified, and computational predictions suggested a good absorption profile, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effects. The myrrh extract had moderate cytotoxic activity against both HL60 and K562 leukemia cell lines and the KAIMRC1 breast cancer cell line. Myrrh caused a dose-dependent effect on macrophages to increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, promote their polarization to classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2) phenotypes, and consequently induce apoptosis, highlighting its ability to modulate macrophage function, which could potentially aid in several desired therapeutic processes, including the resolution of inflammation, and autophagy which is an important aspect to consider in cancer treatment. The topical application of myrrh improved wound healing, with no delayed inflammatory response, and promoted complete re-epithelization of the skin, similar to the positive control. In conclusion, we provide evidence for the methanolic extract of myrrh having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells and anti-inflammatory wound-healing properties, which may be attributed to its role in modulating macrophage function. Furthermore, we suggest the active constituents responsible for these properties, which warrants further studies focusing on the precise roles of the active metabolites.

Sustainable environment, energy and finance in China: evidence from dynamic modelling using carbon emissions and ecological footprints.

This study investigates sustainable finance along with sustainable economic factors on both carbon emissions and ecological footprints in China. A novel Dynamic Autoregressive Distributed Lag technique is applied; results revealed sustainable finance exerts positive/negative influence on carbon emissions in the long and short run, respectively. Results are robust with ecological footprints that sustainable finance placed a lucrative cause to preserve the environment. Sustainable economic factors show a positive impact on carbon emissions in the long run, whilst economic growth, energy consumption and exports improve environmental quality. Conversely, in the short run, urbanisation supports the environment whilst economic development, energy use and exports exert a positive impact. In addition, this study suggests useful policy implications for the stakeholders.