Exploring low-dose gamma radiation effects on monoterpene biosynthesis in Thymus vulgaris: insights into plant defense mechanisms.

Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as thyme, is a plant renowned for producing monoterpenes. This study aimed to understand the effects of low-dose gamma radiation, specifically in the range of 1-5 Gy, on various traits of Thymus vulgaris, providing context on its importance in agricultural and medicinal applications. The research explored morpho-physiological, biochemical, and gene-expression responses in thyme plants under no gamma- and gamma-ray exposure conditions. The study revealed complex relationships between gamma-ray doses and plant characteristics. In particular, shoot and root lengths initially increased with low doses (1-3 Gy) but decreased at higher doses (5 Gy), suggesting a dose-dependent threshold effect. Similarly, shoot and root fresh weights displayed an initial increase followed by a decline with increasing doses. Biochemical parameters showed dose-dependent responses, with low to moderate doses (1-3 Gy) stimulating enzyme activities and high doses (5 Gy) inhibiting them. Gene expression analysis was focused on the following specific genes: thymol synthase, γ-terpinene synthase, and carvacrol synthase. Low to moderate doses increased the expression of these genes, resulting in increased production of bioactive compounds. However, higher doses had diminished effects or suppressed gene expression. Metabolite analysis demonstrated dose-dependent responses, with moderate doses enhancing secondary metabolite production, while higher doses provided limited benefits. These findings underscore the implications of using gamma radiation to enhance secondary metabolite production in plants and its potential applications in agriculture, medicine, and environmental science. The study emphasizes the potential of gamma radiation as an external stressor to influence plant responses and highlights the importance of understanding such effects in various fields.

Unraveling the binding interactions between two Pt(II) complexes of aliphatic glycine derivatives with human serum albumin: A comprehensive computational and multi-spectral investigation.

This article delves into the interaction between HSA protein and synthesized platinum complexes, with formula: [Pt(Propyl-NH2)2(Propylglycine)]NO3 and [Pt(Tertpentyl-NH2)2(Tertpentylglycine)]NO3, through a range of methods, including spectroscopic (UV-visible, fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence and CD) analysis and computational modeling (molecular docking and MD simulation). The binding constants, the number of binding sites, and thermodynamic parameters were obtained at 25 to 37 °C. The study found that both complexes could bind with HSA (moderate affinity for Tertpentyl and strong affinity for Propyl derivatives) and occupied one binding site in HSA (validated with, Stern-Volmer, Job-plots, and molecular docking investigations) located in subdomain IIA. The binding mechanisms of both mentioned Pt(II) agents were different, with the Propyl derivative predominantly using van der Waals forces and hydrogen bond interactions with a static quenching mechanism and the Tertpentyl derivative mainly utilizing hydrophobic force with a dynamic quenching mechanism. However, the two ligands affected protein differently; the Tertpentyl complex did not significantly alter the protein structure upon binding, as evidenced by synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS), CD spectroscopy, and MD analysis. The outcome helps in understanding the binding mechanisms and structural modifications induced by the ligands, which could aid in the innovation of more effective and stable Pt(II)-based drugs.

Immunoregulatory Effects of the Active Form of Vitamin D (Calcitriol), Individually and in Combination with Curcumin, on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system. Immune cell subsets, notably T helper (Th) 17 and Th1, exert important roles in MS pathogenesis. Whereas, Treg cells modulate the disease process. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, and curcumin, a bioactive compound derived from turmeric, play immunomodulatory effects relevant to autoimmune disorders, including MS. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of calcitriol and Curcumin on Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of individuals with MS. METHODS: PBMCs from twenty MS patients were isolated, cultured, and exposed to 0.004 µg/mL of calcitriol and 10 µg/mL of curcumin. The cells underwent treatment with singular or combined doses of these components to assess potential cumulative or synergistic immunomod-ulatory effects. Following treatment, the expression levels of genes and the cellular population of Treg, Th1 and Th17 were evaluated using Real-time PCR and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Treatment with curcumin and calcitriol led to a significant reduction in the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and transcription factors related to Th1 and Th17 cells, includ-ing IFN-γ, T-bet, IL-17, and RORC. Furthermore, the frequency of these cells decreased follow-ing treatment. Additionally, curcumin and calcitriol treatment resulted in a significant upregu-lation of the FOXP3 gene expression and an increase in the frequency of Treg cells. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that curcumin and calcitriol can effectively modulate the inflammatory processes intrinsic to MS by mitigating the expression of inflammatory cytokines by Th1 and Th17 cells while concurrently enhancing the regulatory role of Treg cells. Moreover, the combined treatment of curcumin and calcitriol did not yield superior outcomes compared to single-dosing strategies.

Investigating the impact of air pollution and temperature changes on emergency admissions (cardiovascular + respiratory) disease in the city of Bojnord, northeastern Iran.

Cardiovascular (CVD) + Respiratory diseases are recognized as the main cause of death worldwide. Fluctuations in temperature and air pollution have been reported as one of the most important causes of cardiovascular & respiratory diseases. Therefore, in the current study, we assessed the relationship between ambient air temperature and pollution on the number of total emergency hospital admission due to cardiovascular and respiratory conditions in the City of Bojnord, northeastern Iran. The meteorological data, including daily temperature, relative humidity and concentrations of five air pollutants CO, NO2, NOX SO2, and PM10 were obtained from online electronic sensors at the Bojnurd meteorological station from 21th March 2018 to 20th March 2020. Statistical analysis, penalized distributed lag non-linear method was applied using R Software. Also, sensitivity analysis test was calculated by using appropriate application. The results of the study revealed that the effect of higher and lower temperatures was observed immediately from the first day and the second week, respectively. Also result showed with increase and decrease temperature, significantly increased the risk of hospitalization by 36% (RR, 1.36; 95% CI (1), 0.95 to 1.95) and 17% (RR, 1.17; 95% CI (1), 0.88 to 1.55) until the lag 25th day, respectively. Based on the results, increasing temperature significantly increased the hospitalization rate of cardiopulmonary patients, but the effect of cold was not significant on the population as well as age and gender subgroups. Study have also proved that there is no significance correlation between air pollutant and Cardiovascular & respiratory diseases.

Enhancing nutritional status, growth, and fruit quality of dried figs using organic fertilizers in rain-fed orchards: A case study in Estahban, Iran.

The majority of Iranian fig production is exported, making it one of the world's most well-known healthy crops. Therefore, the main objective of the current experiment was to investigate the effects of various types of organic fertilizers, such as animal manure (cow and sheep), bird manure (partridge, turkey, quail, and chicken), and vermicompost, on the nutritional status of trees, vegetative and reproductive tree characteristics, fruit yield, and fruit quality traits in dried fig cultivar ("Sabz"). According to the findings, applying organic fertilizers, particularly turkey and quail, significantly improves vegetative and reproductive characteristics. However, other manures such as sheep, chicken, and vermicompost had a similar effect on the growth parameters of fig trees. Additionally, the findings indicated that except for potassium, use of all organic fertilizers had an impact on macro and microelements such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and sodium amount in fig tree leaves. Also, based on fruit color analysis in dried figs, the use of all organic fertilizers improved fruit color. Moreover, the analyses fruit biochemical showed that the use of some organic fertilizers improved that TSS and polyphenol compounds such as coumarin, vanillin, hesperidin gallic acid and trans frolic acid. In general, the results indicated that the addition of organic fertilizers, especially turkey manure, led to increased vegetative productivity and improvement in the fruit quality of the rain-fed fig orchard.

Decoding the Structure-Function Relationship of the Muramidase Domain in E. coli O157.H7 Bacteriophage Endolysin: A Potential Building Block for Chimeric Enzybiotics.

Bacteriophage endolysins are potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics for treating multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections. However, their structure-function relationships are poorly understood, hindering their optimization and application. In this study, we focused on the individual functionality of the C-terminal muramidase domain of Gp127, a modular endolysin from E. coli O157:H7 bacteriophage PhaxI. This domain is responsible for the enzymatic activity, whereas the N-terminal domain binds to the bacterial cell wall. Through protein modeling, docking experiments, and molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the activity, stability, and interactions of the isolated C-terminal domain with its ligand. We also assessed its expression, solubility, toxicity, and lytic activity using the experimental data. Our results revealed that the C-terminal domain exhibits high activity and toxicity when tested individually, and its expression is regulated in different hosts to prevent self-destruction. Furthermore, we validated the muralytic activity of the purified refolded protein by zymography and standardized assays. These findings challenge the need for the N-terminal binding domain to arrange the active site and adjust the gap between crucial residues for peptidoglycan cleavage. Our study shed light on the three-dimensional structure and functionality of muramidase endolysins, thereby enriching the existing knowledge pool and laying a foundation for accurate in silico modeling and the informed design of next-generation enzybiotic treatments.

Cadmium toxicity promotes hormonal imbalance and induces the expression of genes involved in systemic resistances in barley.

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely distributed pollutant that adversely affects plants' metabolism and productivity. Phytohormones play a vital role in the acclimation of plants to metal stress. On the other hand, phytohormones trigger systemic resistances, including systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR), in plants in response to biotic interactions. The present study aimed to investigate the possible induction of SAR and ISR pathways in relation to the hormonal alteration of barley seedlings in response to Cd stress. Barley seedlings were exposed to 1.5 mg g-1 Cd in the soil for three days. The nutrient content, oxidative status, phytohormones profile, and expression of genes involved in SAR and ISR pathways of barley seedlings were examined. Cd accumulation resulted in a reduction in the nutrient content of barley seedlings. The specific activity of superoxide dismutase and the hydrogen peroxide content significantly increased in response to Cd toxicity. Abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene content increased under Cd exposure. Cd treatment resulted in the upregulation of NPR1, PR3, and PR13 genes in SAR pathways. The transcripts of PAL1 and LOX2.2 genes in the ISR pathway were also significantly increased in response to Cd treatment. These findings suggest that hormonal-activated systemic resistances are involved in the response of barley to Cd stress.

RIPK3 and RIPK1 gene expression in pterygium: unveiling molecular insights into pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Pterygium, characterized by the abnormal proliferation of epithelial cells, matrix remodeling, vascularization, and lesion migration, is a prevalent ocular surface disease involving the growth of fibrovascular tissue on the cornea. Despite the unclear underlying causes of pterygium, numerous investigations have indicated the involvement of cell death pathways in the regulation of cell cycle dynamics. Consequently, the objective of this study was to assess the expression levels of necroptosis markers in individuals diagnosed with pterygium, aiming to shed light on the potential role of necroptosis in the pathogenesis of this condition. METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns of receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 3 (RIPK3) and receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 1 (RIPK1) genes in pterygium tissues. 41 patients undergoing pterygium excision surgery were recruited. Resected pterygium samples and normal conjunctival tissues were collected, and RIPK3 and RIPK1 mRNA levels were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Our findings reveal that the expression of RIPK3 is significantly increased in samples obtained from individuals with pterygium. However, no significant alterations were observed in the expression of RIPK1 in these samples. Results showed significantly higher RIPK3 expression in pterygium tissues compared to controls. Moreover, increased RIPK3 levels correlated negatively with pterygium recurrence rates. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest RIPK3 may play a protective role against pterygium recurrence through necroptosis.

Herb Extracellular Vesicle-Chitosan-PEGylated Graphene Oxide Conjugate Delivers Estrogen Receptor α Targeting siRNA to Breast Cancer Cells.

Herb-based extracellular vesicles (EV), inherently replete with bioactive proteins, RNA, lipids, and other medicinal compounds, are noncytotoxic and uniquely capable of cellular delivery to meet the ever-stringent challenges of ongoing clinical applications. EVs are abundant in nature, affordable, and scalable, but they are also incredibly fragile and stuffed with many biomolecules. To address the low drug binding abilities and poor stability of EVs, we demonstrated herb-based EVs (isolated from neem, mint, and curry leaves) conjugated with chitosan (CS) and PEGylated graphene oxide (GP) that led to their transformation into robust and efficient vectors. The designed conjugates successfully delivered estrogen receptor α (ERα1)-targeting siRNA to breast cancer MCF7 cells. Our data revealed that neem-based EV-CS-GP conjugates were most efficient in cellular siRNA delivery, which could be attributed to hyaluronic acid-mediated recognition of neem EVs by MCF7 cells via CD44 receptors. Our approach shows a futuristic direction in designing clinically viable, sustainable, nontoxic EV-based vehicles that can deliver a variety of functional siRNA cargos.

Protein Corona Composition of Gold Nanocatalysts.

The interaction between nanoparticles (NPs) and biological environments is profoundly influenced by a stable, strongly adsorbed "hard" protein corona. This corona significantly determines the NPs' pharmacokinetics and biological destiny. Our study delves into the mechanisms by which colloidal Au nanocrystals that are synthesized electrochemically without surface-capping organic ligands, known as CNM-Au8, traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and target human brain tissue for treating neurodegenerative disorders. We discovered that upon interaction with human plasma, CNM-Au8 gold nanocrystals (AuNCs) effectively attract a variety of crucial apolipoproteins, notably apolipoproteins E, to their surfaces. This interaction likely facilitates their passage through the BBB. Furthermore, the coronas of these AuNCs exhibit a substantial presence of albumin and a notable absence of opsonin-based proteins, contributing to prolonged blood circulation. These characteristics align well with the clinical performance observed for the CNM-Au8 NCs. This study highlights that AuNCs with intentionally engineered structures and surfactant-free surfaces can create a distinct protein corona composition. This finding holds significant promise for the development of advanced therapeutic agents aimed at combating neurodegenerative diseases.

The Role of the JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway in the Protective Effects of Hepatic Ischemia Post-conditioning Against the Injury Induced by Ischemia/Reperfusion in the Rat Liver.

Purpose: Hepatic ischemic post-conditioning (IPOC) is shown to protect the liver from injury induced by ischemia/reperfusion (IR). However, the mechanism underlying this protection has remained elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the role of the interleukin 6-Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (IL-6-JAK-STAT) pathway in the protective effect of hepatic IPOC against the IR-induced injury in the liver. Methods: Twenty-five rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of (1) sham-operated, (2) IR, (3) IR+hepatic IPOC, (4) IR+tofacitinib (TOFA), and (5) IR+TOFA+hepatic IPOC. The changes induced by IR and the effects of different treatments were assessed by enzyme release, histopathological observations, the serum level of IL-6, and the occurrence of apoptosis detected via the expression of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Results: The hepatic IPOC improved the liver injury induced by IR as shown by histological changes, reduction of IL-6 level, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) compared to the IR group (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively). There was also downregulation of the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in the rats exposed to IR+hepatic IPOC compared with those in the IR group (P<0.05). However, TOFA, an inhibitor of JAK-STAT activity, inhibited the protective effect of hepatic IPOC. Conclusion: It suggests that the protective effect of hepatic IPOC against IR-induced injury may be mediated by activating the IL-6-JAK-STAT pathway.

Evaluation the frequencies of HLA alleles in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients in Iran: A molecular HLA typing study.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was first reported in December 2019 and it has spread globally ever since. The HLA system is crucial in directing anti-viral immunity and recent studies are investigating the possible involvement of the HLA genes on the severity of immune inflammation in different phases of COVID-19. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, peripheral blood-extracted genomic DNAs of 109 COVID-19 patients and 70 healthy controls were genotyped for different alleles of HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DRB1 loci using sequence-specific primer PCR method. Results: The results indicated that frequencies of HLA-DRB1*11:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03 were significantly higher in severe patients rather than moderates (p: <0.001 and 0.004, respectively). Also, it was observed that HLA-DRB1*04:01 was more frequent in moderate patients and healthy controls (p:0.002). In addition, HLA-B*07:35, and HLA-DRB1*07:01 showed higher frequencies in patients compared with controls (p: 0.031 and 0.003 respectively). Inversely, due to the higher frequencies of HLA-B*51:01 (p:0.027), HLA-DRB1*11:05 (p:0.003), HLA-DRB1*13:05 (p:0.022), and HLA-DRB1*14:01 (p:0.006) in healthy individuals rather than patients, they may be associated with COVID-19 resistance. Conclusion: The results show that, based on the population differences, the type of alleles related to the severity of COVID-19 is different, which should be clarified by designing large-scale studies in order to develop HLA-based treatments and vaccines.

LncRNAs: Emerging biomarkers and therapeutic targets in rectal cancer.

According to findings, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have an important function in the onset and growth of various cancers, including rectal cancer (RC). RC offers unique issues in terms of diagnosis, treatment, and results, needing a full understanding of the cellular mechanisms that cause it to develop. This thorough study digs into the various functions that lncRNAs perform in RC, giving views into their multiple roles as well as possible therapeutic consequences. The function of lncRNAs in RC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migratory and infiltrating capacities, epithelial-mesenchymal shift, and therapy tolerance are discussed. Various lncRNA regulatory roles are investigated in depth, yielding information on their effect on essential cell functions such as angiogenesis, death, immunity, and growth. Systemic lncRNAs are currently acknowledged as potential indications for the initial stages of identification of cancer, with the ability to diagnose as well as forecast. Besides adding to their diagnostic utility, lncRNAs offer therapeutic opportunities as actors, contributing to the expanding landscape of cancer research. Moreover, the investigation looks into the assessment and predictive utility of lncRNAs as RC markers. The article also offers insight into lncRNAs as chemoresistance and drug resistance facilitators in the setting of RC.

Cell-Penetrating Peptides: Promising Therapeutics and Drug-Delivery Systems for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Currently, one of the most significant and rapidly growing unmet medical challenges is the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). This challenge encompasses the imperative development of efficacious therapeutic agents and overcoming the intricacies of the blood-brain barrier for successful drug delivery. Here we focus on the delivery aspect with particular emphasis on cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), widely used in basic and translational research as they enhance drug delivery to challenging targets such as tissue and cellular compartments and thus increase therapeutic efficacy. The combination of CPPs with nanomaterials such as nanoparticles (NPs) improves the performance, accuracy, and stability of drug delivery and enables higher drug loads. Our review presents and discusses research that utilizes CPPs, either alone or in conjugation with NPs, to mitigate the pathogenic effects of neurodegenerative diseases with particular reference to AD and PD.

Application of GRIN-lens-based in-line digital holographic microscopy to automatic detection and localization of particles released from a MEMS device.

Recently, we developed a compact and easy-to-implement in-line digital holographic microscope (DHM) using a GRIN rod lens, which provides better resolution (1.3 µm) compared with commonly used pinhole-based DHM setups. Here, we employ this microscope to acquire 3D holographically reconstructed images of silica microparticles, within the 10-300 µm size range, launched/released from a microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a MEMS device is implemented to store and launch microparticles. The custom-designed MEMS device consists of a 50 µm thick flat circular silicon ultrasonic membrane mounted on an off-the-shelf piezoelectric transducer. Moreover, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a new automatic hybrid detection and localization method for particle field holography that benefits from a combination of well-known minimum intensity and variance of gray level distribution focus metrics. This robust method is fast and provides precise d e p t h/z position of particles. The proposed method is applied for particle testing of the MEMS device, reconstructing 3D visualization, and measuring the size and velocity of released particles. The obtained experimental results show that the velocity of released particles, previously dry-loaded onto the MEMS device, is of the order of a few tens of cm/s.

Groundwater quality assessment using water quality index and principal component analysis in the Achnera block, Agra district, Uttar Pradesh, Northern India.

The qualitative and quantitative assessment of groundwater is one of the important aspects for determining the suitability of potable water. Therefore, the present study has been performed to evaluate the groundwater quality for Achhnera block in the city of Taj, Agra, India, where groundwater is an important water resource. The groundwater samples, 50 in number were collected and analyzed for major ions along with some important trace element. This study has further investigated for the applicability of groundwater quality index (GWQI), and the principal component analysis (PCA) to mark out the major geochemical solutes responsible for origin and release of geochemical solutes into the groundwater. The results confirm that, majority of the collected groundwater samples were alkaline in nature. The variation of concentration of anions in collected groundwater samples were varied in the sequence as, HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- > F- while in contrast the sequence of cations in the groundwater as Na > Ca > Mg > K. The Piper diagram demonstrated the major hydro chemical facies which were found in groundwater (sodium bicarbonate or calcium chloride type). The plot of Schoellar diagram reconfirmed that the major cations were Na+ and Ca2+ ions, while in contrast; major anions were bicarbonates and chloride. The results showed water quality index mostly ranged between 105 and 185, hence, the study area fell in the category of unsuitable for drinking purpose category. The PCA showed pH, Na+, Ca2+, HCO3- and fluoride with strong loading, which pointed out geogenic source of fluoride contamination. Therefore, it was inferred that the groundwater of the contaminated areas must be treated and made potable before consumption. The outcomes of the present study will be helpful for the regulatory boards and policymaker for defining the actual impact and remediation goal.

Concurrent removal of carbon and nutrients in a one-stage dual internal circulation airlift A2O bioreactor from milk processing industrial wastewater: Process optimization, sludge characteristics and operating cost evaluation.

In this work, a one-stage dual internal circulation airlift anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (DCAL-A2O) bioreactor was continuously operated for concurrent removal of nutrients and organics from milk processing wastewater (MPW). Special configuration of the airlift A2O bioreactor created possibility of the formation of desired anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones in a single unit. The process functionality of the bioreactor was examined under three influential operating variables i.e. hydraulic retention time (HRT; 7-15 h), air flow rate (AFR; 1-3 L/min) and aerobic volume ratio (AVR; 0.324-0.464). The optimum region was identified at HRT of 13h, AFR of 2L/min and AVR of 0.437, leading to TCOD, TN and TP removal efficiency of 94.5 %, 59.6 %, and 62.2 %, respectively, and effluent turbidity of 8 NTU. The impact of feed biodegradability on the process performance of the bioreactor treating the MPW, soft drink wastewater (SDW) and soybean oil plant wastewater (SOW) was also assessed. From the results, the feed characteristics affected significantly the nutrients removal. Moreover, the feeding location played an effective role in the nutrient removal while treating the MPW at optimum operating conditions. In this study, the change in residual organic matters as soluble microbial products (SMP) was monitored at various operating conditions. In addition, the impact of SMP extracted from sludge, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) comprising of loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS) and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS) was analyzed on sludge characteristics as bio-flocculation and settleability properties. According to the obtained data, the increase in operating variables led to the reduction in contents of effluent SMP, sludge SMP, LB-EPS, turbidity, and SVI, thereby, the enhancement in the sludge characteristics. Meanwhile, analysis of microbial communities verified the presence of various functional bacterial species. The cost operating evaluation confirmed the cost effectiveness of the airlift A2O bioreactor in reduction of energy consumption for the MPW treatment.

Computational AI to predict and optimize the relationship between dye removal efficiency and Gibbs free energy in the adsorption process utilizing TiO2/chitosan-polyacrylamide composite.

Building a model that can accurately anticipate and optimize the dynamics of dye removal and Gibbs free energy within the framework of an adsorption process is the main goal of this research. Furthermore, it has been determined that a correlation exists between the efficacy of dye removal and the behavior of Gibbs free energy throughout the process of adsorption. The study utilized a composite material consisting of chitosan-polyacrylamide/TiO2 as an adsorbent to remove anionic dye from a mainly aqueous solution. The parameters have been analyzed using response surface methodology (RSM), artificial neural networks (ANN), and machine learning (ML) techniques in this particular context. The obtained F-value of 814.62 for the RSM model, which assesses dye removal efficiency, suggests that the model under examination is statistically significant. Furthermore, based on the RSM data, the proposed model demonstrates a significant level of accuracy in predicting the performance of the TiO2/chitosan-polyacrylamide composite as an adsorbent during the dye removal adsorption process. The ANN model achieved a high level of accuracy, as evidenced by its R2 value of 0.999455. Through the utilization of neural networks and machine learning, the intended objective of forecasting dye removal efficiency and Gibbs free energy behavior in the adsorption process was effectively accomplished.

A NiO-nanostructure-based electrochemical sensor functionalized with supramolecular structures for the ultra-sensitive detection of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol S in an aquatic environment.

Herein, NiO nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with a para-hexanitrocalix[6]arene derivative (p-HNC6/NiO) were synthesized by using a facile method and applied as a selective electrochemical sensor for the determination of bisphenol S (BPS) in real samples. Moreover, the functional interactions, phase purities, surface morphologies and elemental compositions of the synthesized p-HNC6/NiO NPs were investigated via advanced analytical tools, such as Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Additionally, the synthesized p-HNC6/NiO NPs were cast on the surface of a bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via a drop casting method, which resulted in uniform deposition of p-HNC6/NiO/GCE over the surface of the GCE. Additionally, the developed p-HNC6/NiO/GCE sensor demonstrated an outstanding electrochemical response to BPS under optimized conditions, including a supporting electrolyte, a Briton-Robinson buffer electrolyte at pH 4, a scan rate of 110 mV s-1 and a potential window of between -0.2 and 1.0 V. The wide linear dynamic range was optimized to 0.8-70 µM to obtain a brilliant linear calibration curve for BPS. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the developed sensor were estimated to be 0.0059 and 0.019 µM, respectively, which are lower than those of reported sensors for BPS. The feasibility of the developed method was successfully assessed by analyzing the content of BPS in waste water samples, and good recoveries were achieved.

The relationship between autophagy and respiratory viruses.

Respiratory viruses have caused severe global health problems and posed essential challenges to the medical community. In recent years, the role of autophagy as a critical process in cells in viral respiratory diseases has been noticed. One of the vital catabolic biological processes in the body is autophagy. Autophagy contributes to energy recovery by targeting and selectively directing foreign microorganisms, organelles, and senescent intracellular proteins to the lysosome for degradation and phagocytosis. Activation or suppression of autophagy is often initiated when foreign pathogenic organisms such as viruses infect cells. Because of its antiviral properties, several viruses may escape or resist this process by encoding viral proteins. Viruses can also use autophagy to enhance their replication or prolong the persistence of latent infections. Here, we provide an overview of autophagy and respiratory viruses such as coronavirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza, influenza, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus, and examine the interactions between them and the role of autophagy in the virus-host interaction process and the resulting virus replication strategy.