Metformin alleviates the dysregulated testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis induced by carbimazole in levothyroxine-primed rats.

Most of the published experiments about carbimazole (CMZ)-induced testicular injury are constructed in normal healthy animals, which lakes the translational identification. Despite metformin (MET) having advantageous effects on injured testicles, its impact on thyroid function is arguable. In the current levothyroxine (LT4)/CMZ model, Wistar rats were primed by LT4 for sixty days. CMZ was then given individually or simultaneously with different doses of MET, 100, 200, and 400 mg, daily for thirty days. Serum was assessed for thyroid profile panel, sex hormones, and gonadotropin levels. Testicular tissues were examined for steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, inflammation, and apoptosis. Histopathology of thyroid and testes were examined, besides thyroidal nuclear factor (NF)-kB expression. MET in a dose-response manner improved the LT4/CMZ-induced testicular toxicity by increasing the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and 17-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17ßHSD) activities, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), sperm count and motility, sex hormones, and gonadotropin levels. MET-400 mg markedly decreased the elevated NF-kB expressions, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, caspase-3, and BAX, and increased BCL-2. LT4/CMZ could be used as translational animal modelling. MET displayed a dose-dependent ameliorative effect on the LT4/CMZ model without significant harmful effects on thyroid functions. MET-testicular protective roles in diabetics with thyroidal diseases should be explored.

Mn0.2Co0.8Fe2O4 and encapsulated Mn0.2Co0.8Fe2O4/SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles for efficient Pb2+ removal from aqueous solution.

Sol-gel auto-combustion technique was used to synthesize spinel ferrite nanoparticles of Mn0.2Co0.8Fe2O4 (MCF). Using the modified Stöber method, these magnetic nanoparticles were encapsulated with silica to form the core/shell Mn0.2Co0.8Fe2O4/SiO2 (MCFS). The phase composition, morphology, particle size, and saturation magnetization of the encapsulated nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution-transition electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). HR-TEM images indicated that particle size of the nanoparticles ranged from 15 to 40 nm, and VSM measurements showed that Ms of uncoated and coated samples were 65.668 emu/g and 61.950 emu/g and the Hc values were 2,151.9 Oe and 2,422.0 Oe, respectively. The effects of metal concentration, solution pH, contact time, and adsorbent dose of the synthesized nanoparticles on lead (Pb2+) ions removal from an aqueous solution were investigated. Based on Langmuir isotherm model, the results for peak adsorption capacity of the adsorbent under optimal conditions was 250.5 mg/g and 247 mg/g for MCF and MCFS, respectively. We concluded that Pb2+ adsorption occurred via a chemisorption mechanism based on the analysis of adsorption kinetics. The adsorbents displayed consistent adsorption efficiencies following three cycles of regeneration, indicating that these magnetic nanoparticles are promising candidates for wastewater purification.

Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Pb2+ by using acid-activated Posidonia oceanica waste.

Dead leaves of seagrass Posidonia oceanica were activated by using one mol L-1 acetic acid and used as an eco-adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and Pb2+ from aqueous solutions. The seagrass was characterized by chemical and physical measurements that confirmed the acid-activation of seagrass. The favourable conditions for MB and Pb2+ adsorption onto the activated seagrass (SGa) were determined to be a pH range of 2-12 and ≥6, an adsorbent dosage of 3.0 and 0.5 g L-1, respectively, and a shaking time of 30 min, which are suitable for a wide range of wastewaters. The equilibrium data were analysed using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Raduskavich-Kaganer (DRK) adsorption isotherm models. The Freundlich and DRK models best describe the adsorption processes of MB and Pb2+, on SGa with capacities of 2681.9 and 631.13 mg g-1, respectively. The adsorption isotherm fitting and thermodynamic studies suggest that the adsorption mechanism of MB may combine electrostatic and physical multilayer adsorption processes, in which MB may be present as monomers as well as dimers and trimers which were confirmed from UV spectroscopy whereas Pb2+ is chemically adsorbed onto SGa. The pseudo-2nd-order kinetic model was utilized to investigate the kinetics of adsorption processes. The removal process was successfully applied for MB-spiked brackish waste water from Manzala Lake, Egypt, with removal efficiencies of 91.5-99.9%.

Polymeric nanofibers for the removal of Cr(III) from tannery waste water.

We demonstrate the use of cysteine-modified polymer nanofibers for the rapid and efficient removal of Cr(III) from real tannery waste water samples. Various parameters such as pH, load of nanofibers and time of exposure were optimized to achieve maximum removal. The optimum parameters were found to be 0.1 mg of nanofibers per mL of tannery waste water with a pH of 5.5 and an exposure time of 45 min. Almost 99% Cr(III) was removed at these ideal conditions thus demonstrating the efficacy of our material. The maximum removal capacity at these ideal conditions was estimated to be approximately 1.75 g of chromium/gram of polymeric material. This is probably due to a variety of factors including the apparent high surface to volume ratio exhibited by these nanofibers and also due to the availability of numerous cysteine groups that are known to have high binding affinities with heavy metal ions. These nanoscale polymeric materials show great potential towards the removal of heavy metal cations from waste waters.

Metabolic syndrome in the Middle East.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a combination of medical disorders that, in concert, increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It affects about one in four people in the Middle East, and prevalence increases with age. The aim of current review is to discuss the prevalence of MS and its component in different regions in the Middle East. The recorded high prevalence of the MS and its key cardiovascular risk factors (15-60%) among Middle East population mandates the need for a national and international prevention programs to combat obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking and related comorbidities. Consideration of early prevention and control is of utmost importance.