Endoglucanase H from Aspergillus westerdijkiae Plays an Important Role in the Virulence on Pear Fruits.

Aspergillus westerdijkiae can infect many agricultural products including cereals, grapes, and pear. Pathogenic fungi secrete diverse effectors as invasive weapons for successful invasion the host plant. During the pathogen-host interaction, 4486 differentially expressed genes were observed in A. westerdijkiae with 2773 up-regulated and 1713 down-regulated, whereas 8456 differentially expressed genes were detected in pear fruits with 4777 up-regulated and 3679 down-regulated. A total of 309 effector candidate genes were identified from the up-regulated genes in A. westerdijkiae. Endoglucanase H (AwEGH) was significantly induced during the pathogen-host interaction. Deletion of AwEGH resulted in altered fungal growth and morphology and reduced conidia production and germination compared to the wild-type. Further experiments demonstrated that AwEGH plays a role in cell wall integrity. Importantly, disruption of AwEGH significantly reduced the fungal virulence on pear fruits, and this defect can be partly explained by the impaired ability of A. westerdijkiae to penetrate host plants.

A tolerant hydrologic technique for real-time selection of optimum QPFs from NWPMs for flood warning applications.

The most important information required to successfully issue a flood warning is the quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs). This is important to run subsequent rainfall-runoff simulations. A rainfall-runoff simulation derives its accuracy mainly from the accuracy of the input QPFs. The dynamically based global numerical weather prediction models (NWPMs) are strong candidate sources of QPFs. A main problem is the real-time selection of which NWPM should be used to provide the QPFs for flood warning simulations. This paper develops an automated technique to solve this problem. The technique performs real-time comparisons with measured rainfall fields using a novel 'tolerant' hydrologic approach. The 'tolerant' approach performs the comparison on the basin scale and allows for timing shifts in the forecasts. This is because QPFs can be good but only a few hours early or late. Two events are used for illustration, and the proposed real-time application in flood warning is presented. The developed technique, employing the tolerant approach, could eliminate the effects of the timing shifts and, accordingly, succeeded to select the QPFs to be used. A Python package was developed for automation. The developed technique is expected to also be useful for offline assessments of historical performances of NWPMs.

Chitosan inhibits Penicillium expansum possibly by binding to DNA and triggering apoptosis.

Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that is abundant, biocompatible and exhibits effective antifungal activity against various pathogenic fungi. However, the potential intracellular targets of chitosan in pathogenic fungi and the way of activity of chitosan are far from well known. The present work demonstrated that chitosan could inhibit Penicillium expansum, the principal causal agent of postharvest blue mold decay on apple fruits, by binding to DNA and triggering apoptosis. UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and electrophoretic mobility assay proved the interaction between chitosan and DNA, while atomic force microscope (AFM) observation revealed the binding morphology of chitosan to DNA. Chitosan could inhibit in vitro DNA replication, and cell cycle analysis employing flow cytometry demonstrated that cell cycle was retarded by chitosan treatment. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay and membrane potential analysis showed that apoptosis was induced in P. expansum cells after exposure to chitosan. In conclusion, our results confirmed that chitosan interacts with DNA and induces apoptosis. These findings are expected to provide a feasible theoretical basis and practical direction for the promoting and implementing of chitosan in plant protection and further illuminate the possible antifungal mechanisms of chitosan against fungal pathogens.

Biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles from Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel waste and its application to inhibit foodborne pathogens.

Polyphenolics have been predicted to effectively develop antimicrobial agents for the food industry as food additives and promote human health. This study aims to synthesize pomegranate peel extract (PPE) with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against eight foodborne pathogens. Multispectroscopic analysis of UV-vis spectroscopy, Zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were used to characterize the interaction between PPE and AgNPs. Eight foodborne pathogenic strains (six bacterial and two fungal strains) Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 8379, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 00607, Salmonella typhi DSM 17058, Shigella sonnei DSM 5570, Aspergillus flavus ATCC 9643, and Rhizopus oryzae ATCC 96382 were used to test the inhibitory potential of PPW-AgNPs. The reaction colour of PPE-AgNPs from yellow to brown indicated that the nanoparticles were successfully formed. The UV absorption of PPE-AgNPs was detected at 440 nm of 0.9 SPR. SEM image of PPE-AgNPs exhibited spherical shapes with a zeta potential of - 20.1 mV. PPE-AgNPs showed high antimicrobial activity against all tested strains. The highest inhibition activity of PPE-AgNPs was recorded for the B. subtilis strain followed by K. pneumonia, while the highest resistance was noticed for R. oryzae. The components of pomegranate peel were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major constituents of pomegranate peel is phenol (51.1%), followed by Isocitronellol (19.41%) and 1-Propanol, 2-(2-hydroxypropyl)- (16.05%). PPE is key in the simple, eco-friendly green synthesis of extracellular stable AgNPs as an alternative source for harmful chemical disinfectants.

Epitope editing enables targeted immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukaemia.

Despite the considerable efficacy observed when targeting a dispensable lineage antigen, such as CD19 in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia1,2, the broader applicability of adoptive immunotherapies is hampered by the absence of tumour-restricted antigens3-5. Acute myeloid leukaemia immunotherapies target genes expressed by haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) or differentiated myeloid cells, resulting in intolerable on-target/off-tumour toxicity. Here we show that epitope engineering of donor HSPCs used for bone marrow transplantation endows haematopoietic lineages with selective resistance to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells or monoclonal antibodies, without affecting protein function or regulation. This strategy enables the targeting of genes that are essential for leukaemia survival regardless of shared expression on HSPCs, reducing the risk of tumour immune escape. By performing epitope mapping and library screenings, we identified amino acid changes that abrogate the binding of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting FLT3, CD123 and KIT, and optimized a base-editing approach to introduce them into CD34+ HSPCs, which retain long-term engraftment and multilineage differentiation ability. After CAR T cell treatment, we confirmed resistance of epitope-edited haematopoiesis and concomitant eradication of patient-derived acute myeloid leukaemia xenografts. Furthermore, we show that multiplex epitope engineering of HSPCs is feasible and enables more effective immunotherapies against multiple targets without incurring overlapping off-tumour toxicities. We envision that this approach will provide opportunities to treat relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia and enable safer non-genotoxic conditioning.

Red raspberry supplementation mitigates alcohol-induced liver injury associated with gut microbiota alteration and intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is still a global health concern. Long-term alcohol intake alters the gut microbiota diversity and metabolic activity, and causes intestinal barrier dysfunction, leading to the development of ALD. This research explored the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of red raspberry (RR) on alcohol-related disorders in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard diet or a standard diet supplemented with 2%, 4%, and 8% weight/weight RR. Meanwhile, mice were administered 35% (v/v) ethanol (EtOH, 10 mL per kg body weight) intragastrically once daily for six weeks, except the control group mice. The results showed that RR supplementation decreased liver injury markers (alanine and aspartate transaminases) in the serum, reduced triglyceride level in the liver and downregulated hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 mRNA expression in mice administered EtOH. In addition, EtOH-mediated oxidative stress in the liver was attenuated by RR supplementation through decreased hepatic malondialdehyde content and increased antioxidant (glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) levels and activities in mice exposed to EtOH. Moreover, RR supplementation reversed EtOH-induced alteration in the cecal microbial composition at the phylum, order, genus, and species levels and improved the intestinal barrier function associated with the inhibition of the NF-κB/MLCK pathway, which was accompanied by upregulation of tight junctions (zonula occludens 1, occludin, claudin-1, and claudin-4) and E-cadherin mRNA and protein expressions. Accordingly, RR supplementation resulted in a decreased level of endotoxins in the serum and attenuation of the inflammatory response in the liver, illustrated by a significant decrease in tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 levels. Overall, RR supplementation alleviated the adverse effects of chronic alcohol intake in C57BL/6J mice and could be a potential supplement for improving ALD.

Satisfaction with life and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: An Egyptian online cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel sickness that emerged worldwide as an unprecedented crisis and led to major effects on the daily life of the general public as well as negative impacts on their mental well-being. AIM: This study aimed to assess satisfaction with life and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt. SETTING: An online study was conducted in Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was fulfilled by 1056 Egyptian adults from 06 to 13 June 2020. Psychological distress and satisfaction with life were measured by Arabic validated versions of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). RESULTS: About half of the surveyed respondents (51%) were satisfied with their life, whilst 57.4% experienced severe psychological distress. The independent predictors of satisfaction with life are being married, satisfactory income, low distress, moderate distress and high distress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.2, 3.0, 2.5, 6.9, 5.2 and 2.1, respectively). Being a female, having secondary education, secondary education, unsatisfactory income and presence of mental illness are the independent predictors of mental distress (AOR = 2.3, 3.9, 1.9, 1.9, 1.6 and 4.0, respectively). CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence about the high prevalence of psychological distress during the peak period of Egypt's COVID-19 pandemic. The study results highlight the enhancement of development interventions to promote psychological well-being and feeling of satisfaction with life during the pandemic.

Assessment of the Frequency of Depressive Symptoms in Epileptic Children (Single Center Study).

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy, the most common neurological disorder in children, may present with many psychiatric comorbidities, the most common of which is depression. AIM OF THE WORK: We evaluated the frequency of depressive symptoms in epileptic children, with regard to the possible association between depression and their demographic data or seizure-related variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cohort study was conducted on 80 children (6-13 years old) diagnosed as idiopathic epilepsy and were regularly recruiting the pediatric neurology clinic at Minya University Children Hospital. The Structured Birleson Depression Scale Questionnaire was used for assessment of presence of depressive symptoms, and Quality Of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-31) score was used to assess quality of life in those patients. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were found in 37.5% of enrolled patients. There were statistically significant differences between the patients with depressive symptoms and the other group regarding age (p=0.001), residence (p=0.006) and past history of mood disorders (p=0.03). Sleep disturbance was the highest predictor of depression in cases with depressive symptoms, detected in 90% of cases, followed by appetite disturbance in 86.6% of cases, while delusions and hallucinations were the lowest, detected in only 10% of cases. Both duration of epilepsy and frequency of seizures were significantly higher in cases with depressive symptoms than the other group (p=0.001) for both. QOLIE score was significantly lower in cases with depressive symptoms than the other group (p= 0.01 for all). CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are common in epileptic children, and it is often challenging and underestimated. It should be screened during the management of such children. Early diagnosis and more comprehensive package of care for depression in epileptic children will enable them to have a better quality of life.

Efficient non-metal based conducting polymers for photocatalytic hydrogen production: comparative study between polyaniline, polypyrrole and PEDOT.

Incorporation of conducting polymers (CPs) with TiO2 is considered a promising pathway toward the fabrication of highly efficient non-metal based photocatalysts. Herein, we report the fabrication of TiO2@polyaniline, TiO2@polypyrrole, and TiO2@poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) photocatalyst heterostructures via the facile wet incipient impregnation method. The mass ratios of CPs in the composites were optimized. The structure, morphology, optical and surface texture of the samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, TGA, DRS, and N2-physisorption techniques. The TiO2@2PEDOT, TiO2@2PPy, and TiO2@5PAn composites were found to exhibit the highest H2 evolution rate (HER) of 1.37, 2.09, and 3.1 mmol h-1 g-1, respectively. Compared to bare TiO2, the HER was significantly enhanced by 16, 24, and 36-fold, respectively. Photoelectrochemical measurements (CV, CA and EIS) were conducted, to evaluate the photoelectric properties of the synthesized composites and assist in understanding the photocatalytic mechanism. The deposition method plays a key-role in forming the photocatalyst/CP interface. This simple impregnation route was found to provide an excellent interface for charge transfer between composite components compared to chemisorption and in situ polymerization methods. This study sheds light on the promising effect of CP incorporation with semiconductor photocatalysts, as a cheap and efficient matrix, on photocatalytic performance.

Nanoencapsulation of anthocyanins-loaded ß-lactoglobulin nanoparticles: Characterization, stability, and bioavailability in vitro.

This work aims to investigate the effect of desolvation on the stability and bioavailability of nanoparticles of ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg) and anthocyanins (AC) extracted from red raspberry pomace. Interactions between the substrates were also studied using multispectral approaches. ß-Lg-nanoparticles were fabricated via heat treatment at 85 °C for 30 min before initiating the desolvation method at pH 7. This method generated monodisperse particles, nano-scale size of ß-Lg, and AC-ß-Lg ranged from 129.13 to 351.85 nm with square morphology obtained by SEM. The AC extract was encapsulated successfully during desolvation process into ß-Lg-nanoparticles with encapsulation efficiency (EE %) of ~77%. Results also showed that AC (from 1 to 13 × 10-4 M) quenched the fluorescence intensity of de-solvated ß-Lg estimated to be 98%, and a binding among them occurred with a Ka-value of 7.59 × 108 M-1 at 25 °C. Addition of AC also gradually increased the antioxidant activity of ß-Lg-nanoparticles with values of 82.51% at the highest AC-concentration (13 × 10-4 M) loaded on ß-Lg-nanoparticles. AC-loaded ß-Lg nanoparticles was more stable in mouth (pH 6.8), simulated gastric (SG, pH 2), and simulated intestinal (SI, pH 6.9) by showing high retention rate (%) than that of AC unencapsulated. Overall, de-solvated-ß-Lg increased the heat-stability and bioavailability of AC, which could be further utilized in various food and pharmaceutical matrices. These findings recommend that ß-Lg nanoparticles could be appropriated as delivery systems for anthocyanins.

Effect of microencapsulation using soy protein isolate and gum arabic as wall material on red raspberry anthocyanin stability, characterization, and simulated gastrointestinal conditions.

This study involves microencapsulation of anthocyanin extract (AC) from red raspberry using a freeze drying technique involving ultrasonication of soy protein isolate (SPI), gum arabic (AG), and their combination. Analyses included microcapsule properties, encapsulation efficiency, antioxidant capacity using the DPPH assay, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), color, thermal stability, stability during storage, morphology, and simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) ranged from 93.05% to 98.87% for all microcapsules. The morphology of microcapsules by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated a broken glass shape, with mean size of microcapsules ranging from 21.07 ± 2.71 µm to 48.19 ± 2.33 µm using Mastersizer analyzer. A good relationship obtained between zeta potential (ZP) and FTIR spectrum indicated that there is a chemical cross linking interaction between wall material and core material. All microcapsules enhanced the thermal stability of AC in the temperature range 80-114 °C. Furthermore, AC retention (up to 48%) during storage at 37 °C for 60 days revealed that treatment H combination of SPI and AG was best. In addition, SPI and AG combination presented good release behavior under simulated gastrointestinal conditions compared with unencapsulated anthocyanin.

Cytotoxic behavior and spectroscopic characterization of metal complexes of ethylacetoacetate bis(thiosemicarbazone) ligand.

Reaction of Cr(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) ion with 2,4-dihydrazino-thioamido-1-ethoxybutane led to the formation of mono and binuclear complexes. These complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV-Vis spectra, magnetic moments, molar conductances, (1)H NMR and mass spectra (ligand and its Zn(II) complex), thermal analyses (DTA and TGA) and ESR measurements. The IR data suggest the involvement of sulfur and azomethane nitrogen atoms in coordination to the central metal ion .The Molar conductances of the complexes in DMF are commensurate with their non-ionic character. The ESR spectra of Cu(II) complexes show axial type symmetry (d(x2-y2)) ground state with covalent bond character. On the basis of spectral studies, octahedral or tetrahedral geometry has been assigned to the metal complexes. Complexes have been tested invitro against tumor cells and number of microorganisms in order to assess their antitumor and antimicrobial properties.

Subclavian Vein Occlusion

Thrombosis or occlusion of the central vein is one of the usual complications of long term catheterization of the vein. In haemodialysis patients this occurs in about 35% of cases receiving subclavian dialysis catheter. Between January 2009 and December 2011, 6 patients were reported in our hospital with venographically documented subclavian vein occlusion after the use of double lumen catheter for haemodialysis. In all these patients, the subclavian vein occlusion was completely masked, and became apparent clinically following formation of arterio-venous fistula on the same side as the initial catheterization. The arm which was normal in appearance started to be oedematous in the postoperative period and keep on increasing in size, reaching sometimes massive and limb threatening levels, with venous hypertension manifestations. Treatment was done for 4 cases using endovascular technique by angioplasty and stenting procedure of the subclavian vein, which relieved the obstruction with good results. The other two cases were failed to be treated with the endovascular procedures, and were treated surgically. One of them was treated with occlusion of the arteriovenous fistula; and the other one was treated with a surgical bypass trick which also gave very good result. In conclusion, the lack of clinical symptoms preoperatively warrant early use of duplex scan or venography to document or exclude the subclavian vein occlusion. If the occlusion was discovered postoperatively, the ideal treatment is angioplasty and stenting of the subclavian vein. If not feasible, the classical treatment is closure of the arterio-venous fistula, or if the fistula is very precious for the patient, still venous bypass tricks can be done.

Surgical management of traumatic knee dislocation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate our method of surgical treatment of traumatic knee dislocation, by use of a standardized protocol, and to report our clinical results. METHODS: Thirty-six consecutive patients presented with a grossly dislocated or reduced knee. Ten of these patients were not included in this series. Five had vascular or neurovascular injury. Three had open fracture dislocation, and two had associated severe injury. The remaining 26 patients were treated by primary arthroscopic reconstruction with autologous grafting of the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and collateral ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament were reconstructed via the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons of the uninjured and injured limbs. The collateral ligaments were reconstructed via artificial ligaments (LARS Ligament; J. K. Orthomedic, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada). Of the 26 patients, 20 returned for subjective and objective evaluation at a minimum of 24 months after the operation. Early mobilization via a continuous passive motion machine and active exercise were started on the fourth day postoperatively. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 43 months, the mean Lysholm score was 91 points, the mean score on the survey of daily activities was 90 points, and the sports activities score on the Knee Outcome Survey averaged 86 points. On the basis of the rating of Meyers et al., the results were excellent in 5 patients, good in 12, fair in 2, and poor in 1. The final International Knee Documentation Committee rating was not normal in any knee, nearly normal in 9, abnormal in 9, and severely abnormal in 2. The mean loss of extension was 0 degrees to 2 degrees , and the mean loss of flexion was 10 degrees to 15 degrees . CONCLUSIONS: By use of the described method of arthroscopic-assisted reconstruction of the cruciate ligaments and repair or reconstruction of the collateral ligament and other injured structures, 45% of the patients had good subjective results and functional stability and 45% had satisfactory subjective and functional stability within 2 to 3 weeks after surgery. According to the International Knee Documentation Committee scale, 45% of knees were nearly normal, 45% were abnormal, and 10% were severely abnormal. No patient's rating returned to normal. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.