Genome-wide analysis and prediction of chloroplast and mitochondrial RNA editing sites of AGC gene family in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for abiotic stress tolerance.

BACKGROUND: Cotton is one of the topmost fiber crops throughout the globe. During the last decade, abrupt changes in the climate resulted in drought, heat, and salinity. These stresses have seriously affected cotton production and significant losses all over the textile industry. The GhAGC kinase, a subfamily of AGC group and member of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases group and is highly conserved among eukaryotic organisms. The AGC kinases are compulsory elements of cell development, metabolic processes, and cell death in mammalian systems. The investigation of RNA editing sites within the organelle genomes of multicellular vascular plants, such as Gossypium hirsutum holds significant importance in understanding the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. METHODS: In present work, we characterized twenty-eight GhAGC genes in cotton and constructed phylogenetic tree using nine different species from the most primitive to the most recent. RESULTS: In sequence logos analyses, highly conserved amino acid residues were found in G. hirsutum, G. arboretum, G. raimondii and A. thaliana. The occurrence of cis-acting growth and stress-related elements in the promoter regions of GhAGCs highlight the significance of these factors in plant development and abiotic stress tolerance. Ka/Ks levels demonstrated that purifying selection pressure resulting from segmental events was applied to GhAGC with little functional divergence. We focused on identifying RNA editing sites in G. hirsutum organelles, specifically in the chloroplast and mitochondria, across all 28 AGC genes. CONCLUSION: The positive role of GhAGCs was explored by quantifying the expression in the plant tissues under abiotic stress. These findings help in understanding the role of GhAGC genes under abiotic stresses which may further be used in cotton breeding for the development of climate smart varieties in abruptly changing climate.

Long noncoding RNA KCNMA1-AS2 regulates the function of colorectal cancer cells and sponges miR-1227-5p.

BACKGROUND: Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with altered expression significantly influence colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and behavior. The functions of many lncRNAs in CRC are not clear yet. This study aimed to discover novel lncRNA entities and comprehensively examine and validate their roles and underlying molecular mechanisms in CRC. METHODS: Tissue samples, both tumourous and non-tumourous, from three CRC patients were submitted for sequencing. Following expression validation in samples from ten patients and four CRC cell lines. The lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 was synthesized by In-vitro transcription RNA synthesis and the lncRNA was directly transfected into CRC cell lines to overexpress. Functional assays including MTT proliferation assay, Annexin-V/propidium iodide apoptosis assay, wound healing migration assay and cell cycle assays were performed to evaluate the effect of overexpression of KCNMA1-AS2. Furthermore, the binding of KCNMA1-AS2 to miR-1227-5p was confirmed using dual luciferase reporter assays and qPCR analyses. Subsequent bioinformatics analyses identified 58 potential downstream targets of miR-1227-5p across three databases. RESULTS: In this study, we identified the lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2, the expression of which was down-regulated consistently in cancer tissues and CRC cell lines compared to non-cancerous tissues. The overexpression of lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 led to significant reduction in CRC cell proliferation and migration, increase in cell apoptosis, and more cells arrested in S phase. Additionally, the interaction between KCNMA1-AS2 and miR-1227-5p was confirmed through dual luciferase reporter assay and qPCR analysis. It is also putatively predicted that MTHFR and ST8SIA2 may be linked to CRC based on bioinformatics analyses. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 exhibited distinct gene expression patterns in both CRC tissue and cell lines, impacting various cellular functions while also acting as a sponge for miR-1227-5p.The findings spotlight lncRNA KCNMA1-AS2 as a potential marker for diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Outcomes of biological therapy in patients with severe asthma with chronic rhinosinusitis in Saudi Arabia: patients with nasal polyps versus those without nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND: This study's purposes were to evaluate the impact of biological therapies on outcomes in patients with severe asthma (SA) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to compare these effects among those with NP (CRSwNP) versus those without NP (CRSsNP) in the "real-world" setting in Saudi Arabian patients. METHODS: From March to September 2022, a retrospective observational cohort study was undertaken at the severe asthma clinics of the Armed Forces Hospital-Southern Region (AFHSR) and King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia, to delineate the effects of dupilumab therapy. Outcomes were assessed, including clinical outcomes, FEV1, and laboratory findings before and one year after dupilumab. Post-therapy effects were compared between CRSwNP and CRSsNP. RESULTS: Fifty subjects were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.56. There were 27 (54%) females and 23(46%) males. Significant improvements in clinical parameters (frequency of asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations, the use of OCs, anosmia, SNOTT-22, and the ACT), FEV1, and laboratory ones (serum IgE and eosinophilic count) were observed 6 and 12 months after using dupilumab (p < 0.001), respectively. However, after 12 months of dupilumab therapy, there were no significant differences between those with and without NP with regards to clinical (anosmia, ACT, and OCs use), laboratory (eosinophilic count, serum IgE level) parameters, and FEV1%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CRS experienced significant improvements in clinical, FEV1, and laboratory outcomes after dupilumab therapy. However, these improvements were not maintained when comparing CRSwNP with CRSsNP. There were no significant differences between those with and without NP regarding ACT and OCs use or laboratory (eosinophilic count, serum IgE level) parameters. Further prospective multicenter studies are warranted.

Glutamate Receptor-like (GLR) Family in Brassica napus: Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Analysis in Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Plant glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs) are homologs of animal ionotropic glutamate receptors. GLRs are critical in various plant biological functions, yet their genomic features and functions in disease resistance remain largely unknown in many crop species. Here, we report the results on a thorough genome-wide study of the GLR family in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and their role in resistance to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. A total of 61 GLRs were identified in oilseed rape. They comprised three groups, as in Arabidopsis thaliana. Detailed computational analyses, including prediction of domain and motifs, cellular localization, cis-acting elements, PTM sites, and amino acid ligands and their binding pockets in BnGLR proteins, unveiled a set of group-specific characteristics of the BnGLR family, which included chromosomal distribution, motif composition, intron number and size, and methylation sites. Functional dissection employing virus-induced gene silencing of BnGLRs in oilseed rape and Arabidopsis mutants of BnGLR homologs demonstrated that BnGLR35/AtGLR2.5 positively, while BnGLR12/AtGLR1.2 and BnGLR53/AtGLR3.2 negatively, regulated plant resistance to S. sclerotiorum, indicating that GLR genes were differentially involved in this resistance. Our findings reveal the complex involvement of GLRs in B. napus resistance to S. sclerotiorum and provide clues for further functional characterization of BnGLRs.

Diversity, richness, and evenness of birds in Rana Resort Forest, District Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan.

This research was carried out to determine avian diversity in the Rana Resort Forest from June to August 2023. A total of 655 birds were observed; these birds belonged to 36 different species from 11 orders; 27 families and 36 genera were found in the forest. The observed avian species that belong to the Muscicapidae family had the highest number of species, while Strigidae had the lowest number of species. The highest numbers of the order Passeriformes were recorded. Among the bird species observed, 33 were residents, 1 was a winter visitor, and 2 were summer breeders. The species diversity, richness, and evenness indices are 3.5238, 5.3973, and 0.10492, respectively. According to the index results, the Rana Resort Forest is a diverse area, but the species are not evenly distributed due to some of the threats observed during the study, such as habitat destruction, poverty, and unawareness.

Synergistic neuroprotection by phytocompounds of Bacopa monnieri in scopolamine-induced Alzheimer's disease mice model.

BACKGROUND: Millions of people around the globe are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). This crippling condition has no treatment despite intensive studies. Some phytocompounds have been shown to protect against Alzheimer's in recent studies. METHODS: Thus, this work aimed to examine Bacopa monnieri phytocompounds' synergistic effects on neurodegeneration, antioxidant activity, and cognition in the scopolamine-induced AD mice model. The toxicity study of two phytocompounds: quercetin and bacopaside X revealed an LD50 of more than 2000 mg/kg since no deaths occurred. RESULTS: The neuroprotection experiment consists of 6 groups i.e., control (saline), scopolamine (1 mg/kg), donepezil (5 mg/kg), Q (25 mg/kg), BX (20 mg/kg), and Q + BX (25 mg/kg + 20 mg/kg). Visual behavioral assessment using the Morris water maze showed that animals in the diseased model group (scopolamine) moved more slowly toward the platform and exhibited greater thigmotaxis behavior than the treatment and control groups. Likewise, the concentration of biochemical NO, GSH, and MDA improved in treatment groups concerning the diseased group. mRNA levels of different marker genes including ChAT, IL-1α, IL-1 ß, TNF α, tau, and ß secretase (BACE1) improved in treatment groups with respect to the disease group. CONCLUSION: Both bacopaside X and quercetin synergistically have shown promising results in neuroprotection. Therefore, it is suggested that Q and BX may work synergistically due to their antioxidant and neuroprotective property.

Triacontanol priming as a smart strategy to attenuate lead toxicity in Brassica oleracea L.

The most prevalent heavy metal pollutant in the environment is lead (Pb). Lead potentially contribute 10% of overall heavy metal contamination. Lead uptake by plants has been found to have an impact on their metabolic functions, photosynthetic activity, growth, and productivity. The current experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of triacontanol (Tria) for attenuating Pb stress in Brassica oleracea var. italic (broccoli). Three different Tria concentrations (10, 20 and 30 µmol L-1) were used to prime broccoli seeds. Growth of broccoli was reduced when exposed to Pb-driven toxicity. Additionally, Pb had a deleterious impact on the protein quantity, stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthetic rate. Nevertheless, plants grown from seeds primed with Tria2 (20 µmol L-1 Tria) exhibited improved morphological characteristics, uptake of mineral content (Mn+2, Zn+2, K+1, Na+1) along with biomass production. There was 1.6-fold increase in photosynthetic rate, the phenol (1.3 folds), and DPPH activity (1.2 folds) in seed primed with Tria2. Additionally, plants treated with Tria2 demonstrated enhanced MTI and gas exchange characteristics that improves plant stress tolerance under Pb stress. Seed priming with Tria can be used to increase plant tolerance to Pb stress as evidenced by the improved growth and biochemical characteristics of broccoli seedlings.

A number of studies emphasize the beneficial effects of plant growth regulators on the growth and yield of agricultural crops. The priming of seeds with triacontanol in vegetable crops, however, is a concern about which we know remarkably little. In addition, the effects of triacontanol on Brassica oleracea L var. italica under lead stress on growth, biomass, and nutrient content are largely unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of seed priming with triacontanol on the agronomic traits, physiochemical traits, and nutrient content of Brassica oleracea L. var. italica under lead stress.

A Self-Decoupling Technique to Realize Dense Packing of Antenna Elements in MIMO Arrays for Wideband Sub-6 GHz Communication Systems.

A self-decoupled technique is described that enables the radiating elements in the antenna array to be densely packed for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communications systems. High isolation between the adjacent antenna elements is obtained by fixing the radiating elements in an orthogonal configuration with respects to each other. Current from the adjacent ports cancels their impact which results in low mutual coupling. The additional benefit of this configuration is realizing a densely packed array. The ground plane of each radiating element on the array board itself are isolated to mitigate surface wave propagations to suppress mutual coupling between the antenna elements. The radiating elements are based on a modified edge-fed circular patch antenna that includes a curved slot line and open-circuited stub to widen the array's impedance bandwidth with no impact on the antenna's footprint size. The proposed technique was verified with the design of an antenna array of matrix size 4 × 4 centered at 3.5 GHz. The array had a measured impedance bandwidth of 4 GHz from 1.5 GHz to 5.5 GHz, which corresponds to a fractional bandwidth of 114%, peak gain of 3 dBi and radiation efficiency of 84%. Its average diversity gain and envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) over its operating band are 9.6 dB and <0.016, respectively. The minimum isolation achieved between the radiating elements is better than 15 dB. The dimensions of the array are 0.4 × 0.4 × 0.039λ_g^3. The proposed array has characteristics suitable for sub-6 GHz wireless communication systems

Transcriptional Analysis of the Differences between ToLCNDV-India and ToLCNDV-ES Leading to Contrary Symptom Development in Cucumber.

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-ES (ToLCNDV-ES), a high threat to cucurbits in the Mediterranean Basin, is listed as a different strain from the Asian ToLCNDV isolates. In this study, the infectivity of two clones previously isolated from Italy and Pakistan were compared in cucumbers, which resulted in the opposite symptom appearance. The swapping subgenome was processed; however, the mechanisms related to the disease phenotype remain unclear. To identify the disease-associated genes that could contribute to symptom development under the two ToLCNDV infections, the transcriptomes of ToLCNDV-infected and mock-inoculated cucumber plants were compared 21 days postinoculation. The number of differentially expressed genes in ToLCNDV-India-infected plants was 10 times higher than in ToLCNDV-ES-infected samples. The gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment were analyzed using the Cucurbits Genomics Database. The flavonoid pathway-related genes were upregulated in ToLCNDV-ES, but some were downregulated in ToLCNDV-India infection, suggesting their role in resistance to the two ToLCNDV infections. The relative expression levels of the selected candidate genes were validated by qRT-PCR under two ToLCNDV-infected conditions. Our results reveal the different infectivity of the two ToLCNDVs in cucumber and also provide primary information based on RNA-seq for further analysis related to different ToLCNDV infections.

Enhanced Production of Active Photosynthetic and Biochemical Molecules in Silybum marianum L. Using Biotic and Abiotic Elicitors in Hydroponic Culture.

Elicitors are stressors that activate secondary pathways that lead to the increased production of bioactive molecules in plants. Different elicitors including the fungus Aspergillus niger (0.2 g/L), methyl jasmonate (MeJA, 100 µM/L), and silver nanoparticles (1 µg/L) were added, individually and in combination, in a hydroponic medium. The application of these elicitors in hydroponic culture significantly increased the concentration of photosynthetic pigments and total phenolic contents. The treatment with MeJA (methyl jasmonate) (100 µM/L) and the co-treatment of MeJA and AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) (100 µM/L + 1 µg/L) exhibited the highest chlorophyll a (29 µg g-1 FW) and chlorophyll b (33.6 µg g-1 FW) contents, respectively. The elicitor MeJA (100 µM/L) gave a substantial rise in chlorophyll a and b and total chlorophyll contents. Likewise, a significant rise in carotenoid contents (9 µg/g FW) was also observed when subjected to meJA (100 µM/L). For the phenolic content, the treatment with meJA (100 µM/L) proved to be very effective. Nevertheless, the highest production (431 µg/g FW) was observed when treated with AgNPs (1 µg/L). The treatments with various elicitors in this study had a significant effect on flavonoid and lignin content. The highest concentration of flavonoids and lignin was observed when MeJA (100 mM) was used as an elicitor, following a 72-h treatment period. Hence, for different plant metabolites, the treatment with meJA (100 µM/L) and a co-treatment of MeJA and AgNPs (100 µM/L + 1 µg/L) under prolonged exposure times of 120-144 h proved to be the most promising in the accretion of valuable bioactive molecules. The study opens new insights into the use of these elicitors, individually or in combination, by using different concentrations and compositions.

Combined Medial And Lateral Bucket Handle Meniscus Tears With Associated Complete Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear: A Case Report.

The majority of meniscal tears in bucket handles are associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) impairment. Its a rare condition which is rarely encountered when the meniscus has a bucket handle on both sides of the compartment. Here we present the case of a 28-year- old male cricket player with a total ACL rupture, a double Posterior Cruciate ligament (PCL) sign on MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), an uncommon occurrence of a complex bucket handle rupture of the medial meniscus with a double PCL sign. It was a complete ACL tear and displaced bucket handle medial meniscus that was also visible on the magnetic resonance imaging. In this report, double PCL sign was shown on MRI and that was confirmed during the arthroscopic procedure.

Recent technology for food and beverage quality assessment: a review.

Food and beverage assessment is an evaluation method used to measure the strengths and weaknesses of a food and beverage system to make improvements. These assessments had become crucial, especially in the issues of adulteration, replacement, and contamination that happened in artificial adjustment relating to the quality, weight and volume. Thus, this review will examine and describe features recently applied in image, odour, taste and electromagnetic, relevant to the food and beverages assessment. This review will also compare and discuss each technique and provides suggestions based on the current technology. This review will deliberate technology integration and the involvement of deep learning to enable several types of current technologies, such as imaging, odour and taste senses, and electromagnetic sensing, to be used in food evaluation applications for inspection and packaging.

Transcriptional and biochemical analyses of Planomicrobium strain AX6 from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal hydrogen peroxide scavenging potential.

BACKGROUND: The bacterial mechanisms responsible for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging have been well-reported, yet little is known about how bacteria isolated from cold-environments respond to H2O2 stress. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional profiling of the Planomicrobium strain AX6 strain isolated from the cold-desert ecosystem in the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, in response to H2O2 stress aiming to uncover the molecular mechanisms associated with H2O2 scavenging potential. METHODS: We investigated the H2O2-scavenging potential of the bacterial Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolated from the cold-desert ecosystem in the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Furthermore, we used high-throughput RNA-sequencing to unravel the molecular aspects associated with the H2O2 scavenging potential of the Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolate. RESULTS: In total, 3,427 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolate in response to 4 h of H2O2 (1.5 mM) exposure. Besides, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology analyses revealed the down- and/or up-regulated pathways following H2O2 treatment. Our study not only identified the H2O2 scavenging capability of the strain nevertheless also a range of mechanisms to cope with the toxic effect of H2O2 through genes involved in oxidative stress response. Compared to control, several genes coding for antioxidant proteins, including glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), Coproporphyrinogen III oxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were relatively up-regulated in Planomicrobium strain AX6, when exposed to H2O2. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results suggest that the up-regulated genes responsible for antioxidant defense pathways serve as essential regulatory mechanisms for removing H2O2 in Planomicrobium strain AX6. The DEGs identified here could provide a competitive advantage for the existence of Planomicrobium strain AX6 in H2O2-polluted environments.

Characterization of proteome wide antigenic epitopes to design proteins specific and proteome-wide ensemble vaccines against heartland virus using structural vaccinology and immune simulation approaches.

Heartland virus is a single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus that infects humans and causes lethargy, myalgia, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, weight loss, arthralgia, loss of appetite, leukopenia, and easy bruising due thrombocytopenia. The unavailability of antiviral drugs for HRTV infection is a major obstacle to treat this infection, therefore supportive care management is adopted in the case of a severe ailment. In this scientific study, proteins specific and proteome-wide Helper T-cell (HTL), linear B cell, and cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) epitopes mapping joined together with suitable linkers to design multi-epitopes subunit vaccine (MEVC). The constructed four vaccines from nucleocapsid protein, replicase, glycoprotein and finally whole proteome-wide constructs demonstrated stronger antigenic and non-allergenic behavior. Physiochemical properties evaluation also reported easy and efficient expression and downstream analysis of the constructs. Molecular docking of these constructs with toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) revealed good binding and further validation based on MM/GBSA also demonstrated stronger interaction between the vaccine constructs and TLR7. Moreover, in silico cloning reported CAI value of 0.96 for each construct and excellent GC contents percentage required for experimental analysis. Furthermore, immune simulation-based immune response surveillance revealed that upon the injection of antigen the primary and secondary antibodies were produced between 5 and 15 days, and a more robust neutralization of the antigen by the proteome-wide vaccine construct was observed. This research could pave the way for the development of dynamic and efficient vaccines that contain a unique mix of numerous HRTV derived antigenic peptides to control HRTV infection.

Mobile health applications: awareness, attitudes, and practices among medical students in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of mobile health (mHealth) applications (or apps) in the field of health and medical education is rapidly increasing, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to assess awareness, attitudes, practices, and factors associated with the mHealth app usage among medical students. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving medical students at a government university in Sarawak, Malaysia, from February to April 2021. Validated questionnaires were administered to all consenting students. These questionnaires included questions on basic demographic information as well as awareness, attitude toward, and practices with mHealth apps concerned with medical education, health and fitness, and COVID-19 management. RESULTS: Respondents had favorable attitudes toward mHealth apps (medical education [61.8%], health and fitness [76.3%], and COVID-19 management [82.7%]). Respondents' mean attitude scores were four out of five for all three app categories. However, respondents used COVID-19 management apps more frequently (73.5%) than those for medical education (35.7%) and fitness (39.0%). Usage of all three app categories was significantly associated with the respondent's awareness and attitude. Respondents in the top 20% in term of household income and study duration were more likely to use medical education apps. The number of respondents who used COVID-19 apps was higher in the top 20% household income group than in the other income groups. The most common barrier to the use of apps was uncertainty regarding the most suitable apps to choose. CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted a discrepancy between awareness of mHealth apps and positive attitudes toward them and their use. Recognition of barriers to using mHealth apps by relevant authorities may be necessary to increase the usage of these apps.

A Fault Tolerant Surveillance System for Fire Detection and Prevention Using LoRaWAN in Smart Buildings.

In recent years, fire detection technologies have helped safeguard lives and property from hazards. Early fire warning methods, such as smoke or gas sensors, are ineffectual. Many fires have caused deaths and property damage. IoT is a fast-growing technology. It contains equipment, buildings, electrical systems, vehicles, and everyday things with computing and sensing capabilities. These objects can be managed and monitored remotely as they are connected to the Internet. In the Internet of Things concept, low-power devices like sensors and controllers are linked together using the concept of Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN). Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) is an LPWAN product used on the Internet of Things (IoT). It is well suited for networks of things connected to the Internet, where terminals send a minute amount of sensor data over large distances, providing the end terminals with battery lifetimes of years. In this article, we design and implement a LoRaWAN-based system for smart building fire detection and prevention, not reliant upon Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) connection. A LoRa node with a combination of sensors can detect smoke, gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), propane, methane, hydrogen, alcohol, temperature, and humidity. We developed the system in a real-world environment utilizing Wi-Fi Lora 32 boards. The performance is evaluated considering the response time and overall network delay. The tests are carried out in different lengths (0-600 m) and heights above the ground (0-2 m) in an open environment and indoor (1st Floor-3rd floor) environment. We observed that the proposed system outperformed in sensing and data transfer from sensing nodes to the controller boards.

The Effect of Aflatoxin B1 on Tumor-Related Genes and Phenotypic Characters of MCF7 and MCF10A Cells.

The fungal toxin aflatoxin B1 (AB1) and its reactive intermediate, aflatoxin B1-8, 9 epoxide, could cause liver cancer by inducing DNA adducts. AB1 exposure can induce changes in the expression of several cancer-related genes. In this study, the effect of AB1 exposure on breast cancer MCF7 and normal breast MCF10A cell lines at the phenotypic and epigenetic levels was investigated to evaluate its potential in increasing the risk of breast cancer development. We hypothesized that, even at low concentrations, AB1 can cause changes in the expression of important genes involved in four pathways, i.e., p53, cancer, cell cycle, and apoptosis. The transcriptomic levels of BRCA1, BRCA2, p53, HER1, HER2, cMyc, BCL2, MCL1, CCND1, WNT3A, MAPK1, MAPK3, DAPK1, Casp8, and Casp9 were determined in MCF7 and MCF10A cells. Our results illustrate that treating both cells with AB1 induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis with reduction in cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, AB1 reduced reactive oxygen species levels. Phenotypically, AB1 caused cell-cycle arrest at G1, hypertrophy, and increased cell migration rates. There were changes in the expression levels of several tumor-related genes, which are known to contribute to activating cancer pathways. The effects of AB1 on the phenotype and epigenetics of both MCF7 and MCF10A cells associated with cancer development observed in this study suggest that AB1 is a potential risk factor for developing breast cancer.

Association of Inflammatory Markers/Cytokines with Cardiovascular Risk Manifestation in Patients with Endometriosis.

This study is aimed at determining the association of inflammatory markers and proinflammatory cytokines with cardiovascular risk manifestation in women with endometriosis as compared to healthy controls. A total of 181 females of reproductive age with the absence of other inflammatory or autoimmune disorders and a lack of hormonal therapy for at least 6 months voluntarily participated in this investigation. Patients were 81 females, laparoscopically diagnosed with endometriosis, while the control group comprised 80 healthy females without any pelvic pathology. All subjects were 20-40 years of age. Exclusion criteria were diabetes, obesity, hypertension, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular, and renal disorders. C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocysteine, interleukin-17, and interleukin-33 were analyzed using commercially available ELISA kits. For statistical interpretation, the unpaired Student "t" test was used. All inflammatory markers and cytokines demonstrated elevated levels (P < 0.001) in endometriosis patients as compared to healthy controls. The results of the study revealed that the patients with endometriosis demonstrate a hypercoagulable status due to inflammation, which initiates atherosclerosis and associated complications. Hence, endometriosis can cause a risk of cardiovascular disorders in these patients.

Magnetic Field Treatments Improves Sunflower Yield by Inducing Physiological and Biochemical Modulations in Seeds.

Magnetic seed enhancement has been practicing as a promising tool to improve germination and seedling growth of low vigor seeds stored under suboptimal conditions, but there is still ambiguity regarding the prospects for magnetism in oilseeds. Present study elucidates the potential of magnetic seed stimulation to improve sunflower germination, growth and yield. Germination and emergence tests were performed to optimize the strength of the magnetic field to sunflower seed enhancement. The seeds were directly exposed to magnetic field strengths of 50, 100 and 150 millitesla (mT) for 5, 10 and 15 min (min) and then standard germination tests were performed. Secondly, the emergence potential of untreated seeds was compared with seed exposed to hydropriming, priming with 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE), priming with magnetically treated water (MTW) for 10 min and priming with 3% MLE solution prepared in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE). Germination, emergence, seedling growth and seed biochemical properties were used to select the best treatment for field evaluation. The results of the study revealed that magnetic seed treatment with 100 mT for 10 min and seed priming with 3% MLE solution in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE) significantly improved emergence, crop growth rate and sunflower yield.

Radiosensitization effects by bismuth oxide nanorods of different sizes in megavoltage external beam radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology application has successfully reached numerous scientific breakthroughs including in radiotherapy. However, the clinical application of nanoparticles requires more diligent research primarily on the crucial parameters such as nanoparticle sizes. This study is aimed to investigate the influence of bismuth oxide nanorod (Bi2O3-NR) sizes on radiosensitization effects on MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines for megavoltage photon and electron beam radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MCF-7 and HeLa cells were treated with and without 0.5 µMol/L of Bi2O3-NR of varying sizes (60, 70, 80, and 90 nm). The samples, including the control groups, were exposed to different radiation doses (0-10 Gy), using photon (6 MV and 10 MV), and electron beam (6 MeV and 12 MeV) radiotherapy. Clonogenic assay was performed, and sensitization enhancement ratio (SER) was determined from linear quadratic based cell survival curves. RESULTS: The results depicted that 60 nm Bi2O3-NR yields the most excellent SER followed by 70 nm Bi2O3-NR. Meanwhile, the 80 and 90 nm Bi2O3-NR showed an insignificant difference between treated and untreated cell groups. This study also found that MCF-7 was subjected to more cell death compared to HeLa. CONCLUSION: 60 nm Bi2O3-NR was the optimal Bi2O3-NR size to induce radiosensitization effects for megavoltage external beam radiotherapy. The SER in photon beam radiotherapy marked the highest compared to electron beam radiotherapy due to decreased primary radiation energy from multiple radiation interaction and higher Compton scattering.