Current microbiological methods for pneumonia diagnosis require invasive specimen collection and time-consuming analytical procedures. There is a need for less invasive and faster methods to detect lower respiratory tract infection. The analysis of volatile metabolites excreted by pathogenic microorganisms provides the basis for developing such a method. Given the synergistic role of Candida albicans in increasing the virulence of pathogenic bacteria causing pneumonia and the cross-kingdom metabolic interactions between microorganisms, we compare the emission of volatiles from Candida albicans yeasts and the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus using single and mixed co-cultures and apply that knowledge to human in vivo investigations. Gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis resulted in the identification of sixty-eight volatiles that were found to have significantly different levels in cultures compared to reference medium samples. Certain volatiles found in co-culture originated mainly from C. albicans metabolism (e.g., isobutyl acetate), whereas other volatiles primarily came from S. aureus (e.g., ethyl 2-methylbutyrate). Isopentyl valerate reflects synergic interactions of both microbes, as its level in co-cultures was found to be approximately three times higher than the sum of its amounts in monocultures. Hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced (HLB) coated meshes for thin-film microextraction (TFME) were used to pre-concentrate volatiles directly from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens collected from patients suffering from ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP) that was caused explicitly by C. albicans and S. aureus. GC-MS analyses confirmed the existence of in vitro-elucidated microbial VOCs in human specimens. Significant differences in BAL-extracted amounts respective to the pathogen causing pneumonia were found. The model in vitro experiments provided evidence that cross-kingdom interactions between pathogenic microorganisms affect the synthesis of the volatile compounds. The TFME meshes coated with HLB particles proved to be suitable for extracting VOCs from human material, enabling the translation of in vitro experiments on the microbial volatilome to the in vivo situation involving infected patients. This indicates the direction that should be taken for further clinical studies on VAP diagnosis based on volatile analysis.

Primary materials supply is the heart for engineering and sciences; depletion of natural resources and an increase in the human population by a billion in 13 to 15 years pose a critical concern on the sustainability of the materials. Therefore, functionalizing renewable materials, such as nanocellulose, possibly exploiting its properties for various practical applications, has been undertaken worldwide. Nanocellulose has emerged as a dominant green natural material with attractive and tailorable physicochemical properties, renewable, sustainable, biocompatibility, and tunable surface properties. Nanocellulose is derived from cellulose, the most abundant polymer in nature with remarkable properties of nanomaterials. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the methods used for nanocellulose preparation, structure-property and processing-property correlations, and the application of nanocellulose and its nanocomposite materials. This article differentiates the classification of nanocellulose, provides a brief account of the production methods that have been developed for isolating nanocellulose, highlights a range of unique properties of nanocellulose that have been extracted from different kinds of experiments and studies; and elaborates on nanocellulose potential applications in various areas. The present review is anticipated to provide the readers regarding the progress and knowledge related to nanocellulose. Pushing the boundaries of nanocellulose further into cutting edge applications will be of particular interest for the future, especially as cost-effective commercial sources of nanocellulose continue to emerge.

In Benin, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causing bacterial blight (BLB) was first described in 2013 on wild rice Oryza longistaminata. No studies have been conducted on Beninese Xoo strains and resistant rice varieties. The aim of this study is to check whether Xoo has already spread to cultivated varieties and to screen some rice accessions for the main resistance genes detection. To achieve this aim, rice leaves showing typical BLB symptoms were collected from various rice fields in Benin and analyzed by PCR to identify Xoo-specific sequences. In addition, seventy-five rice accessions were examined to identify Xoo resistance genes. The results showed that Xanthomonas oryzae (Xo) had been identified in Banikouara and Malanville. In addition, Sphingomonas sp was detected in several rice fields. A Xo-Sphingomonas Sp co-infection was also noted. 47 of 75 rice accessions examined (62.66%) carried Xoo resistance genes with 3 (4%) and 40 (53.33%) of xa5 and Xa21 respectively. None of the accessions had neither Xa7 nor Xa13 resistance genes. Three accessions had both xa5 and Xa21 genes. In addition, the rice isogenic lines IRBB60 and IRBB21used as positive controls, were found to be susceptible. These results indicate that Xo has evolved from a wild rice to cultivated varieties in northern Benin. Consequently, a varietal improvement program must be implemented with varieties having resistance genes to prevent a BLB pandemic in Benin.

Rhizophora mangle L. is a well-known medicinal plant found in mangroves worldwide used to treatment diabetes. This study evaluated the chemical composition of the acetonic extract from Rhizophora mangle barks (AERM), by HPLC-PDA and FIA-ESI-IT-MS/MS and the effects on high-fat diet induced obesity in mice and its mechanism of action by gene expression of inflammatory markers (Pparg, Ppara, Srebf1, Cd36, Tnf, Ccl2, Lep, Il10, Il6, Fasn, 18s). High-fat diet fed mice during 12 weeks was used as model of obesity and associated alterations. The results were very satisfactory, the extract, rich in polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acids, displayed intense antioxidant activity in vitro (608 µmol Trolox/g), and showed excellent activity against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and reverse insulin resistance in a model of diet-induced obesity. We can registered a modulatory effect of AERM in liver PPAR-γ mRNA expression associated to an important inhibition of CD36 mRNA expression suggesting that AERM induces the down regulation of CD36 mRNA via PPAR-gamma inhibition. These results support the traditional knowledge about the use of R. mangle for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and reveal the potential of AERM for the treatment of NAFLD and management of obesity and comorbidities.

The bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle, consisting of a long helical filament as a propeller and a rotary motor that drives rapid filament rotation to produce thrust. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has two genes of flagellin, fljB and fliC, for flagellar filament formation and autonomously switches their expression at a frequency of 10^-3–10^-4 per cell per generation. We report here differences in their structures and motility functions under high viscosity conditions. A Salmonella strain expressing FljB showed a higher motility than the one expressing FliC under high viscousity. To examine the reasons for this motility difference, we carried out structural analyses of the FljB filament by electron cryomicroscopy and found that the structure is nearly identical to that of the FliC filament except for the position and orientation of the outermost domain D3 of flagellin. The density of domain D3 was much lower in FljB than FliC, suggesting that domain D3 of FljB is more flexible and mobile than that of FliC. These differences suggest that domain D3 plays an important role not only in changing antigenicity of the filament but also in optimizing motility function of the filament as a propeller under different conditions.

Febrile infections are a common cause of presentation to the emergency department (ED) in chil-dren. While viral infections are usually self-limiting, sometimes bacterial illnesses may lead to sepsis and severe complications. Inflammatory biomarkers such as C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin are usually the first blood exams performed in the ED to differentiate bacterial and viral infections; the better understanding of immunochemical pathways has nowadays led to the discovery of new and more specific biomarkers that could play a role in the emergency setting. The aim of this narrative review is to provide the most recent evidence on biomarkers and predictor models combining them for serious bacterial infections (SBI) diagnosis in febrile children. Litera-ture analysis showed that inflammatory response is a complex mechanism in which many bio-chemical and immunological factors contribute to host response in SBI. CRP and procalcitonin still represent the most used biomarkers in the pediatric ED for the diagnosis of SBI. Their sensibility and sensitivity increase when combined and for this reason it is reasonable to take them both into consideration in the evaluation of a febrile children. The potential of machine learning tools, who represent a real novelty in medical practice, in conjunction with routine clinical and biological in-formation, may improve accuracy of diagnosis and target therapeutic options in SBI. However, studies on this matter are not yet validated in younger populations, making their relevance in pe-diatric precision medicine still uncertain. More data from further researches are needed to improve clinical practice and decision making using these new technologies.

The goal of this study was to develop a rapid diagnostic kit for rheumatic disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) screening. A novel rapid vertical flow assay (VFA) was engineered and used to assay anti-nuclear (ANA) and anti-dsDNA (αDNA) autoantibodies from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and healthy controls (HC). Observer scores and absolute signal intensities from the VFA were validated by ELISA. The rapid ten minute point of care VFA test engineered demonstrated a limit of detection of 0.5 IU/ml for ANA and αDNA autoantibodies in human plasma with inter-operator CV of 19% for ANA and 12% for αDNA. Storage stability was verified over a three-month period. When testing anti-dsDNA and ANA levels in 22 SLE and 18 HC serum samples, the duplex VFA revealed 95% sensitivity, 72% specificity and 84% accuracy in discriminating disease groups, comparable to the gold standard, ELISA. The rapid αDNA/ANA duplex VFA can potentially be used in primary care clinics for evaluating patients or at-risk subjects for rheumatic diseases and for planning follow-up testing. Given its low cost, ease and rapid turnaround, it can also be used to assess SLE prevalence estimates.

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) is a rare immune-mediated relapsing-remitting disease of the central nervous system. The usage of rituximab, to prevent NMOSD relapses, is common in Sweden, but the knowledge on long-term efficacy and risk for severe infections are limited. We performed a retrospective cohort study with medical chart review of rituximab-treated NMOSD patients at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, to assess the occurrence of relapses and severe infectious events (SIE). Furthermore, we collected data on CD19+ lymphocyte, and IgG levels during therapy. A total of 42 NMOSD patients; 24 with aquaporin -4 antibodies (AQP4+), eight with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG+) and 10 with absence of antibodies (double-seronegative) were included. During a mean treatment time of 4.4 years, 37% AQP4+, 75% MOG+, and 60% double-seronegative patients experienced 1 relapse. SIEs were common with 46% of AQP4+, 25% of MOG+, and 40% of double-seronegative patients affected. Incomplete CD19+ lymphocyte suppression did not predict a relapse and there was no correlation between IgG levels and SIEs. In conclusion, our data demonstrated a high risk for both relapses and SIEs in rituximab-treated NMOSD patients highlighting the need for close clinical vigilance of disease activity and infections during treatment.

Abstract: This study reviewed aspects of the biology of two members of the glucosinolate family, namely sinigrin and glucoraphanin and their anti-tumour and anti-microbial properties. Sinigrin and glucoraphanin are converted by the β-sulphoglucosidase myrosinase or the gut microbiota into their bioactive forms, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and sulphoraphanin (SFN) which constitute part of a sophisticated defence system plants developed over several hundred million years of evolution to protect them from parasitic attack from aphids, ticks, bacteria or nematodes. Delivery of these components from consumption of cruciferous vegetables rich in the glucosinolates also delivers many other members of the glucosinolate family so the dietary AITCs and SFN do not act in isolation. In-vitro experiments with purified AITC and SFN have demonstrated their therapeutic utility as antimicrobials against a range of clinically important bacteria and fungi. AITC and SFN are as potent as Vancomycin in the treatment of bacteria listed by the World Health Organisation as antibiotic-resistant "priority pathogens" and also act as anti- cancer agents through the induction of phase II antioxidant enzymes which inactivate potential carcinogens. Glucosinolates may be useful in the treatment of biofilms formed on medical implants and catheters by problematic pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and are potent antimicrobials against a range of clinically important bacteria and fungi. The glucosinolates have also been applied in the prevention of bacterial and fungal spoilage of food products in advanced atmospheric packaging technology which improves the shelf-life of these products.

The work provides insights on the effect of fire on soil processes in Mediterranean-type ecosystems of Cyprus. Soil samples from mountainous sites that were subjected to a summer wildfire and adjacent control samples were collected. Incubations were used to estimate basal respiration and isolate soil CO2 release of heterotrophic microorganisms from autotrophic root respiration and heterotrophic respiration from litter decomposition. Physicochemical properties changes, bacteria community changes using DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene analysis, and the effects of ash and fresh litter addition were studied to reveal the microbial composition and the post-fire soil function. Laboratory incubation showed that burned soils constantly showed higher microbial respiration rates compared with control unburned areas, even six months after fire. Adding ash to unburned samples increased microbial respiration, suggesting that increased nutrient availability positively corelates with increased release of CO2 from fire-affected soil. Elevated temperatures due to the wildfire exerted significant effects on the composition of soil bacterial community. Nevertheless, the wildfire did not affect the alpha-diversity of soil bacteria. New communities of microorganisms are still able to decompose fresh plant material after fire, but at a slower rate than natural pre-fire populations.

We evaluated the macroscopic and histopathological aspects of skin healing by secondary intention in equine wounds, surgically induced and topically treated with bacterial cellulose hydrogel with alginate (BCAG) or frog skin (FSG), compared with ringer lactate (CG). Three wounds were created on each side of the lumbar region, one side for gross evaluation with photos and measurement of the area and contraction rate and the other for histopathological evaluation, with the sides selected randomly, in 5 horses. All wounds received daily treatment, and clinical and histopathological evaluations were conducted on postoperative days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Although no statistical differences were observed, the BCAG presented a reduced wound area and a high wound contraction percentage on days 14 and 21. At 28 days, the average contraction rates were 96.08%, 92.87%, and 88.6% for the CG, BCAG, and FSG, respectively. Although there was no statistical difference between the groups in wound healing in this study in horses, in clinical evaluations an early start of filling the area of the wounds treated with frog skin was observed, and on D14 and D21, a smaller area and higher contraction rate were observed in BCAG, which can be attributed to more efficient re-epithelialization and fibroblast proliferation.

The rapid and sensitive detection of pathogenic bacteria is becoming increasingly important for the timely prevention of contamination and treatment of infections. Biosensors based on nucleic acid aptamers integrat-ed with optical, electrochemical, and mass-sensitive analytical techniques have garnered intense interest for their versatility, cost-efficiency, and ability to exhibit high affinity and specificity in binding bacterial bi-omarkers, toxins, and whole cells. This review emphasizes the development of aptamers, their structural op-timization, and their use in bacterial sensing applications. Moreover, we explore barriers and develop per-spectives in applying aptamer-based bacterial detection.

In Argentina there are urban areas of intensive cultivation around most of the big cities, where the soils may be unsuitable for some of the horticultural species and the use of chemical fertilizers is common. Bioinoculants based on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be an al-ternative for crop improvement, without affecting the environment. These formulations are gen-erally liquid, and their main disadvantage is the low viability of microorganisms. The objectives of this work were to evaluate a different inoculation method, the application of the biofilm pro-duced by Bacillus subtilis as a growth promoter on seeds of three varieties of Lactuca sativa. Biofilm was obtained under static culture conditions, the liquid (planktonic) inoculum was produced at 150 rpm. The major effects were observed with Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii, that showed an-tifungal activity against phytopathogens, synthesize plant growth regulators (IAA, cytokinin and ABA) and solubilize phosphates. The best results were obtained with the Grand Rapid variety inoculated with biofilm, its positive effect was throughout the plant development until the har-vest time, when the bacterium was recovered from the interior of the roots. The biofilm of B. sub-tilis subsp. spizizenii would be an innovative and promising seed inoculant for horticultural spe-cies.

The objective of the present study was to develop and optimize an efficient growth media for Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, an essential dairy starter culture, uses plant-based nitrogen sources. The composition of the de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) culture medium was modified, and the nitrogen content was replaced by alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 in various blends of 3% and 1.5%. Results showed that bacterial growth was higher with the N7 and N5 nitrogen source blends at 3% and 1.5%. Similarly, the optical densities of the L. bulgaricus strains were higher in the N7 and N5 blends (1.5/3%) compared to the MRS medium. Although there was no significance in bacterial counts for both the MRS and the N7 and N5 media, a significant difference between the control medium and the optimized growth media was noted. Our results thus suggest that the alternative nitrogen sources X-Seed N7 and N5 can substantially support the growth of lactic acid bacteria as shown with L. bulgaricus. Moreover, the presence of complex nitrogen sources rich in free nucleotides, amino acids, and peptides enhanced L. bulgaricus growth. Our results support the development of cost-effective and plant-based growth media for LAB cultures and potential benefits to the food and dairy industries. Additional research is warranted to improve buffering capacity for higher cell counts.

The approach towards myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remains in a permanent state of crisis with fierce competition between the psychosocial school, which attributes ME/CFS to the perception of effort, and the medical approach (Maes and Twisk, BMC Med, 2010,8,35). The aim of this paper is to review how to construct a nomothetic model of ME/CFS using Partial Least Squares (PLS) path analysis and ensembling causome (bacterial translocation as assessed with IgM/IgA responses to LPS), protectome (lowered coenzyme Q10), adverse outcome pathways (AOP) including increased lysozyme, CD38+ T cell activation, cell-mediated immune activation (CMI), and IgM responses to oxidative specific epitopes and NO-adducts (IgM OSENO). Using PLS, we trained, tested and validated this knowledge- and data-driven causal ME/CFS model, which showed adequate convergence, construct and replicability validity. This bottom-up explicit data model of ME/CFS objectivates the descriptive narratives of the ME/CFS phenome, using causome-protectome-AOP data, whereby the abstract concept ME/CFS is translated into pathways, thereby securing the reification of the ME/CFS phenome. We found that 31.6% of the variance in the physiosomatic symptom dimension of ME/CFS was explained by the cumulative effects of CMI and CD38+ activation, IgM OSENO, IgA LPS, lysozyme (all positive) and coenzyme Q10 (inversely). Cluster analysis performed on the PLS-generated latent vector scores of all feature sets exposed three distinct immune groups of ME/CFS, namely one with increased lysozyme, one with increased CMI + CD38 activation + depressive symptoms, and another with increased bacterial translocation + autoimmune responses to OSENO.

The synthesis of the presented benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine derivatives was performed by condensing-(4-chlorobenzylidene) benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine with a number of substituted phenols in the presence of potassium iodide and anhydrous potassium carbonate in dry acetone. IR spectroscopy, 1HNMRspectroscopy and spectroscopy methods were used to characterize the structural properties of newly synthesized derivatives. In order to observe the attributes of drug-like candidates of these derivatives, the number of their molecular properties was estimated. Benzo[d]thiazol-2-amine derivatives were molecularly docked with selective enzymes COX-1 and COX-2. Findings suggested that Compounds G3, G4, G6, G8 and G11 possess higher binding affinity than diclofenac sodium, when docking was performed with enzyme COX-1. Compounds G1, G3, G6, G8and G10 showed lower binding affinity than Indomethacin when docking performed with enzyme COX-2.In vitro evaluation of the COX-1 and COX-2 enzyme inhibitory activities were performed for synthesized compounds. Compounds 10 and 11 exhibited significant COX-1 and COX- enzyme inhibitory action with IC50 values of 5.0 and 10 µM, respectively. Using the hot plate method and the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, the synthesized compounds were screened for their biological activities, including analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The highest analgesic action was exhibited by derivative G11and the compound G10 showed the highest anti-inflammatory response.

Thousands of new bacterial and archaeal species and higher-level taxa are discovered each year through the analysis of genomes and metagenomes. The Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB) provides hierarchical sequence-based descriptions and classifications for new and as-yet-unnamed taxa. However, bacterial nomenclature, as currently configured, cannot keep up with the need for new well-formed names. Instead, microbiologists have been forced to use hard-to-remember alphanumeric placeholder labels. Here, we exploit an approach to the generation of well-formed arbitrary Latinate names at a scale sufficient to name tens of thousands of unnamed taxa within GTDB. These newly created names represent an important resource for the microbiology community, facilitating communication between bioinformaticians, microbiologists and taxonomists, while populating the emerging landscape of microbial taxonomic and functional discovery with accessible and memorable linguistic labels.

Background: Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are a laboratory criterion for the classification of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), and are known to cause clinical symptoms: vascular thrombosis or obstetric complications. It is suggested that aPL may be associated with thromboembolism in severe COVID-19 cases. Aim: to combine clinical data with aPL findings at 4 time points (admission, worsening, discharge, 3-month follow-up) in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: current and past history of thrombosis and obstetric complications; aPL determined at 4 time points: anticardiolipin (aCL), anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti- β2GPI) and antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) of the IgM, IgG or IgA isotypes. Results: 111 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled. During hospitalization, 7 patients died, 3 of them due to pulmonary artery thromboembolism (none was aPL positive). Only one of the five who developed pulmonary artery thrombosis was aPL positive. Of 9/101 patients with a history of thrombosis, 5 had arterial thrombosis and none was aPL positive at admission and follow-up; 4 had venous thrombosis and one was aPL positive at all time points (newly diagnosed APS). Of these 9/101 patients, 55.6% were transiently aPL positive at discharge only, compared to 26.1% without history of thrombosis (p=0.05). Conclusions: aPL were not associated with fatal outcomes and vascular thrombosis; aPL were transiently positive in more than half of patients with a history of thrombosis.

Maize silage is produced to alleviate forage shortage on dairy animals, particularly during the dry season. Microorganisms play a significant role in silage fermentation and thus determine the silage quality. Therefore, modulation of microorganisms in silage may help prohibit undesired bacteria and improve silage quality. Hence, this study evaluated the effects of tannin extract as an additive on fermentative quality, aerobic stability and microbial composition of maize silage. Therefore, a mini-silo experiment of maize with five treatments was conducted for 75 days. The results showed that additives modulate silage microorganisms. In addition, tannin extract reduced certain silage bacteria while promoting others. However, this is without affecting the silage’s fermentative quality and aerobic stability. All silage fermented well with a pH below 4.2. Tannin extract improved dry matter recovery of silage while reducing silage weight loss. Furthermore, tannin extract suppressed the establishment of undesired bacteria, such as genera Dysgonomonas, Gluconacetobacter and Clostridium, while promoting desirable bacteria, such as genera Lactobacillus and Weissella, which attributed to silage quality. Therefore, it is concluded that tannins can be strategically used as silage additives to modulate microbial composition of silage and improve silage quality by promoting the dominance of desirable bacteria in silage.

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is a rare and severe disease that corresponds to a specific entity of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. Patients with IMNM suffer from proximal muscle weakness, and present high levels of creatine kinase and necrotic myofibers. Anti-Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) and anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase autoantibodies (HMGCR) have recently been identified in two thirds of patients with IMNM and are used as a hallmark of the disease. In this review, we provide a detailed description of these antibodies and the tests used to detect them in the serum of patients. Based on in vitro studies and mouse models of IMNM, we will discuss the role of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of the disease. Finally, in the light of the latest knowledge, we will conclude with a review of recent therapeutic approaches.

The anti-money laundering (AML) process has failed both in identifying suspicious cases in due time as in assisting the AML analysts in decision making. Starting from a new generic anti-fraud approach, this article presents the main aspects related to the development of a multi-agent system that goes beyond the capture of suspicious transactions, seeking to assist the human expert in the analysis of suspicious behaviour. First, a transactional behavioural profile of clients is obtained in a data mining process. A set of rules, obtained through data mining over a real database, in conjunction with specific rules based on legal aspects and in the expertise of the AML analysts make up the agents' knowledge base. The cases for which the system was unable to suggest a decision are flagged as requiring more detailed analysis. The system analysed 6 months of real transactions and indicated several suspicious profiles, a set of these suspects was investigated by the AML analysts who proved the suspicion of several cases, including some that had not been identified by the systems in execution.

Many dioecious plants have sex chromosomes that are cytologically heteromorphic, but about half of species lack cytological differences between males and females and are thus homomorphic. Very little is known about the size and content of the non-recombining sex-determining region (SDR) in these species. Here, we assess the size and content of the SDR of the diploid dioecious herb Mercurialis annua, which has homomorphic sex chromosomes and shows signatures of mild Y-chromosome degeneration. We used RNAseq to identify new Y-linked markers for M. annua. Twelve of 24 transcripts with male-specific and male-biased expression could only be PCR-amplified from males and are thus Y-linked. We found a further six Y-linked sequences that were present in males but not females using genome capture data from multiple populations. We used the Y-linked sequences to identify and sequence 17 sex-linked bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs), which form 11 groups of non-overlapping sequence, covering a total sequence length of about 1.5 Mb. Content analysis of this region suggests it is enriched for repeats, has a low gene density and contains few candidate sex-determining genes. The BACs map to a subset of the sex-linked region of the genetic map, which is estimated to be at least 14.5 Mb. This is substantially larger than estimates for other dioecious plants with homomorphic sex chromosomes, especially given the small genome size of M. annua. Our data provide a rare, high-resolution view of the homomorphic Y chromosome of a dioecious plant.

In this study, a three-dimensional bioelectrochemical reactor system (3D-BERs) with granular activated carbon (GAC) epitomizes a novel treatment technology for treating nitrate-polluted water. The conventional denitrification process faces many challenges, including the huge demand for organic carbon, long-term accumulation of intermediate products, and the adaptation period. Results shown that under the optimal conditions of the COD/NO3--N ratio was 1.5, the denitrification efficiency reached 98.62%, when compared to 81.12% at COD/ NO3--N ratio of 3.5, and the initial pH of 7.5 ± 0.5, NO3--N was entirely removed at 2.2 h without accumulation of nitrite. The high initial ratio of NO2--N/NO3--N is mainly to accelerate the denitrification rate by accelerating the reduction of nitrite. Denitrification process followed by zero-order kinetics linear model for at different concentrations of inlet NO3--N, and achieved higher denitrification rate at greater inlet NO3--N concentration. High-throughput sequencing shows that the community structure and relative abundance of bacteria changed significantly, especially at the genes and the phyla level in immobilized GAC particles. Microbial composition enhanced the removal of nitrogen at the inner surface (IS) and bottom surface (BS) of immobilized GAC carriers. Therefore, this system is expected to be a more efficient and useful supplement or a cost-effective alternative compared to the traditional low carbon to nitrogen wastewater treatment system.

The West-African variety of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath (SBLS) Jobelyn® is a natural remedy, which has gained international recognition for its anti-anemic effect and energy boosting qualities in debilitating diseases. The widespread use of traditional medicine in the region usually confirms its safety, but not its efficacy or deep assessment of their pharmacological properties. The other major issue for herbal-based treatments is the lack of definite and complete information about the composition of the extracts. Despite limitations, efforts have been made in isolation and characterisation of active compounds in this specie of sorghum showing various subclasses of flavonoids including apigeninidin, a stable 3-deoxyanthocyanidin and potential fungal growth inhibitor, which accounts for 84% of the total extract. Non-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies support previous indications that this variety of Sorghum bicolor possesses several biologically active compounds with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and neuro-protective properties. Clinical studies show that SBLS has the ability to boost hemoglobin concentrations in anemic conditions and most remarkably to increase CD4 count in HIV-positive patients. The multiple effects and high safety profiles of this extract may encourage its development as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of anemia, chronic inflammatory conditions or in the symptomatic management of HIV infections. This review describes the potential therapeutic aspects of SBLS extract and its potential benefits.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which is chiefly originated by a retrovirus named Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), has influenced about 70 million populations worldwide. Even though several advancements have been invented in the field of antiretroviral combination therapy, still HIV has become the dominant reason for death in South Africa, for example. The current antiretroviral therapies have achieved success in providing instant HIV suppression but with countless undesirable adverse effects. In the present day, the biodiversity of the plant kingdom is being explored by several researchers for the discovery of potent anti-HIV drugs with different mechanisms of action. The primary challenge is to afford a treatment that is free from any sort of risk of drug resistance and serious side effects. Hence, there is a strong demand to evaluate the drugs obtained from natural plants as well as the synthetic derivatives that have been derived from the natural compounds by various chemical reactions. Several plants such as Andrographis paniculata, Dioscorea bulbifera, Aegle marmelos, Wistaria floribunda, Lindera chunii, Xanthoceras sorbifolia and others have displayed significant anti-HIV activity showing more potent anti-HIV activity along with their structures, SARs & important key findings.

Events of groundwater recharge are associated with changes in the composition of aquifer microbial communities but also abiotic conditions. Modification in the structure of the community can be the result of different environmental condition favoring or hindering certain taxa or due to the introduction of surface-derived taxa. Yet, in both cases, the local hydrogeochemical settings of the aquifer is likely to affect the amount of variation observed. Therefore, in our study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess how microbial communities change in response to snowmelt and the potential connectivity between subsurface and surface microbiome in two distinct aquifers located in the region of Vaudreuil-Soulange (Québec, Canada). At both sites, we observed an increase in groundwater level and decrease in temperature following the onset of snow melt in March 2019. Bacterial community composition of each aquifer was significantly different (p < 0.05) between samples collected prior and after groundwater recharge. Furthermore, microbial source tracking results suggested low contribution of surface environments to groundwater microbiome except for months associated with recharge (March 2019 and April 2019). Overall, despite differences in soil permeability between both sites, the period of snow melt was followed by important changes in the composition of microbial communities from aquifers.

Since the financial crisis in 2008, the U.S. economy has weakened, and the world economy has slowly developed. As the world's leading country, the United States has used many methods to restore the economy. But it does work efficiently. However, there are many issues in developed countries such as domestic social, economic, immigration in the United States/United Kingdom; those are not optimistic. Developed countries have entered a dilemma. The neoliberalism financial system has been unable to move forward. Populists have pointed out that those problems have been causing by globalization. Under the leadership of the Brexit Referendum, President Trump has caused a wave of anti-globalization. Under a series of systems such as the China-US trade war and the US-Mexico border wall repairs, the anti-globalization trend is getting stronger. This article mainly analyzes the in-depth reasons and mechanism research of globalization and anti-globalization alternately—the data obtained from an international method performance study. The results show that anti-globalization is temporary, along with globalization. There are three main factors affecting globalization: the situation of the dominant country, natural disasters, and wars. After so much literature review, I believe that the United States' globalization is gradually weakening, and globalization may return to regionalization under the United States' opposition.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats or CRISPR, one of the major technological tools from nature's toolbox, has revolutionized the scientific world with its potential use in humans and plants. CRISPR Cas9 was first known as an adaptive immune system of bacteria. It is a system that cleaves foreign DNA. It has been exploited to be used as a genome editing tool for correcting genetic diseases in humans, for plants to create stress-resistant plants, and for a variety of different purposes. This review provides a basic overview of its applications in different areas of biological research. It has immense potential for a variety of researches, but it's still a mystery for science. It feels like scientists just know a tip of an iceberg.

A hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the proteinaceous aggregates formed by the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) that is deposited inside the brain as amyloid plaques. The accumulation of aggregated Aβ may initiate or enhance pathologic processes in AD. According to the amyloid hypothesis any agent that has the capability to inhibit Aβ aggregation and/or destroy amyloid plaques represents a potential disease modifying drug. In 2023, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody (lecanemab) against the Aβ soluble protofibrils was approved by US FDA for AD therapy thus providing compelling support to the amyloid hypothesis. To acquire a deeper insight on the in vivo Aβ aggregation, various animal models, including aged herbivores and carnivores, non-human primates, transgenic rodents, fish and worms are widely exploited. This review is based on the recent data obtained using transgenic animal AD models and presents experimental verification of the critical role in Aβ aggregation seeding of the interactions between zinc ions, Aβ with the isomerized Asp7 (isoD7- Aβ) and the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Fungal-bacterial co-colonization and co-infections are emerging among TB-suspected patients, yet the underlying mechanisms that enable and arise from their interactions are poorly understood. Understanding how environmental microbes such as fungi and bacteria co-evolve and develop traits to evade host immune responses and resist treatment is critical to controlling opportunistic co-infections. Our previous work has demonstrated that fungal-bacterial interactions can have dramatic impacts on fungal pathogenesis and drug resistance. Here, we, therefore, hypothesize that cross-kingdom synergistic interactions between environmental fungi and bacteria may influence both fungal and bacterial virulence, antimicrobial resistance patterns and aetiology. Through this, we aimed to establish the prevalence of fungal–bacterial microbial communities associated with chronic primary or opportunistic pulmonary infections. Concordantly, through surveilling 302 clinical samples from 151 patients, we established the prevalence of TB (0.7%) to be lower than that of fungi (1.3%) and non-TB bacterial (4.6%) mono-aetiologies Figure 2. However, our main observation was the unexpected taxonomic diversity with a striking twist of fungal-bacterial di-kingdom aetiological conformities. Interestingly, the majority of the patients presented with at least a di or mono-kingdom aetiological pairings. Importantly, fungi and non-TB bacteria formerly regarded as atypical opportunists are now frequently isolated as possible aetiology for chronic pulmonary infection. Hence, we revealed many di-kingdom aetiological pairings here but their significance remains a question of further examination. Among which Acremonium spp + K. pneumoniae (n=5), Acremonium spp +Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=4), Acremonium spp + C. albicans + K. pneumoniae (n=3) were among the most dominant aetiological pairings observed. Interestingly, Acremonium spp + K. pneumoniae pairings were also seen to be the most commonly associated with pulmonary TB both during and after treatment. Isolation from the same infection niche as seen here calls for further investigations into any interaction signatures that may exist between these organisms. Taken together, our data suggest that fungal-bacterial co-existence may influence their virulence attributes and antimicrobial resistance patterns, with relevance to patient outcomes. Therefore, our data reveals an array of fungal-bacterial pairings that may influence the prognosis of chronic pulmonary disease. Importantly, suggesting that the diversity of pulmonary infective fungi and bacteria, and their complex population structures may pose challenges to the analysis and interpretation of conventional data. Thus, there is a need to redirect our diagnostic approaches to encompass polymicrobial aetiology in order to enhance our suspicion index for better management of opportunistic fungal-bacterial co-infections.

Maternal milk supports offspring development by providing microbiota, macronutrients, micronutrients, immune factors, and hormones. The hormone prolactin (PRL) is an important component of milk with protective effects against chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Because maternal milk regulates microbiota composition and microbiota protect against NCDs, we aimed to investigate whether PRL regulates gut microbiota in newborn mice. 16SrRNA sequencing of feces and bioinformatics analysis were performed to evaluate gut microbiota in mice null for the PRL receptor (Prlr-KO) at the onset of weaning (postnatal day 21). The normalized colon and cecal weights were higher and lower, respectively, in Prlr-KO mice relative to wild-type mice (Prlr-WT). Relative abundance (Simpson Evenness Index), phylogenetic diversity, and bacterial concentration in gut contents were lower in the absence of the PRL receptor. Eleven bacteria species, out of 470, differed between Prlr-KO and Prlr-WT mice with two bacterial genera (Anaerotruncus and Lachnospiraceae) related to NCD development being the most common in Prlr-KO. Furthermore, a higher metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides was predicted in Prlr-KO mice compared to Prlr-WT mice; these metabolites have antimicrobial properties and are present in microbe-associated pathogenicity. In summary, the absence of the PRL receptor changes intestinal microbiota composition, resulting in lower microbiota abundance and richness, which could contribute to NCD development.

Plant diseases are among the major factors affecting plant productivity. Biological control of plant diseases is preferred over chemical control as it is environment-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable. Among many microbes capable of providing biological control of plant diseases, probiotic Bacillus species are most promising as they can survive in adverse conditions, provide plants with a wide range of benefits including protection from phytopathogens. Wheat blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype (MoT) has emerged as a potential threat to global wheat production. Due to unreliability of fungicides and limited cultivar resistance, we aimed to screen and identify potential antagonist bacteria collected from internal tissues of rice and wheat seeds to determine their in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects against MoT. Dual culture and seedling assays were performed to evaluate the efficacy of probiotic bacteria. Out of 170 bacterial isolates, three bacteria (BTS-3, BTS-4, and BTLK6A) were screened as potential antagonists against MoT in vitro. Artificial inoculation at the seedling stage showed that the isolates BTS-4, BTS–3, and BTLK6A reduced 89, 88, and 85% of wheat blast disease severity, respectively, compared to mock-inoculated control. The bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis (BTS-3) and B. velezensis (BTS-4 and BTLK6A) through genome phylogeny. The whole genome sequence of these three bacterial strains decoded a number of orthologs to intrinsic genes of antimicrobial peptides, antioxidant defense enzymes, cell wall degrading enzymes, compounds involved in the induction of systemic resistance (ISR) in host plants, and volatile compounds to make them promising biologicals to control MoT in wheat. Combined data of in vitro and in vivo along with genome analysis suggest that Bacillus spp. suppress the destructive wheat blast disease likely through antibiosis and ISR in the host plants. Further field evaluation and characterization of antimicrobial compounds are needed for a better understanding of the mode of action and practical recommendation of these bacteria for wheat blast control in the farmers’ fields.

Toxic materials in waste generally contain several components of global trending pollutant categories, especially PAHs and heavy metals. Bioremediation technology for managing waste utilizing microorganisms (bacteria) has not been fully capable of breaking down these toxic materials simple and environmentally friendly chemical products. This study examines the potential application of a marine sponge symbiont consortium with high performance and efficiency in removing PAHs and heavy metal contaminants. The method is carried out through a review of some related research articles by the author and published by other re-searchers. The study results concluded that bioremediation technology development GTP, can be carried out to improve remediation efficiency. Several types of marine sponge symbiont bacteria, hydrocarbonoclastic (R-1), metalloclastic (R-2), and metallohydro-carbonoclastic (R-3), have the potential to be applied to improve the removal performance of waste. Bacterial screening be done to find and categorize R-1 bacteria, R-2; R-3 to remediate GTP. Develop of R-1 bacteria, R-2; R-3 forms of the mobile formulation are needed in the future. A crystalline consortium of bacteria preparations is needed so that they can be quickly mobilized to locations exposed to GTP. Marine sponge symbiont bacteria be traced mainly to marine sponges whose body surface is covered with mucus.

Biologic scaffolds have become an attractive approach for repairing the infarcted myocardium and have been shown to facilitate constructive remodeling in injured tissues. This study aimed to investigate the possible utilization of bacterial cellulose membrane patch containing cocultured cells to limit the myocardium's post-infarction pathology. Myocardial infarction was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in 45 Wistar rats, and patches with or without cells were attached to the hearts. After one week, the animals underwent echocardiography for assessing ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes. Following the patch formation, cocultured cells retained viability of >90% over 14 days in culture. The patch was applied to the myocardial surface of the infarcted area after staying 14 days in culture. Interestingly, the bacterial cellulose membrane without cellular treatment showed higher preservation of cardiac dimensions; however, we did not observe improvement in the left ventricular ejection fraction of this group compared to coculture treated membranes. Our results demonstrated an important role for bacterial cellulose in supporting cells known to produce cardioprotective soluble factors and may thus provide effective future therapeutic outcomes for patients suffering from ischemic heart disease.

By providing useful tools to study host-pathogen interactions, next-generation omics has recently enabled the study of gene expression changes in both pathogen and infected host simultaneously. However, since great discriminative power is required to study pathogen and host simultaneously throughout the infection process, the depth of quantitative gene expression profiling has proven to be unsatisfactory when focusing on bacterial pathogens, thus preferentially requiring specific strategies or the development of novel methodologies based on complementary omics approaches. In this review, we focus on the difficulties encountered when making use of omics approaches to study bacterial pathogenesis. Besides, we review different omics strategies (i.e. transcriptomics, proteomics and secretomics) and their applications for studying interactions of pathogens with their host.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics can pose the risks of spreading mutant strains that show antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with negative impact on management of bacterial infections and economic implications on healthcare systems. Research and development of natural antibacterial agents could be a priority in the next years to improve number of effective antibacterial molecules and to reduce AMR phenomenon and its development. The present study identified the most effective concentration and contact time of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil (TEO) to obtain bactericidal effect in vitro against different Gram + and Gram – bacterial strains. Six clinically isolated (wild types) bacterial strains, (Citrobacter freundii, Enterococcus feciorum, Proteus mirabilis, Acinetobacter cioffi, Pasteurella putrefaciens, Klebsiella pneumoniae) and two ATCC (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans) were tested after 1min, 3min and 5min of contact with TEO. Preliminary results on S. aureus after 24h incubation revealed a TEO concentration of 9.28mg/mL (w/v) that completely inhibited bacteria growth keeping cell viability. Total suppression of bacterial growth at all tested contact times was observed for all tested bacterial strains and the results were confirmed after 48h incubation. Bacterial growth suppression was confirmed even with presence of organic component. These preliminary results showed in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of TEO against different Gram+ and Gram- bacterial strains. Future studies are necessary to confirm the reproducibility of these results even on other strains and to define exactly the molecular mechanisms of EOs, in order to consider TEO as a valid alternative of classic antibiotic therapies and subsequently to reduce the occurrence of AMR.

It is important to develop new antibacterial drugs since the emergence of bacterial resistance to available antibiotics. Metal nanoparticles have the potential to combat antibiotic resistance and are effective antibacterial agents. Here, we demonstrate the biogenic production of zinc nanoparticles using Rhododendron arboreum stem bark. The biosynthesized ZnNPs were characterized through different analytical techniques such as UV-vis, FTIR, EDX, SEM, and XRD. Clinical isolates such as E. coli, S. aureus, and K. pneumonia were used to check the antibacterial efficacy of the biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles. The MIC and MBC values against K. pneumonia, S. aureu, and E. coli were found to be 34±0.21 and 11.71±0.47, 47±0.11 and 23.86±0.84 and 94±0.18 and 40.43±0.16 µg/mL, respectively. It dramatically decreased the integrity of the cell membrane and markedly increased the permeability of both inner and outer membranes. The green synthesized ZnNPs have good catalytic activity. It degraded 65% of methyl orange dye within 6h when the mixture was kept in direct sunlight, thus demonstrating good photodegradation potential and can be employed as a good photocatalyst. According to these results, biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles could be a potential therapy option for controlling bacterial pathogenesis and an effective photocatalyst for the elimination of hazardous water contaminants.

Natural carotenoids are secondary metabolites that exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. These types of compounds are in high demand by pharmaceutical, cosmetic, textile and food industries, leading to the search for new natural sources of carotenoids. In recent years, the production of carotenoids from bacteria has become of great interest for industrial applications. In addition to carotenoids with C40-skeletons, some bacteria have the ability to synthesize characteristic carotenoids with C30-skeletons. In this regard, a great variety of methodologies for the extraction and identification of bacterial carotenoids has been reported and this is the first review that condenses much of this information. To understand the diversity of these carotenoids, we present their biosynthetic origin in order to focus on the methodologies employed in their extraction and characterization. Special emphasis has been made on high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) for the analysis and identification of bacterial carotenoids. We end up this review showing their potential commercial use of bacterial carotenoids. This review is proposed as a guide for the identification of these metabolites, which are frequently reported in new bacteria strains.

Background: Primary infection has been questioned as the pathogenetic cause of acute appendicitis. We attempted to identify the bacteria involved, and to investigate if their species, types, or combinations affected the severity of acute appendicitis in children. Methods: Samples from both the appendiceal lumen and the peritoneal cavity of 72 children who underwent appendectomy were collected to perform bacterial culture analysis. The outcomes were studied to see if and how they were associated with the severity of the disease. Regression analysis was performed to identify any risk factors associated with complicated appendicitis. Results: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus species were the most common pathogens found in the study population. The same microorganisms, either combined or separate, were the most common in the appendiceal lumen and the peritoneal cavity of patients with complicated appendicitis. Gram-negative bacteria, polymicrobial cultures in the peritoneal fluid and in the appendiceal lumen, were associated with complicated appendicitis. Polymicrobial cultures in the peritoneal cavity presented four times higher risk of complicated appendicitis. Conclusion: Polymicrobial presentation and gram-negative bacteria are associated with complicated appendicitis. Antibiotic regimens should target the combinations of the most frequently identified pathogens, speculating the value of early antipseudomonal intervention.

Background and Objectives: In the current Covid-19 pandemic, children below the age of 12 could manifest Covid-19 symptoms and serve as a reservoir for the virus in the community. The present study was conducted to evaluate the reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of BBIBP-CorV, prior to involving this age group in the vaccination program in the kingdom of Bahrain. Subjects and Methods: The study included 582 children from 3 to 12 years old of Bahraini and non-Bahraini nationality, all of which contributed to the reactogenicity study. Of those, 401 contributed to the immunogenicity study. All children received 2 doses of BBIBP-CorV inactivated virus 3 weeks apart. To assess reactogenicity, children were followed up for 5 weeks to evaluate any vaccine-related adverse events (AE). To assess immunogenicity, blood was collected on day 0 and day 35 to assess antibody titer against S, N, and neutralizing antibody. Results: Of the 582 participants, (45.4%) were female, (54.61%) were male, with 49% in 9-12 age group. Of the 401 children contributing to the immunogenicity study, 274 (68.3%) had no prior exposure to Covid-19. The overall incidence of AE was 27.7%. No significant difference was found among different age groups. The most frequent AE was local (at the injection site) and occurred in 16% of children, followed by fever in 9.3%. No serious adverse events were reported. The Seroconversion rate was 100% among children with no prior exposure to Covid-19. Children with previous Covid-19 exposure had higher averages of anti-S (2379 U/ml compared to 409.1), anti-N (177.6 U/ml compared to 30.9) and neutralizing antibody (93.7 U/ml compared to 77.1) than children with no prior exposure at day 35. Conclusions: Two doses of COVID-19 BBIBP-CorV on the subjects aged between 3 to 12 has good safety and tolerance and can induce an effective immune response and neutralizing antibody titer.

Hydroxamic acid (HA) derivates displayed antibacterial and antifungal activities. HA with various numbers of carbon atoms (C2, C6, C8, C10, C12 and C17), complexed to different metal ions Fe(II/III), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) were evaluated for their antimycobacterial activities and their anti-biofilm activities. Some derivates, among others HA12Fe2, inhibited the development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mycobacterium marinum biofilms and could even attack pre-formed Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Proteomic profiles showed that the potential targets of HA10FeCl were mainly related to mycobacteria stress adaptation, involving cell wall lipid biosynthesis, drug resistance and tolerance, siderophore metabolism. This study provides new insights regarding the antimycobacterial activities of the HA and their complexes, especially about their potential antibiofilm activities.

Versatile hybrid organic polymers are prepared using two active intermediates such as cynuric chloride and chitosan derivatives. The prepared chalcones are characterized by using FT-IR, UV, and proton NMR, thermal analysis and Minimum inhibitory Concentration. Thermal stability of the synthesized hybrid polymer is found using TGA and the hybrid chitosan derivative chalcone is thermally stable up to 270 °C. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared chitosan containing chalcone moiety are find out using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method. The synthesized versatile chalcone shows excellent antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and Gram-positive bacteria Chalcone containing halogen moiety shows high activity (MIC 7.8 µg/mL) than the hydroxyl containing chalcone. Cytotoxicity activity of the synthesized composites shows high activity.

Bangladeshi medicinal plants (BMP) have been used as traditional medicinal plants to treat chronic inflammatory diseases, but the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the bark of BMP are not yet known. The objective of this study was to determine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using methanolic extracts of bark obtained from 15 medicinal spices of Bangladesh plants. The bark methanol extracts of BMP evaluated the total antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the 15 bark extracts of BMP, Albizia odoratissima (A. odoratissima), Engelhardia spicata (E. spicata), and Shorea robusta (S. robusta) showed the highest total phenolic contents and total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity. In particular, the three bark extracts significantly reduced the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines and inflammation-inducible enzymes in macrophages. Also, the mRNA expression of NADPH oxidase 2 was significantly suppressed by three bark extracts in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The results suggest that among the 15 bark extracts obtained from medicinal plant in Bangladesh, three bark extracts of A. odoratissima, E. spicata, and S. robusta exert total antioxidant capacity by reducing free radicals scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages.

The plethora of bio-functional compounds present in fermented alcoholic beverages like wine, as well as the valorization of bioactives from their wineries/breweries by-products like grape pomace and grape seed, has gained significant interest in the functional foods sector. Wine has always accompanied humanity, for religion or for health. For example, Christians are using wine in the “Holy Communion”, following what Jesus Christ himself did and said during the Last Supper, while the benefits of the wine consumption in moderation was embedded in all Mediterranean civilizations, as it is mentioned by the wise King-Prophet David in his psalms, but also by Hip-pocrates and other wise men, in a Greek-based philosophy of “All things in Moderation” (Cleobulus of Lindos; 6th century BC). In modern times, and after the outbreak of research on wine benefits since the 90’s, when the term “French Paradox” was introduced in the US public during a CBS show, recent evidence has outlined that these benefits are derived by the synergisms of its bio-functional compounds and their digestion-derived metabolites. Within this article, the proposed health benefits of moderate wine consumption, as a functional component of a balanced diet (i.e. the Mediterra-nean Diet), against inflammation-related chronic disorders, is thoroughly reviewed. The various bio-functional compounds of both wine and wineries’ by-products, such as their bioactive phe-nolics, unsaturated fatty acids, polar lipids, and dietary fibers, and their functional antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic health promoting properties are also thoroughly evaluated. The mechanisms of actions and synergism, by which the health benefits are elicited, are also ex-plored. Functional properties of non-alcoholic wine products are also introduced. Emphasis is also given to applications of wineries’ by-products bioactives, as ingredients of bio-functional foods, supplements and nutraceuticals. Limitations and future perspectives for this popular functional alcoholic beverage (wine) ant its rich in bioactives by-products are also addressed. .

Background: A meaningful part of schizophrenia patients suffer from physiosomatic symptoms (formerly named psychosomatic) which are reminiscent of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (FF) and are associated with signs of immune activation and increased levels of tryptophan catabolites (TRYCATs). Aims: To examine whether FF symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with breakdown of the paracellular pathway, zonulin, lowered natural IgM responses to oxidative specific epitopes (OSEs); and whether FF symptoms belong to the behavioral-cognitive-physical-psychosocial-(BCPS)-worsening index consisting of indices of a general cognitive decline (G-CoDe), symptomatome of schizophrenia, and quality of life (QoL)-phenomenome. Methods: FF symptoms were assessed using the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Rating scale in 80 schizophrenia patients and 40 healthy controls and serum cytokines/chemokines, IgA levels to TRYCATs, IgM to OSEs, zonulin and transcellular/paracellular (TRANS/PARA) molecules were assayed using ELISA methods. Results: A large part (42.3%) of the variance in the total FF score was explained by the regression on the PARA/TRANS ratio, pro-inflammatory cytokines, IgM to zonulin, IgA to TRYCATs (all positively) and IgM to OSEs (inversely). There were highly significant correlations between the total FF score and G-CoDe, symtopmatome, QoL phenomenome and BCPS-worsening score. FF symptoms belong to a common core shared by G-CoDe, symtopmatome, and QoL phenomenome. Discussion: The physio-somatic symptoms of schizophrenia are driven by various pathways including increased zonulin, breakdown of the paracellular tight-junctions pathway, immune activation with induction of the TRYCAT pathway, and consequent neurotoxicity. It is concluded that FF symptoms are part of the phenome of schizophrenia and BCPS-worsening as well.

High pressure crystallization technique has been successfully used to prepare an elusive form II of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Mefenamic acid. Single crystal of form II was grown at 0.3 GPa from an 4:1 methanol/ ethanol mixture as a solvent using Diamond Anvil Cell. Comparison of crystal structures show that the efficient packing of MA molecules in Form II results from the structural flexibility of MA acid molecules. Compression studies performed on the single crystal of form I resulted in 14 % decrease of unit cell volume up to 2.5 GPa. No phase transition was observed up to this pressure. A reconstructive phase transition is required to induce conformational changes in the structure, which is confirmed by crystallization at high pressure results.

The iridoids of H. diffusa play an important role in the anti-inflammatory process, but the specific iridoid with anti-inflammatory effect and its mechanism is lack of study. An iridoid compound named scandoside (SCA) was isolated from H. diffusa and its anti-inflammatory effect was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism was confirmed by in intro experiment and molecular docking analysis. As results, SCA significantly decreased the productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inhibited the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. SCA treatment suppressed the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear transcription factor kappa-B alpaha (IκB-α), p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The docking data suggested that SCA had great binding abilities to COX-2, iNOS and IκB. Taken together, the results indicated that the anti-inflammatory effect of SCA is due to inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators via suppressing the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, which provided useful information for its application and development.

Three new secoiridoid constituents Gonocarin A-C (1-3) and a new derivative Gonocarin A monoacetate (4), along with two known lignins pinoresinol (5) and paulownin (6) were isolated from the seed of Gonocaryum calleryanum (Baill.) Becc. The structures of the new metabolites were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, particularly mass spectroscopy and 2D NMR (1H–1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY) spectroscopy. When mouse macrophages RAW264.7 were treated with compounds 1-6 together with LPS -stimulated, a concentration-dependent inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) productions were detected. The results confirmed that the Gonocaryum calleryanumrrg could be a potential anti-inflammatory agent.

This work is based on identifying the analysis techniques used to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects using the zebrafish model. In this context, a literature review was performed with the Web of Science database. We used the terms zebra fish, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, model, and Danio rerio. Fifty articles were reviewed, of which thirty-three were chosen to perform this review and were classified according to the source of plant extracts, compounds extracted from plants, chemical compounds, and other sources. This paper is an effort to provide a literature review on zebrafish models and elucidate their pros and cons to evaluate anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activity.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are cellulose-derived nanomaterials that can be easily obtained, e.g., from vegetable wastes produced by circular economies. They show promising antimicrobial activity and the absence of side effects and toxicity. This study investigated the ability of CNCs to reduce microbial adherence and biofilm formation using in vitro microbiological models reproducing the oral environment. Microbial adherence by microbial strains of oral interest, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans was evaluated on the surfaces of salivary pellicle-coated enamel disks in the presence of different aqueous solutions of CNCs. The antibiofilm activity of the same CNC solutions was tested against S. mutans and an oral microcosm model based on mixed plaque inoculum using a continuous-flow bioreactor. Results showed an excellent anti-adherent activity of the CNCs against the tested strains from the lowest concentration tested (0.032 wt.%). Such activity was significantly higher against S. mutans than C. albicans, suggesting a selective anti-adherent activity against pathogenic strains. At the same time, there was a minimal albeit significant antibiofilm activity (at least 0.5 and 4 wt.% CNC solution for S. mutans and oral microcosm, respectively). This makes CNCs particularly interesting as anticaries agents, encouraging their use in the oral field.

Since ancient times, various scientists and doctors have utilized different herbs to heal diseases. Due to the rise in drug resistance and the negative effects of chemosynthetic drugs, researchers and the general public around the world have become more interested in medicinal herbs and plant metabolites/extracts. This is due to its non-toxicity and several health benefits when used to treat diseases in clinical and medical settings. Ocimum basilicum is one such plant, possessing a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals including alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, reducing sugars, cardiac glycosides, steroids and glycosides, as well as complex pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing and antiviral properties. The results of many studies on Ocimum basilicum plant extracts are collected and presented in this review. The plant extracts have an excellent potential to be used as medicinal raw materials and exhibit an extensive variety of therapeutic capacities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

Fracking in the UK has yet to reach full industrial development but it is still subject to significant opposition. This study uses Beck’s Risk Society theory and anti-politics to examine the views voiced by opponents to fracking in Yorkshire, England. A qualitative approach was used; local newspaper reports were evaluated alongside semi-structured interviews with protesters to provide a thematic analysis. Although there are signs of post-materialist concerns with the environment these issues did not dominate the discussion. Scientists were not held responsible for the risks involved in fracking. Instead economic greediness of politicians and austerity measures were perceived as putting the environment and people’s health at risk. Interviewees thought fossil fuel energy production was economically advantaged over more sustainable energy and jobs in the low carbon economy. Protesters’ trust in politicians had been eroded but faith in democracy remained. It is suggested a citizen-led deliberative approach to all the concerns raised, not simply those relating to scientific risk, might achieve some level of resolution over fracking in the UK.

Currently, the textile industry is among the most rapidly expanding areas of the economy and is an important source of water pollution. There are many efficient chemical and physical methods for treating textile effluent, but they produce secondary pollutants. Therefore, there is a need to manage the textile waste wastewater. The potential EPS-producing and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T) bacteria strain has been isolated from the bark borer-affected Peltophorum pterocarpum plant and has been determined to be effective in > 95 decolorizing Reactive Red 120, and other azo dyes such as AB11385%, orange II 94.62%, Congo red 94.62%, phenol red 94.54%, and mixtures of azo dyes 81.66%. Physico-chemical factors were optimized manually, including Taguchi design. EPS production, PGPR strain, and fabric discoloration of L. capsici were qualitatively studied. The FTIR, GC-MS, and UV absorbance studies also confirmed that the dye had been broken into its amines. Research findings using enzyme assays have shown that the bacteria Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T) can utilize laccase and manganese peroxidase and are capable of degrading dyes significantly. According to this work, immobilised L. capsici cells and the studied four bacterial consortiums, Lysinibacillus capsici PB300 (T), Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. Phenolicus DSM 16503 (T), Acinetobacterbaumanni ATCC 19606 (T), and Pseudomonasaeruginosa JCM 5962 may be employed to degrade RR120 effectively, and it is concluded that L. capsici PB300 (T) bacteria is significantly efficient in textile effluent treatment.

A series of pyrazolopyrimidines derivatives 4– 11 were synthesized using 1-(6-(3-methoxyphenyl)-4-methylpyridazin-3-yl)-1H-pyrazolo [3,4-d] pyrimidin-4-amine 3 as a starting material. The detailed synthesis, structure assignments of the novel compounds based on chemical and spectroscopic evidence, spectroscopic data, pharmacological properties and molecular docking are reported. The pharmacological evaluation illustrated that many of these compounds have good analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities.

Lipofuscin is indigestible garbage that accumulates in the autophagic vesicles and cytosol of post-mitotic cells with age. Drs. Brunk and Terman postulated that lipofuscin accumulation is the main or at least a major driving factor in aging. They even posited that the evolution of memory is the reason why we get lipofuscin at all, as stable synaptic connections must be maintained over time, meaning that the somas of neurons must also remain in the same locale. In other words, they cannot dilute out their garbage over time through cell division. Mechanistically, their position certainly makes sense given that rendering a large percentage of a post-mitotic cell’s lysosomes useless must almost certainly negatively affect that cell and the surrounding microenvironment. Here, I explore the possibility that the accumulation of lipofuscin may to some extent exacerbate every other kind of age-related damage. I do not think that lipofuscin removal will reverse/prevent all forms of aging, just the major component facing us currently. In this piece, I will review what is known about lipofuscin accumulation from evolutionary and mechanistic standpoints and discuss a method of removing it from single cells in vitro.

This paper presents multidisciplinary and innovative research concerning fighting against coronavirus through wastewater collection and treatment. Studies suggest that coronavirus exists in the wastewaters. Untreated wastewater is proved to spread the virus. Coronavirus is attacking people globally and shrinking the economy. This paper highlights the idea that the coronavirus shall be defeated with the help of wastewater collection and treatment as well. The question addressed by this paper is will communities defeat the coronavirus without well-collected and treated wastewaters? This research aims to display the role of wastewaters in the spread of coronavirus in cities and to require their collection. The methods to achieve the goals are theoretical surveys, case study strategy, mathematical modeling, statistical procedures, forecasting of future, and dialectical discussions. The findings of this research demonstrate the need for carefully collected and treated wastewaters to overcome the coronavirus. This paper gives suitable techniques to collect and treat wastewater such as wastewater stabilization ponds, bacterial reactors, and anaerobic ponds. The innovative idea of this paper, its suggested indicators to select a certain wastewater treatment technique in every city, and its outcome will assist the global community to fight the coronavirus more effectively.

Polysaccharides from marine algae exhibit beneficial biological activities. In this study, we examined the effect of polysaccharides from Codium fragile (PCF) on prebiotic and anti-obesity activity. PCF increases the growth of specific beneficial microbial populations with concomitant decrease in pathogenic microbes. Further, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH activity) after fermentation with PCF as carbon source were higher than for the glucose as control. Moreover, PCF inhibited adipocyte differentiation by inducing differentiation-related factors when the induction of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes was induced. Therefore, we suggest that PCF can be used as prebiotic material with anti-obesity for human health.

Background. Nanotechnology is promising field for generating new applications. A green synthesis of nanoparticles through biological methods using plant extract have a reliable and ecofriendly approach to improve our global environment. Methods. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using aqueous extract of Anagalis arvensis L and silver nitrate and were physicochemically characterized. Results. The stability of AgNPs toward acidity, alkalinity, salinity and temperature showed that they remained stable at room temperature for more than two months. The SEM and TEM analysis of the AgNPs showed that they have a uniform spherical shape with an average size in the range of 40–78 nm. Further 1-Dibhenyl-2-Picrylhydrazl radical in Anagalis arvensis L.mediated AgNPs showed a maximum activity of 98% at concentration of 200μg/mL. Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay in Anagalis arvensis L. mediated AgNPs showed a maximum activity of 85% at concentration of 200μg/mL. Reducing power of Anagalis arvensis L.Ag NPs exhibited a higher activity of 330 μg/mL at concentration of 200 μg/mL. These NPs have cytotoxic effects against brine shrimp (Artemia salina) nauplii with a value of 53% LD 178.04μg/mL. Conclusion. The AgNPs synthesized using Anagalis arvensis L. extract demonstrate a broad range of applications.

Hydrogenated water has emerged as a novel approach in the field of health and wellness. It is be-lieved to have potent antioxidant properties that can neutralize harmful free radicals in the hu-man body. It has also been shown to be beneficial in mitigating oxidative stress-induced damage through its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic pathways. We aim to conduct a systematic re-view to evaluate the potential benefits of hydrogenated water. The review protocol was uploaded on PROSPERO. After the initial search criteria, the articles were reviewed by two blinded inves-tigators, and a total of 25 articles were included in the systematic review. The potential benefits of hydrogenated water on various aspects of health, including exercise capacity, physical endurance, liver function, cardiovascular disease, mental health, COVID-19, oxidative stress, and anti-aging research, are a subject of growing interest and ongoing research. Although preliminary results in clinical trials and studies are encouraging, further research with larger sample sizes and rigor-ous methodologies is needed to substantiate these findings. Current research needs to fully ex-plain the mechanisms behind the potential benefits of hydrogenated water. Continued scientific exploration will provide valuable insights into the potential of hydrogenated water as an adjunc-tive therapeutic approach in the future.

A healthy cornea is a nonvascularized, transparent tissue. It is nourished by diffusion through the tear film, aqueous fluid and neurotrophins supplied by the corneal innervation. The cornea is devoid of both blood and lymphatic vessels, which makes it an immunologi-cally privileged tissue. Corneal neovascularization develops due to an imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors and can lead to a significant decrease in visual acui-ty. It may cause scarring, lipid keratopathy, and corneal edema. The resulting pathological vascularization of the cornea reduces its immune privilege and significantly worsens the prognosis after subsequent penetrating keratoplasty, increasing the risk of rejection of the transplanted flap. Neovascularization is favored by many disease processes, including auto-immune diseases, viral inflammations, mainly herpes and varicella-zoster, and blepharitis [1]. There are several options to treat corneal neovascularization, both pharmacological and surgical. Angiostatic treatment involves inhibiting the growth of new vessels by suppressing inflammatory responses. VEGF inhibitors, steroids, cyclosporine A, and amniotic membrane grafts secured to the cornea work this way. VEGF inhibitors are the agents with the direct and most potent angiostatic effect. Angioregressive treatment, on the other hand, results in the regression of already existing pathological vessels. This therapy is also based on VEGF inhibitors, which, however, have the most potent effect on newly formed and small vessels but are less effective in reducing large-caliber and mature vessels. A more effective method for such vessels is ablation, which involves surgical closure. The most commonly used an-gio-occlusive method is needle diathermy and argon or yellow laser therapy. In advanced corneal neovascularization, corneal transplant surgery may be necessary. It is best performed after pretreatment with anti-VEGF preparations, often continued after corneal transplanta-tion to reduce the risk of transplant rejection [2]. This paper discusses the pathogenesis of corneal neovascularization and the current and future trends in its treatment.

Chaenomeles plants are adapted to diverse ecological zones particularly the temperate areas of Korea, Japan and China. In China, Chaenomeles speciosa mainly planted in Chongqing, Anhui and Hubei provinces. Most of the studies till date have been focused on the anti-inflammatory activities of C. speciosa fractions. The present study aimed to review the maximum literature reported for the presence of various phytochemicals in C. speciosa. In addition, the pharmacological properties of these chemical compounds of this plant shall also be discussed. The extracts of the various parts of the plant are rich in diversity of antioxidants, organic acids, phenolics, terpenoides and many different phytochemicals that bear strong anticancer, antioxidant, anti-viral, antibacterial properties, anti-inflammation, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-hyperglycemic and anti-parkinson properties. C. speciosa fruits have broad scope in industry as well as in medicines. Not only the leaves and fruits of C. speciosa plant, but various other parts including roots, seeds, bark twigs, and flowers all have long history of clinical trials in curing many human ailments. However, the maximum accessible data concerning the chemical composition and their broad pharmacological properties of C. speciosa plant parts is pretty restricted that make it more appealing for indepth investigations.

Curcumin, as the main active component of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa), has been demonstrated with various bioactivities. However, its potential therapeutic applications are hindered by challenges such as poor solubility and bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and pan-assay interference properties. Recent advancements have aimed to overcome these limitations by developing novel curcumin analogues and modifications. This brief review critically assesses recent studies on synthesising different curcumin analogues, including metal complexes, nano particulates, and other curcumin derivatives, focused on the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects of curcumin and its modified analogues. Exploring innovative curcumin derivatives offers promising strategies to address the challenges associated with its bioavailability and efficacy and valuable insights for future research directions.

Currently, hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antibody (anti-HBc antibody) and HBV core-related antigen (HBcrAg) are widely used as serum markers for diagnosis based on the HBV core region. While anti-HBc is very significant for clinical diagnosis, the clinical significance of quantitative assay of anti-HBc antibody has been reevaluated with improvements in diagnostic performance, including its association with clinical stage and prediction of carcinogenesis and reactivation. In addition, concerning the new HBcrAg, a high-sensitivity assay method has recently been established, and its diagnostic significance, including the prediction of reactivation, is being reevaluated. On the other hand, the quantitative level of anti-HBc antibody expressed in different units among assay systems, complicating the interpretation of the results. However, it is difficult to standardize assay systems as they vary in advantages, and caution is needed in interpreting the assay results. In this review, the clinical usefulness and remaining problems of anti-HBc antibody and HBcrAg were summarized.

Bacterial phylogenetics has largely been determined via 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Observed utility of this approach has driven the popularity of the 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenomics method for profiling and identifying diverse microbes from specific habitats. This work sought to develop universal primers for amplifying the 16S rRNA gene from a consortium of disparate microbial species. Using multiple sequence alignment of the 16S rRNA gene of a variety of microbes, the resulting highly conserved region of the consensus sequence was used for design of universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers for 16S rRNA gene. Application of the universal primers in simulated PCR reveals poor amplification efficiency where only 12 species out of 31 generated an amplicon. BLAST analysis of the resulting amplicons reveals a classification error of 50%. More significantly, analysis of the amplicon length indicates variable read length ranging from 81 to 122 base pair compared to the predicted read length of 100 base pairs. This suggests that the 16S rRNA gene harbours significant hitherto underappreciated sequence diversity, and may have unknown alternative splicing and recombination mechanisms. Overall, results from this study suggests that primer design for 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomics may be application and habitat specific, where it is difficult to design universal primers for all bacterial species. Conceptually, this meant that there may be sequence co-evolution in 16S rRNA gene for microbial species in the habitat where environmental and nutritional conditions impact on 16S rRNA gene structure and sequence. In essence, 16S rRNA gene may habour epigenetics signals at the gene level.

With the rapid development of industry, Cr has become one of the major heavy metal pollutants in soil, which has caused serious effects on the soil's ecological environment. However, the effects of Cr stress on bacterial communities in plant rhizosphere soils remain unclear. In this study, I. tectorum was selected as the research object, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the effects of Cr stress on the structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of I. tectorum. The results showed that I. tectorum had strong tolerance and enrichment to Cr. However, under Cr stress, the diversity and abundance index of rhizosphere bacteria decreased by 8.5% and 6.8% on average, and the Sobs index decreased by 7.6%. Moreover, the bacterial community changed by 20.1% due to the addition of Cr, further leading to a 15.9% decrease in the common species of the bacterial community, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota accounted for more than 74.8% of the total sequence. According to the symbiosis network diagram, it was found that under a two-cultivated pattern, the synergizing effect between dominant bacteria was significantly enhanced, and the soil microenvironment was improved. Redundancy analysis showed that C, N, and P nutrient elements and Cr contents in uncontaminated and contaminated soils were the primary driving factors for the succession of I. tectorum rhizosphere bacterial community, and the response was stronger after Cr(Ⅵ) was added. In conclusion, the results of this study will provide insights into the response of rhizosphere bacterial communities to heavy metal Cr and the interactions between wetland plants and rhizosphere bacteria in wetland phytoremediation.Keywords: Cr stress; rhizosphere bacterial community; Iris tectorum; 16S rRNA sequencing technology; Phytoremediation

Biofilms play a crucial role in the development of Candida-associated denture stomatitis. Inhibition of microbial adhesion to PMMA and phosphate containing PMMA has been examined in this work. C. albicans and mixed salivary microbial biofilms were compared on naked and salivary pre-conditioned PMMA surfaces in the presence or absence of antimicrobials (cetyl pyridinium chloride [CPC], KSL-W, histatin 5 [his 5]). Polymers with varying amounts of phosphate (0-25%) were tested using four C. albicans oral isolates as well as mixed salivary bacteria and 24 h biofilms were assessed for metabolic activity and confirmed using Live/Dead staining and confocal microscopy. Biofilm metabolism was reduced as phosphate density increased (15%: P=0.004; 25%: P=0.001). Loading of CPC on 15% phosphated disks showed a substantial decrease (P=0.001) in biofilm metabolism in the presence or absence of a salivary pellicle. Salivary pellicle on uncharged PMMA enhanced the antimicrobial activity of CPC only. CPC also demonstrated remarkable antimicrobial activity on mixed salivary bacterial biofilms under different conditions displaying the potent efficacy of CPC (350 µg/ml) when combined with an artificial protein pellicle (Biotene half strength).

Background and Aim: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a common infection in liver cirrhosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides detailed information on the prevalence of SBP among HBV and HCV-related liver cirrhosis globally. Methods: A systematic search for articles describing the prevalence of SBP in HBV, and HCV related cirrhosis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Our search returned ten (10) eligible articles involving 1,713 viral cirrhosis cases representing eight (8) countries. A meta-analysis was performed on our eligible studies using the random effect model. A protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022321790). Results: The pooled prevalence of SBP in HBV associated cirrhosis had the highest estimate [8.0% (95% CI, 2.7 – 21.0%; I2= 96.13%; p < 0.001)], followed by SBP in HCV associated liver cirrhosis [4.0% (95% CI, 1.3% – 11.5%; I2 = 88.99%; p < 0.001)]. China (61.8%, CI: 57.1 – 66.3%), the USA (50.0%, CI: 34.6 – 65.4%), and Holland (31.1%, CI: 21.6 – 42.5%) had the highest estimate for SBP in HBV associated liver cirrhosis, SBP in HCV associated liver cirrhosis and SBP in HBV+HCV associated liver cirrhosis respectively. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of SBP in viral hepatitis-associated liver cirrhosis with the year of sampling and method of SBP detection at P<0.001. There was an increase in SBP incidence at the beginning of 2016 across the liver cirrhosis in this study. Conclusion: The findings of this review revealed an increase in the incidence of SBP in viral hepatitis over the last decade, the latter could be due to the global increase in Bacterial resistance. This indicates a possible future rise in the global prevalence of SBP among HBV, and HCV-related liver cirrhosis.

Food and drinks can be contaminated with pollutants such as lead and strontium and this poses a serious danger to human health. For this reason, a number of effective sensors have been developed for the rapid and highly selective detection of such contaminants. TBA, a well-known aptamer developed to selectively target and thereby inhibit the protein of clinical interest -thrombin, is receiving increasing attention for sensing applications, particularly for the sensing of different cations. Indeed, TBA, in the presence of these cations, folds into the stable G-quadruplex structure. Furthermore, different cations produce small but significant changes in this structure that result in changes in the electrical responses that TBA can produce. In this article we produce an overview of the expected data regarding the use of TBA in the detection of lead and strontium, calculating the expected electrical response using different measurement techniques. Finally, we conclude that the TBA should perform better as a detector of strontium rather than lead.

Diabetes mellitus remains a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular complications. Given the burden of diabetes-related cardiovascular complications, there is a need to identify strategies, safe and effective therapeutic agents that could effectively prevent and control diabetes. Presently, many patients living with diabetes depends on traditional medicines as an alternative cure. Channa striatus (Haruan) is a freshwater fish traditionally used to treat wounds, inflammations, and pains. Several pharmacological investigations have supported the folkloric claims of C. striatus extracts, including hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pro-platelet aggregation activities. The therapeutic potentials of C. striatus were demonstrated to be associated with the presence of high content essential amino acids and good fatty acids known to improve cell growth and facilitate wound healing. Therefore, C. striatus bioactive compounds have great potentials to serve as lead candidates in developing novel therapeutic agents for the management of diabetes and related cardiovascular diseases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological properties and therapeutic potentials of C. striatus for the management of diabetes and associated cardiovascular complications.

Molecular detection of pathogens in clinical samples often requires pretreatment techniques, including immunomagnetic separation and magnetic silica bead (MSB)-based DNA purification to obtain the purified DNA of pathogens. These two techniques usually rely on handling small tubes containing a few millilitres of the sample and manual operation, implying that an automated system encompassing both techniques is needed for larger quantities of the samples. Here, we report a 3D-printed microfluidic platform that enables bacterial preconcentration and genomic DNA (gDNA) purification for improving the molecular detection of target pathogens in blood samples. The device consists of two microchannels and one chamber, which can be used to preconcentrate pathogens bound to antibody-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles (Ab-MNPs) and subsequently extract gDNA using magnetic silica beads (MSBs) in a sequential manner. The device was able to preconcentrate very low concentrations of pathogens and extract their genomic DNA in 10 mL of 10% blood within 30 min, and thus allowed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative PCR to detect 1 colony forming unit of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in 10% blood. The results suggest that the 3D-printed microfluidic platform is highly useful for lowering the limitations on molecular detection in blood by preconcentrating the target pathogen and isolating its DNA in a large volume of the sample.

Urinary infections are defined as the presence of microorganisms in any part of the urinary system, with the exception of the distal urethra. The majority are uncomplicated infections, resolved on an outpatient basis, with empirical therapy. The objectives of this work were to study the sociodemographic characteristics of patients, analyze associated strains and examine the response of the main microorganisms to antibiotics. A retrospective observational study of all positive urine cultures between 2018 and 2022 was carried out in an Institution (8340 samples). Sociodemographic data were also collected. 61.3% were women, with an average age of 63.4 years, 43.2% from the Emergency Department. 13.5% were fitted, 56% of whom were women. 95.9% were not taking any antibiotics and among the individuals who were taking antibiotics, 50% were injected. Escherichia coli (53.5%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (13,8%) are identified as the most prevalent strains. In the time periods analyzed, Escherichia coli decreased its resistance to 11 antibiotics and increased to 5 antibiotics, while Klebsiella pneumoniae decreased to 7 and increased to 7, with emphasis on the presence of 3 antibiotics with a resistance rate of 100 % to all Klebsiella pneumoniae strains identified in 2022.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock, exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species, to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai plateau of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China.

This manuscript is aimed at encouraging those interested in biofilms and their effects on microbial communities to view the study of chronic airways disease as one of the most challenging and potentially rewarding areas to focus on. To do this it is necessary to review how we have reached 2023 having made so little progress. It is more than two hundred years ago since the term bronchitis was proposed to describe diseases affecting the airways rather than the respiratory zone of the lungs. The main histological features were described in Laennec’s text of 1819. By the mid C20th it was recognised that the two great drivers of chronic respiratory symptoms were inhaled toxins and chronic bacterial infections. The widespread availability of antibiotics in subsequent years had a dramatic impact on mortality from pneumonia, greatly reduced the prevalence of chronic symptoms after acute lower respiratory tract infections, transformed the lives of many with bronchiectasis and appeared to play a major role in the dramatic fall in prevalence of bronchiectasis. Unfortunately, during the following 70 years the importance of dealing with a chronic bacterial bronchitis was largely forgotten. While two artificial diseases ‘COPD’ and ‘bronchiectasis’ have been the subject of numerous guidelines, chronic bacterial bronchitis has been out in the cold. Antibiotics have in theory been reserved for those with established damage in the form of bronchiolitis and impaired lung function as defined by an arbitrary FEV1/FVC ratio and even then there is a disconnect with a minimum of 2 weeks being prescribed for exacerbations of bronchiectasis and the use of long term inhaled and oral macrolides frequently being advocated while a 5 day course is reserved for an exacerbation in a patient with COPD. The loss of focus on the role of antibiotics has a number of causes – a desire to ration antibiotic as part of ‘antibiotic stewardship’, the potential cost of treatment, the failure to ‘cure’ patients with chronic bronchitis and the difficulty in dealing with a disease whose morbidity at any given time can range from a mild cough and production of phlegm in the morning with no obvious impact on daily function to troublesome cough, sputum production and significant ill health. This was compounded by the vagaries of culture based diagnosis and the observation that more than one potential pathogen was often present. As a result chronic bacterial bronchitis was relegated to the ‘too hard to deal with’ box and many of the lessons of the past were forgotten. Revisiting the field from the perspective of current understanding of bacterial behaviour in biofilms and how these alter the resident microbiota of the airways should ensure that a chronic bacterial bronchitis returns to centre stage in order to minimise respiratory morbidity and mortality. This review charts the history of our understanding and mis-understanding of the role of chronic bacterial bronchitis in airways disease and the pernicious effect of language in helping to ensure that this common and important condition became the elephant in the room. Focusing on the nature of chronic bacterial bronchitis is essential if we are to find ways of identifying it accurately and treat it effectively – new approaches will be extremely slow unless we recognise its importance and the challenges it poses.

New generation antibiotics are needed to combat the development of resistance to antimicrobials. One of the most promising new classes of antibiotics is cannabidiol (CBD). It is a non-toxic and low-resistance chemical that can be used to treat bacterial infections. The antibacterial activity of Cannabis sativa L. byproducts, specifically CBD, has been of growing interest in the field of novel therapeutics. As research continues to define and characterize the antibacterial activity that CBD possesses against a wide variety of bacterial species it is important to examine potential interaction between CBD and common therapeutics such as broad-spectrum antibiotics. Here, we show that CBD-antibiotic co-therapy can effectively fight S. typhimurium via membrane integrity disruption. This research serves to examine the potential synergy between CBD and three broad-spectrum antibiotics for potential antibiotic-CBD co-therapy. In this study, we reveal that Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) growth is inhibited at very low dosages of CBD-antibiotic. This interesting finding demonstrates that CBD and CBD-antibiotic co-therapies are viable novel alternatives to combating Salmonella typhimurium.

Antibiotic-sparing treatments are required to prevent the further emergence of anti-microbial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Commensal Neisseria species have previously been found to inhibit the growth of pathogenic Neisseria species. For example, a previous study found that 3 out of 5 historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of N. gonorrhoeae. In this study, we used agar overlay assays to assess if 24 circulating and historical isolates of Neisseria mucosa could inhibit the growth of 28 circulating and historical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae. Although pitting around each colony of N. mucosa created an optical illusion of decreased growth of N. gonorrhoeae, we found no evidence of inhibition (n=24). In contrast, positive controls of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect against the growth of N. gonorrhoeae.

Introduction: Bacterial resistance is a worldwide public health problem, requiring new therapeutic options. An alternative approach to this problem is the use of animal toxins, such as phospholipases (PLA₂) isolated from snake venom, which have important biological activities. Bothrops erythromelas is one of the snake species in the Northeast of Brazil that attracts great medical-scientific interest. Here we aimed to purify and characterize a PLA₂ from B. erythromelas, searching for heterologous activities against bacterial biofilm. Methods: Venom extraction and quantification were followed by RP-HPLC in C18 column, MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry and sequencing by Edman degradation. All experiments were monitored by specific activity using 4-nitro-3 (octanoyloxy) benzoic acid (4N₃OBA) substrate. In addition, hemolytic tests and anti-bacterial tests including action against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, were carried out. Moreover, tests of antibiofilm action against A. baumannii were also performed. Results: PLA₂, after one purification step, presented 31 N-terminal amino acid residues, and molecular weight of 13656.4 Da with enzymatic activity confirmed in 0.06 µM concentration. Antibacterial activity against S. aureus (IC₅₀ = 30.2 µM) and antibiofilm activity against A. baumannii (IC₅₀ = 1.1 µM) were observed. Conclusions: This is the first time that PLA₂ purified from B. erythromelas venom has appeared as an alternative candidate in studies of new antibacterial medicines.

Background: Detection of small proportion of serious bacterial infections (SBI) with potentially life threating course in a large group of children with fever admitted to emergency department (ED) is still complicated. Measurement of immature granulocytes (IG) percentage may be used as a marker of bacterial infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the IG percentage is a useful additional predictive marker of SBI. Methods: This study included 258 children with febrile infections admitted to the ED. Clinical follow-up, microbiological and radiological tests were used as reference standards for the definition of SBI. Study population was categorized into two groups: (i) infected patients with no suspicion of SBI (n = 75); (ii) patients with suspicion of SBI (n = 183). IG percentage, white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were analyzed from the first routine blood samples at hospital admission. Results: A statistically significant difference in IG percentage levels was observed in children with SBI and those without - the mean IG percentage was 1.2% for the SBI group, 0.3% for those without SBI. The cutoff level of IG percentage to predict SBI was 0.45 (84% specificity, 66% sensitivity, 90% positive predictive value). We combine variables and evaluate their additive values. The sensitivity of WBC to detected SBI improved from 74% to 85% when IG percentage was added to the prediction models. When CRP, WBC and IG percentage were combined, the sensitivity to predict SBI increased to 93%, the specificity to 86%. (95% CI 77–93%). Receiver operator characteristic analysis to predict SBI showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 for IG percentage. Conclusion: Addition of IG percentage to traditionally used markers of SBI as WBC and CRP may help to identify children with serious bacterial infections. Furthermore IG percentage can be rapidly obtained from the traditional full blood count without any extra sampling and costs.

Lectins are carbohydrate-interacting proteins playing a pivotal role in multiple physiological and developmental aspects of all organisms. They can specifically interact with different bacterial and viral pathogens through the carbohydrate-recognition domains (CRD). In addition, lectins are also of biotechnological interest because of their potential use as biosensor for capturing and identification of bacterial species. In this work, we have characterized the bacterial agglutination properties of three C-type lectins from the Lepidoptera Spodoptera exigua. One of these lectins, BLL2, was able to agglutinate cells from a broad range of bacterial species at an extremely low concentration, becoming a very interesting protein to be used as biosensor or other biotechnological applications involving bacterial capturing.

Ralstonia solanacearum is the causative agent of bacterial wilt, one of the most destructive plant diseases. While chemical control has an environmental impact, biological control strategies can allow sustainable agrosystems. Three lytic bacteriophages (phages) of R. solanacearum with biocontrol capacity in environmental water and plant were isolated from river water in Europe but not fully characterized, their genomic characterization being fundamental to understand their biology. In this work, the phage genomes were sequenced and subjected to bioinformatic analysis. The morphology was also observed by electron microscopy. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with a selection of phages able to infect R. solanacearum and the closely related phytopathogenic species R. pseudosolanacearum. The results indicated that the genomes of vRsoP-WF2, vRsoP-WM2 and vRsoP-WR2 range from 40,688 to 41,158 bp with almost 59% GC-contents, 52 ORFs in vRsoP-WF2 and vRsoP-WM2, and 53 in vRsoP-WR2 but, with only 22 or 23 predicted proteins with functional homologs in databases. Among them, two lysins and one exopolysaccharide (EPS) depolymerase, this type of depolymerase being identified in R. solanacearum phages for the first time. These three European phages belong to the same novel species within the Gyeongsanvirus, Autographiviridae family (formerly Podoviridae). These genomic data will contribute to a better understanding of the abilities of these phages to damage host cells and, consequently, to an improvement in the biological control of R. solanacearum.

Recovery between physical efforts is essential for optimal performance in sports. Dietary supplements like cannabidiol (CBD) have been proposed to facilitate recovery and performance optimization. This systematic review aimed to: a) systematize the scientific evidence on CBD for recovery, b) associate CBD's biomedical properties with those required for optimal fatigue recovery, and c) recommend a future research agenda. Searches across databases identified 70 relevant studies from 1990-2022, including 38.6% preclinical, 31.4% clinical trials, and 30.0% reviews/meta-analyses across various populations like mice, rats, epileptics, and athletes. CBD demonstrated potentially beneficial properties for athlete recovery such as anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects with doses ranging from 5-600mg administered orally, intravenously, and via other routes. However, rigorous confirmatory research specifically in athlete populations is lacking. While CBD appears promising for facilitating recovery and performance optimization, further randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to test the acute and chronic effects of different CBD dosing regimens in athletes. Future research should focus on elucidating CBD's physiological mechanisms of action as they relate to post-exercise recovery, as well as its comparative effectiveness versus conventional medications and therapies. Advancing our understanding of CBD's role in athlete recovery could provide new therapeutic strategies to optimize recovery and performance.

In the current work, in continuation of our recent research [1] we synthesized and studied new chimeric compounds comprising the ribosome-targeting antibiotic chloramphenicol (CHL) and the membrane-penetrating cation triphenylphosphonium (TPP) connected by alkyl linkers of different lengths. Using various biochemical assays, we showed that these CAM-Cn-TPP compounds bind to the bacterial ribosome, inhibit protein synthesis in vitro and in vivo in a way similar to that of the parent CHL, and significantly decrease membrane potential. Similar to CAM-C4-TPP, the mode of action of CAM-C10-TPP and CAM-C14-TPP on bacterial ribosomes differ from that of CHL. By simulating the dynamics of complexes of CAM-Cn-TPP with bacterial ribosomes, we have proposed a possible explanation for the specificity of the action of these analogs on the translation process. CAM-C10-TPP and CAM-C14-TPP stronger inhibit the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria in comparison to the CHL and suppress some strains of CHL-resistant bacteria. Thus, we have shown that TPP derivatives of CHL are dual-acting compounds that target the ribosomes and the cellular membranes of bacteria. The TPP fragment of CAM-Cn-TPP compounds contributes to the inhibitory effect on bacteria. Moreover, since the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells have qualities similar to those of their prokaryotic ancestors, we demonstrate the possibility of targeting chemoresistant cancer cells with these compounds.

Cancer is a catchall term that refers to a collection of more than one chronic disease that can adversely affect the body, including the organs of the body. These diseases can be grouped together under the umbrella term "cancer." Cancer is a catch-all term that is used to refer to a number of different diseases. During the process of looking for new chemical entities, it was found that certain compounds with a basic nucleus of benzoic acid (BA) exhibit a remarkable anticancer potential. This was discovered while the researchers were looking for new chemical entities. In the sixteenth century, the aromatic chemical known as BA, which is also known as an aromatic carboxylic acid, was discovered. BA is also referred to as an aromatic carboxylic acid. When it comes to the chemical synthesis of a wide range of different active molecules, the utilization of a sizeable quantity of BA as a raw material is absolutely necessary. In addition to being present in a variety of other naturally occurring compounds, the BA moiety is the component that is responsible for the activity of the naturally occurring compounds vanillin, gallic acid, and syringic acid. In the synthesis of a wide variety of synthetic bioactive molecules, the BA scaffold is utilized as a building block. The drugs furosemide, bumetanide, benzocaine, tetracaine, and bexarotene are all examples of molecules that fall into this category. The scope of this review article allows for the discussion of a number of noteworthy and recent achievements of BA derivatives in terms of their effectiveness against cancer.

Current research in the field of antimicrobials is focused on the development of novel antibiotics and antimicrobial agents to counteract the huge dilemma that the human population is mainly facing in regards to the rise of bacterial resistance and biofilm infections. Host Defense peptides (HDPs) are a promising group of molecules for antimicrobial development as they share unique characteristics suitable for antimicrobial activity including their broad spectrum of activity and potency against bacteria. AamAP1 is a novel HDP that was identified through molecular cloning from the venom of the North African scorpion Androctonus amoeruxi. In vitro antimicrobial assays revealed that the peptide displays moderate activity against different strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, the peptide proved to be highly hemolytic and displaying significantly high toxicity against mammalian cells. In our study, a novel synthetic peptide analogue named A3 was designed from the naturally occurring scorpion venom host defense peptide. The design strategy depended on modifying the amino acid sequence of the parent peptide in order to increase its net positive charge, percentage helicity and optimize other physico-chemical parameters involved theoretically in HDPs activity. Accordingly, A3 was evaluated for its in vitro antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity individually and in combination with four different types of conventional antibiotics against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-positive bacteria. A3 was also evaluated for its cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. A3 displayed potent and selective in vitro antimicrobial activities against a wide range of MDR Gram-positive bacteria. Our results also showed that combining A3 with conventional antibiotics displayed a synergistic mode of action which resulted in decreasing the MIC value for A3 peptide as low as 0.125 µM. These effective concentrations were associated with negligible toxicities on mammalian cells. In conclusion, A3 exhibits enhanced activity and selectivity when compared with the parent natural scorpion venom peptide. The combination of A3 with conventional antibiotics may be pursued as a potential novel treatment strategy against MDR and biofilm forming bacteria.

Carcinogenesis is the process whereby a normal cell is transformed into a neoplastic cell. This action involves several steps starting with initiation and followed by promotion and progression. Driving these stages are oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn encompasses a myriad of aberrant gene expressions, both within the transforming cell population and the cells within the surrounding lesion. Chemoprevention of cancer with bioreactive foods or their extracted/purified components occurs via normalizing these inappropriate gene activities. Various foods/agents have been shown to affect different gene expressions. In this review we discuss whereby the chemoprevention activities of the red beetroot itself may disrupt carcinogenesis and the activities of the water soluble betalains extracted from the plant.

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonolignans with great potential for use in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Its biotechnological production using in vitro culture system has been proposed. Chitosan is a well-known elicitor that strongly affects both secondary metabolites and biomass production by plants. The effect of chitosan on S. marianum cell suspension is not known yet. In the present study, suspension cultures of S marianum were exploited for their in vitro potency to produce bioactive flavonolignans in the presence of chitosan. Established cell suspension culture was maintained on the same hormonal media supplemented with 0.5 mg/L BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) and 1.0 mg/L NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid) under photoperiod 16/8 h (light/dark) and exposed to various treatments of chitosan (ranging from 0.5 to 50.0 mg/L). The highest biomass production was observed for cell suspension treated with 5.0 mg/L chitosan, resulting in 123.3 g/L fresh weight (FW) and 17.7 g/L dry weight (DW) productions. Chitosan treatment resulted in an overall increase in the accumulation of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and silymarin. High accumulation levels of silybin B, silydianin and silybin A were recorded by HPLC analysis. The corresponding extracts displayed interesting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. In particular, high ABTS antioxidant activity (741.5 μM Trolox C equivalent antioxidant capacity) was recorded in extracts obtained in presence of 0.5 mg/L of chitosan. On the opposite, highest inhibitions of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2, 30.5 %), secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2, 33.9 %) and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX-2, 31.6 %) enzymes involved in inflammation process were measured in extracts obtained in presence of 5.0 mg/L of chitosan. Taken together, these results highlight the high potential of the chitosan elicitation of the S. marianum cell suspension for enhanced production of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory silymarin-rich extracts.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is essentially featured by self-tissue destruction by means of the adaptive immune responses that evade immune regulation. Vitamin D carries out an immunomodulatory role that appears to promote immune tolerance. The aim of this study is to elaborate a narrative review about the relationship between vitamin D status and HT and the role of vitamin D supplementation to reduce HT risk by modulating the immune system. There is an extensive literature confirming that vitamin D levels are significantly lower in HT patients compared to healthy people. On the other hand, after the supplementation with cholecalciferol in patients with HT and vitamin D deficiency, thyroid autoantibody titer decreased significantly, However, there are no conclusive results on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the thyroid function. The confirmation of the beneficial effects of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of autoimmune thyroid diseases require additional randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with longer follow-up.

More than 15,000 prescriptions and over the counter drugs are available according to the US Food and Drug Administration website. Moreover, several herbal medicines and dietary supplements are readily available to add to the list of possible drugs, which can potentially cause adverse drug interactions. These are a pressing concern for all as they can interfere with many dental procedures. Additionally, the number of geriatric patients seen in routine dental practice has increased over time. This implies that there are more patients with multiple diseases and health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, problems associated with the cardiovascular, renal and gastrointestinal systems, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. All these require patients to be on certain medications. Furthermore, advancement in the dental field has led to more complex dental procedures (implants, grafts) being carried out in a general dental practice. These advanced and slightly more invasive treatments require the use of certain drugs before, during and after the treatment like local anesthetics, vasoconstrictors, anxiolytics, analgesics and antibiotics. All of these can possibly interact with medications a patient is already taking and can also interfere with the current dental treatment and create complications. This article aims to provide necessary information about commonly encountered systemic diseases and associated treating medications, their mechanism of action, possible complications and their management. The classes of drugs discussed include anti-platelet agents, vitamin K antagonists, novel oral anticoagulants, bisphosphonates, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and oral contraceptives.

Background: Pteropodine (PT) is a component of some plants with potentially useful pharmaco-logical activities for humans. This compound has biomedical properties related to the modulation of the immune system, nervous system, and inflammatory processes. This study addresses the an-ti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity of pteropodin in a murine model of arthritis and induced edema of the mouse ear. Methods: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity, we used the reversed passive Arthus reaction (RPAR), which includes the rat paw edema test, the rat pleurisy test, and a mouse ear edema model. The antioxidant effect was evaluated by determining the myeloperoxidase enzyme activity. Results: PT showed an anti-inflammatory effect in the different specific and non-specific tests. We found a 52 to 74% of inhibitory effect of PT in the rat paw edema test, 52% of reduction of the pleural exudate volume, and low neutrophil count (28%), when compared to the control group. We also found a 81% of inflammatory inhibition of the ear edema, and a significant myeloperoxidase enzyme inhibition by the three doses of PT. Conclusions: PT exerted a potent an-ti-inflammatory effect in the acute inflammation model in rodents.

The Attentional Networks Test for Interactions and Vigilance–executive and arousal components (ANTI-Vea) is a computerized task of 32 min duration in the standard format. The task simultaneously assesses the main effects and interactions of the three attentional networks (i.e., phasic alertness, orienting, and executive control) and two dissociated components of vigilance with reasonable reliability (executive and arousal vigilance). We present this free and publicly accessible resource (ANTI-Vea-UGR; https://anti-vea.ugr.es/) developed to easily run, collect, and analyze data with the ANTI-Vea (or its subtasks measuring some attentional and/or vigilance components embedded in the ANTI-Vea). Available in six different languages, the platform allows for adaptation of stimuli timing and procedure to facilitate data collection from different populations (e.g., clinical patients, children). Collected data can be freely downloaded and easily analyzed with the provided scripts and tools, including a Shiny app. We discuss previous evidence supporting that attention and vigilance components can be assessed in typical lab conditions as well as online and outside the laboratory. We hope this tutorial will help researchers interested in measuring attention and vigilance with a tool useful to collect data from large sample sizes and easy to use in applied contexts.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibodies, have initiated a new era in the treatment of malignant melanoma. ICIs can be used in various settings, including as first-line, adjuvant, and neoadjuvant therapy. In the scope of this review, we examined clinical studies utilizing ICIs in the context of treating oral mucosal melanoma, a rare disease albeit with an extremely poor prognosis, with a specific focus on unraveling the intricate web of resistance mechanisms. The absence of a comprehensive review focusing on ICIs in oral mucosal melanoma is notable. Therefore, this review seeks to address this deficiency by offering a novel and thorough analysis of the current status, potential resistance mechanisms, and future prospects of applying ICIs specifically to oral malignant melanoma. Clarifying and thoroughly understanding these mechanisms will facilitate the advancement of effective therapeutic approaches and enhance the prospects for patients suffering from oral mucosal melanoma.

The problem of increasing life expectancy is solved with the help of many medical and social areas. It has been established that piRNAs and miRNAs can significantly modify the expression of protein-coding genes by suppressing the translation process. The aim of this work was to establish the possibility of binding piRNAs and miRNAs with mRNA of the KLOTHO and FGF23 genes, which promote health and increase life expectancy through participation in key metabolic processes. We used the MirTarget program, which determines the quantitative characteristics of complementary interactions of all piRNAs and miRNAs nucleotides with mRNA of the genes. piR-44682, piR-1940042, piR-3008660, piR-3215034, piR-6885965, piR-7980636 and one miRNA (ID00756.3p-miR) binding to the mRNA of the KLOTHO gene were found in one cluster of binding sites (BSs). piRNA-6890096 interacted with the mRNA of KLOTHO gene in a fully complementary manner using only canonical nucleotides. Among 17494 human genes, target genes interacting with five piRNAs that bind to the mRNA of KLOTHO gene were identified. mRNA of the AFF2, BCL2L11, CPT1A, DAZAP1, NDRG3, SKIDA1, WBP4, ZIC5, ZSWIM6 genes interacted with piR-3215034 and piR-6885965, which formed clusters of BSs located in 5'UTR, CDS and 3'UTR. The piR-576442, piR-1501557, piR-1845735, piR-2069834, and piR-3029987 had BSs in the mRNAs of the FGF23 gene, located only in the 3'UTR. It is proposed to use piRNAs and miRNAs as regulators of the expression of KLOTHO and FGF23 anti-aging genes.

Eucalyptus, a therapeutic plant mentioned in the ancient Algerian pharmacopeia, specifically two species belonging to the Myrtaceae family - E. radiata and E. cinerea, were investigated in this study for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The study used aqueous extracts (AE) obtained from these plants, and the extraction yields were found to be dif-ferent. The in vitro antibacterial activity was evaluated using a disc diffusion assay against three typical bacterial strains. The results showed that E. radiata EAq was effective against all three strains, while E. cinerea EAq was only effective against E. coli. Both extracts displayed significant antioxidant activity compared to BHT. The anti-inflammatory impact was evaluated using a pro-tein (BSA) inhibition denaturation test. The E. radiata extract was found to inhibit inflammation by 75% at a concentration of 250 g/ml, significantly higher than the placebo. Ellagic acid, a pri-mary phytochemical found in the extracts, demonstrated noteworthy toxic and pharmacokinetic characteristics and a maximum binding energy of -7.53 kcal/mol for its anti-TyrRS activity in sili-co. The study suggests that the extracts and their primary phytochemicals could enhance the effi-cacy of antibiotics, antioxidants, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As phar-maceutical engineering experts, we believe this research contributes to developing natural-based drugs with potential therapeutic benefits.

Lung cancer accounts for the majority of cancer cases. In recent years, checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (ICI) has emerged as a new treatment. A better understanding of the tumor microenvironment, or TMJ, or the immune system surrounding the tumor is needed. Cytokines are small proteins that carry messages between cells and are known to play an important role in the body's response to inflammation and infection. Cytokines are important for immunity in lung cancer. It promotes tumor growth (oncogenic cytokines) or inhibits tumor growth (anti-tumor cytokines) by controlling signaling pathways for growth, proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis. The immune system relies heavily on cytokines. They can also be produced in the laboratory for therapeutic use. Cytokine therapy helps the immune system stop the growth or kill cancer cells. Interleukins and interferons are two types of cytokines used to treat cancer. This article begins by addressing the role of the tumor microenvironment (TMJ) and its components in lung cancer. This review also highlights the functions of various cytokines such as IL, TGF and TNF.

Grape foods fermented with probiotics are sources of beneficial bacteria for the GI tract and also have a high antioxidant capacity. The addition of probiotics to ferment food has always been a traditional process; therefore, probiotic dairy and non-dairy products might contribute to a daily antioxidant diet to improve consumers’ life quality and health. This research was undertaken to determine the viability of 4 wild isolates of Lactobacillus for storage at 5 and 25ºC within 90 days in simulated synthetic grape media and a standard grape marmalade formulation. Changes in active culture numbers, pH level, glucose concentration, and antioxidant properties were evaluated. Most of the isolates demonstrated higher growth in the grape marmalade than the synthetic grape marmalade, which was greater than 7 Log cfu/g within 90 days of storage at 5ºC. In addition, most of the wild isolates grew beyond the critical count of 106 cfu/g in sampling between 60 and 90 days of storage. Moreover, fermented grape marmalade with probiotics showed a strong antioxidant capacity that failed to differ significantly with the synthetic medium. The study confirmed L. paraplantarum, L. plantarum, W. paramesenteroides, and E. feacalis were ideal probiotics for fermentation process of grape marmalade.

Fetuses of pregnant women affected by anti-Ro/anti La antibodies are at risk to develop complete atrioventricular heart block (CAVB) and other potentially life-threatening cardiac affections. CAVB can develop in less than 24 hours. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and immuno-globulins (IVIG) can restore normal rhythm if applied in the transition period. Routine weekly echocardiography as often recommended will seldomly detect emergent AVB. Surveillance of these pregnancies is controversial. To obtain an overview of the current practice in Germany we have developed a web-based survey sent by the DEGUM (German Society of Ultrasound in Med-icine) to ultrasound specialists. Home-monitoring by hand-held Doppler is a promising new approach. With the intention to evaluate practicability, we instructed pregnant women at risk to use hand-held Doppler in the vulnerable period between 18-26 weeks at our university center.

Background: Epileptic patients frequently encounter cognitive impairment. Functions that are mostly affected involve memory, attention and executive function; however this is mainly dependant on the location of the epileptic activity. The aim of the study is to assess cognitive functions in MRI-negative epilepsy patients by means of neurophysiological and neuropsychological measures. Methods: The patients were enrolled from the outpatient Epilepsy/Clinical Neurophysiology clinic over a time period of 6 months. The study sample comprised 20 MRI negative epilepsy patients [mean age ± standard deviation (SD), 30.3 ± 12.56 years; age range 16-60 years; average disease duration, 13.95 years) and 10 age-matched controls (mean age ± SD, 24.22 ± 15.39 years), that were also education-matched (p>0.05) Patients with epileptogenic lesions were excluded from the study. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Auditory ERPs and the cognitive screening tool EpiTrack, were administered to all subjects. Results: Latencies of P300 and slow waves were prolonged in patients compared to controls (p<0.05). ASM load and the patients’ performance in the EpiTrack maze subtest were the most significant predictors of P300 latency. A decline in memory, attention, and speed of information processing has been observed in patients with cryptogenic epilepsy compared to age-matched controls, as reflected by P300 latency and EpiTrack scores.

Fibrosis is a condition characterized by thickening or/and scarring of various tissues. Fibrosis may develop in almost all tissues and organs, and it may be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. It provokes excessive scarring that excels the usual wound healing response to trauma in numerous organs. Currently, very little can be done to prevent tissue fibrosis, and it is almost impossible to reverse it. Therefore, fibrosis is frequently associated with premature aging. In turn, aging is associated with more frequent incidences of fibrosis. Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs are among the few treatments that may be efficient in preventing fibrosis. Numerous publications suggest that cannabinoids and extracts of Cannabis sativa have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic properties. In this review, we describe the types and mechanisms of fibrosis in various tissues and discuss various strategies for prevention and dealing with tissue fibrosis. We further introduce cannabinoids and their potential for the prevention and treatment of fibrosis, and therefore for extending healthy lifespan.

Abstract: In the last decade, gypsogenin has widely grabbed the attention of medicinal chemists by virtue of its prominent anti-cancer potential. Despite its late identification, gypsogenin proved itself as a new an-ti-proliferative player battling for a front position among other classic pentacyclic triterpenes such as oleanolic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, and celastrol. Herein, we present insights into the anti-cancer activity of gypsogenin and its semisynthetic derivatives and go further by introducing our perspective to judiciously guide the prospect rational design. The present article opens a new venue for better exploitation of gypsogenin chemical entity as a lead compound in cancer chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review article exploring the anti-cancer activity of gypsogenin derivatives.

Information encryption and anti-counterfeiting play an important role in many aspects of daily life, such as in minimizing economic losses, protecting secure communication and public security, and so on. Owing to the high information capacity and ease of operation, luminescent materials for advanced information encryption and anti-counterfeiting are essential to meet the increasing demand on encryption security. Herein, we summarize two emerging luminescent materials for information encryption and anti-counterfeiting, the AIE materials and room-temperature phosphorescent materials. At last, we discuss the opportunities and anticipations of these two information encryption and anti-counterfeiting materials.

Evidence has recently emerged on the influence of gender on the immune system. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of phase III randomized clinical trials (RCTs), we explored the impact of gender on survival in patients with advanced cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We performed a comprehensive search of the literature updated to April 2018, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and EMBASE. We extracted data on study characteristics and risk of bias in duplicate. Of 423 unique citations, 21 RCTs were included, inherently to 12,635 patients. Both males and females showed reduced risk of death associated with ICIs use (HR 0.73, p<0.001 and HR 0.77, p<0.001, respectively). Subgroup analyses by specific ICI showed similar OS in both genders for anti-PD-1/PDL-1. Anti-CTLA-4 use was associated with longer OS in men only (HR 0.77, p<0.012), with the exception of melanoma (in women, HR 0.80, p=0.006). PFS was longer in men than in women (HR 0.67, p<0.001 and HR 0.77, p=0.100, respectively). Conclusively, ICIs use was associated with more favorable outcomes in men, particularly for anti-CTLA-4 agents. In melanoma, not gender-related factors may influence the anti-tumor immune response evoked by ICIs.