High Activity Research Articles

A Coupling-Induced Assembly Strategy for Constructing Artificial Shell on Mitochondria in Living Cells.

The strategy of in vivo self-assembly has been developed for improved enrichment and long-term retention of anticancer drug in tumor tissues. However, most self-assemblies with non-covalent bonding interactions are susceptible to complex physiological environments, leading to weak stability and loss of biological function. Here, we develop a coupling-induced assembly (CIA) strategy to generate covalently crosslinked nanofibers, which is applied for in situ constructing artificial shell on mitochondria. The oxidation-responsive peptide-porphyrin conjugate P1 is synthesized, which self-assemble into nanoparticles. Under the oxidative microenvironment of mitochondria, the coupling of thiols in P1 causes the formation of dimers, which is further ordered and stacked into crosslinked nanofibers. As a result, the artificial shell is constructed on the mitochondria efficiently through multivalent cooperative interactions due to the increased binding sites. Under ultrasound (US) irradiation, the porphyrin molecules in the shell produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that act on the adjacent mitochondrial membrane, exhibiting ~2-fold higher antitumor activity than nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the mitochondria-targeted CIA strategy provides a novel perspective on improved sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and shows potential applications in antitumor therapies.

Elucidating the bacterial communities and their hydrolytic enzyme activities during the southwest monsoon season, along the west coast of India

ABSTRACT The west coast of India (WCI) is signified by increased primary productivity during the southwest monsoon season. In this study, the bacterial counts and the cultivable communities were enumerated from water depths and sediment samples at stations, off Goa, Mangalore and Trivandrum along the WCI during the monsoon season. The results reveal that the bacterial morphotypes isolated from this study included representatives from Firmicutes (70%), Proteobacteria (20%) and Actinobacteria (5%) phylum. Phylum Firmicutes had a major representation at Trivandrum and Mangalore locations compared to those from Goa. However, the Proteobacteria phylum was more prevalent in the Goa location compared to the other two locations. The morphotypes at the genera level also showed distinct spatial variations and taxa specific to each of the three locations could also be identified through Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Spatial variations in hydrolytic enzyme activities were also observed, with bacterial morphotypes isolated from water samples of Trivandrum exhibiting comparatively higher activities than the Goa and Mangalore sediment samples. These findings enhance our understanding of bacterial diversity and their functional roles along the WCI, emphasizing their significance in biogeochemical cycling processes.

Exogenously applied silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) differentially affect bacterial blight disease control in twenty-seven wheat cultivars

The bacterial blight of wheat is an important global disease causing a significant decline in crop yield. Nanotechnology offers a potential solution for managing plant diseases. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in controlling bacterial blight in 27 locally grown wheat cultivars. The study examined the impact of AgNPs at three distinct time points: 1, 3, and 5 days after the onset of the disease. Biochemical assay revealed that one day after applying the disease stress, the Inia cultivar had the highest amount of soluble protein (55.60 μg.g−1FW) content in the treatment without AgNPs. The Azadi cultivar, without AgNPs treatment, had the lowest amount of soluble protein content (15.71 μg.g−1FW). The Tabasi cultivar had the highest activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) (61.62 mM.g−1FW) with the combination treatment of AgNPs. On the other hand, the Karchia cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (0.6 mM.g−1FW) in the treatment of disease without AgNPs. Furthermore, three days after the application of stress, the Mahdavi cultivar had the highest amount of soluble protein content (54.16 μg.g−1FW) in the treatment of disease without AgNPs. The Niknejad cultivar had the highest activity of the SOD (74.15 mM.g−1FW) with the combined treatment of the disease without AgNPs. The Kavir cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (1.95 mM.g−1FW) and the lowest peroxidase (POX) activity (0.241 mM g−1FW min−1) in the treatment of the disease with AgNPs. Five days after exposure to stress, the Mahooti cultivar had the highest SOD activity (88.12 mM.g−1FW) with the combined treatment of the disease with AgNPs, and the Karchia cultivar had the lowest SOD activity (2.39 mM.g−1FW) in the treatment of the disease with AgNPs. Further, the results indicated that exposure to AgNPs could improve the antioxidant properties of wheat seeds in blight-infected and disease-free conditions in some cultivars.

A ternary composite nanofibrous photocatalyst: FcLR-gC3N4/polyisothianaphthene/polyacrylonitrile for degradation of organic dyes

BackgroundWater pollution by organic dyes is one of the important environmental issues. When substances such as organic dyes are discharged into water, they can severely pollute the water and harm the life of living organisms. MethodsA new ternary composite nanofibrous photocatalyst, FcLR-gC3N4/PITN/PAN, was produced through 1) synthesis of a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based ferrocenyl dithiophosphonic acid, FcLR-gC3N4, by the attachment of Ferrocenyl Lawesson's Reagent (FcLR) to g-C3N4 nanosheets, 2) incorporation of the FcLR-gC3N4 into the polymeric matrix of as-prepared polyisothianaphthene (PITN) blending with polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and 3) fabrication of electrospun nanofibers (NFs) through electrospinning. Significant findingsThe degradation of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) was more efficient on FcLR-gC3N4 compared to g-C3N4 alone, and on FcLR-gC3N4/PITN/PAN compared to FcLR-gC3N4, confirming the effective role of both FcLR and PITN/PAN matrix in the degradation of the dyes. The ternary composite nanofiber degraded 92% of MB and 29% of MO. The MB mineralization percentages of 65% (TOC), 60% (COD), and 55% (BOD) were achieved after 2 h and 30 min. Radical trapping experiments consistent with the Tauc plots and Mott-Schottky plots distinguished O2•- as the primary species in the degradation mechanism of MB. The MB degradation pathway was determined through LC-MS-MS. The electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) and photocurrent measurements confirmed the higher photocatalytic activity of FcLR-gC3N4 compared to g-C3N4 alone by studying the charge carrier's separation and recombination. A high recyclability was found for FcLR-gC3N4. The recycling stability of FcLR-gC3N4 increased after its embedding into the nanofibrous matrix of PITN/PAN.

Activity-enhanced Cu@ZIF-8/Ag carbonic anhydrase mimic for CO2 hydration and conversion

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is an enzyme with unrivaled catalytic activity for CO2 hydration reactions. However, its high cost and poor stability have severely limited its industrial application in CO2 uptake. Constructing CA mimics is a promising strategy to overcome these limitations. In this work, a novel ZIF-8-based CA mimic, Cu@ZIF-8/Ag, was fabricated for CO2 capture and storage. Esterase experiments confirmed that Cu@ZIF-8/Ag had higher CA-mimicking activity than ZIF-8 and Cu@ZIF-8, indicating that Cu-doping and in-situ growth of Ag nanoparticles significantly increased CA-like activity. Simulating the mineralization process in industrial applications, Cu@ZIF-8/Ag yielded the highest CaCO3 yields. Additionally, Cu@ZIF-8/Ag has good reusability, with catalytic activity over 10% higher than ZIF-8 even after seven adsorption and regeneration cycles. This activity-enhanced Cu@ZIF-8/Ag carbonic anhydrase mimic shows great potential for future CO2 capture.

Overexpression of FERONIA receptor kinase MdMRLK2 regulates lignin accumulation and enhances water use efficiency in apple under long-term water deficit condition.

Water use efficiency (WUE) is crucial for apple tree fitness and survival, especially in response to climatic changes. The receptor-like kinase FERONIA is reportedly an essential regulator of plant stress responses, but its role in regulating WUE under water deficit conditions is unclear. Here, we found that overexpressing the apple FERONIA receptor kinase gene, MdMRLK2, enhanced apple WUE under long-term water deficit conditions. Under drought treatment, 35S::MdMRLK2 apple plants exhibited higher photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant enzyme activities than wild-type (WT) plants. 35S::MdMRLK2 apple plants also showed increased biomass accumulation, root activity, and water potential compared to WT plants. Moreover, MdMRLK2 physically interacts with and phosphorylates cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1, MdCCR1, an enzyme essential for lignin synthesis, at position Ser260. This interaction likely contributed to increased vessel density, vascular cylinder area, and lignin content in 35S::MdMRLK2 apple plants under drought conditions. Therefore, our findings reveal a novel function of MdMRLK2 in regulating apple WUE under water deficit conditions.

Oxygen evolution reaction activity of carbon aerogel supported Pd–Ni–Al catalysts synthesized by microwave irradiation method

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical step for oxygen production during the electrochemical splitting of water. Effective OER catalysts support the development of clean energy technologies by increasing the energy efficiency of these processes. In this study, carbon aerogel (CA) was first synthesized as a catalyst support material using sol-gel, supercritical drying, and pyrolysis process. Then, mono-metallic (Pd/CA, Al/CA), bi-metallic (Pd–Al/CA, Pd–Ni/CA), and tri-metallic (Pd–Ni–Al/CA) catalysts were synthesized by microwave irradiation method. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy have been made to examine the structural properties of the synthesized catalysts. Electrochemical analysis was carried out through cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in alkaline media (1 M KOH: Methanol) to examine the effect of metal loading of CA support material towards OER performance. All the compositions showed excellent activity toward OER, among all Pd–Ni/CA catalysts showed the highest activity. The OER peak current increased remarkably up to 48 mA cm−2 with methanol addition, which signifies the substantial application of carbon aerogel supported-Pd-Ni-Al catalysts in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Pd–Ni/CA display high OER performance with maximum diffusion coefficient, Do (6.6 × 10−8 cm2 s−1) and heterogeneous rate constant, ko (4.706 × 10−4 cm s−1), and smaller value of Tafel slope (128 mV dec−1). Electrochemical studies predicted that all the prepared carbon aerogel supported-Pd-Ni-Al catalysts can be used as efficient catalysts for OER and other related electrocatalysis applications.

Crystal Facets-Activity Correlation for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Compositional Complex Alloys.

Compositional complex alloys, including high and medium-entropy alloys (HEAs/MEAs) have displayed significant potential as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but their structure-activity relationship remains unclear. In particular, the basic question of which crystal facets are more active, especially considering the surface reconstructions, has yet to be answered. This study demonstrates that the lowest index {100} facets of FeCoNiCr MEAs exhibit the highest activity. The underlying mechanism associated with the {100} facet's low in-plane density, making it easier to surface reconstruction and form amorphous structures containing the true active species is uncovered. These results are validated by experiments on single crystals and polycrystal MEAs, as well as DFT calculations. The discoveries contribute to a fundamental comprehension of MEAs in electrocatalysis and offer physics-based strategies for developing electrocatalysts.

Prostate cancers with distinct transcriptional programs in Black and White men

BackgroundBlack men are at a higher risk of prostate cancer (PC) diagnosis and present with more high-grade PC than White men in an equal access setting. This study aimed to identify differential transcriptional regulation between Black and White men with PC.MethodsWe performed microarray of radical prostatectomy tissue blocks from 305 Black and 238 White men treated at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Differential expression, gene set enrichment analysis, master regulator analysis, and network modeling were conducted to compare gene expression by race. Findings were validated using external datasets that are available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The first was a multi-institutional cohort of 1152 prostate cancer patients (596 Black, 556 White) with microarray data (GEO ID: GSE169038). The second was an Emory cohort of 106 patients (22 Black, 48 White, 36 men of unknown race) with RNA-seq data (GEO ID: GSE54460). Additionally, we analyzed androgen receptor (AR) chromatin binding profiles using paired AR ChIP-Seq datasets from Black and White men (GEO IDs: GSE18440 and GSE18441).ResultsWe identified 871 differentially expressed genes between Black and White men. White men had higher activity of MYC-related pathways, while Black men showed increased activity of inflammation, steroid hormone responses, and cancer progression-related pathways. We further identified the top 10 transcription factors (TFs) in Black patients, which formed a transcriptional regulatory network centered on the AR. The activities of this network and the pathways were significantly different in Black vs. White men across multiple cohorts and PC molecular subtypes.ConclusionsThese findings suggest PC in Black and White men have distinct tumor transcriptional profiles. Furthermore, a highly interactive TF network centered on AR drives differential gene expression in Black men. Additional study is needed to understand the degree to which these differences in transcriptional regulatory elements contribute to PC health disparities.

Chemical Profile, Antibacterial Activity and Antioxidant Activity of Bark Volatile Oil of Terminalia arjuna.

Terminalia arjuna is an evergreen medicinal plant that belongs to the Combretaceae family of flowering plants. The bark of the plant exhibits antiviral, anticancer, hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. In this study, composition antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of bark oil of Terminalia Arjuna (Roxb.) were reported. Oils were extracted by microwave assisted hydrodistillation where an oil yield of 0.18% was obtained followed by the identification of 35 compounds by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The most abundant volatiles were furfural (11.11%), isoeugenol (9.99%), p-ethylguaiacol (9.97%), α-cadinol (9.57%), and estragole (9.47%). The oil was further evaluated against ten different drug resistant strains where oil showed significant activity against all pathogens and the highest activity was found against Acinetobacter baumannii (22mm), Klebsiella pneumoniae (22mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (22mm) in a concentration-dependent manner. Antioxidant activity evaluation demonstrated 68% radical scavenging activity by the volatile oil as compared to 81% of the standard, ascorbic acid at a concentration of 1000 μg. Cytotoxicity studies were conducted to see the effect of sample on the expression level of a housekeeping gene, Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase where it did not affect the normal transcription of the gene.

Highly efficient Rh-doped MnO2 nanocatalysts for complete elimination of CO at room temperature.

Obliteration of carbon monoxide is significant due to its hazardous effect on human health and potential application in different fields. Catalytic CO oxidation at lower temperature is the most convenient method to diminish the toxicity of CO. The low-cost catalysts which are exhibiting higher activity at lower temperature with good stability are in demand. The nanosized Rh-doped MnO2 catalysts have been prepared by dextrose-assisted co-precipitation method. Catalytic CO oxidation reaction was carried out over these prepared nanocatalysts under environmentally suitable conditions. XRD confirms the phase formation of prepared catalysts. These samples exhibit rod-like morphology with thickness of rods of less than 10nm which is substantiated from electron microscopy images. XPS data reveals the oxidation state of Mn (+ 4) and Rh (+ 3). These catalysts are highly active for CO oxidation reaction at lower temperature, and one showed complete CO conversion at room temperature. The time-on-stream studies revealed that these catalysts are highly stable for CO oxidation for several hours. These catalysts are decidedly stable in moist condition and also showed higher activity in the presence of moisture, indicating participation of moisture in the oxidation reaction at above room temperatures.

A simple eco‐friendly carbon paste modified electrode using chitosan‐CaO nanocomposite for the voltammetric detection of the antibiotic ornidazole in real samples

AbstractHerein, an eco‐friendly, simple, inexpensive electrochemical sensor for the antibiotic ornidazole (ORN) was developed based on a carbon paste electrode modified by chitosan‐CaO nanocomposite (Chi‐CaO‐NC/CPE). Eggshell waste was utilized to prepare CaO‐NPs which were then combined with chitosan (Chi) to obtain Chi‐CaO‐NC/CPE. The prepared Chi‐CaO‐NC/CPE was characterized by different techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDX. The produced sensor showed higher electrocatalytic activity toward ORN in (0.1 M) PBS (pH 7.0) than the unmodified CPE. The influence of pH and scanning rate on the reduction peak of ORN implies that the reduction process of ORN at the Chi‐CaO‐NC/CPE surface was a diffusion‐controlled reaction with four electrons and four protons. Additionally, under ideal conditions, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) revealed that the cathodic current was directly proportional to ORN concentrations within two various detection ranges of 0.015–0.3 μM and 0.3–4.5 μM. The limit of quantification (LOQ), and the limit of detection (LOD) were 0.0138 μM and 4.13×10−3 μM, respectively. Moreover, the fabricated sensor provided acceptable selectivity towards ORN, good stability, and repeatable response, with recoveries ranging from 95.8 %–102.0 %; this electrode was also successful in detecting ORN in commercial tablets and milk samples.

Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Yam-Based Cookies Produced from Flours of Five Yam Varieties

The aspiration to reduce post-harvest losses of yams via the promotion of utilisation of the abundant readily available raw materials for industrial purposes and production of health-enhancing foods prompted this research. This work focused on evaluating the phytochemical, antioxidant, physicochemical and sensory properties of yam-based cookies produced from the flours of five yam varieties. Established standard procedures were used in all analyses. Results showed; Phytochemical compounds such as phenols, flavanoids, alkaloids and tannins were found present in the yam-based cookies in the range of 0.24- 0.37mg/100g, 0.26- 0.40 mg/100g, 0.6- 2.13mg/100g and 0.01- 0.17mg/100g. Saponin was not detected in all the yam flour cookies. Only a trace of 0.05 mg/100g was observed in wheat flour cookies (the control), Antioxidant activities of the yam-based cookies revealed that DPPH, FRAP, MCA, HRSA and SRSA ranged from 41.19-84.32, 0.29-0.95, 34.15-78.51, 29.64-69.54 and 24.13- 81.52 accordingly. Gluthanion was used as standard. The general trend observed was that, in all cases; sample HKC had the least antioxidant activities, OGC and ARC had higher antioxidant activities among the yam-based cookies, while GSH (the control) had the highest. The proximate values for Moisture, ash, crude fiber, crude protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy of yam-based cookies ranged from 7.31- 8.80%, 1.10 - 2.30%, 0.13 – 4.27%, 8.53-10.48%, 2.24 – 3.84%, 73.70-78.38% and 334.06-359.28 Kcal/100g. Physical properties of the Yam-based cookies such as diameter, width, thickness, weight, Spread ratio, spread factor and fragility ranged from 3.70-4.67 cm, 23.93-28.00 cm, 2.63-4.33cm, 5.16-9.67g, 0.83-1.64, 54.63-106.84 and 430.00-790.00g respectively. Cookies from all samples showed good physical quality features for the production cookies and biscuits. Sensory properties such as appearance, texture, crispiness aroma, taste and general acceptability of yam-based cookies ranged from 5.32-8.30, 6.48-8.44, 7.50-8.44, 6.36-7.68, 7.48-8.50, and 6.30-7.84 on a 9-point hedonic scale. Data from this study proved that it was feasible to produce acceptable cookies from the flours of the five yam varieties selected. Overall, samples GBC and ARC cookies competed favorably with the control-wheat cookies and are recommended for mass production. In Particular, sample ARC also combined good nutritional, phytochemical quality and strong antioxidant activities that could be of health benefits to consumers.

Modification of Silica with Sucrose and Ammonium Fluoride Agents: A Facile Route to Prepare Supports of Iridium Catalysts for Hydrogenation Reaction

Mesoporous silica materials were synthesized using inexpensive and environmentally friendly sucrose as a porogeneous agent. It was found that the presence of sucrose and the products of its chemical transformation during synthesis (e.g., furfural polymer) significantly affected the structure of the obtained porous silica. The influence of synthesis conditions (pH, temperature, time) on the textural properties of the final materials was determined. Samples obtained in an acidic medium, at pH = 1, and treated at room temperature, yielded products with a large surface area and a narrow pore size distribution in the range of 2–5 nm, while the synthesis at pH = 8 allowed for the formation of mesoporous systems with pores in the range of 14–20 nm. To generate acidity, the silicas were modified with an ammonium fluoride solution and then used as supports for iridium catalysts in a hydrogenation reaction, with toluene as a model hydrocarbon. The influence of parameters such as specific surface area, support acidity, and iridium dispersion on catalytic activity was determined. It was shown that modification with sucrose improved the porous structure, and NH4F modification generated acidity. These parameters favored better reducibility and dispersion of the active phase, resulting in higher activity of the catalysts in the studied hydrogenation reaction.

Investigation of the distribution of transuranic radionuclides in marine sediment at the Montebello Islands, Western Australia

Three nuclear weapons tests were conducted in the 1950s at the Montebello Islands, Western Australia. The detonations were of different yields and configurations (two tower tests, one ship test), and led to substantial radionuclide contamination within the surrounding terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The region possesses great ecological and recreational significance, particularly within the marine environment. However, studies conducted so far have largely neglected the marine ecosystem which makes up the majority of the Montebello Island Marine Park and in which most test fallout would have deposited. Here we investigated the distribution of the transuranic radionuclides 238Pu, 239,240Pu and 241Am in marine sediment from the Montebello Islands. Marine sediment samples near Operation Mosaic G2 and Operation Hurricane were collected and analysed by gamma and alpha spectrometry. Activity concentrations of 239,240Pu across both series ranged from 45 to 2900 Bq kg−1, while 241Am levels ranged from 2.8 to 70 Bq kg−1. Higher activity concentrations were observed in sediment near the land-based, higher yield Mosaic G2 test, compared with the ship-based, lower yield Hurricane test. Sediment samples located closer to the detonation site were also observed to have higher activity concentrations. Radioactive particles of 0.94 mm and 1.5 mm in diameter were identified by analysis of size-fractioned sediment via investigation of 152Eu levels, photostimulated autoradiography and point gamma spectroscopy. Particles were confirmed to have transuranic radionuclide interiors, with surface coatings which were dominated by vitrified CaCO3. Their long-term resistance to weathering and subsequent persistence in the marine environment can therefore be attributed to their coated structural form. Our study confirms the persistence of transuranic radionuclides in Montebello Island marine sediment and highlights the need for additional studies to improve our understanding of the nuclear legacy in this region.

Effects of L-Methionine and DL-Methionine on Growth Performance, Methionine-Metabolizing Enzyme Activities, Feather Traits, and Intestinal Morphology of Medium-Growing, Yellow-Feathered Chickens between 1 and 30 Days of Age

This experiment investigated the effects of L-Methionine (L-Met) on growth performance, Met-metabolizing enzyme activity, feather traits, and small intestinal morphological characteristics, and compared these with DL-Methionine (DL-Met) for medium-growing, yellow-feathered broilers during the starter phase. Furthermore, the aim was to provide recommendations for the appropriate dietary Met levels in feed. A total of 1584 1-d broilers were randomly divided into 11 treatment groups with six replicates of 24 birds each: basal diet (CON, Met 0.28%), basal diet + L-Met (0.04%, 0.08%, 0.12%, 0.16%, 0.20%), and basal diet + DL-Met (0.04%, 0.08%, 0.12%, 0.16%, 0.20%). The total trial period was 30 days. Compared with broilers fed the basal diet, those fed 0.04 to 0.20% supplemental Met had higher final body weight (FBW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and lower feed-to-gain ratio (F: G) (p < 0.05). Compared with DL-Met groups, the L-Met group had higher FBW and ADG (p < 0.05). The relative bioavailability (RBV) of L-Met in ADG of 1–30 d was 142.5%. Chicks fed diets supplemented with L-Met had longer fourth primary feather lengths compared to birds fed the control and diets supplemented with DL-Met (p < 0.05). Compared to the control, birds supplemented with DL-Met or L-Met had an increased moulting score (p ≤ 0.05). Chicks fed diets supplemented with L-Met had lower activities of methionine adenosyl transferase (MAT) compared to those fed the basal diet or supplemented with DL-Met (p < 0.05). Chicks supplemented with either DL-Met or L-Met had higher activities of cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) than those fed the basal diet (p < 0.05). Compared with the control, chicks fed diets supplemented with either DL-Met or L-Met had an enhanced level of albumin in plasma (p < 0.05). There were no obvious differences in the plasma content of uric acid and total protein among the treatments (p > 0.05). Chicks fed diets supplemented with either DL-Met or L-Met had higher villus height and V/C in the duodenal than chicks fed the basal diet (p < 0.05). The jejunum morphology was not affected by either L-Met or DL-Met supplementation (p > 0.05). Therefore, dietary supplementation with DL-Met or L-Met improved the growth performance, feather traits, and intestinal morphological characteristics of medium-growing, yellow-feathered broiler chickens aged 1 to 30 d by decreasing the enzyme activities of Met methylation (MAT) and increasing the enzyme activities of the sulfur transfer pathway (CBS), and supplementation with L-Met showed a better improvement compared with DL-Met. The relative efficacy of L-Met to DL-Met was 142.5% for ADG of yellow-feathered broilers. The appropriate Met levels for medium-growing, yellow-feathered broilers are between 0.36~0.38% (supplementation with DL-Met) or 0.32~0.33% (supplementation with L-Met) when based on ADG and feed-to-gain ratio.

Gibberellins Regulate Expression of Cyclins to Control Leaf Width in Rice

Leaves are the nutritive organs of rice. Leaf shape influences rice photosynthesis, subsequently impacting yield. Gibberellins, GAs, are important hormones, but the way in which GAs regulate leaf width is largely unknown. This study focuses on the d18 mutant with broader leaves due to defective GA biosynthesis. Statistical analysis indicates broader leaves in the d18 mutant compared to the wild-type group. An examination of leaf cell morphology shows a higher count of secondary vascular bundles in d18 than in the wild-type group. RNA-seq analysis demonstrates significantly higher expression of CYCB (CYCLIN B) and H4 (HISTONE H4) in d18 compared to wild type. In summary, the leaf width of d18 may due to a higher activity of cell division at leaf margin.

Synthesis, characterization, and a comparative study on the catalytic activity of the functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the green oxidation of sulfides

AbstractIn the following research, meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrinatomanganese (III) acetate (MnTCPP(OAc)) was immobilized onto the surface of two functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with different linker length via amide bond (Fe3O4@SiO2‐NH2‐MnTCPP(OAc) (A1) and Fe3O4@SiO2‐NHCO‐NH2‐MnTCPP(OAc) (A2)). The prepared catalysts were characterized by standard methods such as: atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), Ultra violet‐visible (UV‐Vis), Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques and also the effect of the length of the linker on the catalytic activity of supported magnetic nanohybrids was investigated. The prepared magnetic nano‐catalysts with different linker lengths were participated in a comparative study of the clean oxidation of sulfides with urea hydrogen peroxide (UHP) in ethanol. The higher catalytic activity, selectivity and also reusability were achieved in the presence of the catalyst with longer linker length (A2) at ambient temperature. Moreover, the turnover number (TON) of catalytic reactions using A2 as catalyst was highly enough to consider the catalyst as an efficient material to oxidize various sulfides. Both A1 and A2 catalysts simply have accomplished 5 runs of recycling without significant decrease in the catalytic activity.

Superior Anticancer and Antifungal Activities of New Sulfanyl-Substituted Niclosamide Derivatives

The approved anthelmintic salicylanilide drug niclosamide has shown promising anticancer and antimicrobial activities. In this study, new niclosamide derivatives with trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethylsulfanyl, and pentafluorosulfanyl substituents replacing the nitro group of niclosamide were prepared (including the ethanolamine salts of two promising salicylanilides) and tested for their anticancer activities against esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) cells. In addition, antifungal activity against a panel of Madurella mycetomatis strains, the most abundant causative agent of the neglected tropical disease eumycetoma, was evaluated. The new compounds revealed higher activities against EAC and fungal cells than the parent compound niclosamide. The ethanolamine salt 3a was the most active compound against EAC cells (IC50 = 0.8–1.0 µM), and its anticancer effects were mediated by the downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins (BCL2 and MCL1) and by decreasing levels of β-catenin and the phosphorylation of STAT3. The plausibility of binding to the latter factors was confirmed by molecular docking. The compounds 2a and 2b showed high in vitro antifungal activity against M. mycetomatis (IC50 = 0.2–0.3 µM) and were not toxic to Galleria mellonella larvae. Slight improvements in the survival rate of G. mellonella larvae infected with M. mycetomatis were observed. Thus, salicylanilides such as 2a and 3a can become new anticancer and antifungal drugs.

Factors associated with patient activation among patients with diabetes on hemodialysis: a multicenter cross-sectional study from a developing country

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health concern with considerable morbidity and mortality. DM affects patients’ quality of life and can lead to multiple complications, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the need for dialysis. Higher patient activation can improve health outcomes in hemodialysis patients with DM. This study aimed to explore the factors associated with higher patient activation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among hemodialysis patients with DM.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted on hemodialysis patients with DM in Palestine. The quota sampling method was utilized to draw samples from six dialysis centers. The questionnaire consists of three sections. The first section includes demographic, socioeconomic and clinical questions. The second section utilizes the patient activation measure-13 (PAM-13) to measure patient activation, while the third section assesses HRQoL using the EQ-5D-5 L tool and the visual analog scale (VAS). Mann‒Whitney and Kruskal‒Wallis tests were employed to examine the relationships between variables at the bivariate level, and multiple regression analysis was employed at the multivariate level.ResultsOf the 200 patients who were approached, 158 were included. The median PAM, EQ-5D index, and VAS score were low at 51.0, 0.58, and 60.0, respectively. A higher PAM score was independently associated with a higher household income level and taking medications independently. A higher EQ-5D index was associated with taking more than eight medications, taking medications independently, living with fewer than three comorbid conditions, and having a higher PAM. A higher VAS score was associated with being married, and receiving less than 3.5 hours of hemodialysis.ConclusionsA higher patient activation level was associated with a higher income level and independence in taking medications. Interventions designed to improve patient activation, such as medication management programs, should address these factors among the target population. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the time effect and direction of causation between health status and patient activation.