Enhancing Drought Tolerance in Wheat through Improving MorphoPhysiological and Antioxidants Activities of Plants by the Supplementation of Foliar Silicon

The main objective of the research is to assess the role of foliar application of silicon (Si) for enhancing the survival ability of wheat under drought stress through improving its morphology, physicochemical and antioxidants activities. Treatments were five doses of Si at the rate of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM and a control. After completion of seeds germination, pots were divided into four distinct groups at various field capacity (FC) levels, such as 100% FC (well-irrigated condition), 75% FC (slight water deficit), 50% FC (modest water deficit) and 25% FC (severe water deficit stress condition). Foliar application of Si at the rate of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM and a control were given after 30 days of sowing at the tillering stage of wheat. Findings of the present investigation indicated that increasing the level of water deficit stress reduced the morphological parameters (such as root and shoot fresh and dry-biomass weight) and physico-biochemical events ((such as chlorophyll contents by estimating SPAD value), total free amino acid (TFAA), total soluble sugar (TSS), total soluble protein (TSP), total proline (TP), CAT (catalase), POD (peroxidase), SOD (superoxide dismutase) and APX (ascorbate peroxidase)) of wheat; while foliar application of Si at 6 mM at tillering stage enhanced the drought tolerance in wheat by increasing morphology and physiochemical characters under all levels of drought stress. Similarly, antioxidants activities in wheat also enhanced by the application of Si at 6 mM under normal as well as all drought stress levels. Therefore, it may be concluded that foliar application of Si at 6 mM at the tillering stage of wheat is an important indication for increasing the drought tolerance by improving the morphology, physico-biochemical and antioxidants activities in plants under deficit water (drought) conditions.     

Second‐derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetric assay of dapagliflozin: Application to stability study and pharmaceutical preparation

A highly accurate, simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric analytical method for dapagliflozin (DGF) quantitation was developed. The proposed method was successively applied to DGF analysis in both its pure and pharmaceutical dosage forms. This method was developed to investigate DGF stability in its degradation products, as laid out in International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) rules. Kinetics of alkaline degradation of DGF was also calculated. The half‐life time (t_1/2) of the reaction was 75.32 min. An alkaline degradation pathway was described. The present study involved measurement of the second‐derivative synchronous fluorescence intensity of DGF at Δλ = 30 nm. Peak amplitude was measured at 322 nm. Linear range of the calibration curve was 0.1–1.0 μg ml^?1. Lower detection and quantitation limits were 0.023 and 0.071 μg ml^?1, respectively, and indicated good sensitivity of the proposed method. Mean per cent recovery was 99.78 ± 1.78%. The proposed analytical approach was successfully applied to DGF in the quality control laboratory and would be suitable as a stability‐indicating assay.     

Flight responses of Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) to corn kernel volatiles in a wind tunnel

The flight behavioral responses of males and females of Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) to corn kernel volatiles, in a wind tunnel, and the determination and identification of the active compounds of corn kernel volatiles were investigated. A wind tunnel bioassay was carried out to test the response of males and females to 15, 30, 60, and 120 g equivalents of corn kernel volatiles. Gas chromatography-electroantennography was used to determine which components in corn kernel volatiles elicited an EAD response using male and female antennae. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique was used to identify the active compounds of corn kernel volatiles. A 60-g equivalent of corn kernel volatiles elicited attractant behavior of unmated males to landing near the source. Mated males and virgin females were not attracted to corn kernel volatiles. The number of mated females landing was significantly higher in 60- and 120-g equivalents of corn kernel volatiles, compared to the other concentrations and the control. The antennae of males and females responded to four active compounds of corn kernel volatiles. Three of these compounds were identified, namely nonanal, decanal, and geranyl acetone. It is suggested that host finding and selection by S. cerealella is associated with its host volatiles.     

Novel benzofuran-based sulphonamides as selective carbonic anhydrases IX and XII inhibitors: synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation

Abstract

Pursuing on our efforts toward searching for efficient hCA IX and hCA XII inhibitors, herein we report the design and synthesis of new sets of benzofuran-based sulphonamides (4a,b, 5a,b, 9a–c, and 10a–d), featuring the zinc anchoring benzenesulfonamide moiety linked to a benzofuran tail via a hydrazine or hydrazide linker. All the target benzofurans were examined for their inhibitory activities toward isoforms hCA I, II, IX, and XII. The target tumour-associated hCA IX and XII isoforms were efficiently inhibited with K _Is spanning in ranges 10.0–97.5 and 10.1–71.8?nM, respectively. Interestingly, arylsulfonehydrazones 9 displayed the best selectivity toward hCA IX and XII over hCA I (SIs: 39.4–250.3 and 26.0–149.9, respectively), and over hCA II (SIs: 19.6–57.1 and 13.0–34.2, respectively). Furthermore, the target benzofurans were assessed for their anti-proliferative activity, according to US-NCI protocol, toward a panel of sixty cancer cell lines. Only benzofurans 5b and 10b possessed selective and moderate growth inhibitory activity toward certain cancer cell lines.     

Over-Expression of hNGF in Adult Human Olfactory Bulb Neural Stem Cells Promotes Cell Growth and Oligodendrocytic Differentiation

The adult human olfactory bulb neural stem/progenitor cells (OBNC/PC) are promising candidate for cell-based therapy for traumatic and neurodegenerative insults. Exogenous application of NGF was suggested as a promising therapeutic strategy for traumatic and neurodegenerative diseases, however effective delivery of NGF into the CNS parenchyma is still challenging due mainly to its limited ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, and intolerable side effects if administered into the brain ventricular system. An effective method to ensure delivery of NGF into the parenchyma of CNS is the genetic modification of NSC to overexpress NGF gene. Overexpression of NGF in adult human OBNSC is expected to alter their proliferation and differentiation nature, and thus might enhance their therapeutic potential. In this study, we genetically modified adult human OBNS/PC to overexpress human NGF (hNGF) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes to provide insight about the effects of hNGF and GFP genes overexpression in adult human OBNS/PC on their in vitro multipotentiality using DNA microarray, immunophenotyping, and Western blot (WB) protocols. Our analysis revealed that OBNS/PC-GFP and OBNS/PC-GFP-hNGF differentiation is a multifaceted process involving changes in major biological processes as reflected in alteration of the gene expression levels of crucial markers such as cell cycle and survival markers, stemness markers, and differentiation markers. The differentiation of both cell classes was also associated with modulations of key signaling pathways such MAPK signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway for OBNS/PC-GFP, and axon guidance, calcium channel, voltage-dependent, gamma subunit 7 for OBNS/PC-GFP-hNGF as revealed by GO and KEGG. Differentiated OBNS/PC-GFP-hNGF displayed extensively branched cytoplasmic processes, a significant faster growth rate and up modulated the expression of oligodendroglia precursor cells markers (PDGFRα, NG2 and CNPase) respect to OBNS/PC-GFP counterparts. These findings suggest an enhanced proliferation and oligodendrocytic differentiation potential for OBNS/PC-GFP-hNGF as compared to OBNS/PC-GFP.     

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Schistosomiasis among Children in Yemen: Implications for an Effective Control Programme

Background

Schistosomiasis, one of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases, is a life-threatening public health problem in Yemen especially in rural communities. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of schistosomiasis among children in rural Yemen.

Methods/Findings

Urine and faecal samples were collected from 400 children. Urine samples were examined using filtration technique for the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs while faecal samples were examined using formalin-ether concentration and Kato Katz techniques for the presence of S. mansoni. Demographic, socioeconomic and environmental information were collected via a validated questionnaire. Overall, 31.8% of the participants were found to be positive for schistosomiasis; 23.8% were infected with S. haematobium and 9.3% were infected with S. mansoni. Moreover, 39.5% of the participants were anaemic whereas 9.5% had hepatosplenomegaly. The prevalence of schistosomiasis was significantly higher among children aged >10 years compared to those aged ≤10 years (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis confirmed that presence of other infected family member (P<0.001), low household monthly income (P = 0.003), using unsafe sources for drinking water (P = 0.003), living nearby stream/spring (P = 0.006) and living nearby pool/pond (P = 0.002) were the key factors significantly associated with schistosomiasis among these children.

Conclusions/Significance

This study reveals that schistosomiasis is still highly prevalent in Yemen. These findings support an urgent need to start an integrated, targeted and effective schistosomiasis control programme with a mission to move towards the elimination phase. Besides periodic drug distribution, health education and community mobilisation, provision of clean and safe drinking water, introduction of proper sanitation are imperative among these communities in order to curtail the transmission and morbidity caused by schistosomiasis. Screening and treating other infected family members should also be adopted by the public health authorities in combating this infection in these communities.     

Gene expression profiling of embryonic human neural stem cells and dopaminergic neurons from adult human substantia nigra

Neural stem cells (NSC) with self-renewal and multipotent properties serve as an ideal cell source for transplantation to treat neurodegenerative insults such as Parkinson's disease. We used Agilent's and Illumina Whole Human Genome Oligonucleotide Microarray to compare the genomic profiles of human embryonic NSC at a single time point in culture, and a multicellular tissue from postmortem adult substantia nigra (SN) which are rich in dopaminergic (DA) neurons. We identified 13525 up-regulated genes in both cell types of which 3737 (27.6%) genes were up-regulated in the hENSC, 4116 (30.4%) genes were up-regulated in the human substantia nigra dopaminergic cells, and 5672 (41.93%) were significantly up-regulated in both cell population. Careful analysis of the data that emerged using DAVID has permitted us to distinguish several genes and pathways that are involved in dopaminergic (DA) differentiation, and to identify the crucial signaling pathways that direct the process of differentiation. The set of genes expressed more highly at hENSC is enriched in molecules known or predicted to be involved in the M phase of the mitotic cell cycle. On the other hand, the genes enriched in SN cells include a different set of functional categories, namely synaptic transmission, central nervous system development, structural constituents of the myelin sheath, the internode region of axons, myelination, cell projection, cell somata, ion transport, and the voltage-gated ion channel complex. Our results were also compared with data from various databases, and between different types of arrays, Agilent versus Illumina. This approach has allowed us to confirm the consistency of our obtained results for a large number of genes that delineate the phenotypical differences of embryonic NSCs, and SN cells.