Adsorption of adipic acid in Al/B-N/P nanocages: DFT investigations

The biomolecular recognition of D-mannose-binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus (ArtinM) by Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) mediated by glycosylation allows their application in a multitude of biological systems. The present work describes the use of molecular dynamics (MD) to assess the Gibbs free energy associated with the formation of a ArtinM-HRP conjugate mediated by a glycosylation molecule. For the enthalpy term, we applied the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) method and for the vibrational entropy term, we use the quasi-harmonic approximation. Our results show that, even without glycosylation, the binding free energy between ArtinM and HRP is − 196.154 kJmol^− 1, an extremely high affinity with low selectivity, originated mainly through the van der Waals energy terms. The binding free energy between ArtinM and the glycosylated HRP (gHRP) was calculated at − 66.156 kJmol^− 1, an absolute and considerably lower value, however, originated from electrostatic energy terms, which increases the selectivity of molecular recognition. Our work has shown that the HRP active site region has a high affinity and low selectivity for other biomolecules. The presence of glycosylation plays a role in increasing this selectivity for this region. Thus, we conclude that performing mutagenesis of amino acid residues near the entrance of the catalytic site, can improve the activity of non-glycosylated HRPs. This illustrates new insights that can be applied to carbohydrate-based immunochemistry.

     

Linkage between bacterial and fungal rhizosphere communities in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is related to plant phylogeny

Phytoremediation is an attractive alternative to excavating and chemically treating contaminated soils. Certain plants can directly bioremediate by sequestering and/or transforming pollutants, but plants may also enhance bioremediation by promoting contaminant-degrading microorganisms in soils. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to compare the community composition of 66 soil samples from the rhizosphere of planted willows (Salix spp.) and six unplanted control samples at the site of a former petrochemical plant. The Bray–Curtis distance between bacterial communities across willow cultivars was significantly correlated with the distance between fungal communities in uncontaminated and moderately contaminated soils but not in highly contaminated (HC) soils (>2000 mg kg⁻¹ hydrocarbons). The mean dissimilarity between fungal, but not bacterial, communities from the rhizosphere of different cultivars increased substantially in the HC blocks. This divergence was partly related to high fungal sensitivity to hydrocarbon contaminants, as demonstrated by reduced Shannon diversity, but also to a stronger influence of willows on fungal communities. Abundance of the fungal class Pezizomycetes in HC soils was directly related to willow phylogeny, with Pezizomycetes dominating the rhizosphere of a monophyletic cluster of cultivars, while remaining in low relative abundance in other soils. This has implications for plant selection in phytoremediation, as fungal associations may affect the health of introduced plants and the success of co-inoculated microbial strains. An integrated understanding of the relationships between fungi, bacteria and plants will enable the design of treatments that specifically promote effective bioremediating communities.     

The prevalence and associated risk factors of restless legs syndrome among Saudi adults

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, other associated sleep disorders and commodities of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)...     

Biological silicon nanoparticles maximize the efficiency of nematicides against biotic stress induced by Meloidogyne incognita in eggplant

Nemours effective management tactics were used to reduce world crop losses caused by plant-parasitic nematodes. Nowadays the metallic nanoparticles are easily developed with desired size and shape. Nanoparticles (NPs) technology becomes a recognized need for researchers. Ecofriendly and biosafe SiNPs are developed from microorganisms. Recently, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) have gained novel pesticide properties against numerous agricultural pests. This study assessed the biosynthesis of SiNPs from Fusarium oxysporum SM5. The obtained SiNPs were spherical with a size of 45 nm and a negative charge of −25.65. The nematocidal effect of SiNPs against egg hatching and second-stage juveniles (J2) of root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) was evaluated on eggplant,Solanum melongena L. plants. In vitro, all tested SiNPs concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) inhibited the percentage of egg hatching at a different time of exposure than control. Meanwhile, after 72 h, the percent mortality of J2 ranged from 87.00 % to 98.50 %, with SiNPs (100 and 200 ppm). The combination between SiNPs and the half-recommended doses (0.5 RD) of commercial nematicides namely,  fenamiphos (Femax 40 % EC)^R, nemathorin (Fosthiazate 10 % WG) ^R, and fosthiazate (krenkel 75 % EC) ^R confirmed the increase of egg hatching inhibition and J2 mortality after exposure to SiNPs (100 ppm) mixed with 0.5 RD of synthetic nematicides. The findings suggest that the combination between SiNPs, and 0.5 RD of nematicides reduced nematode reproduction, gall formation, egg masses on roots and final population of J2 in the soil. Therefore, improving the plant growth parameters by reducing the M. incognita population.     

Therapeutic potential of the methanolic extract of Lepidium sativum seeds on mice infected with Trypanosoma evansi

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of the methanolic extract of Lepidium sativum seeds in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi. A total of thirty-two male Swiss albino mice were randomly divided into four groups: the first group was the normal control, while the second, third and fourth groups were infected intraperitoneally with 1 × 10⁴ trypanosomes. The third and fourth groups were treated with 100 μl of Lepidium sativum seed extract (LSSE) at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally (infected + LSSEI) and orally (infected + LSSEO) respectively, once a day, for a period of four days.Parasitaemia was found to be significantly raised in the untreated infected group, reaching 2 × 10⁷ at day 4 post-infection, but was significantly reduced by 65.5% and 88% in the mice treated orally and intraperitoneally with LSSE, respectively. The erythrocyte count, HCT, haemoglobin content, leucocyte count and the percentage of lymphocytes was significantly reduced in the untreated infected group, while the treatment with LSSE returned these parameters to their pre-infection values. In addition, our study proved that LSSE provided protection against liver tissue damage and decreased the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The present study also established that intraperitoneal injection of LSSE is more effective than oral administration in the treatment of trypanosome infection in mice. In conclusion, the infection caused haematological, biochemical and histological changes that were ameliorated following treatment with LSSE.     

Rapid analytical method for the determination of 220 pesticide with their isomers by GCMS-TIC

This paper presents a cost-effective and validated multi residue modified and miniaturized method for the determination of 220 chemically different groups of pesticides and their isomers. This determination method is performed with single Quaid Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry -Total Ion Chromatogram GCMS-TIC. Two methods was experimented and modified with different GCMS parameters to analyses most common used pesticide and their residues in the standers solution and can be applied for real environmental samples. The results showed by single Quaid GCMS-TIC it can analyze 220 pesticides including their isomers within 49.6 min and low detection limit by using modified method 2 as described in this research. Limit of detection (LOD) was ranged from 0.78 to 14.74 ng/ml (ppb) with good separation and resolution. Limit of quantification (LOQ) was ranged between 2.34 and 44.22 ng/ml (ppb). Method 2 was more accurate, shorter, and clear separation rather than method 1. This method can be successfully applied in real environmental samples proven to be a good option for routine analysis of pesticide within the maximum residue limits (MRL) referenced to European commission especially with the most common GCMS-TIC which exists in most of labs and low income countries.     

Stuttered swallowing: Electric stimulation of the right insula interferes with water swallowing. A case report

Background  

Various functional resonance imaging, magnetoencephalographic and lesion studies suggest the involvement of the insular cortex in the control of swallowing. However, the exact location of insular activation during swallowing and its functional significance remain unclear.     

Biodiversity characteristics of Teucrium polium species in Saudi Arabia

Teucrium (Lamiaceae) is a large and polymorphic genus distributed mainly in Europe, North Africa and in the temperate parts of Asia. In this study, the anatomical features of the leaf and stem of Teucrium polium are investigated. Teucrium has 19 taxa in Iran, which mainly grow in the Irano-Turanian region between 700 and 2000 m above sea level. T. polium belonging to sect. Polium, is a perennial herb growing on Lorestan province. The leaves clearly exhibit xeromorphy due to features such as thick cuticle layer, thick outer epidermal cell wall, high density of trichomes and thick palisade layer of the mesophyll. Anatomical studies on T. polium revealed that the stem shares the general characteristics of the Labiatae family. The aim of our approach was to study the morphological and taxonomical parameters for T. polium in Saudi Arabia. The results of this study showed that there was no influence of environment on the structure of stomata and trichomes as studying species with T.polium. In conclusion our study shows we have studied the geographical distribution of the species in Saudi Arabia and in the world.     

Symptoms and risk for obstructive sleep apnea among sample of Saudi Arabian adults

The aim of this study was to determine the risk and symptoms for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among Saudi Arabian adults. This cross-sectional survey among healthy participants was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City-Riyadh (KAMC-R). The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) was used to assess the risk of OSA, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to measure excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) as a manifestation of OSA in participants. The total number of participants was 2095, mean age of the sample was 42.3 (±15.5) years and 848 (40.7%) were females. Using BQ, 31.9% of the participants were classified as high risk for OSA (33.4% among females and 31.1% among males). The risk for OSA increased with age: 19.4% among the young group (≤29 years), 35.2% among the middle-aged (30–59 years), and 41% among the elderly (≥60 years). The risk of symptomatic OSA by combining both BQ and ESS was 7.8% and increased with age (5.5% among the young group, 8.5% among the middle-aged, and 9.7% among the elderly), but there was no difference between gender (8% among females vs. 7.7% among males). This study showed that the risk for OSA is very high, is equal in both genders and it increases with age and obesity.

     

Quantitative Bestimmung isometrischer Pflanzen-Viren mit Hilfe des Radialimmundiffusionstestes

Abstract

This study compared the nutritional indices in third instar female nymphs of the tropical grasshopper, Poecilocerus bmtonius, after feeding on Calotropis procera or wheat seedling. Analysis of the main and interactive effects of feeding on C. procera indicates that nymph performance was not affected by the cardenolides present in C. procera. The rate of consumption and assimilation on C. procerawas higher when compared with that of wheat seedlings and weight gain of the nymphs on C. procera was correlated to higher assimilation. The relative consumption rate (RCR) and relative growth rate (RGR) were significantly higher in nymphs fed on C. procera than in those fed on wheat seedlings. Feeding on wheat seedlings significantly reduced the approximate digestibility (AD), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD). Feeding on wheat seedlings resulted in 60% mortality of nymphs before moulting to the fourth instar stage. The nutritional indices were also estimated after feeding on C. procera only by fourth instar nymphs.