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Net blotch disease caused by Drechslera teres is a major fungal disease that affects barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) plants and can result in significant crop losses. In this study, we developed a deep learning model to quantify net blotch disease symptoms on different days postinfection on seedling leaves using Cascade R-CNN (region-based convolutional neural network) and U-Net (a convolutional neural network) architectures. We used a dataset of barley leaf images with annotations of net blotch disease to train and evaluate the model. The model achieved an accuracy of 95% for Cascade R-CNN in net blotch disease detection and a Jaccard index score of 0.99, indicating high accuracy in disease quantification and location. The combination of Cascade R-CNN and U-Net architectures improved the detection of small and irregularly shaped lesions in the images at 4 days postinfection, leading to better disease quantification. To validate the model developed, we compared the results obtained by automated measurement with a classical method (necrosis diameter measurement) and a pathogen detection by real-time PCR. The proposed deep learning model could be used in automated systems for disease quantification and to screen the efficacy of potential biocontrol agents to protect against disease., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. In contrast, the regulation of the endocannabinoid system has been shown to promote neuroprotection in different neurotoxic paradigms. The existence of an active form of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) in mitochondrial membranes (mitCB1R), which might exert its effects through the same signaling mechanisms as the cell membrane CB1R, has been shown to regulate mitochondrial activity. Although there is evidence suggesting that some cannabinoids may induce protective effects on isolated mitochondria, substantial evidence on the role of cannabinoids in mitochondria remains to be explored. In this work, we developed a toxic model of mitochondrial dysfunction induced by exposure of brain mitochondria to the succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP). Mitochondria were also pre-incubated with the endogenous agonist anandamide (AEA) and the synthetic CB1R agonist WIN 55212-2 to evaluate their protective effects. Mitochondrial reduction capacity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and mitochondrial swelling were assessed as toxic markers. While 3-NP decreased the mitochondrial reduction capacity and augmented mitochondrial ROS formation and swelling, both AEA and WIN 55212-2 ameliorated these toxic effects. To explore the possible involvement of mitCB1R activation on the protective effects of AEA and WIN 55212-2, mitochondria were also pre-incubated in the presence of the selective CB1R antagonist AM281, which completely reverted the protective effects of the cannabinoids to levels similar to those evoked by 3-NP. These results show partial protective effects of cannabinoids, suggesting that mitCB1R activation may be involved in the recovery of compromised mitochondrial activity, related to reduction of ROS formation and further prevention of mitochondrial swelling., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The development of anthroposols has been proposed as a new environmentally friendly approach to ensuring the successful revegetation of phosphate mining sites. The phosphate industry's by-products, including phosphogypsum (PG), phosphate sludge (PS), and sewage sludge (SS), can be valuable resources in restoring the ecological balance of mined soil areas. The aim of this study was to safely and sustainably restore the ecological integrity of the phosphate mining site through the evaluation of nutrients and heavy metals dynamics in soil and plant tissues of three tree species and treated by-products containing 65 % PG, 30 % PS, and 5 % SS. The tree species used were Pistacia atlantica, Schinus molle, and Eucalyptus globulus. The experimental layout was a randomised complete block design with six replicates and three treatments. Growth diameter, height, nutrient uptakes and heavy metal dynamic were evaluated from the rhizosphere soils and plant tissues over two years. Hierarchical head maps of correlations between the measured growth parameters, soil and nutrient uptakes of the tree species were analysed using a phylogenetic generalised linear mixed model. S. molle and E. globulus had higher average diameter and height than P. atlantica plants. P. atlantica and S. molle showed greater nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium concentrations than E. globulus trees. Tree growth parameters were closely linked to soil nutrient bioavailability. The heavy metal accumulation ratio was higher in the E. globulus and S. molle leaves than in stems. Using by-products could be valorised for rehabilitating mine sites together with E. globulus and S. molle species., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The extremotolerant red yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa displays resilience to diverse environmental stressors, including cold, osmolarity, salinity, and oligotrophic conditions. Particularly, this yeast exhibits a remarkable ability to accumulate lipids and carotenoids in response to stress conditions. However, research into lipid biosynthesis has been hampered by limited genetic tools and a scarcity of studies on adaptive responses to nutrient stressors stimulating lipogenesis. This study investigated the impact of nitrogen stress on the adaptive response in Antarctic yeast R. mucilaginosa M94C9. Varied nitrogen availability reveals a nitrogen-dependent modulation of biomass and lipid droplet production, accompanied by significant ultrastructural changes to withstand nitrogen starvation. In silico analysis identifies open reading frames of genes encoding key lipogenesis enzymes, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acc1), fatty acid synthases 1 and 2 (Fas1/Fas2), and acyl-CoA diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (Dga1). Further investigation into the expression profiles of RmACC1 , RmFAS1 , RmFAS2 , and RmDGA1 genes under nitrogen stress revealed that the prolonged up-regulation of the RmDGA1 gene is a molecular indicator of lipogenesis. Subsequent fatty acid profiling unveiled an accumulation of oleic and palmitic acids under nitrogen limitation during the stationary phase. This investigation enhances our understanding of nitrogen stress adaptation and lipid biosynthesis, offering valuable insights into R. mucilaginosa M94C9 for potential industrial applications in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Rosas-Paz, Zamora-Bello, Torres-Ramírez, Villarreal-Huerta, Romero-Aguilar, Pardo, El Hafidi, Sandoval, Segal-Kischinevzky and González.)

SARS-CoV-2 is an obligatory intracellular pathogen that requires a lipid bilayer membrane for its transport to build its nucleocapsid envelope and fuse with the host cell. The biological membranes are constituted by phospholipids (PLs), and vitamin E (Vit E) protects them from oxidative stress (OS). The aim of this study was to demonstrate if treatment with Vit E restores the modified profile of the FA in PLs in serum from patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We evaluated Vit E, total fatty acids (TFAs), fatty acids of the phospholipids (FAPLs), total phospholipids (TPLs), 8-isoprostane, thromboxane B 2 (TXB 2 ), prostaglandins (PGE 2 and 6-keto-PGF1 α ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum from 22 COVID-19 patients before and after treatment with Vit E and compared the values with those from 23 healthy subjects (HSs). COVID-19 patients showed a decrease in Vit E, TPLs, FAPLs, and TFAs in serum in comparison to HSs ( p ≤ 0.01), and Vit E treatment restored their levels ( p ≤ 0.04). Likewise, there was an increase in IL-6 and CRP in COVID-19 patients in comparison with HSs ( p ≤ 0.001), and treatment with Vit E decreased their levels ( p ≤ 0.001). Treatment with Vit E as monotherapy can contribute to restoring the modified FA profile of the PLs in the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and this leads to a decrease in lipid peroxidation, OS, and the inflammatory process.

Hexavalent chromium removal from the environment remains a crucial worldwide challenge. To address this issue, microbiological approaches are amongst the straightforward strategies that rely mainly on the bacteria's and fungi's survival mechanisms upon exposure to toxic metals, such as reduction, efflux system, uptake, and biosorption. In this work, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and zeta potential measurements were used to investigate the ability of chromium adsorption by Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Byssochlamys sp., and Candida maltosa strains isolated from tannery wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed alterations in the cells treated with hexavalent chromium. When exposed to 50 mg/L Cr 6+ , Bacillus licheniformis and Candida maltosa cells become rough, extracellular secretions are reduced in Bacillus megaterium , and Byssochlamys sp. cells are tightly bound and exhibit the greatest Cr weight percentage. In-depth analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectra of control and Cr-treated cells unveiled Cr-microbial interactions involving proteins, lipids, amino acids, and carbohydrates. These findings were supported by zeta potential measurements highlighting significant variations in charge after treatment with Cr(VI) with an adsorption limit of 100 mg/L Cr 6+ for all the strains. Byssochlamys sp. showed the best performance in Cr adsorption, making it the most promising candidate for treating Cr-laden wastewater., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Aké, Rochdi, Jemo, Hafidi, Ouhdouch and El Fels.)

Background and Aims: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical infection caused by Leishmania parasite that affect human and animal. In Morocco, the cutaneous leishmaniasis has spread substantially to the new areas. The surveillance limited to active foci may underestimate the occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). This study aims to investigate the local transmission of CL in rural districts of Youssoufia province, central Morocco, as a potential focus of CL., Methods: For this purpose, parasitological, molecular and entomological investigations were carried out in this area. Data collection concerns potential vectors and human cases. Thus, 402 patients were examined for suspected leishmaniasis lesions in three localities of the province of Youssoufia. In these same localities, 983 sand flies were collected by CDC light traps and sticky paper during one-night per month during 6 months. These sand flies were all identified morphologically using the Moroccan identification key., Results: The results showed that among the 25 skin lesions detected in a population of 402 individuals, 18 were confirmed by kDNA nested PCR as CL positive patients, of which only 25% were positive by direct examination. Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major were identified as causative agents of CL in the study area. Direct parasitological examination showed a low sensitivity (27.78%), especially for L. major, although its specificity was evaluated at 100%. Regarding entomological results, both genera of the Moroccan sand fly were collected in the study area: Genus/Phlebotomus (75.28%) and Sergentomyia (24.72%). Phlebotomus (P) papatasi, the proven vector of L. major, was the most abundant species (33.98%), followed by Paralongicollum sergenti (22.58%), the confirmed vector of L. tropica; while Sergentomyia (S) minuta, P. longicuspis, S. fallax and P. kazeruni were collected with, respectively, 17.60%, 16.99%, 7.12% and 1.73%., Conclusion: This study constitutes the first report of CL in the study areas, as well as the coexistence of L. tropica and L. major in these rural localities. Local transmission of CL is highly probable, as indicated by the prevalence of the two proven vectors of L. major and L. tropica. To control the spread of this disease, our results suggest the use of highly sensitive molecular methods to detect CL cases in potential leishmaniasis foci, which will improve surveillance., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Cysticercus fasciolaris is a parasitic helminth that usually infects feline and canine mammal hosts. The intermediate hosts (rodents, occasionally lagomorphs, and humans) get infected by the consumption of feed or water contaminated with eggs. Rodents are vectors of disease and reservoirs of various zoonotic parasites. The current survey was aimed at determining endoparasitic helminth infections in rodents in central Morocco. Sampled rodents after specific identification were sacrificed and examined to identify parasitic helminths following ethical guidelines. Parasites were identified using morphological characteristics. A total of 197 specimens of rodents were collected and examined in this study. Ten rodent species were identified morphologically as Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus, M. spretus, Mastomys erythroleucus, Meriones shawi, M. libycus, Gerbillus campestris, and Lemniscomys barbarus. The parasitological results showed that metacestode of tapeworms was found encysted in the liver, the larval stage of Taenia taeniaeformis develops large multinodular fibrosarcomas which envelope the tapeworm cysts in the liver of the R. rattus and R. norvegicus. Based on morphological data, the metacestode was identified as C. fasciolaris in 23 (23/80) R. rattus 2 (2/8) and R. norvegicus with a prevalence of 11.7 % and 1.0 %, respectively. Rodents are major vectors of human and domestic animal diseases worldwide, and therefore, important parasitic zoonotic agents (C. fasciolaris), which are transmitted by black rats (R. rattus) and brown rats (R. norvegicus), must be considered to prevent the infectivity of humans, domestic animals, and livestock such as cattle, sheep, and rabbits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS) represents a residual pollutant generated by the olive oil industry, often stored in exposed evaporation ponds, leading to contamination of nearby land and water resources. Despite its promising composition, the valorization of OMWS remains underexplored compared to olive mill wastewater (OMW). This study aims to identify potent native microbial species within OMWS suitable for bioremediation and its transformation into a high-value organic fertilizer. The microbial screening, based on assessing OMWS tolerance and phosphate solubilization properties in vitro, followed by a singular inoculation using a mixture of OMWS and rock phosphate (RP). Identification of FUN 06 (Galactomyces Geotrichum), a fungal species, employed as an inoculant in the treatment of sterile OMWS supplemented with RP. Results demonstrate that fungal inoculation notably diminished OMWS phytotoxicity while enhancing its physicochemical parameters, nutrient concentrations, and removal of toxic organic compounds by up to 90% compared to the control, and enhances plant growth, offering a sustainable approach to tackle environmental concerns. Additionally, metataxonomic analysis unveiled FUN 06's propensity to enhance the presence of microbial species engaged in pollutant degradation. However, higher RP dosage (10%) appeared to adversely affect bioprocess efficiency, suggesting a potential dose-related effect. Overall, FUN 06, isolated from OMWS evaporation ponds, shows promise for effective bioremediation and sustainable reuse. In fact, our results indicate that targeted microbial inoculation stands as an effective strategy for mitigating pollutants in OMWS, facilitating its conversion into a nutrient-rich organo-mineral fertilizer suitable for direct use, promoting its beneficial reuse in agriculture, thereby presenting a promising avenue for olive oil waste management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we investigate the behavior of skyrmions within a racetrack design incorporating voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) gates. Our analysis encompassed multiple forces, including spin currents and anisotropy gradients induced by bias voltages. As a result, the efficient control of skyrmion dynamics was achieved across various VCMA gate configurations. Building upon these findings, we propose an efficient approach to reconfigurable skyrmion logic (RSL) in a thin antiferromagnetic (AFM) film through a versatile design. Our RSL harnesses the selective integration of VCMA, spin-polarized currents, and skyrmion-skyrmion (sky-sky) interactions to implement multiple logic gates, including AND, OR, XOR, NOT, NAND, XNOR, and NOR. The design brings a significant advantage with its simplified fabrication process, making the implementation of the RSL practical and accessible for various applications. Furthermore, the RSL enables seamless dynamic switching between logic gates, thereby enhancing its multifunctionality. Additionally, the strategic incorporation of sky-sky interactions and skyrmion-edge repulsion prominently facilitates the realization of complex gates, such as NAND, XNOR, and NOR gates, that typically require intricate design efforts. Hence, this streamlined integration of RSL, coupled with its adaptability to changing computational needs, underscores its potential as a practical solution for implementing high-functionality skyrmion-based logic gates.

Aim: Obesity is a worldwide health issue, associated with development of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of consumption of two hypercaloric diets on metabolic disturbance and beta cells damage., Main Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to twelve months consumption of three diets: a Control balanced diet (CTD, carbohydrates 58 %, proteins 29 %, lipids 13 %) and two hypercaloric diets, high in sucrose (HSD, carbohydrates 68 %, proteins 22 %, lipids 10 %) or high in fat (HFD, carbohydrates 31 %, proteins 14 %, lipids 55 %). Serum levels of glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acids were measured after zoometric parameters determination. Antioxidant enzymes activity and oxidative stress-marker were measured in pancreas tissue among histological analysis of Langerhans islets., Key Findings: Although diets were hypercaloric, the amount of food consumed by rats decreased, resulting in an equal caloric consumption. The HSD induced hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia with higher levels in free fatty acids (FFA, lipotoxicity); whereas HFD did not increased neither the triglycerides nor FFA, nevertheless the loss of islets' cell was larger. Both diets induced obesity with hyperglycemia and significant reduction in Langerhans islets size., Significance: Our results demonstrate that consumption of HSD induces more significant metabolic disturbances that HFD, although both generated pancreas damage; as well hypercaloric diet consumption is not indispensable to becoming obese; the chronic consumption of unbalanced diets (rich in carbohydrates or lipids) may lead to abdominal obesity with metabolic and functional disturbances, although the total amount of calories are similar., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Arbuscular mycorrhizal and Trichoderma fungi alter the synthesis of secondary metabolites of plants and confer tolerance from pathogens attacks. However, there is less supportive evidence from on-field studies confirming the above-mentioned hypothesis, particularly for the humid forest zone of Cameroon where pathogens are important sources of yield losses for legumes such as soybean and common bean., Materials and Methods: We evaluated the impacts of mycorrhiza isolates of Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri) and Trichoderma asperellum (Ta) fungi and their co-inoculations (Ta x Ri) in the synthetizing of leaves secondary metabolites, foliar disease symptoms, growth, N and P uptake, and yields of three genotypes of soybean (TGx 1485-1D, TGx 1990-93 F, and TGx 1990-97 F) and common beans (NUA-99, DOR-701, and PNN) under field conditions of Cameroon., Results: We found that common bean plants showed a lower foliar infection rate but a higher increase in root colonization intensity, shoot dry weight, and N and P uptakes than soybeans when inoculated with Ri and Ta treatment. However, the grain yield of soybean soybean was higher (2000 kg ha 1 ) than the common bean plants for the Ri × Ta treatment. The soybean genotype TGx 1990-93F had increased root colonization intensity and the lowest foliar infection rate, making it stronger and tolerant to pathogen attacks when co-inoculated with Ri × Ta fungi (F). Bean plants inoculated with Ri and the co-inoculated with Ri × Ta demonstrated lower symptoms of foliar attack, and increased root colonization, particularly the PNN variety. The total amino acid and proline accumulations were higher for soybean than common bean plants due to fungi inoculations, and soybean genotypes accumulated more excellent contents of amino acid and proline in the control (10.1 mg g - 1 fwt) that significantly increased under the Ri × Ta inoculation (13.4 mg g - 1 fwt)., Conclusions: Common bean plants inoculated with Ta and Ri fungi accumulated higher phenolic compounds in their leaves that aided them in overcoming the pathogen attacks than soybean plants., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To report the progression of patients diagnosed with birdshot chorioretinopathy (BSCR) initially treated with corticosteroids., Methods: We included 39 BSCR patients that were followed for ≥1 year. We analyzed their progression under treatment after 1, 3, 6 months, 1 year, and at the end of follow-up. In order to determine the efficiency of initial loading doses, patients were classified into two groups according to their initial treatment: methylprednisolone followed by prednisone (n = 28) and prednisone alone (n = 11)., Results: At the end of follow-up, 31/39 (79.5%) patients had reached inflammation control. Thirteen out of 28 (46.4%) and 6/11 (54.5%) patients were treated exclusively with corticosteroids, and 18/19 (94.7%) of them had reached inflammation control at the end of follow-up; their mean (range) corticosteroid dose was 3.5 (0-10) mg/day., Conclusions: We found that the prolonged corticosteroid therapy treatment strategy resulted in inflammation control in half of BSCR patients. This control was maintained with low doses of cortisone, usually <5 mg/day.

Olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS) is a by-product of the olive extraction process that is attracting substantial attention due to its extremely hazardous effects on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. OMWS is a product of the common disposal method of olive oil mill wastewater (OMWW) that accumulates in evaporation ponds. It is estimated that approximately 10 × 10 6 m 3 of OMWS is generated worldwide each year. OMWS is characterized by its significantly variable physicochemical properties and organic pollutant constituents, such as phenols and lipids, which are dependent upon the environmental features of the receiving ponds. Nonetheless, many related studies have recognized the biofertilizer potential of this sludge owing to its high mineral nutrient and organic matter load. OMWS exhibits promising valorization potential in several fields, including agriculture and energy production. Compared to those of OMWW, studies of OMWS are still lacking concerning its composition and characteristics, which are necessary for the future implementation of efficient valorization strategies. The main purpose of this review paper is to fill the gap that exists in the literature by providing a critical analysis of the available data on OMWS production, distribution, characteristics, and properties. Additionally, this work sheds light on important factors affecting OMWS properties, including the variability of the indigenous microbial communities regarding bioremediation. Finally, this review addresses the current and future valorization routes, from detoxification to the development of promising applications in agriculture, energy, and the environment, which could have significant socioeconomic implications for low-income Mediterranean countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Low availability of phosphorus (P) in both acidic and alkaline soils is a major problem for sustainable improvement in wheat crops yield. Optimization of crops productivity can be achieved by increasing the bioavailability of P by phosphate solubilizing Actinomycetota (PSA). However, their effectiveness may vary with changing agro-climatic conditions. In this regard, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to assess the interaction inoculation of five potential PSA (P16-P18-BC3-BC10 and BC11) and RPs (RP1- RP2-RP3 and RP4) on the growth and yield of wheat crop in unsterilized P- deficient alkaline and acidic soils. Their performance was compared with single super phosphate (TSP) and reactive RP (BG4). The in-vitro tests showed that all PSA colonize wheat root and form a strong biofilm except Streptomyces anulatus strain P16. Our findings revealed that all PSA significantly improve the shoot/root dry weights, spike biomass, chlorophyll contents as well as nutrients uptake in plants fertilized with RP3 and RP4. However, the combined application of Nocardiopsis alba BC11 along with RP4 in alkaline soil, was effective in optimizing wheat yield attributes and improve the yield biomass up to 19.7% as compared to the triple superphosphate (TSP). This study supports the view that the inoculation with Nocardiopsis alba BC11 has a broad RP solubilization and could alleviate the agricultural losses due to P limitation in acidic and alkaline soils., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Boubekri, Soumare, Lyamlouli, Ouhdouch, Hafidi and Kouisni.)

Rapid and accurate soybean yield prediction at an on-farm scale is important for ensuring sustainable yield increases and contributing to food security maintenance in Nigeria. We used multiple approaches to assess the benefits of rhizobium (Rh) inoculation and phosphorus (P) fertilization on soybean yield increase and profitability from large-scale conducted trials in the savanna areas of Nigeria [i.e., the Sudan Savanna (SS), Northern Guinea Savanna (NGS), and Southern Guinea Savanna (SGS)]. Soybean yield results from the established trials managed by farmers with four treatments (i.e., the control without inoculation and P fertilizer, Rh inoculation, P fertilizer, and Rh + P combination treatments) were predicted using mapped soil properties and weather variables in ensemble machine-learning techniques, specifically the conditional inference regression random forest (RF) model. Using the IMPACT model, scenario analyses were employed to simulate long-term adoption impacts on national soybean trade and currency. Our study found that yields of the Rh + P combination were consistently higher than the control in the three agroecological zones. Average yield increases were 128%, 111%, and 162% higher in the Rh + P combination compared to the control treatment in the SS, NGS, and SGS agroecological zones, respectively. The NGS agroecological zone showed a higher yield than SS and SGS. The highest training coefficient of determination (R 2 = 0.75) for yield prediction was from the NGS dataset, and the lowest coefficient (R 2 = 0.46) was from the SS samples. The results from the IMPACT model showed a reduction of 10% and 22% for the low (35% adoption scenario) and high (75% adoption scenario) soybean imports from 2029 in Nigeria, respectively. A significant reduction in soybean imports is feasible if the Rh + P inputs are large-scaled implemented at the on-farm field and massively adopted by farmers in Nigeria., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jemo, Devkota, Epule, Chfadi, Moutiq, Hafidi, Silatsa and Jibrin.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of leptin on reactive oxygen species' (ROS) generation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) from a rat model of obesity and hyperleptinemia. Obesity and hyperleptinemia were induced in rats by a sucrose-based diet for 24 weeks. ROS generation was detected by using dichloro-dihydrofluorescein (DCF), a fluorescent ROS probe in primary SMCs culture. An increase in plasma leptin and oxidative stress markers was observed in sucrose-fed (SF) rats. At baseline SMCs from SF rats showed a more than twofold increase in fluorescence intensity (FI) compared to that obtained in control (C) cells. When the C cells were treated with 20 ng leptin, the FI increased by about 250%, whereas the leptin-induced FI in the SF cells increased only by 28%. In addition, sucrose feeding increased the levels of p22phox and gp91phox, subunits of Nox as an O 2 •- source in SMCs. Treatment of cells with leptin significantly increased p22phox and gp91phox levels in C cells and did not affect SF cells. Regarding STAT3 phosphorylation and the content of PTP1B and SOCS3 as protein markers of leptin resistance, they were found to be significantly increased in SF cells. These results suggest that SF aortic SMCs are partially resistant to leptin-induced ROS generation.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis through a mechanism that involves vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity. Several molecules found to be increased in MetS, including free fatty acids, fatty acid binding protein 4, leptin, resistin, oxidized lipoprotein particles, and advanced glycation end products, influence VSMC proliferation. Most of these molecules act through their receptors on VSMCs by activating several signaling pathways associated with ROS generation in various cellular compartments. ROS from NADPH-oxidase and mitochondria have been found to promote VSMC proliferation and cell cycle progression. In addition, most of the natural or synthetic substances described in this review, including pharmaceuticals with hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties, attenuate VSMC proliferation by their simultaneous modulation of cell signaling and their scavenging property due to the presence of a phenolic ring in their structure. This review discusses recent data in the literature on the role that several MetS-related molecules and ROS play in the change from contractile to proliferative phenotype of VSMCs. Hence the importance of proposing an appropriate strategy to prevent uncontrolled VSMC proliferation using antioxidants, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Actinomycetota in the phylum of bacteria has been explored extensively as a source of antibiotics and secondary metabolites. In addition to acting as plant growth-promoting agents, they also possess the potential to control various plant pathogens; however, there are limited studies that report the facultative predatory ability of Actinomycetota spp. Furthermore, the mechanisms that underline predation are poorly understood. We assessed the diversity of strategies employed by predatory bacteria to attack and subsequently induce the cell lysing of their prey. We revisited the diversity and abundance of secondary metabolite molecules linked to the different predation strategies by bacteria species. We analyzed the pros and cons of the distinctive predation mechanisms and explored their potential for the development of new biocontrol agents. The facultative predatory behaviors diverge from group attack "wolfpack," cell-to-cell proximity "epibiotic," periplasmic penetration, and endobiotic invasion to degrade host-cellular content. The epibiotic represents the dominant facultative mode of predation, irrespective of the habitat origins. The wolfpack is the second-used approach among the Actinomycetota harboring predatory traits. The secondary molecules as chemical weapons engaged in the respective attacks were reviewed. We finally explored the use of predatory Actinomycetota as a new cost-effective and sustainable biocontrol agent against plant pathogens., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ibrahimi, Loqman, Jemo, Hafidi, Lemee and Ouhdouch.)

Introduction: Background: adipose tissue dysfunction is a key factor for diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Chia (Salvia hispanica) is an abundant source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber which could improve adipose tissue functionality. Aim: to analyze the effect of an isocaloric chia-supplemented diet on glucose metabolism, adipose tissue inflammation, and endothelial function markers in patients with NAFLD and early stages of diabetes. Methods: in 32 patients with previous NAFLD diagnosis, without known diabetes, the effect of a diet supplemented with ground chia (25 g/day/8 weeks) was evaluated. Visceral (VAF) and liver fat, plasma lipids, fatty acids, and cytokine profiles, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulinogenic index (IGI30), insulin disposition index (DIO), and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) were analyzed. Before and after eight weeks of diet supplementation. Results: chia supplementation promoted increases in plasma alpha-linolenic acid (75 %) and fiber consumption (55 %), and a higher number of EPC (+126 %). Basal OGTT showed that nine patients had normal OGTT, 17 pre-diabetes, and six newly diagnosed diabetes. In patients with diabetes, chia favored a healthier adipose tissue (VAF -7 %, NAFLD -100 %, adiponectin +47 %, resistin -30 %, IL-6 -44 %, IL-1β -22 %) and upturn glucose metabolism through the improvement of beta-cell function (IGI30 +50 %, DIO +66 %). Conclusions: dietary supplementation with 25 g/day of ground chia may promote a healthier adipose tissue and improve pancreatic β-cell and endothelial function. Among patients with early metabolic abnormalities, phytochemical properties of chia may retard diabetes progression and advanced stages of liver damage.

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a xylem-limited quarantine plant bacterium and one of the most harmful agricultural pathogens across the world. Despite significant research efforts, neither a direct treatment nor an efficient strategy has yet been developed for combatting Xylella-associated diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been gaining interest as a promising sustainable tool to control pathogens due to their unique mechanism of action, broad spectrum of activity, and low environmental impact. In this study, we disclose the bioactivity of nine AMPs reported in the literature to be efficient against human and plant pathogen bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , against Xf, through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Based on viable-quantitative PCR (v-qPCR), fluorescence microscopy (FM), optical density (OD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) assays, peptides Ascaphin-8 (GF19), DASamP1 (FF13), and DASamP2 (IL14) demonstrated the highest bactericidal and antibiofilm activities and were more efficient than the peptide PB178 (KL29), reported as one of the most potent AMPs against Xf at present. Furthermore, these AMPs showed low to no toxicity when tested on eukaryotic cells. In in planta tests, no Xf disease symptoms were noticed in Nicotiana tabacum plants treated with the AMPs 40 days post inoculation. This study highlighted the high antagonistic activity of newly tested AMP candidates against Xf , which could lead to the development of promising eco-friendly management of Xf -related diseases.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence is constantly increasing, and dyslipidemia in this disease is characteristic, favoring cardiovascular events. However, the mechanisms of CKD dyslipidemia are not fully understood. The use of curcumin (CUR) in CKD models such as 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx) has shown multiple beneficial effects, so it has been proposed to correct dyslipidemia without side effects. This work aimed to characterize CUR's potential therapeutic effect on dyslipidemia and alterations in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial ß-oxidation in the liver and kidney in 5/6Nx. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 5/6Nx and progressed by 4 weeks; meanwhile, CUR (120 mg/kg) was administered for weeks 5 to 8. Our results showed that CUR reversed the increase in liver and kidney damage and hypertriglyceridemia induced by 5/6Nx. CUR also reversed mitochondrial membrane depolarization and β-oxidation disorders in the kidney and the increased lipid uptake and the high levels of proteins involved in fatty acid synthesis in the liver and kidney. CUR also decreased lipogenesis and increased mitochondrial biogenesis markers in the liver. Therefore, we concluded that the therapeutic effect of curcumin on 5/6Nx hypertriglyceridemia is associated with the restoration of renal mitochondrial ß-oxidation and the reduction in lipid synthesis and uptake in the kidneys and liver.

Leishmaniasis is endemic in Morocco where both cutaneous and visceral forms coexist. To date, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) determinants remain poorly investigated in Morocco. However, the disease risk factors identification is vital to determine the specific preventive process. In this aim, a case-control study was conducted in the main active ACL foci in central Morocco. Epidemiological data were extracted from bulletins, registers and annual reports of the regional direction of Health offices. The socioeconomic and environmental data were collected from epidemiological surveys, completed by a questionnaire intended for accessible positive population and control people selected from the cases' entourage. The study included 258 cases and 395 controls. Our results showed that many socioeconomic factors were associated with ACL in Morocco such as the rural habitation (OR = 4.163; 95% CI: 2.91-5.96), movement to endemic area (OR = 4.53; 95% CI: 3.03-6.77), provenance from leishmaniasis foci (in Essaouira focus OR = 5.34; 95% CI: 1.19-24.03) and poverty. In addition, environmental factors like proximity of vegetation (OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.14-5.25), poor domestic hygiene, particularly the absence of sewage system/waste management (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.35-1.96), and presence of animals (OR = 2.67; 95% CI: 1.14-5.25) increase the risk of ACL in Morocco. Except for Matrimonial status (married people, OR = 4.11; 95% CI: 1.80-9.41), there is however no significant association of the disease with the other socio-demographic factors in the study area (p>0.05). These several risk factors must be taken in consideration to prevent this disease through multidisciplinary collaboration and community participation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

In this work, an ultrafast nucleation of an isolated anti-ferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmion was reported in an AFM layer with DMi strengths of 0.47[Formula: see text]0.32 [Formula: see text] using spin-transfer torque by locally injecting pure spin currents into magnetic tracks. Besides, we revealed the key advantages of AFM skyrmion-based racetrack memories by comparing the motion of AFM and FM skyrmions driven by spin-orbit torques (SOTs) for different skyrmion sizes along racetrack memories with various notch sizes. Our results indicate that for AFM skyrmion, the skyrmion Hall effect does not exist during the skyrmion motion, therefore at small skyrmion sizes, we succeeded to overcome the repulsive forces developed in the notch area for low and large SOTs. The obtained findings were carefully analyzed by computing the variation of energy barriers associated with the notch for different skyrmion sizes using minimum energy path (MEP) calculations. We showed that the larger the skyrmion size, the harder it is to shrink the skyrmion in the notch which produces a high energy barrier (E b ) for large skyrmion sizes. Moreover, as the notch size increases, the skyrmion size shrinks further, and hence E b increases proportionally. Nevertheless, we proved that AFM skyrmions are more efficient and flexible than FM skyrmions against boundary forces., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Microplastics (MP) are ubiquitous contaminants and their presence in sewage sludge has recently received attention as they may enter agro-ecosystems if sludge is used as organic soil amendment. Indeed, plastic particles (<5 mm) can be transported from wastewater and sewage sludge to the soil environment either directly within the plastic matrix or indirectly as adsorbed substances. In this paper, articles from 18 countries reporting the MP quantity and their characteristics in sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants were reviewed and the MP concentration size and type were compared. The data show that MP abundance in sewage sludge ranged globally from 7.91 to 495 × 10 3 particles kg -1 with highest abundance of fiber shape and MP size of less than 500 μm. In this review, we summarized and discussed the methods most frequently used for extraction and characterization of MP in sewage sludge including organic matter removal, MP extraction; physical and morphological MP characterization and its chemical characterization for polymer identification. We also described the major factors potentially controlling the fate of MP during disposal strategies with particular focus on composting. We show that physical and microbiological factors are important for MP degradation during composting and suggest two remediation practices: (i) inoculation of the initial sludge with microbial plastic decomposers to remove MP from contaminated sewage sludge, and (ii) development of high temperature composting processes., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The production of vinegar on an industrial scale from different raw materials is subject to constraints, notably the low tolerance of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) to high temperatures and high ethanol concentrations. In this study, we used 25 samples of different fruits from seven Moroccan biotopes with arid and semi-arid environmental conditions as a basic substrate to isolate thermo- and ethanol-tolerant AAB strains. The isolation and morphological, biochemical and metabolic characterization of these bacteria allowed us to isolate a total number of 400 strains with characters similar to AAB, of which six strains (FAGD1, FAGD10, FAGD18 and GCM2, GCM4, GCM15) were found to be mobile and immobile Gram-negative bacteria with ellipsoidal rod-shaped colonies that clustered in pairs and in isolated chains. These strains are capable of producing acetic acid from ethanol, growing on peptone and oxidizing acetate to CO 2 and H 2 O. Strains FAGD1, FAGD10 and FAGD18 show negative growth on YPG medium containing D-glucose &gt; 30%, while strains GCM2, GCM4 and GCM15 show positive growth. These six strains stand out on CARR indicator medium as isolates of the genus Acetobacter ssp. Analysis of 16S rDNA gene sequencing allowed us to differentiate these strains as Acetobacter fabarum and Acetobacter pasteurianus . The study of the tolerance of these six isolates towards pH showed that most of the six strains are unable to grow at pH 3 and pH 9, with an ideal pH of 5. The behavior of the six strains at different concentrations of ethanol shows an optimal production of acetic acid after incubation at concentrations between 6% and 8% ( v / v ) of ethanol. All six strains tolerated an ethanol concentration of 16% ( v / v ). The resistance of the strains to acetic acid differs between the species of AAB. The optimum acetic acid production is obtained at a concentration of 1% ( v / v ) for the strains of FAGD1, FAGD10 and FAGD18, and 3% ( v / v ) for GCM2, GCM4 and GCM15. These strains are able to tolerate an acetic acid concentration of up to 6% ( v / v ). The production kinetics of the six strains show the highest levels of growth and acetic acid production at 30 °C. This rate of growth and acetic acid production is high at 35 °C, 37 °C and 40 °C. Above 40 °C, the production of acid is reduced. All six strains continue to produce acetic acid, even at high temperatures up to 48 °C. These strains can be used in the vinegar production industry to minimize the load on cooling systems, especially in countries with high summer temperatures.

The growing interest in low-input agriculture in recent years has focused the use of microbial biofertilizers to improve plant growth and yield through a better mobilization of indigenous source of key nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium etc. In this context, soil microorganisms especially Actinobacteria might play an important role. With their multifunctional activities, they are involved in nutrient cycling, soil quality and crop productivity as well as plant health which make them not only the eco-friendly alternative for agriculture but also for humankind. Bearing this in mind, it is primordial to further explore the special link between these microorganisms and soil -plant ecosystems. Therefore, this review discusses the importance of Actinobacteria as microbial biofertilizers and highlights the future needs and challenges for using them for sustaining crop. The patents and scientific literature analysis from 2000 to 2020 show that 16 patents claiming Actinobacteria as biocontrol or biofertilizer in agriculture and 949 indexed research articles related to Actinobacteria effect on plant growth and phosphate solubilization have been published. Furthermore, Actinobacteria ability to increase growth and yield of staple crops such as wheat maize, tomato, rice, and chickpea plant have been highlighted. Much more effort and progress are expected in the industrial development of actinobacterial bioinoculants as areas such as synthetic biology and nano-biotechnology advance., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: The genus Sporothrix belongs to the order Ophiostomatales and contains mainly saprobic soil and plant fungi, although pathogenic species capable of causing human infections are also present. The whole-genomes of disease-causing species have already been sequenced and annotated but no comprehensive genomic resources for environmental Sporothrix species are available, thus limiting our understanding of the evolutionary origin of virulence-related genes and pathogenicity., Result: The genome assembly of four environmental Sporothrix species resulted in genome size of ~ 30.9 Mbp in Sporothrix phasma, ~ 35 Mbp in S. curviconia, ~ 38.7 Mbp in S. protearum, and ~ 39 Mbp in S. variecibatus, with a variable gene content, ranging from 8142 (S. phasma) to 9502 (S. variecibatus). The analysis of mobile genetic elements showed significant differences in the content of transposable elements within the sequenced genomes, with the genome of S. phasma lacking several class I and class II transposons, compared to the other Sporothrix genomes investigated. Moreover, the comparative analysis of orthologous genes shared by clinical and environmental Sporothrix genomes revealed the presence of 3622 orthogroups shared by all species, whereas over 4200 genes were species-specific single-copy gene products. Carbohydrate-active enzyme analysis revealed a total of 2608 protein-coding genes containing single and/or multiple CAZy domains, resulting in no statistically significant differences among pathogenic and environmental species. Nevertheless, some families were not found in clinical species. Furthermore, for each sequenced Sporothrix species, the mitochondrial genomes was assembled in a single circular DNA molecule, ranging from 25,765 bp (S. variecibatus) to 58,395 bp (S. phasma)., Conclusion: In this study, we present four annotated genome assemblies generated using PacBio SMRT sequencing data from four environmental species: S. curviconia, S. phasma, S. protearum and S. variecibatus with the aim to provide a starting point for future comparative genome evolution studies addressing species diversification, ecological/host adaptation and origin of pathogenic lineages within the genus Sporothrix., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Solar drying and liming are commonly used for sludge treatment, but little is known about their efficiency on antibiotics and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) removal. This study aimed to investigate the removal of antibiotics and PAHs during solar drying of Limed Sludge (LS) and Non-Limed Sludge (NLS). Thus, organic matter fractionation and 3D fluorescence were used to assess the accessibility and the complexity of organic matter. 2 experiments have been conducted using LS and NLS for 45 days of drying in a pilot scale tunnel. Physicochemical results indicated significant decrease of water content (90%) for both sludge samples within 15 days of drying. For both treatments, the removal of total organic carbon and total nitrogen was low and similar for both treatments. Through this study, it has been confirmed that liming and drying contributed to a strong modification of the organic matter quality with an increase of its accessibility. On the other hand, drying alone increased the less accessible compartments, while the presence of lime affected the interconnexion between the organic matter pools. 3D fluorescence confirmed the obtained results and indicated that LS leads to obtaining more simple molecules in the most accessible compartments, while NLS leads to obtaining more complex molecules in the less accessible compartments. In addition, solar radiations and leaching may contribute to the significant removal (p < 0.01) of roxithromycin, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and benzo(g, h, i) perylene in the presence of lime. Furthermore, the evolution of organic matter pools in terms of accessibility and complexity may drive the bioavailability of these pollutants, leading to their significant removal., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Leishmaniases are a vector-borne disease, re-emerging in several regions of the world posing a burden on public health. As other vector-borne diseases, climate change is a crucial factor affecting the evolution of leishmaniasis. In Morocco, anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is widespread geographically as many foci across the country, mainly in central Morocco. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of ACL due to Leishmania tropica, and its corresponding vector Phlebotomus sergenti in Morocco., Methods: Using Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) tool, the estimated geographical range shift of L. tropica and P. sergenti by 2050 was projected under two Representative's Concentration's Pathways (RCPs) to be 2.6 and RCP 8.5 respectively. P. sergenti records were obtained from field collections of the laboratory team and previously published entomological observations, while, epidemiological data for L. tropica were obtained from Moroccan Ministry of Health reports., Results: Our models under present-day conditions indicated a probable expansion for L. tropica as well as for its vector in Morocco, P. sergenti. It showed a concentrated distribution in the west-central and northern area of Morocco. Future predictions anticipate expansion into areas not identified as suitable for P. sergenti under present conditions, particularly in northern and southeastern areas of Morocco. L. tropica is also expected to have high expansion in southern areas for the next 30 years in Morocco., Conclusion: This indicates that L. tropica and P. sergenti will continue to find suitable climate conditions in the future. A higher abundance of P. sergenti may indeed result in a higher transmission risk of ACL. This information is essential in developing a control plan for ACL in Morocco. However, future investigations on L. tropica reservoirs are needed to confirm our predictions., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

The first committed step in the leucine biosynthetic pathway is catalyzed by α-isopropylmalate synthase (α-IPMS, EC 2.3.3.13), which in the Saccaromycotina subphylum of Ascomycete yeasts is frequently encoded by duplicated genes. Following a gene duplication event, the two copies may be preserved presumably because the encoded proteins diverge in either functional properties and/or cellular localization. The genome of the petite-negative budding yeast Lachancea kluyveri includes two SAKL0E10472 (LkLEU4) and SAKL0F05170 g (LkLEU4BIS) paralogous genes, which are homologous to other yeast α-IPMS sequences. Here, we investigate whether these paralogous genes encode functional α-IPMS isozymes and whether their functions have diverged. Molecular phylogeny suggested that the LkLeu4 isozyme is located in the mitochondria and LkLeu4BIS in the cytosol. Comparison of growth rates, leucine intracellular pools and mRNA levels, indicate that the LkLeu4 isozyme is the predominant α-IPMS enzyme during growth on glucose as carbon source. Determination of the kinetic parameters indicates that the isozymes have similar affinities for the substrates and for the feedback inhibitor leucine. Thus, the diversification of the physiological roles of the genes LkLEU4 and LkLEU4BIS involves preferential transcription of the LkLEU4 gene during growth on glucose and different subcellular localization, although ligand interactions have not diverged., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.)

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies are known as vectors of various pathogens such as Leishmania sp parasite and Toscana virus (TOSV). Leishmaniasis is endemic in Morocco, and TOSV is increasingly reported. Our objective is to analyze the specific composition of the natural population of sand flies in endemic and non endemic area of leishmaniasis in Morocco, thus evaluated their infection by Toscana virus., Methods: Sand flies were collected by CDC miniature light traps from seven different localities with an altitude range from 399 m to 1496 m. Synanthropic index was calculated for each sand fly species. The collected female sand flies were grouped in 73 pools, with a maximum of 50 specimens per pool, and submitted to real time PCR for TOSV detection., Results: 8 sand fly species were identified morphologically: 5 of the Phlebotomus genus and 3 of the Sergentomyia genus. Phlebotomus sergenti was the most abundant species comprising of 43,12% of identified sand flies, followed by P. papatasi (18,89%) and P. longicuspis (13,43%). Estimated synanthropic indices for these species were between + 1.1 and + 12.6 suggesting a high preference to anthropogenic environments. A total of 3558 sand fly females were grouped in 73 pools (up to 50 sand flies per pool) for TOSV detection. TOSV was detected in one pool (out of 6 tested) from Lalla Laaziza locality (Chichaoua Province) where P. sergenti was the most abundant sand fly species., Conclusion: We reported the TOSV for the first time in a central Morocco, where cutaneous leishmaniasis by L. tropica is endemic. This result has epidemiological importance for both researchers and health authorities to monitor circulation of TOSV and implement a surveillance plan of sand fly-borne phleboviruses in Morocco., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest/Competing interests There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, commonly known as water hyacinth, is one of the world's most invasive aquatic plants of the Pontederiaceae family occurring in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although, E. crassipes causes significant ecological and socioeconomic issues such as a high loss in water resources, it has multipurpose applications since it is famous for many industrial applications such as bioenergy, biofertilizer production, wastewater treatment (absorption of heavy metals), and animal feed. Furthermore, E. crassipes is rich in diverse bioactive secondary metabolites including sterols, alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. These secondary metabolites are well known for a wide array of therapeutic properties. The findings of this review suggest that extracts and some isolated compounds from E. crassipes possess some pharmacological activities including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, skin whitening, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities, among other biological activities such as allelopathic, larvicidal, and insecticidal activities. The present review comprehensively summarizes the chemical composition of E. crassipes , reported to date, along with its traditional uses and pharmacological and biological activities., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ben Bakrim, Ezzariai, Karouach, Sobeh, Kibret, Hafidi, Kouisni and Yasri.)

Olive mill wastewater sludge (OMWS) is the main by-product of the olive industry. OMWS is usually dumped in landfills without prior treatment and may cause several eco-environmental hazards due to its high toxicity, which is mainly attributed to polyphenols and lipids. OMWS is rich in valuable biocompounds, which makes it highly desirable for valorization by composting. However, there is a need to understand how microbial communities evolve during OMWS composting with respect to physicochemical changes and the dynamics of pollutant degradation. In this study, we addressed the relationship between microbial community, physicochemical variations and pollutants degradation during the co-composting of OMWS and green wastes using metagenomic- and culture-dependent approaches. The results showed that in raw OMWS, Pichia was the most represented genus with almost 53% of the total identified fungal population. Moreover, the bacteria that dominated were Zymobacter palmae (20%) and Pseudomonas sp. (19%). The addition of green waste to OMWS improved the actinobacterial diversity of the mixture and enhanced the degradation of lipids (81.3%) and polyphenols (84.54%). Correlation analysis revealed that Actinobacteria and fungi ( Candida sp., Galactomyces sp., and Pichia manshurica) were the microorganisms that had the greatest influence on the composting process. Overall, these findings provide for the first time some novel insights into the microbial dynamics during OMWS composting and may contribute to the development of tailored inoculum for process optimization., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bouhia, Hafidi, Ouhdouch, El Boukhari, El Fels, Zeroual and Lyamlouli.)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder characterized by an ectopic accumulation of lipids in at least 5% of hepatocytes. The first phase of the disease, called hepatic steatosis, progresses over time to chronic conditions, such as steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and finally, hepatic insufficiency and cancer. The accumulation of free fatty acids in hepatocytes, particularly saturated fatty acids, is a key process in the development and progression of NAFLD. Furthermore, the accumulation of oxidative stress markers in NAFLD is closely linked to lipotoxicity due to impaired lipid metabolism and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, endogenous mechanisms are activated early in the liver to protect against lipotoxicity and oxidative stress, thus preventing liver mass loss and disease progression. Thus, in order to develop appropriate therapies, the purpose of this review is to discuss recent data from the literature regarding the importance of intrinsic mechanisms deployed by the liver in protecting itself against the adverse effects related to chronic lipid accumulation and ROS generation., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes L .) was introduced as an invasive plant in freshwater bodies more particularly in Asia and Africa. This invasive plant grows rapidly and then occupies a huge layer of freshwater bodies. Hence, challenges are facing many countries for implementing suitable approaches for the valorization of the world's worst aquatic weed, and water hyacinth (WH). A critical and up-to-date review article has been conducted for more than 1 year, based on more than 100 scientific journal articles, case studies, and other scientific reports. Worldwide distribution of WH and the associated social, economic, and environmental impacts were described. In addition, an extensive evaluation of the most widely used and innovative valorization biotechnologies, leading to the production of biofertilizer and bioenergy from WH, and was dressed. Furthermore, an integrated search was used in order to examine the related advantages and drawbacks of each bioprocess, and future perspectives stated. Aerobic and anaerobic processes have their specific basic parameters, ensuring their standard performances. Composting was mostly used even at a large scale, for producing biofertilizers from WH. Nevertheless, this review explored some critical points to better optimize the conditions (presence of pollutants, inoculation, and duration) of composting. WH has a high potential for biofuel production, especially by implementing several pretreatment approaches. This review highlighted the combined pretreatment (physical-chemical-biological) as a promising approach to increase biofuel production. WH valorization must be in large quantities to tackle its fast proliferation and to ensure the generation of bio-based products with significant revenue. So, a road map for future researches and applications based on an advanced statistical study was conducted. Several recommendations were explored in terms of the choice of co-substrates, initial basic parameters, and pretreatment conditions and all crucial conditions for the production of biofuels from WH. These recommendations will be of a great interest to generate biofertilizers and bioenergy from WH, especially within the framework of a circular economy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ezzariai, Hafidi, Ben Bakrim, Kibret, Karouach, Sobeh and Kouisni.)

Water scarcity is becoming an alarming issue in the Mediterranean countries. Therefore, using the treated wastewater in the irrigation is considered as a valuable option. However, uncontrolled and long-term irrigation by wastewater leads to human health and environmental damages, mainly related to some specific pollutants. The assessment of the availability and toxicity of the heavy metals after long term irrigation, under semi-arid climate, is not yet well documented. In this study, physicochemical properties, genotoxicity (Vicia faba micronucleus test), total and available (CaCl 2 -extractable) concentrations of Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Co and Cd in eight soils of peri-urban farms irrigated with wastewater were examined to evaluate their accumulation. The results indicated that long-term irrigation with wastewater induced significant increase of electrical conductivity, organic matter, calcium carbonate equivalent and nutrient availability. Total and available concentration of heavy metals were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in irrigated soils by wastewater. The total concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd and Co in irrigated soils by wastewater at 0-40 cm depth were 85.69, 43.94, 34.86, 14.62, 9.94 and 7.17 mg kg -1 , respectively. Furthermore, the increase of the available metal fraction in irrigated soils by wastewater at 0-40 cm depth followed the following order: Co (1270.1%) > Cd (914.5%) > Cu (881.5%) > Cr (471.2%) > Pb (230.8%) > Zn (223.8%). The micronucleus assay indicated significant increase of micronucleus frequencies (41.25‰, 35.48‰, 21.66‰, 16.23‰ and 13.62‰ respectively for P1, P2, P3, P4 and P7) which were higher than the negative control (0‰) and the irrigated soil by fresh water (3.29‰). The micronucleus induction was significantly correlated with the high available fraction of Cd, Co and Zn at P1, P2 and P7. The genotoxicity can be a powerful test to assess the ecological effects associated with the interactions of heavy metals with other pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The importance of phosphorus in the regulation of plant growth function is well studied. However, the role of the inorganic phosphate (Pi) molecule in the mitigation of abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, heavy metal, heat, and acid stresses are poorly understood. We revisited peer-reviewed articles on plant growth characteristics that are phosphorus (P)-dependently regulated under the sufficient-P and low/no-P starvation alone or either combined with one of the mentioned stress. We found that the photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance decreased under Pi-starved conditions. The total chlorophyll contents were increased in the P-deficient plants, owing to the lack of Pi molecules to sustain the photosynthesis functioning, particularly, the Rubisco and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase function. The dry biomass of shoots, roots, and P concentrations were significantly reduced under Pi starvation with marketable effects in the cereal than in the legumes. To mitigate P stress, plants activate alternative regulatory pathways, the Pi-dependent glycolysis, and mitochondrial respiration in the cytoplasm. Plants grown under well-Pi supplementation of drought stress exhibited higher dry biomass of shoots than the no-P treated ones. The Pi supply to plants grown under heavy metals stress reduced the metal concentrations in the leaves for the cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), but could not prevent them from absorbing heavy metals from soils. To detoxify from heavy metal stress, plants enhance the catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity that prevents lipid peroxidation in the leaves. The HvPIP and PHO1 genes were over-expressed under both Pi starvation alone and Pi plus drought, or Pi plus salinity stress combination, implying their key roles to mediate the stress mitigations. Agronomy Pi-based interventions to increase Pi at the on-farm levels were discussed. Revisiting the roles of P in growth and its better management in agricultural lands or where P is supplemented as fertilizer could help the plants to survive under abiotic stresses., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Bechtaoui, Rabiu, Raklami, Oufdou, Hafidi and Jemo.)

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt constitutes a conserved metabolic route generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and regulating stress response in most organisms. Here we show that in the presence of GABA, Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces glutamate and alanine through the irreversible action of Uga1 transaminase. Alanine induces expression of alanine transaminase ( ALT1 ) gene. In an alt1 Δ mutant grown on GABA, alanine accumulation leads to repression of the GAD1 , UGA1 , and UGA2 genes, involved in the GABA shunt, which could result in growth impairment. Induced ALT1 expression and negative modulation of the GABA shunt by alanine constitute a novel regulatory circuit controlling both alanine biosynthesis and catabolism. Consistent with this, the GABA shunt and the production of NADPH are repressed in a wild-type strain grown in alanine, as compared to those detected in the wild-type strain grown on GABA. We also show that heat shock induces alanine biosynthesis and ALT1 , UGA1 , UGA2 , and GAD1 gene expression, whereas an uga1 Δ mutant shows heat sensitivity and reduced NADPH pools, as compared with those observed in the wild-type strain. Additionally, an alt1 Δ mutant shows an unexpected alanine-independent phenotype, displaying null expression of mitochondrial COX2 , COX3 , and ATP6 genes and a notable decrease in mitochondrial/nuclear DNA ratio, as compared to a wild-type strain, which results in a petite phenotype. Our results uncover a new negative role of alanine in stress defense, repressing the transcription of the GABA shunt genes, and support a novel Alt1 moonlighting function related to the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA integrity and mitochondrial gene expression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Márquez, Escalera-Fanjul, el Hafidi, Aguirre-López, Riego-Ruiz and González.)

Cytochrome c (cyt-c) release from the mitochondria to the cytosol is a key process in the initiation of hepatocyte apoptosis involved in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocyte apoptosis may be related to lipotoxicity due to the accumulation of palmitic acid and palmitoyl-CoA (Pal-CoA). Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine whether Pal-CoA induces cyt-c release from liver mitochondria of sucrose-fed rat (SF). Pal-CoA-induced cyt-c release was sensitive to cyclosporine A indicating the involvement of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (mMPT). In addition, cyt-c release from SF mitochondria remains significantly lower than C mitochondria despite the increased rate of H2O2 generation in SF mitochondria. The decreased cyt-c release from SF may be also related to the increased proportion of the palmitic acid-enriched cardiolipin, due to the high availibilty of palmitic acid in SF liver. The enrichment of cardiolipin molecular species with palmitic acid makes cardiolipin more resistant to peroxidation, a mechanism involved in the dissociation of cyt-c from mitochondrial inner membrane. These results suggest that Pal-CoA may participate in the progression of NAFLD to more severe disease through mechanisms involving cyt-c release and mMPT, a key process of apoptosis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease characterized by increased activation of fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Previous reports have shown that IPF fibroblasts are resistant to apoptosis, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Since inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) has been implicated in the resistance to apoptosis, in this study, we analyzed the role of mitochondrial function and the mPTP on the apoptosis resistance of IPF fibroblasts under basal conditions and after mitomycin C-induced apoptosis. We measured the release of cytochrome c, mPTP opening, mitochondrial calcium release, oxygen consumption, mitochondrial membrane potential, ADP/ATP ratio, ATP concentration, and mitochondrial morphology. We found that IPF fibroblasts were resistant to mitomycin C-induced apoptosis and that calcium, a well-established activator of mPTP, is decreased as well as the release of pro-apoptotic proteins such as cytochrome c. Likewise, IPF fibroblasts showed decreased mitochondrial function, while mPTP was less sensitive to ionomycin-induced opening. Although IPF fibroblasts did not present changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential, we found a fragmented mitochondrial network with scarce, thinned, and disordered mitochondria with reduced ATP levels. Our findings demonstrate that IPF fibroblasts are resistant to mitomycin C-induced apoptosis and that altered mPTP opening contributes to this resistance. In addition, IPF fibroblasts show mitochondrial dysfunction evidenced by a decrease in respiratory parameters.

Primary sludge (PS) from the wastewater treatment plants is constituted of organic matter and other nutrients that could be reused as soil fertilizers. However, primary sludge amendment is hampered due to the presence of pathogens that could be responsible for several infections in various ways depending on the prevalence of the human sources. This study investigates helminth eggs (HE) removal and inactivation efficiency by co-composting. So, PS was mixed with date palm waste as a bulking material at a 1:1 volume ratio. The C/N ratio decreased from 25:1 to 12:1 and temperatures above 50ºC were observed since 33 days. The initial concentration of HE eggs in the PS is 135.9 per 10 g DR. Microscopic examination of the PS, according to the Bailenger method, showed the presence of nematodes and Cestodes represented by: Ascaris lombricoïde, Ancylostomes duodenale, Trichuris trichiura, Capilaria spp, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia saginata , and Ascaris lombricoïde . After 60 days of co-composting, the charge of parasites was reduced to 18 eggs per 10 g per DR. The viability of ascaris eggs was examined using a light microscope and the percentage of the embryonated eggs was determined. No viable eggs were observed in the final compost. The result corroborates the WHO guidelines for the application of the composted sewage sludge safely for agriculture purposes.

In many vineyards around the world, Botrytis cinerea ( B. cinerea ) causes one of the most serious diseases of aerial grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L .) organs. The control of the disease relies mainly on the use of chemical products whose use is increasingly challenged. To develop new sustainable methods to better resist B. cinerea , beneficial bacteria were isolated from vineyard soil. Once screened based on their antimicrobial effect through an in vivo test, two bacterial strains, S3 and S6, were able to restrict the development of the pathogen and significantly reduced the Botrytis-related necrosis. The photosynthesis analysis showed that the antagonistic strains also prevent grapevines from considerable irreversible PSII photo-inhibition four days after infection with B. cinerea . The 16S rRNA gene sequences of S3 exhibited 100% similarity to Bacillus velezensis , whereas S6 had 98.5% similarity to Enterobacter cloacae . On the other hand, the in silico analysis of the whole genome of isolated strains has revealed the presence of "biocontrol-related" genes supporting their plant growth and biocontrol activities. The study concludes that those bacteria could be potentially useful as a suitable biocontrol agent in harvested grapevine.

Industrially, the sensitivity of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) to the high temperatures and the high ethanol concentrations is the major concerns for manufacturers. This study was conceived and designed to isolate and identify new thermo- and ethanol-tolerant AAB from Opuntia ficus-indica L. fruits. As a result, among 140 isolated bacterial strains, five selected strains (CR1, CR5, CR23, CZ2, and CZ15) exhibited important acetic acid production until 40 °C. The use of 16S rDNA gene analysis was insufficient to identify selected bacteria. Indeed, except CR5 that presented 100% similarity to A. cerevisiae, the other strains presented similar homology rates simultaneously to the 16S rDNA sequences of A. cerevisiae and A. malorum. The reidentification by 16S-23S rDNA gene sequencing showed that CR1, CR23, and CZ15 were A. malorum, which were shown tolerance to the highest concentration of ethanol (12%) and produced elevated amount (40 g/L) of acetic acid at 37 °C. In summary, we showed the thermotolerance and ethanol tolerant character of new A. malorum strains, which can be used as a starter for vinegar production. Furthermore, during the molecular characterization of the isolated strains, we concluded that 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence is of great importance for discriminating between AAB species as a complement to the identification by 16S rDNA sequencing., (© 2020 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Plant growth promoting microbes (PGPMs) play major roles in diverse ecosystems, including atmospheric nitrogen fixation, water uptake, solubilization, and transport of minerals from the soil to the plant. Different PGPMs are proposed as biofertilizers, biostimulants, and/or biocontrol agents to improve plant growth and productivity and thereby to contribute to agricultural sustainability and food security. However, little information exists regarding the use of PGPMs in micropropagation such as the in vitro plant tissue culture. This review presents an overview of the importance of PGPMs and their potential application in plant micropropagation. Our analysis, based on published articles, reveals that the process of in vitro classical tissue culture techniques, under strictly aseptic conditions, deserves to be reviewed to allow vitroplants to benefit from the positive effect of PGPMs. Furthermore, exploiting the potential benefits of PGPMs will lead to lessen the cost production of vitroplants during micropropagation process and will make the technique of plant tissue culture more efficient. The last part of the review will indicate where research is needed in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Soumare, Diédhiou, Arora, Al-Ani, Ngom, Fall, Hafidi, Ouhdouch, Kouisni and Sy.)

The present study is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of solar drying process in terms of helminth egg reduction in sewage sludge (SS) generated from an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Marrakesh city (Morocco). It is also engaged to highlight a synergic effect of liming (1% CaO) and solar drying on helminth egg reduction. The solar drying process was conducted for 45 days, in summer under a semi-arid climate in a pilot scale polycarbonate-based tunnel (2 m 3 ). Before undergoing solar drying process, data showed an important load of helminth eggs including Ascaris sp., Schistosoma spp., Capillaria spp., Trichuris spp., Ankylostome spp., Toxocara spp., and Taenia spp. in limed sludge (LS) and non-limed sludge (NLS) (15.2 and 17.9 eggs/g, respectively). Ascaris eggs were the most abundant (11.2 and 13.5 eggs/g in LS and NLS, respectively). By the end of the solar drying process, a considerable removal of the total helminth eggs was recorded in LS and NLS (92.8% and 91.6%, respectively). A complete removal of Schistosoma spp., Capillaria spp., Trichuris spp., Toxocara spp. and Taenia spp. was noted in LS and NLS. In the case of Ankylostome spp., data showed a total removal in LS and 81% in NLS; however, the final load is in agreement with the standards (0.4 egg/g). As for Ascaris spp., neither liming nor solar drying process allowed a complete removal (91% and 90% in NLS and LS, respectively) and the final load (1.1 egg/g) does not fulfill the WHO requirements for an agricultural use. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated a negative correlation between dry matter (DM) content (hence temperature) and helminth egg concentration. No significant synergic effect of liming and solar drying process was showed by statistical analysis. This is substantiating that temperature is the key parameter involved in helminth egg removal while undergoing solar drying of SS.

Soil fertility and plant nutrition require an adequate management of essential macronutrients such as potassium (K) and phosphorus (P), which are mandatory for plant development. Bioleaching of K and P bearing minerals improves their chemical weathering and increases the performance of the biofertilization strategies. In this study, in vitro and greenhouse experiments were carried out to investigate P and K solubilization traits of nine Actinobacteria (P13, P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, BC3, BC10, and BC11) under fertilization with rock phosphate (RP). K and P solubilization were evaluated on Alexandrov and NBRIP media containing mica and six RP samples, respectively. The actinobacterial strains were able to solubilize K in Alexandrov medium supplemented with RP. However, when soluble P was used instead of RP, only four strains of Actinobacteria ( Streptomyces alboviridis P18- Streptomyces griseorubens BC3- Streptomyces griseorubens BC10 and Nocardiopsis alba BC11) solubilized K. The solubilization values of K ranged from 2.6 to 41.45 mg/L while those of P varied from 0.1 to 32 mg/L. Moreover, all strains were able to produce IAA, siderophore, HCN, and ammonia and significantly improved the germination rate and the vigor index of wheat. The pot experiments revealed that four strains ( Streptomyces alboviridis P18, Streptomyces griseorubens BC3, Streptomyces griseorubens BC10, and Nocardiopsis alba BC11) significantly improved the growth parameters of wheat, namely root length (1.75-23.84%), root volume (41.57-71.46%), root dry weight (46.89-162.41%), shoot length (8.92-23.56%), and shoot dry weight (2.56-65.68%) compared to the uninoculated control. These findings showed that Streptomyces griseorubens BC10 and Nocardiopsis alba BC11 are promising candidates for the implementation of efficient biofertilization strategies to improve soil fertility and plant yield under rock P and rock K fertilization.