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Tailoring of appropriate nanofibrous scaffold for wound healing applications is required strongly to develop people’s health care system. Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets containing co-substitution of Mg/Se-hydroxyapatite (HAP) were involved in ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) to be produced in nanofibrous scaffolds. The structural properties of both powder and nanofibrous scaffolds were characterized using XRD, while the morphological behavior was investigated via FESEM. The calculated lattice parameters indicated that HAP tends to grow in the c-axis to form rod shapes which were in the range of 0.7 μm in case of no contribution of GO as observed from FESEM micrographs. The networked nanofibrous scaffold possesses diameters around 0.15−0.92 μm at zero contribution of GO, while the diameters were categorized into two groups in a range of 0.2−0.42 μm and 1.25–1.67 μm. at the highest GO concertation. The mechanical properties of the nanofibrous scaffold were investigated and showed that the fracture toughness was enhanced from 0.66 ± 0.12 MJ/m3 to be 3.10 ± 0.21 MJ/m3, while fracture strength was developed from 0.81 ± 0.22 MPa to 4.4 ± 0.45 MPa at the lowest and highest GO, respectively. The interaction between nanofibrous scaffolds and human fibroblasts cell line was investigated in-vitro and illustrated that cells were spread and proliferated not only on the surface of fibers, but cells also grew deeply through the porosity of scaffold. The spreading of cells was affected strongly by the compositional constituents. Therefore, the fabricating of nanofibrous scaffolds with desired behaviors towards the biological environment could be done via controlling in compositional components.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered the fourth type of cancer that causes death in the world. Changes in levels of Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Selenium (Se) as well as low glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity can lead to CRC and this study was aimed to evaluate their possible use as diagnostic markers. Methods: CRC patients (n=90) were divided into three groups; newly diagnosed, before surgery, and after surgery. These groups were compared to healthy subjects (n=30); the mean age ±SD was 50.63±9.26 and 49.97 ±10.85 for CRC patients and healthy subjects, respectively. Biochemical study for serum levels of Zn and Cu were measured by FAAS, Se was measured by HGAAS, and ELISA for GPx. Results: Zn, Cu, Se and GPx were significantly lower in all CRC patient groups, except for the after surgery group which showed no differences for Zn and GPx as compared to the healthy subjects. Positive correlations were found between Se and Zn and between Se and GPx (r = 0.71, r = 0.42; P < 0.01, respectively) in all CRC patient groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis applied for the newly diagnostic group showed that all parameters can be used as diagnostic markers for CRC. Conclusion: The present results conclude that Zn, Cu Se, and GPx can be used as diagnostic markers for CRC, where the decrease of these parameters may be associated with an increased risk of CRC and as indicators of the response to therapy.

This study demonstrates the estimation of length–weight relations (LWR) for freshwater fishes from the Seomjin River basin in South Korea. The LWR estimation is based on the 15 species representing Cyprinidae: Rhodeus uyekii (Mori, 1935), Rhodeus notatus Nichols, 1929, Tanakia koreensis (Kim et Kim, 1990), Acheilognathus rhombeus (Temminck et Schlegel, 1846), Pseudorasbora parva (Temminck et Schlegel, 1846), Coreoleuciscus aeruginos Song et Bang, 2015, Sarcocheilichthys nigripinnis (Günther, 1873), Squalidus gracilis majimae (Jordan et Hubbs, 1925), Squalidus chankaensis tsuchigae (Jordan et Hubbs, 1925), Hemibarbus longirostris (Regan, 1908), and Opsariichthys uncirostris (Temminck et Schlegel, 1846); Cobitidae: Cobitis longicorpus Kim, Choi et Nalbant, 1976 and Cobitis tetralineata (Kim, Park et Nalbant, 1999); Bagridae: Tachysurus ussuriensis (Dybowski, 1872); and Amblycipidae: Liobagrus somjinensis Park et Kim, 2011. Our study provides new information of LWRs for eight species. The LWRs for those species have not been reported yet in FishBase. We also update the existing LWRs for the seven remaining species, because our records are out of their ranges in FishBase.

Abstract Background To evaluate the differences between the predicted and achieved lenticule thickness (ΔLT) after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery and investigate relationships between ΔLT and predicted lenticule thickness in SMILE. Methods A total of 184 eyes from 184 consecutive patients who underwent SMILE were included in this prospective study. One eye for each patient was randomly selected and included for statistical analysis. To achieve emmetropia, nomogram adds 10% correction of spherical refractive. An ultrasound pachymetry measurement and Scheimpflug camera corneal topography were obtained before and at 3 months after SMILE. The achieved lenticule thickness was calculated by comparing the preoperative examinations with postoperative examinations using ultrasound pachymetry and Pentacam software measurements. The pupil center and corneal vertex were selected as the 2 locations for measurement calculation on Pentacam. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare mean pachymetry values using different instruments. Linear regression analyses were performed between the VisuMax readout lenticule thicknesses and the measured maximum corneal change, between ΔLT and predicted lenticule thickness. Results On average, the achieved lenticule thickness measured with ultrasound pachymetry was 13.02 ± 8.87 μm thinner than the predicted lenticule thickness. The proportion of ΔLT in predicted values is 11.9% (ultrasound) and about 15% (Pentacam). Linear regression analysis showed significant relationships between the predicted and each achieved lenticule thickness. Each ΔLT was significantly related to predicted lenticule thickness (ultrasound: R 2 = 0.242; pupil center from Pentacam: R 2 = 0.230). Conclusions An overestimation of achieved lenticule thickness was evident in this study which may exclude eligible SMILE patient. Also, our results showed that 10% increase of spherical refractive correction in the nomogram is appropriate. Furthermore, clinicians should subtract 10% of the predicted lenticule thickness to calculate the residual corneal stroma bed thickness.

Abstract Background This study is focused on the measurement of trace elements (zinc, copper, cadmium, lead and selenium) in the saliva of pigs in order to study their levels on different porcine pathological conditions in the field. The experiment involved 15 pigs without clinical signs of disease and 42 diseased pigs (suffering from lameness, rectal prolapse, fatigue or growth rate retardation). Individual saliva samples were collected, allowing the pigs to chew a sponge each for trace element quantifications through atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Since this is the first report on the measurements of trace elements in porcine saliva, a routine analytical validation study was performed for the quantification of all the studied elements. Moreover, the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoblobin (Hp), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were quantified in the saliva samples for the animal’s health status assessment. Results Modifications in the levels of acute phase proteins or ADA were only recorded in animals with lameness and rectal prolapse and those with fatigue respectively. Moreover, TAC level changes were observed in pigs with growth-rate retardation. However, alterations in the levels of two or more trace elements were reported for all the different groups of diseased pigs with evident variations within pathologies. Conclusions The salivary quantification of trace elements could be considered as a complementary tool to acute phase proteins, TAC and ADA determinations for disease detection and differentiation in the pig and should be explored in greater depth.

Neurogenesis and angiogenesis are widely recognized to occur during epileptogenesis and important in brain development. Because vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a critical neurovascular target in neurological diseases, its effect on neurogenesis, microvascular remodeling and epileptogenesis in the immature brain after lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) was investigated. The dynamic changes in and the correlation between hippocampal neurogenesis and microvascular remodeling after SE and the influence of VEGF or SU5416 injection into the lateral ventricles at different stages after SE on neurogenesis and microvascular remodeling through regulation of VEGF expression were assessed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Western blot analysis revealed that the VEGFR2 signaling pathway promotes phosphorylated ERK and phosphorylated AKT expression. The effects of VEGF expression regulation at different stages after SE on pathological changes in hippocampal structure and spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) were evaluated by Nissl staining and electroencephalography (EEG). The results showed that hippocampal neurogenesis after SE is related to microvascular regeneration. VEGF promotion in the acute period and inhibition in the latent period after SE alleviates loss of hippocampal neuron, abnormal vascular regeneration and inhibits neural stem cells (NSCs) ectopic migration, which may effectively alleviate SRS severity. Interfering with VEGF via the AKT and ERK pathways in different phases after SE may be a promising strategy for treating and preventing epilepsy in children.

In eukaryotes, RNA N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification and microRNA (miRNA)-mediated RNA silencing represent two critical epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. The m 6 A methyltransferase complex (MTC) and the microprocessor complex both undergo liquid-liquid phase separation to form nuclear membraneless organelles. Although m 6 A methyltransferase has been shown to positively regulate miRNA biogenesis, a mechanism of reciprocal regulation between the MTC and the microprocessor complex has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the MTC and the microprocessor complex associate with each other through the METHYLTRANSFERASE B (MTB)-SERRATE (SE) interacting module. Knockdown of MTB impaired miRNA biogenesis by diminishing microprocessor complex binding to primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) and their respective MIRNA loci. Additionally, loss of SE function led to disruptions in transcriptome-wide m 6 A modification. Further biochemical assays and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay indicated that SE enhances the liquid-liquid phase separation and solubility of the MTC. Moreover, the MTC exhibited enhanced retention on chromatin and diminished binding to its RNA substrates in the se mutant background. Collectively, our results reveal the substantial regulatory interplay between RNA m 6 A modification and miRNA biogenesis., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Integrative Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Introduction: The precise detection of weeds in the field is the premise of implementing weed management. However, the similar color, morphology, and occlusion between wheat and weeds pose a challenge to the detection of weeds. In this study, a CSCW-YOLOv7 based on an improved YOLOv7 architecture was proposed to identify five types of weeds in complex wheat fields., Methods: First, a dataset was constructed for five weeds that are commonly found, namely, Descurainia sophia , thistle, golden saxifrage, shepherd's purse herb, and Artemisia argyi . Second, a wheat weed detection model called CSCW-YOLOv7 was proposed to achieve the accurate identification and classification of wheat weeds. In the CSCW-YOLOv7, the CARAFE operator was introduced as an up-sampling algorithm to improve the recognition of small targets. Then, the Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) network was added to the Extended Latent Attention Networks (ELAN) module in the backbone network and the concatenation layer in the feature fusion module to enhance important weed features and suppress irrelevant features. In addition, the contextual transformer (CoT) module, a transformer-based architectural design, was used to capture global information and enhance self-attention by mining contextual information between neighboring keys. Finally, the Wise Intersection over Union (WIoU) loss function introducing a dynamic nonmonotonic focusing mechanism was employed to better predict the bounding boxes of the occluded weed., Results and Discussion: The ablation experiment results showed that the CSCW-YOLOv7 achieved the best performance among the other models. The accuracy, recall, and mean average precision (mAP) values of the CSCW-YOLOv7 were 97.7%, 98%, and 94.4%, respectively. Compared with the baseline YOLOv7, the improved CSCW-YOLOv7 obtained precision, recall, and mAP increases of 1.8%, 1%, and 2.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the parameters were compressed by 10.7% with a 3.8-MB reduction, resulting in a 10% decrease in floating-point operations per second (FLOPs). The Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) visualization method suggested that the CSCW-YOLOv7 can learn a more representative set of features that can help better locate the weeds of different scales in complex field environments. In addition, the performance of the CSCW-YOLOv7 was compared to the widely used deep learning models, and results indicated that the CSCW-YOLOv7 exhibits a better ability to distinguish the overlapped weeds and small-scale weeds. The overall results suggest that the CSCW-YOLOv7 is a promising tool for the detection of weeds and has great potential for field applications., 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 Wang, Hu, Zheng, Lan, Liu, Liu, Zhong, Li and Tan.)

This study aimed to assess the effect of the diet, different types of fish, in the intake of selenium (Se) in De Montfort University (DMU, UK) students, as some DMU individuals showed lower intake of Se than the Adequate Intake of 70 µg/day set by EFSA. Comprehensive nutrient intake was collected from 111 (18-23 yrs-old; 78 female) DMU students from three geographical/ethnic backgrounds (41 Asia, 41 Africa, 27 Europe), using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire processed with Nutritics software. Moreover, Se was analysed in scalp-hair provided by 73 of these participants (58 female) by ICP-MS (LOD=0.298 µg/g). Despite Se was poorly detected in hair, specifically only in four female participants (0.298-0.386 µg/g), the dietary intake of this micronutrient was higher in male participants, although without statistical differences [p-value=0.0819; mean and range, all in µg/day: 98.788 (26.846-299.479) vs. 78.269 (21.447-246.713)], perhaps due to the differences in the number of participants. Similarly, the intakes of Se did not show statistical differences according to ethnic background (p-value=0.746), although they might explain the slightly higher intake of Se observed in the population monitored than that reported in general population in the UK (63 µg/day). Meanwhile the intake of Se was positively correlated with the intakes of oily (r=0.4899, p<0.001) and white fish (r=0.420, p<0.01) and canned white fish (r=0.281, p<0.05) in female participants, in male students it was only correlated with the intake of white fish (r=0.5801, p<0.05). The intakes of white fish (16.393 vs. 11.378), and canned oily (2.679 vs. 2.523) and white fish (7.254 vs. 6.429, all in g/day) were higher in male counterparts, although without statistical significance, which might explain our results. Consumption of oily and oily canned fish should be recommended to enhance the ingestion of this micronutrient in the monitored population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aug‐cc‐pVTZ‐J basis set family is extended to include the fourth‐row p‐block elements Ga, Ge, As, Se, and Br. We use the established approach outlined by Sauer and coworkers (J. Chem. Phys. 115, 1324 [2001], J. Chem. Phys. 133, 054308 [2010], J. Chem. Theory Comput. 7, 4070 [2011], and J. Chem. Theory Comput. 7, 4077 [2011]) where the completely uncontracted aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis set is saturated with tight s‐, p‐, d‐, and f‐functions to form the aug‐cc‐pVTZ‐Juc basis set for the tested elements. The saturation is carried out on the simplest hydrides possible for the tested elements GaH, GeH4, AsH3, H2Se, and HBr until an improvement is less than 0.01% for all s‐, p‐, and d‐functions added. f‐Functions are added to an improvement less than or equal to 1.0% due to the computational expense these functions add. The saturated aug‐cc‐pVTZ‐Juc (26s16p12d5f) is then recontracted using the molecular orbital coefficients from self‐consistent field calculations on the simple hydrides to improve computational efficiency. During contraction of the basis set, we observe that the linear hydrogen bromide molecule has a slower convergence than the other tested molecules which sets a limit on the accuracy obtained. All calculations with the contracted aug‐cc‐pVTZ‐J [17s10p7d5f] gives results that are within 1.0% of the uncontracted results at considerable computational savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic granulomatosis is a chronic disease that affects the majority of farmed meagre (A. regius). Nutritional imbalances and overcrowding can increase the risk to suffer oxidative stress, and consequently, impact the incidence of granulomatosis. In order to evaluate this, juvenile meagre were fed five isolipidic (16.7%) and isoproteic (49.6%) fish meal and fish oil‐based feeds prepared by adding different levels of vitamin C, minerals (Mn, Zn, Se) with constant vitamin E and K (300 and 35 mg/kg respectively): Diet KEC (100 mg/kg C), Diet KEC+Mn/Zn/Se (100 mg/kg C, 40 mg/kg Mn, 200 mg/kg Zn, 1.5 mg/kg Se), Diet KECC (600 mg/kg C), Diet KECCC (1200 mg/kg C), Diet KECCCC (3200 mg/kg C). All diets were tested at 3.20 kg/m3, but diets KECC and KECCCC were also tested at 6.20 kg/m3. Growth performance was only affected by stocking density, being lower at high density. The percentage of fish with granulomas was significantly lower in fish fed with the highest dietary vitamin C contents (KECCC and KECCCC) at low density. TBARS content was correlated with the percentage of granulomas in the liver (R2 = 0.9439, y = 0.003x − 0.1242) denoting the involvement of an imbalance oxidative status in the appearance of granulomas. The present results show that high levels of vitamin C (1200–3200 mg/kg C) and low stock density (3.20 kg/m3) favours the growth of juvenile meagre, reducing the lipid peroxidation indicators and decreasing the incidence of granulomas, which confirms that this pathology is mostly triggered by the deficiency of antioxidant nutrients, particularly vitamin C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for the human body. Humans meet their basic Se requirements primarily through food consumption. The largest Se-rich contiguous area in China is located in the southeast of Guangxi. In this study, the Se accumulation and translocation in the Guangxi rice–soil system was assessed. Organically bound Se (O-Se) was found to be the main type of soil Se (72.5%), and had a good linear relationship with soil total Se (TSe) and soil organic matter (SOM); the three forms were closely related and thus, affected each other. The contents of Se in the various plant organs were highly correlated. The roots had the greatest Se concentration, followed by the stems, grains, and lastly the leaves. The distribution coefficient of grain/stem (0.74) was greater than that of grain/leaf (0.54), suggesting that the migration of Se in plants may have apical dominance and/or reproductive advantages. Ligand-exchangeable Se, water-soluble Se, and residual Se had little effect on the accumulation of Se in the soil and plants. The soil S content showed no significant correlation with the various types of soil Se and TSe, but showed a low correlation with the Se content in various plant organs. SOM played a special role in the translocation of Se between the soil and plants, which affected the absorption and accumulation of Se by plants. SOM can affect the content of O-Se and, consequently, of TSe in the soil. SOM can also directly or indirectly affect the Se content in various plant organs, especially the Se concentration in rice grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Effect of NaF deposition procedure on CZGSSe layers composition and properties. • Relation between Na incorporation and S content and distribution through CZGSSe. • Se evaporation along with NaF strongly influences in-depth elemental distribution. • S gradient through CZGSSe layer effect on surface morphology and device properties. • CZGSSe-based solar cell with E g ~ 2 eV and efficiency of 3.2%. The influence of the Na content and incorporation procedure into Cu 2 ZnGe(S,Se) 4 (CZGSSe) thin films and solar cells is investigated. The effects of the presence/absence of Se during the deposition of a 15 nm thick NaF layer before and/or after the Cu 2 ZnGeSe 4 (CZGSe) co-evaporation, are compared. Both the Na content, and Na-supply method significantly influence the incorporation of S into the CZGSe lattice and its distribution in the absorber. A [S]/([S] + [Se])-gradient throughout the CZGSSe layers is observed for all the samples and correlated with effects induced by the Na incorporation procedure. For instance, the evaporation of Se together with NaF leads to an increased S concentration in the surface-region of the CZGSSe layer and a modified surface morphology. CZGSSe-based solar cells with band gap energies of about 2 eV are obtained, regardless of the NaF addition method used, while the absence of the NaF layer reduces the S incorporation and the E g. However, the evaporation of Se together with NaF results in higher E g and open circuit voltage V OC , probably related to a higher S accumulation near the surface, demonstrating the importance of the [S]/([S] + [Se]) distribution. CZGSSe-based photovoltaic devices with efficiency of 3.2 % and E g of 2 eV are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yijing (Book of Changes) occupied a very significant position in C.G. Jung's mind, which was closely related to Richard Wilhelm's active recommendation and introduction of the Yijing wisdom. Inspired by the Yijing, Jung set forth the 'principle of synchronicity', by which scholars tend to discuss the relationship between Yijing and Jungian psychology. In fact, Jungian analytical psychology conceives in-depth onto-cosmological connotations corresponding to the philosophy of the Yijing. The terms invented or employed by Jung such as 'archetype', 'Self', 'individuation', 'mandala,' 'anima and animus', 'persona and shadow' are interrelated with the connotations of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) (○) and liang yi (two-mode) () in the Yijing philosophy. A comparative study of the two disciplines can help us gain a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of both, and further improve the exchanges of Eastern and Western cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a response to William Meredith-Owen's paper presented at the inaugural joint conference on 'Alchemy, a bridge to Jung's objective psyche', for The Society of Analytical Psychology and the West Midlands Institute of Psychotherapy in autumn 2020. The paper presents a way of understanding the collective unconscious through the functioning of the core self, and thus offers a bridge which addresses the indivisibility of the personal and collective psyche/unconscious, referencing Mary Williams' (1963) classic paper. Specifically, this is applied to Winnicott's dream of destruction that he had after reviewing Memories, Dreams, Reflections, as well as to parts of the psyche that were dissociated due to significant early deprivation - the primary narcissistic wounds. Alchemical metaphors are shown to relate to the analytic process, which allows the primitive core self (with its identificatory, participatory, connecting nature), when integrated through relationship, to sink back into the unconscious and function as the Self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal, discharged into environments naturally or anthropogenically, where industrial and agricultural revolutions have led to serious Cd pollution into the environment. Poultry feed may be contaminated by Cd due to its presence in concentrates and supplements, and also in the machinery and equipment used in the feed production and processing. After absorption in the digestive system, Cd largely accumulates in kidneys, liver, bones and other organs and causes irreversible damage to these organs. Higher doses of Cd in poultry diet reduced feed intake, body weight, bone mineral density, egg production and eggshell quality. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient and important component of a variety of antioxidant enzymes, with the ability to antagonize metal toxicity including Cd. Hence, in the current review, we try to summarize recent information about the toxicological effects of Cd and provide updated information about the role of Se as an effective strategy in reducing Cd toxicity in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between dietary selenium (Se) intake and osteoporosis-related fractures remains inconsistent. We aimed to examine the dose relationship between Se intake and incident fracture among Chinese adults.Methods: The dietary data were retrieved from the China Health and Nutrition Survey conducted between 1991 and 2011, and 17,150 participants aged above 20 were included. A 3-day, 24-h recall of food intake was performed to assess cumulative average dietary Se intake. The fracture was based on self-report in each survey between 1997 and 2011. The association between Se intake and fracture was tested by Cox regression, and the non-linear association was examined by restricted cubic splines (RCS).Results: There were 976 fracture cases during a mean of 10.2 years follow-up. In a fully adjusted Cox model, across the quartiles of Se intake, the hazard ratios (HRs) for fracture were 1.07 (95% CI .86–1.33), 1 (reference), 1.25 (95% CI 1.02–1.53), and 1.33 (95% CI 1.07–1.65). RCS showed a parabolic association (P non-linear = 0.037) between Se and fracture for men as well as a U-shape dose-response (P non-linear = 0.04) between Se and fracture for subjects living in highly urbanized areas.Conclusion: In conclusion, there is a non-linear association between selenium intake and fracture, with higher intake associated with increased risk. The shape of the association varies by gender and urbanization level.

Herein, selenium and nitrogen co-doped carbon quantum dots (Se/N-CQDs) were hydrothermally synthesized by using citric acid, histidine, and sodium selenite, which had sp3 and sp2 hybridized carbon atoms and showed excitation-dependent fluorescence behavior. Furthermore, due to the redox reaction of ABTS•+ and Se/N-CQDs, Se/N-CQDs had the excellent antioxidant capacity that it was demonstrated by scavenging ABTS•+ with the fading of blue. Based on the synergistic effect of Se/N-CQDs and Mn(II) on ABTS•+, Se/N-CQDs and ABTS•+, as a stable, sensitive, selective, and reproducible colorimetric sensor, was applied to the detection of Mn(II) with a detection limit of 1.69 μM and a linear range of 0 to 142.90 μM. More importantly, the probe was successfully applied to detecting Mn(II) in tap water, illustrating that it could be a promising tool for Mn(II) detection in water environments.

Introduction: Acute Encephalitis is associated with a high risk of acute symptomatic seizures, status epilepticus, and remote symptomatic epilepsy. Ketogenic diet therapies (KDT) have been established as a feasible and safe adjunctive management of refractory- and super-refractory status epilepticus. However, the role of KDT in the chronic management of Post-encephalitic epilepsy (PE) and autoimmune-associated epilepsy (AE) is unknown. This study aims to investigate the use of KDT in patients with PE and AE.Methods: A retrospective single-center case series examining adult patients with PE and AE treated with the modified Atkins diet (MAD), a KDT commonly used by adults with drug-resistant epilepsy.Results: Ten patients with PE and AE who were treated with adjunctive MAD were included. Four patients had either confirmed or presumed viral encephalitis, five patients had seronegative AE, and one patient had GAD65 AE. The median latency between starting MAD and onset of encephalitis was 6 years (IQR: 1–10). The median duration of MAD was 10 months (IQR: 3.75–36). Three patients (30%) became seizure-free, one patient (10%) achieved 90% seizure freedom, and three patients (30%) achieved a 50–75% reduction in their baseline seizure frequency, while three patients (30%) had no significant benefit. Overall, seven patients (70%) achieved ≥50% seizure reduction.Conclusion: In addition to its established role in the treatment of RSE, KDT may be a safe and feasible option for the treatment of chronic PE and AE, particularly in those with prior history of SE. Prospective studies are warranted to explore the efficacy of KDT in management of patients with PE and AE.

Penaeus brasiliensis and P. paulensis are shrimp species which overlap their distribution only in the Southwest Atlantic. In addition, they are fishery resources intensively exploited. The interactions between these two sympatric species, especially sharing of food resources, are still unknown. We have investigated the niche breadth of juvenile pink shrimps in two proximal coastal nurseries (Sepetiba and Guanabara bays) located in Southeast Brazil (∼23°W) by means of stable isotopes and stomach content analyses. These two bays are important nurseries for these species and are located in one of the most populous regions of Brazil. Diets were basically composed of benthic invertebrates (mollusks, crustaceans and polychaetes), particulate organic matter and benthic diatoms. We detected significant spatial differences in isotopic compositions (δ13C and δ15N), with pink shrimps from Guanabara Bay displaying the lowest values of both isotopes. The δ13C range and diet support that benthic microalgae are the primary producers in P. brasiliensis and P. paulensis food chains. Trophic diversity was higher in Guanabara Bay based on δ15N range, Standard Ellipse Area, and Centroid Distance metrics, displaying greater individual variability in isotopic signatures compared to Sepetiba Bay, probably due to enhanced food diversity and spatial heterogeneity in the former. The overlap in the ellipses areas between the two shrimp species was greater in Sepetiba Bay and indicates a greater sharing of resources that should be more abundant and available. Niche metrics analysis revealed greater spatial rather than interspecific differences. We advocate paying particular attention to monitoring the pink shrimps of Sepetiba Bay due to their smaller trophic niche width and lower δ15N range, which increases their sensitivity to changing habitat, mainly due to human actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy diet is of great importance for the protection and maintenance of the health. Various events take place in our bodies during childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The quality of our diet plays a role in the successful realization of all the events such as growth and development, reaching to physical and mental maturity, disease prevention, fighting diseases, protecting the physical integrity of all body. Quality of life of individuals who know and practice proper nutrition is undoubtedly increasing. Breastmilk contains all the nutritional items that babies need. Breastmilk accelerates the growth and development of the baby. Immune system-related diseases are less common in children who are breastfed. Trace elements found in mother's milk: iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, chromium and bor, selenium. The aim of this study was to investigate B, Se levels in mother's milk. Milk samples from 32 volunteer mothers who reside longer than 7 years and who had a newborn here were collected for study purposes. Milk samples were measured using B, Se ICP/OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma) spectroscopy equipment. The concentrations of B: 1.384 ± 0.061 mg/kg, Se: 0.034 ± 0.003 mg/kg, were determined in the mother milks. The amount of these elements in the milk varies according to the lactation period. The mineral content of the mother's milk is low and is compatible with renal functions of the newborn that have not yet developed. Minerals are needed in addition to amino acids, glucose, fatty acids and vitamins for the proliferation, renewal, and growth of organisms. For this reason, determination of B, Se levels in the milk of the substituting mothers in van province.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of Spanish SE, covering the main empirical facts, analyses and theoretical issues that it raises, and exploring the prospects to unify all uses-which are over a dozen in the literature-under one same object that keeps its surface properties invariable. We will show that it is almost inescapable to propose that SE is associated to two types of objects, defective arguments and defective verbal heads; both objects share the property of not introducing referentially independent DPs, which can be argued to be the result of the grammaticalisation of a reflexive element in contemporary Spanish. The chapter proposes that a treatment of SE as a projection introduced high in the clausal structure and acting as an agreement locus can be a fruitful way to unify all uses of SE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Acute Encephalitis is associated with a high risk of acute symptomatic seizures, status epilepticus, and remote symptomatic epilepsy. Ketogenic diet therapies (KDT) have been established as a feasible and safe adjunctive management of refractory- and super-refractory status epilepticus. However, the role of KDT in the chronic management of Post-encephalitic epilepsy (PE) and autoimmune-associated epilepsy (AE) is unknown. This study aims to investigate the use of KDT in patients with PE and AE. Methods: A retrospective single-center case series examining adult patients with PE and AE treated with the modified Atkins diet (MAD), a KDT commonly used by adults with drug-resistant epilepsy. Results: Ten patients with PE and AE who were treated with adjunctive MAD were included. Four patients had either confirmed or presumed viral encephalitis, five patients had seronegative AE, and one patient had GAD65 AE. The median latency between starting MAD and onset of encephalitis was 6 years (IQR: 1–10). The median duration of MAD was 10 months (IQR: 3.75–36). Three patients (30%) became seizure-free, one patient (10%) achieved 90% seizure freedom, and three patients (30%) achieved a 50–75% reduction in their baseline seizure frequency, while three patients (30%) had no significant benefit. Overall, seven patients (70%) achieved ≥50% seizure reduction. Conclusion: In addition to its established role in the treatment of RSE, KDT may be a safe and feasible option for the treatment of chronic PE and AE, particularly in those with prior history of SE. Prospective studies are warranted to explore the efficacy of KDT in management of patients with PE and AE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive communication systems require a good estimation technique to offer beneficial performances. In this work, a new robust estimation algorithm based on a non-quadratic error function (RNQ) was proposed for Bit Error Rate (BER) reduction, and improving of the spectral efficiency (SE) and transmission throughput in Adaptive Modulation and Coding-Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (AMC-COFDM) systems. Also, this technique is compared to the Normalised Least Mean Square (NLMS) estimation method. The obtained results show clearly that the estimation method based on the RNQ algorithm is very efficient in term of the convergence speed and minimum average error and works very satisfactorily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to external finance is a key challenge for the creation, survival and growth of SMEs. This article delves into the "weak funding" handicap of rural small firms (SEs): the access to bank financing and the substitutive role of trade credit for entrepreneurs in rural areas when they faced bank credit constraints. Considering SEs in Galicia (Spain), a paradigmatic case in Europe of rural areas in demographic decline with a strong impact of the Spanish sovereign and banking crisis of 2008-2012. There's evidence of firms in rural areas facing a differential negative flow of bank credit during the financial crisis, especially in the manufacturing and construction sectors, that dissipated afterwards. Then, using a panel data approach that considers the determinants of trade credit, the complementary and substitutive hypotheses are tested to estimate the impact of bank credit restrictions over trade credit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is a frequently employed for solidifying and stabilizing mercury (Hg) contamination in soil. However, it often results in an elevated presence of soil methylmercury (MeHg), which introduces new environmental risks. Consequently, there is a necessity for developing a safer modified biochar for use in Hg-contaminated soil. This study employed sodium selenite (at a safe dosage for soil) and hydroxyapatite to modify straw biochar (BC) based on the interaction between selenium (Se) and phosphorus (P). This process led to the formation of Se-modified biochar (Se-BC), P-modified biochar (P-BC), and Se and P co-modified biochar (Se-P-BC). Additionally, solvent adsorption experiments and pot experiments (BC/soil mass ratio: 0.5 %) were conducted to investigate the impacts of these soil amendments on soil Hg methylation and bioavailability. Se and P co-modification substantially increased the surface area, pore volume, and Hg adsorption capacity of BC. BC treatment increased the simulated gastric acid-soluble Hg, organo-chelated Hg, and MeHg in the soil. Conversely, Se-P-BC significantly reduced these forms of Hg in the soil, indicating that Se-P-BC can transform soil Hg into less bioavailable states. Among the different biochar treatments, Se-P-BC exhibited the most pronounced reductions in soil MeHg, total Hg, and MeHg in water spinach, achieving reductions of 63 %, 71 %, and 70 %, respectively. The co-modification of Se and P displayed a synergistic reduction effect in managing soil Hg pollution, which is associated with the increase of available Se in the soil due to phosphorus addition. The significantly reduced dissolved organic carbon and the abnormally high SO 4 2− concentration in the soil of Se-P-BC treatment also inhibited Hg methylation and bioavailability in the soil. In summary, Se-P-BC substantially increased reduction percentage in plant Hg content while mitigating the risk of secondary pollution arising from elevated soil MeHg. [Display omitted] • Se and P co-modification substantially increased Hg adsorption capacity of BC. • Se and P in Se-P-BC exhibited a synergistic effect in reducing soil MeHg. • Se-P-BC can transform soil Hg into less bioavailable states. • Se-P-BC reduced soil MeHg and enhanced the reduction percentage in plant Hg. • Se-P-BC reduced the DOC and abnormally increased sulfate concentration in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) biofortification of staple crops can be used as a valuable pathway to prevent Se deficiency in human diet. In this study, a pot experiment was performed under semi-controlled conditions to investigate the response of indigenous wheat cultivars to different Se concentrations (0 to 100 mg L-1) and to also assess the effects of Se foliar application on the storage proteins in wheat grains. A linear increase in Se concentrations in the grains of various wheat cultivars was observed (up to 158 μg kg-1) in response to Se application rates. It was observed that Gandum-1, Fakhar-e-Bhakkar-17, Ujala-16 and Anaj-17 were the most responsive wheat cultivars to Se application rates and accumulated the highest Se concentrations in grains. Though Se foliar treatments did not significantly affect the wheat yield, a highly significant correlation was observed between the Se application rates and the concentration of mineral nutrients (iron, zinc, calcium and potassium). Moreover, the exogenous Se supply considerably enhanced the concentrations of different storage proteins viz. albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin in wheat grains. The target hazard quotient of all Se application rates was found less than the toxic levels. In conclusion, wheat cultivars differ in their ability to accumulate Se concentrations in grains and biofortifying the most responsive wheat cultivars could be used as an efficient agronomic strategy to overcome widespread Se deficiency in human population. • The effects of different selenium (Se) concentrations on nutritional quality of wheat grain were investigated. • Foliar spray of Se increased the concentration of albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin in wheat grains. • Se application significantly increased iron, zinc, calcium and potassium content but did not affect yield. • Wheat genotypes differ in their response to Se application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is encountered among patients with epilepsy at a significantly higher rate than in the general population. Mechanisms of epilepsy-ADHD comorbidity remain largely unknown. We investigated whether a model of chronic epilepsy in rats produces signs of ADHD, and thus, whether it can be used for studying mechanisms of this comorbidity. Epilepsy was induced in male Wistar rats via pilocarpine status epilepticus. Half of the animals exhibited chronic ADHD-like abnormalities, particularly increased impulsivity and diminished attention in the lateralized reaction-time task. These impairments correlated with the suppressed noradrenergic transmission in locus coeruleus outputs. The other half of animals exhibited depressive behavior in the forced swimming test congruently with the diminished serotonergic transmission in raphe nucleus outputs. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depressive behavior appeared mutually exclusive. Therefore, the pilocarpine model of epilepsy affords a system for reproducing and studying mechanisms of comorbidity between epilepsy and both ADHD and/or depression.

Abstract Background In this study, seven adjuvants were compared for use with Plasmodium falciparum DiCo-Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (Pf-DiCo-AMA1), with the aim to identify an ideal adjuvant which yields high antibody titres and potentially broadens the responses in clinical trials. The following adjuvant formulations were evaluated: SE, SE-GLA, Liposomes, Liposomes-GLA, CoVaccine HT™, ImSaVac-P and ImSaVac-P o/w. The study was performed in rabbits, which were immunized with FVO-AMA1 in combination with one of the seven adjuvants. Antibody levels (humoral responses) and functional activity of the antibodies induced against malaria vaccine candidate AMA1 were evaluated. Thus, in this study the ideal adjuvant is expected to induce high functional antibody levels, a long-lived response, and a broad cross-strain activity. Results AMA1 formulated in all adjuvants was immunogenic. However, the magnitude of the immune responses differed between the seven adjuvants. The highest IgG levels were observed for the CoVaccine HT™ group, this was statistically significant for all four AMA1 variants versus all other adjuvant groups. No differences were observed in the breadth of the humoral response, i.e., increased recognition of AMA1 variants. Also, Growth Inhibition Activity (GIA) for both Plasmodium falciparum strains (FCR3 – homologous to FVO AMA1 protein and NF54 – heterologous to FVO AMA1 protein) were significantly higher in the CoVaccine HT™ group as compared to the other adjuvant groups. Conclusions In brief, all seven vaccine – adjuvant formulations were immunogenic. The magnitude of the immune responses differed between the seven adjuvants. No statistically significant differences were observed in the breadth of the humoral response, nor in longevity of the response. Nevertheless, AMA1 formulated in CoVaccine HT™ appeared as the best adjuvant for use in clinical trials.

Aim: Determination of antioxidative enzyme glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) serum concentrations after consumption of food which contains different concentrations of selenium (Se). Research subjects and methods: Four-week-old Sprague Dawley rats consumed food containing different concentrations of Se (food Divan) over a period of 10 weeks. The animals were divided into two groups: 1) normal Se (0.363 mg/kg Se) and 2) low Se (0.030 mg/kg Se). Each animal was weighed at the end of protocol, and serum samples were collected for determining GPx3 concentrations. All experimental procedures were in compliance with the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine in Osijek and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Croatia. Results: Different concentrations of Se in food did not cause a change in body weight. Food containing the recommended intake of Se according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization significantly increased GPx3 enzyme concentration (13.96±0.42 mg/ml) when compared to low selective Se (12.04 ± 0.33 mg/ml, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Serum concentration of the antioxidant enzyme GPx3 depends on the concentration of Se in food. It is shown that, in comparison with food with low Se levels, food containing a normal concentration of Se is enriched with the antioxidant GPx3 which, according to numerous studies, has a protective role in the human body.

Yang Yang,1,* Shengru Liang,2,* Yuqian Li,1,* Fei Gao,1 Yuan Cao,3 Xiaoyu Zhao,4 Guodong Gao,1 Lihong Li1 1Department of Neurosurgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710038, China; 2Department of Endocrinology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, China; 3Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710032, China; 4Department of Neurosurgery, The 986th Hospital of Chinese People’s Libertation Army, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province 710054, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Both protective and therapeutic functions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in brain injury have been reported, but its effects on cognitive sequelae after septic encephalopathy (SE) remain unclear.Materials and methods: This study was divided into three parts, and a septic model was built by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). First, survival analysis was performed, and IGF-1’s effects on long-term cognition and depressive emotion were assessed. Second, the characteristics of IGF-1 function in cognition were evaluated. Finally, cytochrome C, caspase-9, tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), and caspase-8 levels as well as cell apoptosis in the hippocampus were evaluated.Results: IGF-1 did not reduce mortality or alleviate depressive symptoms in septic rats, but improved the memory of noxious stimulation and spatial learning and memory. These effects were observed only when IGF-1 was administered within 0–6 hours after CLP. Moreover, cytochrome C and caspase-9 expression levels were increased at 6 hours after CLP in the hippocampus, while TNFR and caspase-8 amounts were not increased until 12 hours after CLP. Cell apoptosis increased at 12 hours after CLP, but was inhibited by IGF-1.Conclusion: Cognitive impairment in rats recovering from SE is associated with cell apoptosis in the hippocampus. Supplementation of IGF-1 reduces cell apoptosis by preventing the over-expression of cytochrome C and TNFR, and results in improved cognitive function. However, improvement only occurs when IGF-1 is administered at the early stage (within 6 hours) of sepsis. As cytochrome C activation occurs earlier than that of TNFR in this study, cytochrome C may be the main factor inducing apoptosis in early SE. Keywords: septic encephalopy, memory, learning, IGF-1, cytochrome C, TNFR, apoptosis

Self-enhancement (SE) is often overlooked as a fundamental cognitive ability mediated via the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). Here, we present research that establishes the relationship between the PFC, SE, and the potential evolved beneficial mechanisms. Specifically, we believe there is now enough evidence to speculate that SE exists to provide significant benefits and should be considered a normal aspect of the self. Whatever the metabolic or social cost, the upside of SE is great enough that it is a core and fundamental psychological construct. Furthermore, though entirely theoretical, we suggest that a critical reason the PFC has evolved so significantly in Homo sapiens is to, in part, sustain SE. We, therefore, elaborate on its proximate and ultimate mechanisms.

A fast and accurate bauxite recognition method combining an attention module and a clustering algorithm is proposed in this paper. By introducing the K-means clustering algorithm into the YOLOv4 network and embedding the SE attention module, we calculate the corresponding anchor box value, enhance the feature learning ability of the network to bauxite, automatically learn the importance of different channel features, and improve the accuracy of bauxite target detection. In the experiment, 2189 bauxite photos were taken and screened as the target detection datasets, and the targets were divided into four categories: No. 55, No. 65, No. 70, and Nos. 72–73. By selecting the category volume balanced datasets, the optimal YOLOv4 network model was obtained after training 7000 times, so that the average accuracy of bauxite sorting reached 99%, and the reasoning speed was better than 0.05 s. Realizing the high-speed and high-precision sorting of bauxite greatly improves the mining efficiency and accuracy of the bauxite industry. At the same time, the model provides key technical support for the practical application of the same type of engineering.

Il contributo intende valorizzare il ruolo di De Roberto nello slittamento da una narrazione oggettiva a una soggettiva nella fine Ottocento. Evidenzia come egli non rappresenti una soggettività di tipo romantico, o estetizzante, ma risenta di un clima di riflessione scientifico-letteraria, maturato da un approfondimento dello stesso scientismo positivista. Partendo dai documenti di poetica dello scrittore, in cui si evidenzia una disposizione all’eclettismo, si rileva come egli faccia riferimento a un concetto problematico di realismo, sulla scia delle considerazioni di Maupassant sulla relatività dei concetti stessi di vero e di verità. Lo studio verifica poi come le riflessioni teoriche svolte nella “Prefazione” a Documenti umani, vengano trasferite nella scrittura creativa in Donato del Piano, che rivela uno spessore metanarrativo. Il protagonista appare tormentato dall’impossibilità di trovare una piena corrispondenza tra il sentimento e la parola, tra la parola e l’idea, dalla problematicità del linguaggio, anticipando alcuni punti della riflessione pirandelliana. Un ulteriore elemento di modernità risiede nella percezione dell’insondabilità e dell’inconoscibilità dell’Io che De Roberto ricava dalla lettura del volume La parole intérieure di Egger, che recenti studi considerano come il primo teorico del monologo interiore, importante fonte per le intuizioni di Bergson. Attraverso una serie di riscontri intertestuali e interdisciplinari con le punte più avanzate della riflessione ‘lato sensu’ positivista (Maupassant, Taine, Egger) si evidenzia come De Roberto vada al di là del semplice eclettismo metodologico, e meditando sulle recenti acquisizioni della psicologia, finisca per anticipare uno dei punti nodali della riflessione novecentesca sulla crisi degli statuti della soggettività.

Metal ion dyshomeostasis and disparate levels of biometals like zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se) have been implicated as a potential causative factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we have enrolled 129 children (aged 2–4 years) in North America, of which 64 children had a diagnosis of ASD and 65 were controls. Hair, nail, and blood samples were collected and quantitatively analyzed for Zn, Cu and Se using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Of the analyzed biometals, serum Se (116.83 ± 14.84 ng/mL) was found to be significantly lower in male ASD cases compared to male healthy controls (128.21 ± 9.11 ng/mL; p < 0.005). A similar trend was found for nail Se levels in ASD (1.01 ± 0.15 mcg/g) versus that of controls (1.11 ± 0.17 mcg/g) with a p-value of 0.0132 using a stratified Wilcoxon rank sum testing. The level of Se in ASD cohort was co-analyzed for psychometric correlation and found a negative correlation between total ADOS score and serum Se levels. However, we did not observe any significant difference in Zn, Cu, and Zn/Cu ratio in ASD cases versus controls in this cohort of North American children. Further studies are recommended to better understand the biology of the relationship between Se and ASD status.

• Maize seedlings were raised from selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) primed seeds (12 and 24 h). • Se + Zn seed treatment for 24 h was found more effective than individual treatments to improve drought tolerance in maize. • A marked increase in germination related physiological indices was related to upregulation in antioxidant machinery. • Shoot Se and Zn content increased significantly in response to nutrient priming. Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are known for their nutritional importance in biological systems. In plants, exogenous supply of these nutrients has beneficial effects on growth and development particularly under environmental stress conditions. The present study examined the effects of Zn and Se seed priming on germination and seedling growth of maize (Zea mays cv. P1574) under drought stress. The seeds were soaked in individual or combined Se (0.075 mM) and Zn (10 mM) solutions for 12 and 24 h using water-primed and un-primed seeds as control. Various priming treatments included HP 1 [hydropriming for 12 h], HP 2 [hydropriming for 24 h], Se 1 [selenium seed priming for 12 h], Se 2 [selenium seed priming for 24 h], Zn 1 [zinc seed priming for 12 h], Zn 2 [zinc seed priming for 24 h], (Se + Zn) 1 [Se + Zn seed priming for 12 h] and (Se + Zn) 2 [Se + Zn seed priming for 24 h], whereas water stress treatments were kept at 100 (normal) and 60% (drought stress) field capacity. Zn or Se seed treatment significantly increased germination indices (germination percentage [52%], promptness index [54%], vigor index [35%] and emergence index [42%]) and upregulated enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase (69%), guaiacol peroxidase (116%), superoxide dismutase (48%) and ascorbate peroxidase (39%) in maize seedlings raised from Se + Zn primed seeds compared to water and un-primed seeds. Moreover, the primed Se and Zn were efficiently translocated to the shoot resulting in 154 and 114% higher Se and Zn content, respectively by Se + Zn seed priming compared to their individual treatments. These results demonstrate the role of combined Se and Zn seed treatment to improve drought tolerance in maize, which may simultaneously bring about biofortification benefits considering nutritional importance of Se and Zn in human diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: Le traitement endoscopique est devenu, selon les dernières recommandations, le traitement de référence de la lithiase de la voie biliaire principale (LVBP), bien que dans certaines situations une prise en charge chirurgicale dans le même temps que la cholécystectomie cœlioscopique soit considérée comme une alternative possible. L'objet de cet article est de décrire le traitement endoscopique de la LVBP, en détaillant toutes ses modalités possibles et leurs indications. Ainsi, les différentes techniques de lithotritie, la place des drainages biliaires (par prothèse plastique ou métallique) seront détaillées ainsi que la sphinctéroclasie et surtout la sphinctérotomie avec macrodilatation du sphincter d'Oddi (SMSO), technique récemment décrite ayant modifié la stratégie de prise en charge endoscopique de la LVBP. Cette stratégie de prise en charge endoscopique de la LVBP articulant ces différentes techniques sera exposée. Enfin, des situations spécifiques comme la LVBP en cas de macro-calculs, de troubles de la coagulation, de difficultés d'accès endoscopique à la papille, ou au cours de la grossesse seront abordées. Endoscopic treatment has become, according to the latest recommendations, the reference treatment for common bile duct stones (CBDS), although in some situations surgical management at the same time as laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a possible alternative. The purpose of this article is to describe the endoscopic treatment of CBDS, detailing all its possible modalities and their indications. Thus, the different techniques of lithotripsy, the place of biliary drainage (by plastic or metallic stents) are explained as well as sphincteroplasty and especially sphincterotomy with endoscopic papillary large-ballon dilation, a recently described technique that has modified the strategy of endoscopic management of CBDS. This strategy of endoscopic management of CBDS, combining these different techniques, is presented. Then, specific situations such as CBDS in the event of macro-calculations, coagulation disorders, difficulties in endoscopic access to the papilla, or during pregnancy will be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation pointed to report the negative impacts of silver nanoparticles [Ag]NPs that synthesized by leaf extract of Moringa oleifera on oxidative stress biomarkers of Oreochromis niloticus, as well as the role of different Selenium type to antagonistic that toxicity. Fish were exposed to [Ag]NPs (1.95 and 3.9 ppm) as sublethal concentrations alongside 0.1 ppm of Se bulk and 0.1 ppm biosynthesized [Se]NPs selenium nanoparticles antagonistic effect for 2 and 4 weeks. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), DNA fragmentation, total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated as oxidative stress biomarkers,. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in LPO and DNA fragmentation and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in TAOC, CAT, and SOD were found in [Ag]NPs exposed groups when compared with the control one. Biosynthesized [Se]NPs and Se bulk showed a positive role in [Ag]NPs detoxification. Our investigation suggested that [Ag]NPs showed a toxic effect on oxidative stress biomarkers. However, Se-NP addition gives a good recovery of oxidative biomarkers more than Se bulk in detoxification of [Ag]NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal ion dyshomeostasis and disparate levels of biometals like zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se) have been implicated as a potential causative factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, we have enrolled 129 children (aged 2–4 years) in North America, of which 64 children had a diagnosis of ASD and 65 were controls. Hair, nail, and blood samples were collected and quantitatively analyzed for Zn, Cu and Se using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Of the analyzed biometals, serum Se (116.83 ± 14.84 mcg/mL) was found to be significantly lower in male ASD cases compared to male healthy controls (128.21 ± 9.11 mcg/mL; p < 0.005). A similar trend was found for nail Se levels in ASD (1.01 ± 0.15 mcg/mL) versus that of controls (1.11 ± 0.17 mcg/mL) with a p -value of 0.0132 using a stratified Wilcoxon rank sum testing. The level of Se in ASD cohort was co-analyzed for psychometric correlation and found a negative correlation between total ADOS score and serum Se levels. However, we did not observe any significant difference in Zn, Cu, and Zn/Cu ratio in ASD cases versus controls in this cohort of North American children. Further studies are recommended to better understand the biology of the relationship between Se and ASD status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds containing co-dopant of Sr/Se into carbonated hydroxyapatite has been synthesized in situ with graphene (G) nanosheets and carried on polycaprolactone at different contributions of G. The powder and the nanofibrous samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The FESEM micrographs show that the highest content of G (0.2 G) was formed in non-oriented/rough/cracked fibers with diameters around 0.3–0.4 µm at the maximum. The tensile strength of nanofibrous scaffolds was improved with the addition of G nanosheets and the maximum tensile strength of 0.2 G was around 6.39 ± 0.24 MPa, while the minimum cell viability ratio was about 94.4 ± 3.2% for the free G nanofibers. The in vitro attachment of HFB4 cell lines was investigated and it showed that nanofibrous scaffolds have induced cells to be proliferated and spread on the nanofibrous scaffolds' surface. This behavior of cells growth encourages more investigations for these nanofibrous scaffolds to be promoted for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]