Search

Abstract Background The combination of compost and biochar (CB) plays an important role in soil restoration and mitigation strategies against drought stress in plants. In the current study, the impact of CB was determined on the characteristics of saline calcareous soil and the productivity of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) plants. The field trials examined CB rates (CB0, CB10 and CB20 corresponding to 0, 10, and 20 t ha‒1, respectively) under deficit irrigation [DI0%, DI20%, and DI40% receiving 100, 80, and 60% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), respectively] conditions on growth, seed yield (SY), quality, and water productivity (WP) of fenugreek grown in saline calcareous soils. Results In general, DI negatively affected the morpho-physio-biochemical responses in plants cultivated in saline calcareous soils. However, amendments of CB10 or CB20 improved soil structure under DI conditions. This was evidenced by the decreased pH, electrical conductivity of soil extract (ECe), and bulk density but increased organic matter, macronutrient (N, P, and K) availability, water retention, and total porosity; thus, maintaining better water and nutritional status. These soil modifications improved chlorophyll, tissue water contents, cell membrane stability, photosystem II photochemical efficiency, photosynthetic performance, and nutritional homeostasis of drought-stressed plants. This was also supported by increased osmolytes, non-enzymatic, and enzymatic activities under DI conditions. Regardless of DI regimes, SY was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved by 40.0 and 102.5% when plants were treated with CB10 and CB20, respectively, as similarly observed for seed alkaloids (87.0, and 39.1%), trigonelline content (43.8, and 16.7%) and WP (40.9, and 104.5%) over unamended control plants. Conclusions Overall, the application of organic amendments of CB can be a promising sustainable solution for improving saline calcareous soil properties, mitigating the negative effects of DI stress, and enhancing crop productivity in arid and semi-arid agro-climates.

Abstract Background Osteoporosis (OP) is the most prevalent metabolic bone disease. Numerous genetic loci are strongly related to OP. AXIN1 is a significant gene that serves an important role in the WNT signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the AXIN1 genetic polymorphism (rs9921222) and OP susceptibility. Methods A total of 101 subjects were enrolled in the study (50 patients with OP and 51 healthy individuals). Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini Kit, and the AXIN1 gene polymorphism (rs9921222) was genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays. A logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between genotypes and OP risk. Results We found that AXIN1 rs9921222 had a significant association with the susceptibility of OP under the homozygote model (TT vs. CC: OR = 16.6, CI = 2.03–136.4, p = 0.009), (CT vs. CC: OR = 6.3, CI = 1.23–31.8, p = 0.027), recessive genetic model (TT vs.TC-CC: OR = 13.6, CI = 1.7–110.4, p = 0.015), and the dominant model (TT-TC vs. CC: OR = 9.7, CI = 2.6–36.3, p

Abstract Background Regional adiposity has a significant impact on the formation of adverse metabolic and cardiovascular risk profiles. While much of the attention was directed to the importance of intra-abdominal adipose tissue, there were several new investigations about mediastinal and epicardial regions’ visceral adiposity. Our study aimed to determine the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver and increased epicardial adipose tissue mass with coronary artery disease severity. Methods This study was conducted on sixty patients who presented with symptoms of coronary artery disease and attended elective coronary angiography to rule out coronary artery disease. All patients have been subjected to full hepatic profile, noninvasive scoring system such as Fibrosis-4 and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score and abdominal ultrasound for diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and trans-thoracic echocardiography for measurement of average epicardial adipose tissue thickness. Student T test, analysis of variance test, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test were used for statistical analysis. Results According to the severity of coronary artery disease, patients with significant coronary stenosis had statistically significant higher degree of hepatic steatosis in abdominal ultrasound (P value 6.1 mm, epicardial adipose tissue thickness was a valuable tool in discrimination between significant and non-significant coronary artery disease with specificity and sensitivity of 100%. Conclusion High epicardial adipose tissue thickness may represent a marker of severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as well as an independent predictor of coronary artery disease risk.

Abstract Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune illness defined by involvement of several systems and a variety of clinical symptoms among them the neuropsychiatric manifestations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the presence of depression and to assess overall health in individuals with SLE, as well as their relation to SLE disease activity and damage. Sixty adult SLE patients were enrolled, along with sixty age and sex-matched controls. For the presence of major depression, all patients were examined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for mental distress. Antinuclear antibody, anti-ds DNA, complements 3 and 4, and anti-ribosomal P antibody were performed for SLE patients. The SLEDAI-2 K and SLEDDI were assessed. Results The 60 patients were 52 (86.7%) females and 8 (13.3%) men, with a mean age of 32.5 ± 11.5 years and disease duration of 3.57 ± 3.55 years. Patients with depression accounted for 43 (71.6%) of the total, whereas controls accounted for just 14 (23.3%). Patients with substantial depression had significantly higher SLEDAI-2 K, SLEDDI, and illness duration than those without major depression (p = 0.047, p = 0.043, and p = 0.033, respectively). The patients’ mean GHQ-12 score was 17 ± 5.96, whereas the control group's was 10.0 ± 67.30, with a p value of 0.002. SLEDAI-2 K, SLEDDI, and depression score had a substantial positive association (p = 0.001, p = 0.042), while BDI-II and GHQ-12 had a significant positive correlation (p 0.001). Conclusions Depression and psychological distress were both common in SLE patients. Depression severity was linked to illness duration, activity, and damage.

Calcareous soil had sufficient phosphorus and potassium (PK) in different forms due to the high contents of PK-bearing minerals; however, the available PK state was reduced due to its PK-fixation capacity. Compost, coupled with high PK solubilization capacity microbes, is a sustainable solution for bioorganic fertilization of plants grown in calcareous soil. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of compost (20 t ha−1) with Aspergillus niger through soil drenching (C-AN) along with partial substitution of PK fertilization on quinoa performance in normal and calcareous soils. Treatments included PK100% (72 kg P2O5 ha−1 + 60 kg K2O ha−1 as conventional rate), PK100%+C-AN, PK75%+C-AN, PK50%+C-AN, PK25%+C-AN, and only C-AN in normal and calcareous soils. Results showed that C-AN and reduced PK fertilization (up to 75 or 50%) increased photosynthetic pigments and promoted nutrient acquisition in quinoa grown in calcareous soil. Reduced PK fertilization to 75 or 50% plus C-AN in calcareous soil increased osmoprotectants, nonenzymatic antioxidants, and DPPH scavenging activity of quinoa’s leaves compared to the PK0%+C-AN treatment. The integrative application of high PK levels and C-AN enhanced the quinoa’s seed nutritional quality (i.e., lipids, carbohydrates, mineral contents, total phenolics, total flavonoids, half maximal inhibitory concentration, and antiradical power) in calcareous soil. At reduced PK fertilization (up to 75 or 50%), application of compost with Aspergillus niger through soil drenching increased plant dry weight by 38.7 or 53.2%, hectoliter weight by 3.0 or 2.4%, seed yield by 49.1 or 39.5%, and biological yield by 43.4 or 33.6%, respectively, compared to PK0%+C-AN in calcareous soil. The highest P-solubilizing microorganism’s population was found at PK0%+C-AN in calcareous soil, while the highest Azotobacter sp. population was observed under high PK levels + C-AN in normal soil. Our study recommends that compost with Aspergillus niger as a bioorganic fertilization treatment can partially substitute PK fertilization and boost quinoa’s tolerance to salt calcareous-affected soil.

Tomato is a globally important fruit crop, which is easily susceptible to infection by plant-parasitic nematodes during growth. In this study, selenium nanoparticles were biosynthesized through the selenite reduction pathway in a wild-type Pseudomonas stutzeri BB19 and were characterized by uniform nanostructured needle-like forms with an average size of 95.2 nm. The nematicidal effect of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) at different concentrations (2, 6, and 10 ppm) during the pre- or post-infection of tomato root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, was assessed under greenhouse conditions. The BioSeNPs were applied as a foliar spray or a soil drench, compared to ethoprophos nematicide (100 mL/pot). The results showed that the ethoprophos nematicide significantly reduced the number of galls, egg mass, and eggs/egg mass of M. incognita by 94.2, 92.8, and 49.8%, respectively. BioSeNPs, as foliar sprays, significantly reduced the number of galls in post-treated infected tomato plants at 10 ppm and in pre-treated infected tomato plants at 2 ppm by 91.9 and 91.4%, respectively. Concerning the egg mass, BioSeNPs significantly reduced it in pre-treated infected tomato plants at 2 ppm as a foliar spray by 90.9%. Moreover, BioSeNPs significantly reduced the eggs/egg mass in pre-treated infected tomato plants at 2 ppm as a soil drench by 43.3%. On the other hand, the BioSeNPs considerably improved tomato growth, chlorophyll a and b, carotenoid content, and enzymes (i.e., catalase and peroxidase) activity compared to untreated infected tomato plants (negative control). Hence, the BioSeNPs show a significant application potential as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly biocontrol agent for RKN management in tomato plants.

Both paralogs of the calcium-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS) are required for exocytosis of synaptic vesicles (SVs) and large dense core vesicles (LDCVs). Despite approximately 80% sequence identity, CAPS1 and CAPS2 have distinct functions in promoting exocytosis of SVs and LDCVs in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain enigmatic. In this study, we applied high- and super-resolution imaging techniques to systematically assess the subcellular localization of CAPS paralogs in DRG neurons deficient in both CAPS1 and CAPS2. CAPS1 was found to be more enriched at the synapses. Using – in-depth sequence analysis, we identified a unique CAPS1 N-terminal sequence, which we introduced into CAPS2. This CAPS1/2 chimera reproduced the pre-synaptic localization of CAPS1 and partially rescued synaptic transmission in neurons devoid of CAPS1 and CAPS2. Using immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry, we identified CAPS1-specific interaction partners that could be responsible for its pre-synaptic enrichment. Taken together, these data suggest an important role of the CAPS1-N terminus in the localization of the protein at pre-synapses.

Abstract Background Rectal cancer is a common malignancy that continues to have a highly variable outcome. Local pelvic recurrence following surgery is usually leading to incurable disease. Surgical resection with stage-appropriate combined-modality therapy is the mainstay in the treatment of rectal cancer. A difficulty has been reported in distinguishing the benign post-management findings from tumor recurrence. By adding the metabolic changes to the post-operative morphologic changes, combined positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) may offer clinically useful addition in operative bed evaluation. Results The study included 30 patients, 17 males (56.6%) and 13 females (43.3%). Suspicious operative bed findings included pre-sacral soft tissue density noted in 20 patients (66%), anastomotic site mural thickening in five patients (16.6%), and post-operative loco-regional nodes in five patients (16.6%). Moreover, pre-sacral soft tissue focal avid uptake was noted in 17 patients (17/20, 85%), and no uptake noted in three patients (3/20, 15%). Anastomotic site mural thickening was seen in five patients with positive uptake noted in three patients (3/5, 60%), and no uptake seen in two patients (2/5, 40%). Loco-regional nodes were seen in five patients with positive uptake in five patients. The most accurate SUV max cut-off value among studied cases was 3.5. Confirmation of PET/CT results was done by histopathological assessment in ten patients (33.3%) and by follow up after 6 months in 20 patients (66.6%) with recurrence noted in 15 patients (75%) and normal post-operative findings noted in five patients (25%). Conclusion PET/CT study is an effective tool for evaluation of suspicious colorectal oncologic operative bed findings noted in the routine CT studies. PET/CT fusion images affect the clinical management by guiding further procedures (surgery and radiation therapy).

The main constraint on rice cultivation in the Mediterranean area is the limited irrigation and its large water consumption. In addition, rice is very sensitive to drought conditions because of drought stress on morpho-physiological traits and yield reduction. The application of salicylic acid (SA) has been noticed to be very effective in alleviating the adverse effects of drought stress on rice. The current investigation was conducted as a split-split arrangement under a randomized complete block design with two lowland rice cultivars (Giza177 and Giza179) and SA as a foliar application at four concentrations (0, 400, 700, and 1000 µM) under normal and drought conditions. The results showed that plant growth, leaf photosynthetic pigments, yields, and the most studied traits were significantly affected by irrigation (I), cultivar (C), and SA concentration (p ≤ 0.05 or 0.01). The interaction effect of I × C × SA was only significant on the carotenoids content (p ≤ 0.05). The reduction in grain yield and most studied traits was more pronounced under drought conditions. The Giza179 proved to be a drought-tolerant cultivar under all SA concentrations under drought conditions, while Giza177 was a drought-sensitive cultivar. The application of 700 µM SA gave the best grain yield in both rice cultivars under drought conditions compared to other SA concentrations. Grain yield for normal irrigation (Yp) and drought stress (Ys) conditions were highly positively correlated with indices of the mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP), stress tolerance index (STI), yield index (YI), yield stability index (YSI), drought resistance index (DI), harmonic mean (HM), and golden mean (GOL). While they are highly negatively correlated with the indices of the stress susceptibility index (SSI), tolerance index (TOL), yield reduction ratio (YR), stress susceptibility percentage index (SSPI), and abiotic tolerance index (ATI). It could be concluded that SA, as a growth regulator, could be used to alleviate the harmful effect of inadequate water availability in soil on rice cultivars as well as to improve the growth, water productivity, and grain yield.

Pot trials were performed to explore the impacts of seed priming (SPr) plus leaf treatment (LTr) with trans-zeatin-type cytokinin (tZck; 0.05 mM) and silymarin (Sim; 0.5 mM) on growth, yield, physio-biochemical responses, and antioxidant defense systems in Cd-stressed wheat. tZck + Sim applied as SPr + LTr was more effective than individual treatments, and the impacts were more pronounced under stress conditions. Cd stress (0.6 mM) severely declined growth and yield traits, and photosynthesis efficiency (pigment contents, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, and photochemical activity) compared to the control. These negative impacts coincided with increased levels of Cd2+, O2•− (superoxide), H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), MDA (malondialdehyde), and EL (electrolyte leakage). Non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activities, and tZck and Sim contents were also increased. However, tZck + Sim increased photosynthesis efficiency, and further boosted antioxidant activities, and contents of tZck and Sim, while minimizing Cd2+ levels in roots, leaves, and grains. The levels of O2•−, H2O2, MDA, and EL were also minimized, reflecting positively on growth and productivity. tZck + Sim applied as SPr + LTr was highly effective in promoting antioxidants and photosynthesis machineries, minimizing oxidative stress biomarkers and Cd2+ levels, boosting tolerance to Cd stress, and improving wheat productivity under Cd stress.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system uses a large number of antennas in the base station (BS) serving a set of users in order to increase the spectral efficiency. The pilot-contamination is considered the most remarkable impairment that limits the performance of massive MIMO system. In this paper, two different pilot assignment approaches are jointly proposed to reduce pilot contamination effect. A time-shifted pilot assignment (TSPA) approach is used, where a cellular network is divided into exclusive groups, wherein users in the same group send their uplink-pilots simultaneously, while other users receive their downlink-data. Through the uplink-pilot phase, a heuristic weighted graph coloring-based pilot assignment (WGC-PA) approach is used to reduce intra-group interference caused by pilot contamination. Different uplink-pilots are allocated to the users in the same group having the largest pilot contamination severity (PCS), whereas other users with the smallest PCS share the same uplink-pilots. To divide the cellular network into exclusive groups, we propose a cells grouping technique based on the adjacent distance between cells. This proposed technique uses a backtracking based graph coloring algorithm. It ensures that no two adjacent cells are in the same group in the time-shifted approach. The simulation results show that the proposed joint WGC/TS-PA strategy not only reduces the pilot contamination effect but also reduces computational complexity than the weighted graph coloring approach.

Drought stress is a major factor limiting wheat crop production worldwide. The application of humic acid (HA) and the selection of the appropriate genotype in the suitable site is one of the most important methods of tolerance of wheat plants to drought-stress conditions. The aim of this study was achieved using a three-way ANOVA, the stress tolerance index (STI), the Pearson correlation coefficient (rp), and principal component analysis (PCA). Three field experiments in three sites (Al-Qasr, El-Neguilla, and Abo Kwela) during the 2019/21 and 2020/21 seasons were conducted, entailing one Egyptian bread wheat variety (Sakha 94) with three HA rates (0, 30, and 60 kg ha−1) under normal and drought-stress conditions (supplemental irrigation). According to the ANOVA, the sites, supplemental irrigation, HA rates, and their first- and second-order interactions the grain yield and most traits evaluated (p ≤ 0.05 or 0.01) were significantly influenced in both seasons. Drought stress drastically reduced all traits registered in all factors studied compared with normal conditions. The wheat plants at the Al-Qasr site in both seasons showed significantly increased grain yield and most traits compared with that of the other sites under normal and drought-stress conditions. HA significantly promoted all studied traits under drought stress, and was highest when applying 60 kg HA ha−1, regardless of the site. The greatest grain yield and most traits monitored were observed in wheat plants fertilized with 60 kg HA ha−1 at the Al-Qasr site in both seasons under both conditions. Grain yield significantly (p ≤ 0.05 or 0.01) correlated with water and precipitation use efficiency as well as the most studied traits under normal and drought-stress conditions. The results of STI, rp, and PCA from the current study could be useful and could be used as a suitable method for studying drought-tolerance mechanisms to improve wheat productivity. Based on the results of statistical methods used in this study, we recommend the application of 60 kg HA ha−1 to improve wheat productivity under drought conditions along the north-western coast of Egypt.

Objective: Is to evaluate the potential application of diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging in the differentiation of benign and malignant thyroid nodules in patients referred for FNAC and to correlate the imaging patterns & values of these lesions with their pathological nature. Subjects and methods: 30 patients were included in a retrospective study (10 Males & 20 Females)0.17 cases (56.7%) were new cases of thyroid nodules and 13 cases (43.3%) were recurrent cases post total thyroidectomy. The patients' ages ranged from 29 to73 years with a mean age ± SD (53.8 ± 13.1 years). All patients performed MRI examination and underwent an ultrasound-guided FNAC. Results: 17 cases were positive for malignancy (56.7%) while 13 cases were negative (43.3%). The statistical analysis in this study revealed that the ADC values were significantly (P-value

Phytoplasmas are obligate cell-wall-less plant pathogenic bacteria that infect many economically important crops, causing considerable yield losses worldwide. Very little information is known about phytoplasma–host plant interaction mechanisms and their influence on sesame yield and oil quality. Therefore, our aim was to explore the ultrastructural and agro-physio-biochemical responses of sesame plants and their effects on sesame productivity and oil quality in response to phytoplasma infection. Sesame leaf samples exhibiting phyllody symptoms were collected from three experimental fields during the 2021 growing season. Phytoplasma was successfully detected by nested- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using the universal primer pairs P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2, and the product of approximately 1200 bp was amplified. The amplified product of 16S rRNA was sequenced and compared with other available phytoplasma’s 16S rRNA in the GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that our Egyptian isolate under accession number MW945416 is closely related to the 16SrII group and showed close (99.7%) identity with MH011394 and L33765.1, which were isolated from Egypt and the USA, respectively. The microscopic examination of phytoplasma-infected plants revealed an observable deterioration in tissue and cell ultrastructure. The primary and secondary metabolites considerably increased in infected plants compared with healthy ones. Moreover, phytoplasma-infected plants showed drastically reduced water content, chlorophyll content, growth, and yield components, resulting in 37.9% and 42.5% reductions in seed and oil yield, respectively. The peroxide value of the infected plant’s oil was 43.2% higher than that of healthy ones, suggesting a short shelf-life. Our findings will provide a better understanding of the phyllody disease pathosystem, helping us to develop effective strategies for overcoming such diseases.

To avoid competing with economical plants, weed control must be implemented with a clean and appropriate strategy. Since the efficiency of leguminous crops in biological fixation of the atmospheric N2 is severely affected when grown under stressful conditions (the soil tested in this study was salt-affected; ECe = 8.99 dS m−1), an appropriate level of N fertilization should also be applied. Two field trials were performed in the 2018 and 2019 seasons to investigate the influences of soil-applied nitrogen (N) levels [48 (N1), 96 (N2), and 144 kg N ha−1 (N3)] and critical timing of weed removal (CTWR) on weed control efficiency, improving weed control, yield traits, and quality attributes in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Each trial was conducted with three replicates and planned according to a split-plot in a completely randomized design. The results revealed that N levels had significant (p ≤ 0.01) variations for the dry weight of all weeds tested (narrow-leaved, broad-leaved, and total annual weeds), pods and seed weight and yields, N use efficiency, and oil and protein yields (t ha−1) in peanut in both seasons. N3 outperformed both N1 and N2 with respect to the above-mentioned traits, however, it decreased N use efficiency and seed oil content compared to N1 and N2, respectively. Dry weight of weeds and seed harvest index were significantly (p ≤ 0.01) increased, while seed oil and protein contents, N use efficiency, and yields of pods, seeds, and protein were decreased, with increased weed interference (with peanut plants) period in both seasons. In both seasons, the interaction effect of N × W (weed removal time) was significant (p ≤ 0.01) on the dry weight of weeds and peanut traits, including seed oil content, N use efficiency, and yields of pods, seeds, and protein, and their highest values were obtained with N3 × W6 (weed-free for the whole season). The CTWR had growing degree days (GDDs) of 221.4 and 189. These two GDDs each corresponded to 2 weeks after emergence (WAE) in both growing seasons. The critical weed-free period (CWFP) had GDDs of 1400 and 1380. These two GDDs corresponded to 9.5 and 10 WAE, respectively. The combination of CTWR and CWFP resulted in a critical period of weed control (CPWC) of 2–9.5 and 2–10 WAE in both growing seasons, respectively, for the peanut crop with an acceptable yield loss of 5%. A high positive (p ≤ 0.01) correlation was noted between oil yield and seed yield (r = 0.999 ** and 0.999 **). However, a high negative (p ≤ 0.01) correlation (r = −0.723 ** and −0.711 **) was found between dry total annual weeds and seed weight in the first and second seasons, respectively. The stepwise regression analysis revealed high significant participation of two traits (i.e., seed yield and oil content) and three traits (i.e., seed yield, oil content, and weight of seeds) in the variations in oil yield in the first and second seasons, respectively. These results recommend the use of N fertilization at a rate of 144 kg N ha−1 in conjunction with keeping the soil free of weeds throughout the season to maximize peanut productivity under saline (8.99 dS m−1) conditions.

SNAP-25 is an essential component of SNARE complexes driving fast Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Yet, the functional implications of the tandem-like structure of SNAP-25 are unclear. Here, we have investigated the mechanistic role of the acylated “linker” domain that concatenates the two SNARE motifs within SNAP-25. Refuting older concepts of an inert connector, our detailed structure-function analysis in murine chromaffin cells demonstrates that linker motifs play a crucial role in vesicle priming, triggering, and fusion pore expansion. Mechanistically, we identify two synergistic functions of the SNAP-25 linker: First, linker motifs support t-SNARE interactions and accelerate ternary complex assembly. Second, the acylated N-terminal linker segment engages in local lipid interactions that facilitate fusion triggering and pore evolution, putatively establishing a favorable membrane configuration by shielding phospholipid headgroups and affecting curvature. Hence, the linker is a functional part of the fusion complex that promotes secretion by SNARE interactions as well as concerted lipid interplay.

Salinity combined with a deficiency of potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) negatively affect sugar beet yield and quality. A two-year (2017/18–2018/19) field trial was undertaken to investigate the mediating role of soil-applied K [120 (K120) and 180 (K180) kg ha−1] and foliar-applied Zn [0 (Zn0), 150 (Zn150), and 300 (Zn300) ppm] in alleviating salt-stress (8.60 dS m−1) based on sugar beet morpho-physiological responses, sugar yield and quality, and K-use efficiency in the BTS 301 and Kawemira cultivars. Application of K180 × Zn300 was more effective and resulted in 23.39 and 37.78% higher root yield (RY) and pure sugar yield (PSY), respectively, compared to control (K120 × Zn0). It also enhanced sucrose, pure sugar (PS), and purity but decreased impurities (α-amino N, K, and Na), alkalinity index, and sugar loss. However, the K120 × Zn300 recorded higher K-use efficiency. PSY correlated positively (r = 0.776 **, 0.629 **, 0.602 **, 0.549 **, and 0.513 **) with RY, root fresh weight (RFW), top yield, PS, and root diameter, respectively. The stepwise and path-coefficient analysis demonstrated that RY, PS, and RFW were the most influential PSY-affected attributes. Integration of K180 + Zn300 can correct K and Zn deficiencies in the soil and mitigate salt-stress effects via improving sugar beet growth, yield and quality, and K-use efficiency.

The current study investigated the protective potential of Azolla pinnate ethanolic extract (APE) against lead-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sixty male Wistar albino rats were randomly allocated into six groups (n = 10). The control group was orally administrated with saline. The second group received lead acetate (100 mg/kg body weight (BW) orally for 60 days). The third group was fed with APE (10 mg/kg BW orally for 60 days). The fourth group was administrated with lead acetate like the second group and APE like the third group, concomitantly, for 60 days. The fifth group was administrated with APE like the third group for 30 days, then orally administrated with the lead acetate like the second group for another 30 days. The sixth group was administrated with lead acetate like the second group for 30 days, then with APE like the third group for a further 30 days. Phytochemical analysis of APE indicated the presence of peonidin 3-O-glucoside cation, vitexin, rutin, thiamine, choline, tamarixetin, hyperoside, astragalin, and quercetin. The latter has been elucidated using one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (1D and 2D NMR) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS). Lead acetate increased the serum levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases and that of urea, creatinine, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin 1β, hepatic tissue malondialdehyde contents, and caspase 3 protein expression, as well as altering the hepatic tissue architecture. However, it decreased the serum levels of interleukin 10 and glutathione (GSH) contents, and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in hepatic tissue. In contrast, the administration of APE ameliorated the lead-induced alterations in liver function and structure, exemplifying the benefits of Azolla’s phytochemical contents. Collectively, A. pinnate extract is a protective and curative agent against lead-induced hepatotoxicity via its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic impacts.

The two paralogs of the calcium-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS) are priming factors for synaptic vesicles (SVs) and neuropeptide containing large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs). Yet, it is unclear whether CAPS1 and CAPS2 regulate exocytosis of these two vesicle types differentially in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, wherein synaptic transmission and neuropeptide release are of equal importance. These sensory neurons transfer information from the periphery to the spinal cord (SC), releasing glutamate as the primary neurotransmitter, with co-transmission via neuropeptides in a subset of so called peptidergic neurons. Neuropeptides are key components of the information-processing machinery of pain perception and neuropathic pain generation. Here, we compared the ability of CAPS1 and CAPS2 to support priming of both vesicle types in single and double knock-out mouse (DRG) neurons using a variety of high-resolution live cell imaging methods. While CAPS1 was localized to synapses of all DRG neurons and promoted synaptic transmission, CAPS2 was found exclusively in peptidergic neurons and mediated LDCV exocytosis. Intriguingly, ectopic expression of CAPS2 empowered non-peptidergic neurons to drive LDCV fusion, thereby identifying CAPS2 as an essential molecular determinant for peptidergic signaling. Our results reveal that these distinct functions of both CAPS paralogs are based on their differential subcellular localization in DRG neurons. Our data suggest a major role for CAPS2 in neuropathic pain via control of neuropeptide release.

Vesicle fusion is mediated by an assembly of SNARE proteins between opposing membranes, but it is unknown whether transmembrane domains (TMDs) of SNARE proteins serve mechanistic functions that go beyond passive anchoring of the force-generating SNAREpin to the fusing membranes. Here, we show that conformational flexibility of synaptobrevin-2 TMD is essential for efficient Ca2+-triggered exocytosis and actively promotes membrane fusion as well as fusion pore expansion. Specifically, the introduction of helix-stabilizing leucine residues within the TMD region spanning the vesicle’s outer leaflet strongly impairs exocytosis and decelerates fusion pore dilation. In contrast, increasing the number of helix-destabilizing, ß-branched valine or isoleucine residues within the TMD restores normal secretion but accelerates fusion pore expansion beyond the rate found for the wildtype protein. These observations provide evidence that the synaptobrevin-2 TMD catalyzes the fusion process by its structural flexibility, actively setting the pace of fusion pore expansion.

Abstract Aim This study investigated the nosocomial blood stream infection (BSI) in the adult ICUs in Assiut university hospitals to evaluate the rate of infection in different ICUs, causative microorganisms, antimicrobial resistance, outcome of infection, risk factors, prevalence of extended spectrum B-lactamase producing organisms and molecular typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains to highlight the role of environment as a potential source of nosocomial BSI. Methods This study was conducted over a period of 12 months from January 2006 to December 2006. All Patients admitted to the different adult ICUs were monitored daily by attending physicians for subsequent development of nosocomial BSI. Blood cultures were collected from suspected patients to detect the causative organisms. After antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of ESBLs was conducted among gram negative isolates. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were tested by PCR to determine the most common group of B-lactamase genes responsible for resistance. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from infected patients and those isolated from the environment were typed by RAPD technique to investigate the role of environment in transmission of infection. Results The study included 2095 patients who were admitted to different ICUs at Assiut University Hospitals from January 2006 to December 2006. Blood samples were collected from infected patients for blood cultures. The colonies were identified and antibiotic sensitivities were performed. This study showed that the rate of nosocomial BSI was 75 per 1000 ICU admissions with the highest percentages in Trauma ICU (17%). Out of 159 patients with primary bloodstream infection, 61 patients died representing a crude mortality rate of 38%. Analysis of the organisms causing BSI showed that Gram positive organisms were reported in 69.1% (n = 121); MRSA was the most prevalent (18.9%), followed by methicillin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococci (16%). Gram negative bacilli were reported in 29.1% (n = 51). In this case, Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common (10.3%) followed E coli (8.6%). Candida spp. was reported only in (1.7%) of isolates. Antibiotics sensitivities of Gram positive organisms showed that these organisms were mostly sensitive to vancomycin (90.1%), while Gram negative organisms were mostly sensitive to imipenem (90.2%). In this study we tested Gram negative isolates for the production of the ESBL enzyme and concluded that 64.7% (33/51) of patients' isolates and 20/135 (14.8%) environmental isolates were confirmed to be ESBL producers. The type of β-lactamase gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction which showed that SHV was the main type. Molecular typing was done for 18 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains that caused nosocomial BSI and for the 36 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains which were isolated from the environmental samples by the RAPD method. The two environmental strains were identical, with one isolated from a patient, which confirms the serious role of the hospital environment in the spread of infections. Conclusion Nosocomial BSI represents a current problem in Assiut University Hospitals, Egypt. Problems associated with BSI include infection with multidrug resistant pathogens (especially ESBLs) which are difficult to treat and are associated with increased mortality. Of all available anti-microbial agents, carbapenems are the most active and reliable treatment options for infections caused by ESBL isolates. However, overuse of carbapenems may lead to resistance of other Gram-negative organisms.