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In this paper we study geometrical properties of the semi-simple Lie groups by Car- tan involution and Cartan decomposition. Using Cartan involution and a bilinear symmetric form, we investigate the Hermitian Covariant derivative Δ, the covariant derivative and their relationship. Then we study left invariant and bi-invariant almost complex structure when Δ J = 0. The relation between the Hermitian covariant derivative and covariant derivative is studied by Cartan involution while it was a special automorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic carbon (C) fixation by phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean (SO) plays a critical role in regulating air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide and thus global climate. In the SO, photosynthesis (PS) is often constrained by low iron, low temperatures, and low but highly variable light intensities. Recently, proton-pumping rhodopsins (PPRs) were identified in marine phytoplankton, providing an alternate iron-free, light-driven source of cellular energy. These proteins pump protons across cellular membranes through light absorption by the chromophore retinal, and the resulting pH energy gradient can then be used for active membrane transport or for synthesis of adenosine triphosphate. Here, we show that PPR is pervasive in Antarctic phytoplankton, especially in iron-limited regions. In a model SO diatom, we found that it was localized to the vacuolar membrane, making the vacuole a putative alternative phototrophic organelle for light-driven production of cellular energy. Unlike photosynthetic C fixation, which decreases substantially at colder temperatures, the proton transport activity of PPR was unaffected by decreasing temperature. Cellular PPR levels in cultured SO diatoms increased with decreasing iron concentrations and energy production from PPR photochemistry could substantially augment that of PS, especially under high light intensities, where PS is often photoinhibited. PPR gene expression and high retinal concentrations in phytoplankton in SO waters support its widespread use in polar environments. PPRs are an important adaptation of SO phytoplankton to growth and survival in their cold, iron-limited, and variable light environment.

Rhodopsin photosystems convert light energy into electrochemical gradients used by the cell to produce ATP, or for other energy-demanding processes. While these photosystems are widespread in the ocean and have been identified in diverse microbial taxonomic groups, their physiological role in vivo has only been studied in few marine bacterial strains. Recent metagenomic studies revealed the presence of rhodopsin genes in the understudied Verrucomicrobiota phylum, yet their distribution within different Verrucomicrobiota lineages, their diversity, and function remain unknown. In this study, we show that more than 7% of Verrucomicrobiota genomes (n = 2916) harbor rhodopsins of different types. Furthermore, we describe the first two cultivated rhodopsin-containing strains, one harboring a proteorhodopsin gene and the other a xanthorhodopsin gene, allowing us to characterize their physiology under laboratory-controlled conditions. The strains were isolated in a previous study from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and read mapping of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed the highest abundances of these strains at the deep chlorophyll maximum (source of their inoculum) in winter and spring, with a substantial decrease in summer. Genomic analysis of the isolates suggests that motility and degradation of organic material, both energy demanding functions, may be supported by rhodopsin phototrophy in Verrucomicrobiota. Under culture conditions, we show that rhodopsin phototrophy occurs under carbon starvation, with light-mediated energy generation supporting sugar transport into the cells. Overall, this study suggests that photoheterotrophic Verrucomicrobiota may occupy an ecological niche where energy harvested from light enables bacterial motility toward organic matter and supports nutrient uptake., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Schizophrenia is associated with persistent cognitive deficits, which worsen treatment outcomes despite increasing antipsychotic doses. This study aimed to assess the effect of levetiracetam on the severity of schizophrenia symptoms and cognitive deficits in these patients., Materials and Methods: In this randomized, controlled, three-blind randomized clinical trial approved by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran (IRCT20101130005280N31), forty chronic schizophrenic patients aged 18-60 years were randomly divided into two groups of levetiracetam and placebo. The levetiracetam group received levetiracetam for 8 weeks. The symptoms were evaluated by Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Stroop test, Digit Span test and Wisconsin Test at baseline, 4th week, and 8th week. Data were analyzed through SPSS V. 23 software, descriptive tests and inferential statistics., Results: At the end of the study, all subscales of the PANSS questionnaire reduced significantly (P < 0.05). Also, all subscales of the cognitive tests had significant changes. The trends of digit span tests, correct number of consonants and inconsonant were increasing. While the trends related to consonant errors, inconsistent errors, consistent reaction time and nonconsistent reaction time were decreasing. The changes in the number of classes were increased while changes in preservation error were decreased., Conclusion: The results showed that levetiracetam has significant effects on clinical symptoms, especially negative symptoms. Also, it impacts significantly on cognitive functions. It is recommended that it be added to the pharmacological regimen of these patients to improve their clinical symptoms, quality of life and treatment outcomes., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In recent years, CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors have proven to be effective and have become increasingly popular treatment options for metastatic melanoma and other cancers. These agents work by enhancing autologous antitumor immune responses. Immune-related ophthalmologic complications have been reported in association with checkpoint inhibitor use but remain incompletely characterized. This study seeks to investigate and further characterize the neuro-ophthalmic and ocular complications of immune checkpoint blockade treatment., Methods: A survey was distributed through the secure electronic data collection tool REDCap to neuro-ophthalmology specialists in the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society listserv. The study received human subjects approval through the University of California at Los Angeles Institutional Review Board. The survey identified patients sent for neuro-ophthalmic consultation while receiving one or more of a PD-1 inhibitor (pembrolizumab, nivolumab, or cemiplimab); PD-L1 inhibitor (atezolizumab, avelumab, or durvalumab); or the CTLA-4 inhibitor ipilimumab. Thirty-one patients from 14 institutions were identified. Patient demographics, neuro-ophthalmic diagnosis, diagnostic testing, severity, treatment, clinical response, checkpoint inhibitor drug used, and cancer diagnosis was obtained., Results: The checkpoint inhibitors used in these patients included pembrolizumab (12/31), nivolumab (6/31), combined ipilimumab with nivolumab (7/31, one of whom also received pembrolizumab during their course of treatment), durvalumab (3/31), ipilimumab (2/31), and cemiplimab (1/31). Malignant melanoma (16/31) or nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (6/31) were the most common malignancies. The median time between first drug administration and the time of ophthalmological symptom onset was 14.5 weeks. Eleven patients had involvement of the optic nerve, 7 patients had inflammatory orbital or extraocular muscle involvement, 6 patients had ocular involvement from neuromuscular junction dysfunction, 4 patients had cranial nerve palsy, and 4 patients had non neuro-ophthalmic complications. Use of systemic corticosteroids with or without stopping the checkpoint inhibitor resulted in improvement of most patients with optic neuropathy, and variable improvement for the other ophthalmic conditions., Conclusion: This study describes the variable neuro-ophthalmic adverse events associated with use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and contributes a more thorough understanding of their clinical presentations and treatment outcomes. We expect this will increase awareness of these drug complications and guide specialists in the care of these patients., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

In this study, mesoporous silica nanocarriers were synthesized from natural sources such as rice and wheat husk for drug delivery application. First, the biogenic silica in cereals husk was extracted by acid leaching and then converted to sodium silicate as a silica precursor. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles were then synthesized by adding sodium silicate to the template mixture by continuous and discrete modes during the sol-gel process. The effects of natural sources type and precursor addition method on nanocarriers' morphological and physicochemical properties were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, BET and SEM analysis. Our results showed rice husk-based spherical nanocarriers were more crystalline with slit-shaped pores, while wheat husk-based nanocarriers had been composed of spherical nanoparticles with narrow cylindrical pores. The results also showed that by adding the precursor discretely, their hydrophilicity, particle size and pore size increased compared with the continuous mode, probably due to the high initial concentration of the precursor in the reaction mixture. Doxorubicin (Dox), as a model anticancer drug was loaded into the nanocarriers, and the drug release behavior was studied at two different pH values (7.4 and 5.4). In general, the accumulated released drug at pH 5.4 was approximately twice as much as pH 7.4 due to the higher solubility of doxorubicin at acidic environment. Also, the accumulated released drug at pH 5.4 for nanocarriers which had been synthesized by discrete mode, was higher than continuous mode, due to the larger pore diameter of them. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of nanocarriers and Dox-loaded nanocarriers were also investigated on the HFF-2 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively. Moreover, apoptosis, as the mechanism of cell death, was evaluated by morphological study of the MCF-7 cells. Within acceptable toxicity limits and apoptosis induction, the Dox-loaded nanocarriers, especially discrete mode synthesized nanocarriers, exhibited high-efficiency anticancer effect on the MCF-7 cell line., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microbial rhodopsins are simple light-harvesting complexes that, unlike chlorophyll photosystems, have no iron requirements for their synthesis and phototrophic functions. Here, we report the environmental concentrations of rhodopsin along the Subtropical Frontal Zone off New Zealand, where Subtropical waters encounter the iron-limited Subantarctic High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) region. Rhodopsin concentrations were highest in HNLC waters where chlorophyll-a concentrations were lowest. Furthermore, while the ratio of rhodopsin to chlorophyll-a photosystems was on average 20 along the transect, this ratio increased to over 60 in HNLC waters. We further show that microbial rhodopsins are abundant in both picoplankton (0.2-3 μm) and in the larger (>3 μm) size fractions of the microbial community containing eukaryotic plankton and/or particle-attached prokaryotes. These findings suggest that rhodopsin phototrophy could be critical for microbial plankton to adapt to resource-limiting environments where photosynthesis and possibly cellular respiration are impaired., (© 2021 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Among the birds, chicken was the model used in the majority of studies on germ cells and other birds like quail, turkey and pheasant had some interest but ostrich has been lacking from these researches., Aims: The present study was conducted to confirm the presence of ostrich primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the embryonic blood and to determine the appropriate time for having them in the blood., Methods: Embryos were extracted in embryonic day (E) 6-12, their blood was obtained and the rest of the embryos were processed for histological examinations. Staining by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) method and immunohistochemistry (IHC) using stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA1) and stage-specific embryonic antigen 4 (SSEA4) antibodies (Abs) were used for identification of the PGCs., Results: While the blood circulating ostrich PGCs were SSEA1-negative and SSEA4-positive, in the presumptive gonads PGCs showed negative immunoreactivity for both Abs. Although the ostrich PGCs were PAS-positive in both blood and presumptive gonad, their PAS-positive contents reduced during development from E 10 to E 12., Conclusion: E 9, when the hind limb buds appear, is the best time for detecting PGCs in the ostrich embryonic blood., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: In this study, the essential oil composition and cytotoxic activities of five Artemisia species were determined., Methods: The collected plants were water-distilled separately to obtain oils which were then subjected to gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry GC/MS analyses to identify their compositions. Cancer cells were exposed to different concentrations of samples and cell viability was measured using AlamarBlue® assay. Apoptotic cells were analyzed by propidium iodide (PI) staining and flow cytometry., Results & Conclusion: To study the amount of pro-apoptotic proteins and the apoptosis mechanism, Western blot method was used. Although all samples were cytotoxic at the highest concentration, the oil of A. kulbadica showed the strongest activity among other plants. Carvacrol (IC50 21.11 μg/ml) had the most cytotoxic effects among other components. Carvacrol, 1,8-cineole and 4-terpineole caused an increase in the amount of Bax protein and cleaved peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) and caspase proteins in DU 145 cells., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The affiliation of the third author has been incorrectly published in the original publication of the article. The correct affiliation is provided in this erratum.

During an organism's evolution, functional adaptations help species to become better suited to their ecological niches. From the morphological aspect, these adaptations are reflected in the anatomical specializations of different organs. Specializations of the lingual organ is a critical adaptation of birds, such as the white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), that enables their nutritional requirements to be met. For optimal use of the available food resources, the white-headed duck utilizes three methods of food collection, namely pecking, grazing and filter-feeding. Since this species is classified as endangered, we conducted the present study on two carcasses of the white-headed duck (death due to natural causes) employing routine histological methods, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Our results show that the tongue of this bird shares some similarities and some differences with the tongue of other members of the family Anatidae. The results confirm that it is better adapted to the filter-feeding method rather than to other types of food intake. This adaptation is reflected by anatomical specializations of its lingual structures, including the stair-like outline shape, bi-sectional lingual body, a deep median sulcus, lateral conical papillae, mucus secreting glands, lack of serous secreting glands, cartilaginous skeleton and the triangular fibromuscular structure of the lingual body. The so-called triangular structure and cartilaginous skeleton are the major structures involved in the lingual motions during the filter-feeding method. The presence of the triangular structure and its connection with the cartilaginous skeleton and lingual mucosa have not previously been reported in any species of birds.

The hedgehog tongue is a tactile and taste organ which carries out various functions. Detailed functional and morphological studies are required to clearly define the relationship of the hedgehog tongue with taste, food palatability, mastication and swallowing of food, as well as the production of sounds. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the morphological characteristics of the European hedgehog tongue and the lifestyle of this animal, as well as to compare findings with the results of studies on other vertebrates. Gross and micro-anatomical light and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that the hedgehog tongue could be divided in three areas, namely the apex, body and root. A keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, which was smooth on the ventral surface but bore four types of papillae on the dorsal surface, lined the tongue. Three types of these papillae were found to have gustatory functions and to express their activity in close relation with the salivary glands. These simple conical filiform papillae were situated caudally and distributed one after the other without a break. The dome-shaped fungiform papillae on the apex, with the highest distribution rate on the apex edge, were small, but those on the body and root were large. The three circular vallate papillae were arranged in a triangular shape. The foliate papillae with a few tiny projections, found in a shallow furrow, were situated between the root and the body. Most of the nerve fibers observed in different sections of the tongue tissue were of the unmyelinated type, confirming that the main task of the hedgehog tongue was its gustatory function.

Background: Bilateral medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) is a common target in thiamine depletion and results in acute vestibular failure. Involvement of the MVN was present in 27 out of 38 brainstem sections reported in the largest thiamine deficiency autopsy cohort with Wernicke's encephalopathy., Method: Serial clinical, imaging and vestibulo-ocular reflex gain measured with the video head impulse (vHIT) in one patient with acute thiamine deficiency., Results: Low horizontal VOR gain correlated with an abnormal manual head impulse and with MRI evidence of MVN in an alcohol-dependent patient with low thiamine levels. The vertical VOR gain was either normal or mildly abnormal. Thiamine replacement and normal diet restored the VOR gain and MRI signal changes to normal., Conclusion: This single case study provides clinical-imaging correlation for symmetric MVN compromise in thiamine deficiency, its effect on the VOR gain and the favorable response to thiamine and diet replacement when identified early.

Although the histological structure of ostrich testis has been studied, very little information is currently available on the embryonic development of this organ. The aim of this study was to determine the sequence of the histological changes in diverse components of the testis in ostrich embryo from embryonic day (E) 20 to E42. The main findings were categorized into four histological features, i.e., development of sex cords, interstitial tissue and rete ducts, and the appearance of defective septa. While the lumen of sex cords, tunica albuginea, capsular rete ducts and Leydig cell precursors appeared at E26, the filum-shaped defective septa were visible at E36. The emersion of the lumen in the primary sex cords and formation of capsular rete ducts in the ostrich embryo is considerably different from that in other birds. However, tunica albuginea and Leydig cell precursors appeared in a similar pattern to those of other birds. An interesting observation was that the primordial germ cell (PGC)-like cells were completely distinct, while the capsular rete ducts were formed by trapping of some Sertoli cell aggregations in the tunica albuginea. This suggests that similar to the primary sex cords, the capsular rete ducts may originate from the Sertoli cell aggregations which had corralled some PGCs. Stereological estimations in the ostrich embryo testis showed the major proportion of testis is occupied by the seminiferous tubules, which is unlike the fowl embryo testis.

The majority of investigations on the testis, as the main organ of male reproductive system, have been performed in mammalian species, with few studies on bird species. Thus, the structure of the ostrich testis remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the microanatomical characteristics of the testis in five juvenile ostriches. A stereological study was performed according to the Delesse principle. The mean volume fraction of the seminiferous tubules was 0.569, and the mean volume of the seminiferous tubules in an average testis was 1.04 cm(3). The Paraffin-embedded sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome, Alcian blue, and periodic acid-Schiff stains. Histological studies revealed that the spermatogonial stem cells and Sertoli cells were localized inside the seminiferous tubules, close to the basement membrane. Inside the tubules a few meiotic cells up to the spermatozoa stage were located in a centripetal manner. Outside the tubules, one to three layers of euchromatic peritubular myoid cells were present, surrounded by loose interstitial connective tissue. A thick tunica albuginea contained many myoid cells and some rete ducts, with the latter extending from the hilus to the free surface of the testis. Straight seminiferous tubules were distributed in the lateral surfaces and hilar portions of the capsule but were rare in the free surface. These capsular rete ducts may participate in testicular fluid transit from the distal tubules through the capsule.

From January to February 2008, 468 sheep carcasses (335 male and 133 female) in a Khosroshahr (suburb of Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province, Iran) abattoir were randomly selected for inspection. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequency of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep and to compare the results of bacterial cultures and histopathology of suspected cases. The mean age of the population was 2.5 years. One hundred ninety-seven cases containing 153 (77.7%) males and 44 (22.3%) females had prominent enlargement of one of the lymph nodes (i.e., prescapular, prefemoral, inguinal, supramammary, or midiastinal); these were removed with the surrounding tissue for further evaluation. For confirmed diagnosis of CLA, samples were sent for microbiology and pathology analysis. Standard bacteriological culture methods for isolation of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and tissue preparations for histopathological sections were performed. To evaluate the effect of age on the frequency of CLA, animals were categorized in four groups: under 1, 1-2, 2-3, and over 3 years of age. Based on the results, in 59 (12.60%) carcasses C. pseudotuberculosis was isolated, and in 94 (20.08%) of the cases histopathological studies revealed pathognomonic signs (lamellated exudates or onion ring) of CLA. The frequency of CLA based on bacteriological culture was 12.60% and on histopathological study 20.08%. In 37 (18.8%) of the carcasses, both bacteriological and histopathological studies confirmed CLA. The frequency of CLA following microscopic examination (20.08%) presented a more precise diagnosis compared to bacteriological culture (12.60%) and macroscopic evaluation of the lymph nodes (P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation rate between the bacteriological culture and histopathological study (r = 0.196, P = 0.006). The prescapular lymph node had the highest infection rate with 54 (1.70 ± 0.97) and supramammary lymph node had the lowest with two (0.07 ± 0.41) (P < 0.05). There was an increase in CLA detection with increasing age (P < 0.05), the mean age of animals with a positive CLA test were 2.92 years and in the oldest age group 31 (47%) cases had the highest infection.

4-(Dimethylamino)-N-(4-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)benzamide (WC-10), a N-phenyl piperazine analog, displays high affinity and moderate selectivity for dopamine D(3) receptors versus dopamine D(2) receptors (Chu et al. [2005] Bioorg Med Chem 13:77-87). In this study, WC-10 was radiolabeled with tritium (specific activity = 80 Ci/mmol), and quantitative autoradiography studies were conducted using rhesus monkey and Sprague-Dawley rat brain sections. K(d) values for the binding of [3H]WC-10 to D(3) receptors obtained from quantitative autoradiography with rhesus monkey and rat brain sections are in agreement with K(d) values obtained from cloned human and rat receptors (Xu et al. [2009] Synapse 63:717-728). The D(2) selective antagonist [3H]raclopride binds with 11-fold higher affinity to human HEK D(2L) (K(d) = 1.6 nM) than HEK D(3) (K(d) = 18 nM) receptors; [3H]raclopride binds to rat Sf9 rD(2L) receptors with a K(d) of 6.79 nM, a value that is 4-fold lower than binding to human HEK D(2L) receptors and 2.5-fold higher than binding to rat Sf9 rD(3) receptors. In vitro quantitative autoradiography studies with [3H]WC-10 and [3H]raclopride were conducted on adult rat and rhesus monkey brain sections. A mathematical model for calculating the absolute densities of dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptors based on the in vitro receptor binding data of [3H]WC-10 and [3H]raclopride was developed.

Background: Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) is an effective medication currently used to treat acute ischemic stroke within three hours of symptom onset in patients with an identifiable clinical deficit measured using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)., Methods: We compared the outcomes of 27 identified patients with an NIHSS of 6 or less who received IV rt-PA for acute ischemic stroke treatment within three hours of symptom onset in our center with 24 historic controls from the nationally available National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) study database., Results: The mean initial NIHSS was not significantly different in patients and control groups (mean +/- SD: 4.52 +/- 1.25 and 4.71 +/- 1.4) (P = 0.45). The mean modified Rankin score (mRS) at the time of discharge in patients and control group were 0.78 +/- 1.19 and 1.75 +/- 1.75, respectively. The mRS at discharge demonstrated a statistically significant (P < 0.03) improved clinical outcome for IV rt-PA treated group. The rate of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in the IV rt-PA group and control group was not significantly different (P = 1, odds ratio: 0.88, CI: 0.05-14.09)., Conclusion: This retrospective study demonstrates that administering intravenous rt-PA to patients with a very mild stroke (NIHSS of 6 or less) can lead to improved clinical outcome when compared to patients with similar NIHSS who have not received similar treatment.

Intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) is an effective medication currently used to treat acute ischemic stroke within 3 hours of symptom onset in patients with an identifiable clinical deficit measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Some reports suggest that patients with milder acute ischemic stroke may improve spontaneously and may not benefit additionally from IV thrombolysis. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the outcomes of patients at our stroke center who received IV t-PA treatment for acute ischemic stroke, within 3 hours of symptom onset, outside the setting of a clinical trial and had a NIHSS score of less than or equal to 10 compared with historic control subjects. There were 52 patients who received IV t-PA for acute ischemic stroke. Of those, 31 (male 44% [n = 14]) had a NIHSS score of 10 or less (mean NIHSS score 6 +/- 2). The mean age was 61 +/- 14 years, the mean NIHSS score was 6 +/- 2, and the mean modified Rankin scale (mRS) score was 1.4 +/- 1.5. We identified 98 patients (male 74% [n = 73]) in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke IV recombinant t-PA study placebo group. The mean age was 65 +/- 13 years, the mean NIHSS score was 7 +/- 2, and the mean mRS score was 2.5 +/- 1.7. Assuming equal variances, the mRS score at discharge, for the IV t-PA-treated group, demonstrated a better clinical outcome that was statistically significant (P < .009). This retrospective study demonstrates that administering IV t-PA to patients with a mild stroke, measuring 10 or less by the NIHSS, can lead to improved clinical outcome when compared with patients with similar NIHSS score who have not received similar treatment., (Copyright 2010 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)