Search

Background and Objective: Tobacco is a rich source of heavy metals that during its growth the amount of these elements increases. The use of tobacco leaves is one of the major routes of exposure to heavy metals. The aim of this study was to determine the amount of lead, chromium, and cadmium in the samples of aromatic tobacco in the Shiraz market. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. First, four most consumed aromatic tobacco flavors were collected from Shiraz; then, four samples of each and generally 48 sampleswere prepared. After preparation of the samples, the amounts of heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption flame- model Rayleigh wfx- 210. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. Results: The average concentration of lead in all the tobacco flavors was 53/59 μg/g. The statistical test did not show a significant difference between the means of lead and cadmium in the four tobacco flavors (p˃0/05); but in the case of Cr showed significant differences in different flavors (p˂0/05); and grape flavor with an average of 46/91 μg /g was the most capable. Conclusion: According to the results, aromatic tobacco is highly contaminated with heavy metals in the Iran market. Considering the importance of this issue and the negative effects of tobacco on healthand education, necessary preventive measures in this regard seems to be necessary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study for toxicity analysis in metals concentration in urban region of Mashhad, Iran including observation of heavy metals emission as source of air pollution, description of standard deviation for elements and illustration of anthropogenic sources for lead emission.

Suitability analysis is a prerequisite for sustainable agricultural production and it involves evaluation of the environmental parameters. The development and creation of appropriate points for this land use without considering environmental capability will result in the appearance of several ecological, economic, and social problems. The Multi- Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Models were used for solving such problems. Takestan-Qazvin region is one of the biomes that have difficulties due to lack of a systematic administration on environmental resources. This research was done in the framework of the ecological model and by using multicriteria decision making methods such as Analytic Network Process (ANP), Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) and Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje - Analytical Hierarchy Process (VIKOR-AHP)in GIS environment with the aim of choosing the suitable locations for agricultural land use in Takestan-Qazvin Plain. However, the purpose of this study was twofold: first, it was aimed at determining the ecological capability of agricultural land use by using ANP and SAW methods. Second, the suitable agricultural alternatives in this region were ranked using the integrated VIKOR and AHP models. In these methods, the ratings and the weights of the criteria are known precisely. Ecological factors such as physical and biological parameters and economic - social factors were chosen as the major criteria affecting the agriculture land use. The research indicated that north parts of the study area were not suitable for agricultural development. Finally, the conclusion showed that the application of decision making models could be useful in environmental capacity evaluation of agricultural land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain the solution of nonlinear sequential fractional differential equations for Caputo operator two methods namely the Adomian decomposition method and Daftardar-Gejji and Jafari iterative method are applied in this paper. Finally some examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of these methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) is a self-renewing population of male adult stem cell. SSCs have differentiation potential similar to embryonic stem cells. These ES-like cells can be a potential source for pluripotent cells for stem cell-based therapy. Materials and Methods: Using of an economical and simple co-culture system for ES-like cells generation from neonatal mouse testis. Isolated testicular cells were cultured in DMEM/F12. Characteristics of the isolated cells and obtained ES-like cell were immunocytochemically confirmed by examining for the presence of PLZF, vimentin, Oct4 and Nanog protein. Expression of pluripotency and germ-cell specific genes, were analyzed by qPCR in derived ES-like colony and SSCs respectively. Results: This experiment results indicated that our method of obtaining pluripotent ES-like cells from SSCs is simpler than the described methods. Es-like cells were mmunopositive for pluripotency markers. ES-like cell qPCR results indicated significant increase in pluripotency genes expression and significant decrease in germ cell-specie genes expression. Conclusion: We successfully established an easy and feasible method of neonatal mouse SSC derived ES-like cell in vitro culture. Apparently, an effective culture system would be a very valuable means for the mechanism studies of SSC self-renewal and ES-like cells generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the research problem of enhancing In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) success rate prediction by integrating advanced machine learning paradigms with gynecological expertise. The methodology involves the analysis of comprehensive datasets from 2017 to 2018 and 2010-2016. Machine learning models, including Logistic Regression, Gaussian NB, SVM, MLP, KNN, and ensemble models like Random Forest, AdaBoost, Logit Boost, RUS Boost, and RSM, were employed. Key findings reveal the significance of patient demographics, infertility factors, and treatment protocols in IVF success prediction. Notably, ensemble learning methods demonstrated high accuracy, with Logit Boost achieving an accuracy of 96.35%. The implications of this research span clinical decision support, patient counseling, and data preprocessing techniques, highlighting the potential for personalized IVF treatments and continuous monitoring. The study underscores the importance of collaboration between gynecologists and data scientists to optimize IVF outcomes. Prospective studies and external validation are suggested as future directions, promising to further revolutionize fertility treatments and offer hope to couples facing infertility challenges., 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 Sadegh-Zadeh, Khanjani, Javanmardi, Bayat, Naderi and Hajiyavand.)

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of different work paces on cardiorespiratory outcomes, perceived effort and carried load (CL) in industrial workers., Methods: A randomised cross-over trial was conducted at a mid-sized steel company. We included 12 healthy industrial workers (8 females, age: mean 44±SD 9 years, height: 1.70±0.08 m, body mass: 79.5±13.4 kg) with at least 6 months of working experience. All participants performed 5 min of piece work at 100% (P100), 115% (P115) and 130% (P130) of the company's internal target yielded in a randomised order, separated by 5 min familiarisation breaks. The primary outcome was energy expenditure (EE), calculated from a respiratory gas exchange using a metabolic analyser. Secondary outcomes were total ventilation, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide release, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate and rating of perceived effort (0-10). Furthermore, the metabolic equivalent and the CL were calculated. Data were analysed with repeated measure analyses of variance., Results: For EE, a large 'pace' effect with a small difference between P100 and P130 (165.9±33.4 vs 178.8±40.1 kcal/hour -1 , p=0.008, standard mean difference, SMD=0.35) was revealed. Additionally, a large difference in CL between all paces (p<0.001, SMD≥1.10) was revealed. No adverse events occurred., Conclusions: Cardiorespiratory outcomes rise with increased work pace, but the practical relevance of these differences still needs to be specified. However, the CL will add up over time and may impact musculoskeletal health in the long term., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Athletic training requires both challenging stimuli for adaptation and sufficient recovery for improved performance. While cold water immersion (CWI) is already a popular recovery method, handheld percussive massage (PM) devices have also gained popularity in recent years. This study aims to assess the effects of CWI and PM on performance recovery after strenuous eccentric exercises compared to a passive rest (PR) control condition., Methods: Thirty-four healthy physically active participants (9 females, 25 males) were randomly divided into three groups: CWI (n = 11), PM (n = 11), and passive rest (PR) (n = 12). They underwent an exhausting eccentric exercise protocol and different measurements at six time points (baseline, POST1, POST2, POST24, POST48, and POST72) over the time course of 72 h. These included subjective assessments of muscle soreness and perceived stiffness as well as measures of skin temperature, leg volume, creatine kinase activity, and three different jump tests. The eccentric exercise protocol consisted of 15 min downhill running (slope: 12%, speed: 10 km/h) and 3 sets of successive depth jumps (dropping height: 0.5 m) until individual exhaustion. After POST1 measurements, participants received 12 min of either CWI (11 ± 0.5°C), PM (40 Hz) or PR (supine posture)., Results: No significant group effects were found for the number of depth jumps performed during the exhaustion protocol. All jump tests displayed a significant group × time interaction effect. Post-hoc analysis indicated significant lower jump heights in ΔPOST2 between CWI and both PM and PR. No other significant group effects were observed at any time point. No significant group × time interaction effects were noted for CK, leg volume, and soreness. The perceived stiffness showed a significant group × time interaction effect. Post-hoc analysis revealed a significant decrease in stiffness for PM compared to PR at ΔPOST2., Conclusion: Neither CWI nor PM showed any significant improvement in performance recovery over the 72-h period following strenuous eccentric exercise compared to PR. CWI showed an immediate performance decline which may be attributed to a cold-related reduction in motor nerve conduction velocity., 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 Heinke, Javanmardi, Rappelt, Konrad, Schleip, Knicker, Freiwald and Baumgart.)

Automated nanoparticle phenotyping is a critical aspect of high-throughput drug research, which requires analyzing nanoparticle size, shape, and surface topography from microscopy images. To automate this process, we present an instance segmentation pipeline that partitions individual nanoparticles on microscopy images. Our pipeline makes two key contributions. Firstly, we synthesize diverse and approximately realistic nanoparticle images to improve robust learning. Secondly, we improve the BlendMask model to segment tiny, overlapping, or sparse particle images. Specifically, we propose a parameterized approach for generating novel pairs of single particles and their masks, encouraging greater diversity in the training data. To synthesize more realistic particle images, we explore three particle placement rules and an image selection criterion. The improved one-stage instance segmentation network extracts distinctive features of nanoparticles and their context at both local and global levels, which addresses the data challenges associated with tiny, overlapping, or sparse nanoparticles. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our pipeline for automating nanoparticle partitioning and phenotyping in drug research using microscopy images.

L-asparaginase (ASNase) enzyme has limited therapeutic use due to its poor pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity. To overcome these obstacles, we immobilized ASNase in biocompatible poly hydroxypropyl methacrylamide (P(HPMA))-based nanogels simply formed through the host-guest inclusion complex of ASNase-conjugated random copolymer of HPMA and polyethylene glycol (PEG) acrylate (P(HPMA-MPEGA)) and α-cyclodextrin dimer (bisCD) using cystamine as a linker. The effects of bisCD and polymer concentrations on particle size, gelation time, and recovery of enzyme activity were investigated. The ASNase-conjugated bisCD nanogels were discrete, homogeneous, and spherical with a mean projected diameter of 148 ± 41 nm. ASNase immobilized in the bisCD nanogels caused cytotoxicity on HL-60 cell line with IC 50 of 3 IU/ml. In-vivo rat study revealed that the immobilized ASNase reduced the enzyme antigenicity and resulted in 8.1 folds longer circulation half-life than the native enzyme. Conclusively, immobilization of ASNase in P(HPMA-MPEGA) and bisCD supramolecular nanogels could enhance the therapeutic value of ASNase in cancer chemotherapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dilaceration in a sample of patients presenting for initial orthodontic care., Methods: Examining radiographs from a random sample of orthopantomogram images was used to acquire the data. In all, 2,801 dental records were evaluated at Oman Dental College (ODC), Oman. A dental X-ray processing software was utilized to view the images. A tooth was classified as having a mesial/distal dilaceration if its long axis exhibited an angle of 90 degrees or greater. Dilacerated roots in the buccal/lingual direction were diagnosed by observing the appearance of a spherical opaque area with a dark shadow in its central region, projected by the apical foramen, which gave the root canal a "bull's-eye" appearance., Results: Dilacerations were found in 17.32% of the records examined. The maxillary second molars (22.71%) were the most commonly affected, followed by the mandibular third molars and mandibular lateral incisors (21.90% and 17.23%, respectively). The central incisors and canines were the least affected, with dilaceration affecting less than 0.2% of the teeth. The mandible was found to have more dilacerations than the maxilla (53.78% and 46.22%, respectively). 61.03% of dilacerations occurred in molars, 43.12% of which occurred in third molars., Conclusion: Dilaceration is a notable dental anomaly that can affect any tooth, with some teeth being more affected than others. Dilaceration in maxillary second molars and mandibular lateral incisors is more common in the population of this study than in other populations reported in the literature. Recognizing the condition will allow for more effective orthodontic treatment., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Orthodontic Science.)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different shoulder orthoses on the neuromuscular activity of superficial and deep shoulder muscles during activities of daily living (ADL) and physiotherapeutic exercises., Methods: Ten participants with healthy shoulders (31 ± 3 years, 23.1 ± 3.8 kg/m 2 ) were randomized to receive a "shoulder sling", an "abduction pillow" and a "variably adjustable orthosis" on the dominant side. With each orthosis, they completed seven ADL with and four physiotherapeutic exercises without wearing the orthoses. An electromyographic system was used to record the neuromuscular activity of three superficial (trapezius, deltoid, pectoralis major) and two deep shoulder muscles (infraspinatus, supraspinatus) using surface and intramuscular fine-wire electrodes., Results: The neuromuscular activity differs between the orthoses during ADL ( p ≤ 0.045), whereby the "variably adjustable orthosis" mostly showed the highest activation levels associated with the worst subjective wearing comfort rated on a visual analog scale. In addition, differences exist between the physiotherapeutic exercises ( p ≤ 0.006) demonstrating the highest activations of the infra- and supraspinatus muscles for assistive elevation and wipe across a table, middle for pendulum and lowest for continuous passive motion exercises., Conclusions: The neuromuscular activity of superficial and deep shoulder muscles differs between the orthoses during ADL and also between the physiotherapeutic exercises.

High-dose methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapeutic applications confront drug specificity and pharmacokinetic challenges, which can be overcome by utilizing targeted drug delivery systems. In the present study, biotin-PEG conjugated nanogels of carboxymethyl polyethyleneimine (Biotin-PEG-CMPEI) were developed for active targeted delivery of MTX in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TEM and DLS analyses revealed uniform, discrete, and spherical particles with a mean hydrodynamic diameter of about 100 nm and ζ-potential of + 15 mV (pH = 7.4). Biotin-PEG-CMPEI nanogels exhibited a zero-order MTX release kinetics at pH = 7.5 and a swelling-controlled release at pH = 5.5. In 4 T1 cells treated with the MTX-loaded Biotin-PEG-CMPEI, the IC 50 was reduced by about 10 folds compared to the free drug, while the unloaded nanogels showed no significant toxicity. In the model mice, the group treated with the MTX-loaded Biotin-PEG-CMPEI had a lower tumor volume and mortality rate animal model when compared to free drug. Additionally, histopathological analyses showed that the group treated with the MTX-loaded nanogels had less lung metastasis and glomerular damage caused by MTX. Overall, the MTX-loaded Biotin-PEG-CMPEI targeted directly against overexpressed biotin receptors in TNBC have been shown to improve the MTX safety and therapeutic efficacy., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Uterine fibroid (UF) driver mutations in Mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12) trigger genomic instability and tumor development through unknown mechanisms. Herein, we show that MED12 mutations trigger aberrant R-loop-induced replication stress, suggesting a possible route to genomic instability and a novel therapeutic vulnerability in this dominant UF subclass. Immunohistochemical analyses of patient-matched tissue samples revealed that MED12 mutation-positive UFs, compared to MED12 mutation-negative UFs and myometrium, exhibited significantly higher levels of R-loops and activated markers of Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) kinase-dependent replication stress signaling in situ. Single molecule DNA fiber analysis revealed that primary cells from MED12 mutation-positive UFs, compared to those from patient-matched MED12 mutation-negative UFs and myometrium, exhibited defects in replication fork dynamics, including reduced fork speeds, increased and decreased numbers of stalled and restarted forks, respectively, and increased asymmetrical bidirectional forks. Notably, these phenotypes were recapitulated and functionally linked in cultured uterine smooth muscle cells following chemical inhibition of Mediator-associated CDK8/19 kinase activity that is known to be disrupted by UF driver mutations in MED12. Thus, Mediator kinase inhibition triggered enhanced R-loop formation and replication stress leading to an S-phase cell cycle delay, phenotypes that were rescued by overexpression of the R-loop resolving enzyme RNaseH. Altogether, these findings reveal MED12-mutant UFs to be uniquely characterized by aberrant R-loop induced replication stress, suggesting a possible basis for genomic instability and new avenues for therapeutic intervention that involve the replication stress phenotype in this dominant UF subtype., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This experiment was aimed to determine the possible beneficial effects of dietary ascorbic acid (AA) on hematological indices, immune responses, and antioxidative capacity of Oncorhynchus mykiss treated with antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC). A total of 150 fish were divided evenly among five experimental groups (30 fish of each, in 3 replicates) receiving diets containing OTC (0 and 100 mg per kg fish weight) and AA (100, 200, 400, and 800 mg per kg fish diet) for 28 days. Treatments include group A or control (100 mg AA without OTC), group B (100 mg AA with OTC), group C (200 mg AA with OTC), group D (400 mg AA with OTC), and group E (800 mg AA with OTC). The results obtained showed that the hematological indices (red blood cells, white blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and neutrophils), immunological parameters (plasma lysozyme, plasma complement, and skin mucus alkaline phosphatase activities), and antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase) were significantly decreased by OTC in O. mykiss fed control diet (P < 0.05). The results also revealed that OTC significantly increased the activity of biochemical enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase) in the plasma of O. mykiss fed control diet (P < 0.05). However, in comparison to the control diet, feeding fish with higher amounts of AA (400 and 800 mg/kg diet) significantly restored the hematological, immunological, and antioxidative responses in OTC-treated groups (p < 0.05). These findings show that the dietary supplementation of AA at 400 or 800 mg/kg diet is beneficial in relieving O. mykiss from OTC-induced oxidative stress and immunosuppression., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs), as a collection of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are capable of producing all blood cell lineages. The use of cytokines, growth factors or cells capable of secreting these factors will help in stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of these cells into mature cell lines. On the other hand, MSCs are multipotent stromal cells that can be differentiated into various cell lineages. Moreover, these cells can control the process of hematopoiesis by secreting cytokines and growth factors. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of BM-derived MSCs on the differentiation of MNCs based on the assessment of cell surface markers by flow cytometry analysis., Methods: For this purpose, the MNCs were purified from rat BM using density gradient centrifugation. Thereafter, they were cultured, expanded, and characterized. Next, BM-derived-MSCs were cocultured with MNCs, and then were either cultured MNCs alone (control group) or co-cultured MNCs with BM-derived-MSCs (experimental group). Finally, they were collected on day 7 and subjected to flow cytometry analysis for granulocyte markers and ERK protein investigation., Results: It was found that the expression levels of CD34, CD16, CD11b, and CD18 granulocyte markers as well as protein expression of ERK have significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group., Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that MSCs could affect the granulocyte differentiation of MNCs via ERK protein expression, which is a key component of the ERK signaling pathway., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Introduction: Recently, MicroRNAs have gained increasing popularity as a novel nucleic acid-mediated medicine to regulate cancer-related protein expression. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is known as an oncogenic microRNA which is overexpressed in almost all cancers, including ovarian carcinoma that causes cisplatin (cis-Pt) resistance and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) upregulation. So, miRNA-based therapy can be regarded as knocking down miR-21 expression, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, and suppressing tumor-associated angiogenesis. Methods: PEG5k-carboxymethylated polyethyleneimine nanohydrogels (PEG5k-CMPEI) were loaded with AntagomiR-21 (As-21) at different ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P). Particle size and ζ potential were determined for the As-21 loaded nanohydrogels. In the cellular experiments, miR-21 expression, cytotoxicity, and cis-Pt sensitivity were studied on A2780 ovarian cancer cell lines. Finally, tumor cell apoptosis and tumor cell-associated angiogenesis were explored in vitro and in vivo . Results: The nanohydrogels, featuring homogeneous size distribution and redox-responsiveness, were steadily loaded by As-21 at the optimum N/P ratio of 5 without any aggregation as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As-21-loaded nanohydrogels caused sequence-specific suppression of miR-21 expression and provoked apoptosis through ROS generation and caspase 3 activation. Cisplatin cytotoxicity was remarkably enhanced in A2780R as compared to A2780S following co-incubation with As-21-loaded nanohydrogels. Interestingly, the condition of the medium derived from As-21 nanohydrogel-treated A2780R cells inhibited VEGF suppression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the formation of tubes in Matrigel. Moreover, the condition medium caused angiogenesis inhibition in the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Conclusion: These results suggest that nanohydrogel-based delivery of As-21 can be a promising neoadjuvant therapy for treating resistant tumors via apoptosis induction and angiogenesis suppression., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Skin burn is a major health problem in the community and seeking new and suitable treatment is suggested. In this regard, traditional remedies were consider in many countries. Regarding clinical application of herbal medicine in the healing of burn wounds, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of Gundelia ( Gundelia tournefortii L) extract with milk-cream on the healing of second-degree burn in a rat model. Thirty-six male Wistar rats (220 ± 30 g) were divided into 3 groups (n = 12), after establishment of second-degree burn: group1, were left without any intervention; group 2, were treated topically with silver sulfadiazine; and group 3, were treated with Gundelia tournefortii L extract composite with milk-cream once a day for 21 days. Macroscopically and histological examinations were conducted on 7, 14, and 21 days of therapy. Data analyses were done using 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests. Macroscopically, evaluation of wounds' sizes on the 14th and 21st days indicated that the wound surface was reduced significantly ( P < .001) in group 3 compared with groups 1 and 2. Histological findings also showed that burn healing was significantly improved in group 3 compared with the other groups. Gundelia tournefortii L extract composite with milk-cream has an effective role on healing of second-degree burn in rat skin and it could a complementary and/or alternative medicine in wound healing.

The development of theranostic platforms combining surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging with NIR-stimulated photothermal therapy (PTT) is of utmost importance for the precise diagnosis and selective treatment of cancers, especially in superficial solid tumors. For this purpose, a versatile theranostic nanoprobe of liposomal layer-coated Au nanocages (AuNCs) was decorated with an anti-MUC18 single-chain antibody (scFv). 4-mercapto benzoic acid (p-MBA)-labeled AuNCs (p-AuNCs) were coated by a liposomal layer (p-AuNCs@lip), followed by conjugating anti-MUC18 scFv via post-insertion method to form immuno-liposomal layer-coated AuNCs (p-AuNCs@scFv-lip). Physicochemical characterizations of the p-AuNCs@scFv-lip were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the targeting ability and theranostic efficiency of the nanoprobe were evaluated for specific diagnosis and treatment of cancerous melanoma cells by flow cytometry, SERS mapping, and live/dead assay. The formation of lipid layer on p-AuNCs surface was confirmed by TEM imaging. After decorating the liposomal layer with scFv, a relevant red shift was observed in the UV-vis spectrum. Moreover, p-AuNCs@lip presented characteristic peaks in the Raman spectrum, which exhibited only a minor change after scFv conjugation (p-AuNCs@scFv-lip). Interestingly, the cellular uptake of AuNCs@scFv-lip by A375 cell line (MUC18 + ) showed a 24-fold enhancement compared with SKBR3 cells (MUC18 - ). AuNCs@scFv-lip specifically identified A375 cells from SKBR cells via SERS mapping and effectively killed A375 cells through the PTT mechanism. Taken together, this theranostic platform can provide a promising tool for both in situ diagnosis and remote-controlled thermal ablation of cancer cells., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

According to the importance of vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine) as a water-soluble vitamin on the physiological conditions of aquatic animals, the present study aimed to investigate effects of different concentrations of this vitamin in recycle system culture water on the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Treatments including 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg L -1 vitamin B 6 were adjusted in triplicate recirculating systems. Each of the experimental tanks (100 L) was stocked 15 fingerling Nile tilapia during 60-day experimental period. According to the findings, weight gain in treatments of 30 and 40 mg L -1 pyridoxine was significantly higher than the other treatments while blood cortisol hormone in the treatment of 40 mg L -1 was significantly highest among the treatments. In addition, mid-intestine trypsin activity in the treatment of 40 mg L -1 was significantly higher than the other treatments. The histological analysis of the intestine showed that the number of mucus-secreting cells significantly decreased in treatments of 30 and 40 mg L -1 . Our findings here suggest that pyridoxine can possibly be absorbed by the Nile tilapia's body through culture water and it seems 20-30 mg L -1 pyridoxine in the culture water is the optimal concentration for the Nile tilapia juveniles in recycle system culture.

Stem cell-based therapy has emerged as an attractive method for regenerating and repairing the lost heart organ. On other hand, poor survival and maintenance of the cells transferred into the damaged heart tissue are broadly accepted as serious barriers to enhance the efficacy of the regenerative therapy. For this reason, external factors, such as antioxidants are used as a favorite strategy by the investigators to improve the cell survival and retention properties. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the In -vitro effect of L-carnitine (LC) on the telomere length and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene expression in the cardiac differentiated bone marrow resident CD117 + stem cells through Wnt3/β-catenin and ERK1/2 pathways. To do this, bone marrow resident CD117 + stem cells were enriched by the magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method, and were differentiated to the cardiac cells in the absence (-LC) and presence of the LC (+LC). Also, characterization of the enriched c-kit + cells was performed using the flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. At the end of the treatment period, the cells were subjected to the real-time PCR technique along with western blotting assay for measurement of the telomere length and assessment of mRNA and protein, respectively. The results showed that 0.2 mM LC caused the elongation of the telomere length and increased the hTERT gene expression in the cardiac differentiated CD117 + stem cells. In addition, a significant increase was observed in the mRNA and protein expression of Wnt3, β-catenin and ERK1/2 as key components of these pathways. It can be concluded that the LC can increase the telomere length as an effective factor in increasing the cell survival and maintenance of the cardiac differentiated bone marrow resident CD117 + stem cells via Wnt3/β-catenin and ERK1/2 signaling pathway components., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study was aimed to determine the protective effects of Plantago major L (PM ) leaf extracts on the testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D)-induced ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Twenty-four mature male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-220 g, were selected. They were randomly divided into four groups of six animals each: Sham (sham-operated rats; all the surgical steps were performed but T/D was not induced), TDC (Control group; T/D was induced and the right testicular torsion of 720° lasting two hours was followed by detorsion), TDP50 (T/D-operated rats received 50.00 mg kg -1 of PM extract daily for seven days intraperitoneally after detorsion) and TDP100 (T/D-operated rats received 100 mg kg -1 of PM extract daily for seven days intraperitoneally after detorsion). After seven days of treatment, the right testicles were collected. Histopathological and biochemical analyses including levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase (CAT) and peroxidase activities were determined in testicular tissues of the rats. Tissue sections were taken from testis, Hematoxylin-Eosin staining was done, and the slides were examined by a light microscope. The level of MDA was significantly increased in the testes of the TDC group. The CAT activity levels were decreased significantly after I/R. The post-torsion treatment with PM, particularly at 100 mg kg -1 , prevented the increase in lipid peroxidation and reduced the CAT activity levels. The PM also prevented I/R-induced cellular damage and histological changes in the testicular tissues. According to the results of the current study, PM leaf extracts had significant positive effects on the testicular T/D-induced I/R injury. The possible mechanism of reduction in biochemical and histological injuries by PM extracts could be due to antioxidant property., (© 2020 Urmia University. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondria are intracellular organelles with two distinct membranes, known as an outer mitochondrial membrane and inner cell membrane. Originally, mitochondria have been derived from bacteria. The main function of mitochondria is the production of ATP. However, this important organelle indirectly protects cells by consuming oxygen in the route of energy generation. It has been found that mitochondria are actively involved in the induction of the intrinsic pathways of apoptosis. So, there have been efforts to sustain mitochondrial homeostasis and inhibit its dysfunction. Notably, due to the potential role of mitochondria in the stimulation of apoptosis, this organelle is a promising target in cancer therapy. Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid polyphenol that exhibits significant pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor. The anti-tumor activity of resveratrol may be a consequence of its effect on mitochondria. Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between resveratrol and mitochondria, and it has been demonstrated that resveratrol is able to significantly enhance the concentration of reactive oxygen species, leading to the mitochondrial dysfunction and consequently, apoptosis induction. A number of signaling pathways such as sirtuin and NF-κB may contribute to the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by resveratrol. Besides, resveratrol shifts cellular metabolism from glycolysis into mitochondrial respiration to induce cellular death in cancer cells. In the present review, we discuss the possible interactions between resveratrol and mitochondria, and its potential application in cancer therapy., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The idea of regenerating lost myocardium via cell-based therapies remains as highly considerable. C-kit? stem/ progenitor cells are represented to be suitable candidates for cardiac regeneration compared to other stem cells. A multitude of cytokines from these cells are known to give such multifunctional properties; however, the associated mechanisms of these factors are yet to be totally understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro effect of L-carnitine (LC) on cardiac differentiation of c-kit + cells using a cytokines secretion assay. For this purpose, bone-marrow-resident-c-kit + cells were enriched by MACS method, and were differentiated to cardiac cells using cardiomyocyte differentiation medium in the absence (control group) and presence of LC (experimental group). Also, characterization of enriched c-kit + cells was performed using flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. In the following, the cells were subjected to real-time PCR and Western blotting assay for gene and protein assessment, respectively. Afterward, culture medium was collected from both control (-LC) and experimental groups (+ LC) for cytokine measurement. It was found that 0.2 mM LC significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of cardiac markers of Ang-1, Ang-2, C-TnI, VEGF, vWF, and SMA in c-kit + -cardiomyogenic-differentiated cells. Also, the significant presence of IL-6, IGF-1, TGF- β and VEGF were obvious in the cultured media from the experimental group compared with the control group. It can be concluded that the mentioned in vitro effects of LC on cardiac differentiation of c-kit + cells could have resulted from the secreted cytokines IL-6, IGF-1, TGF- β and VEGF.

A series of branched polyethylenimine (PEI) modifications including PEGylation (PEG2k-PEI) for steric shielding, redox-sensitive crosslinking for synthesis PEG2k-PEI-ss nanogels and subsequent carboxymethylation (PEG2k-CMPEI-ss) for modulation of the polymer pk a have been introduced for cellular delivery of Anti-miR-21. The synthesis was characterized using 1 H NMR, FTIR, TNBS, potentiometric titration, particle size and ζ potential. Loading of Anti-miR-21 at various N/P ratios was investigated by gel retardation, ethidium bromide dye exclusion, heparin sulfate competition and DNase I digestion experiments. The miR-21 silencing was measured by stem-loop RT PCR in A2780 ovarian cancer cell lines whether it is sensitive to resistant to cisplatin. It has been shown that PEG2k-CMPEI-ss was well suited for delivery of Anti-miR-21 in terms of nucleic acid loading, preservation against extracellular matrix and nucleases and sequence-specific silencing of miRNA-21 in vitro . Moreover, it has been demonstrated that pre-treating cells with Anti-miR-21 loaded nanogels can sensitize them to cis-Pt even at non-toxic concentraions. The results indicate that PEG2k-CMPEI-ss mediated microRNA delivery can be considered as a novel strategy for ovarian cancer therapy., (© 2018 Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

We divide Saurodactylus brosseti into five species, based on molecular and morphological characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial markers (ND4 and 12S rRNA) reveals five separately evolving lineages (clades) in the S. brosseti species complex. Each can be assigned to a particular geographical range within the distribution area in Morocco: North, South, Anti-Atlas, East and Southeast. A dichotomous key for all species within the genus Saurodactylus is presented. Despite the high level of color pattern variation among and within the northern, southern, Anti-Atlas and eastern clades, the southeastern lineage shows a unique coloration which is not found in other clades. The ecological traits of the southeastern clade seem to differ from those of the other four lineages since it is basically associated with Acacia species. Like the relictual ecosystem characterized by these trees, it appears to be highly threatened by extinction.

Introduction: In clinical dental application, using silicate-based cements is extremely popular. These materials come into direct contact with blood during or after placement and may cause tooth discoloration., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the coronal tooth discoloration induced by white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and biodentine in the presence of blood., Materials and Methods: Seventy specimens were chemomechanically prepared and divided into four experimental and two control groups. In the experimental groups, the pulp chambers were filled with white MTA angelus or biodentine. Blood or saline saturated cotton pellets were placed within the canals. Saline or blood alone was used in the control groups. Color was assessed with a spectrophotometer at baseline, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months, and color change values were calculated. Tukey's honestly significant difference and Sidak tests were used for statistical analysis., Results: The color change was significantly less with biodentine/saline than MTA/saline and MTA/blood ( P < 0.05). Regardless of the material type and blood presence, discoloration increased after 3 months ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Discoloration induced by biodentine/saline may not be clinically noticeable and it was less than MTA-containing groups. Irrespective of blood presence or absence, MTA caused perceptible color change., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: Over the past few decades, the application of nanotechnology has gained progressive interest for the regeneration of injured and burned tissues., Objective: This study evaluates the effects of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticle (NP)/gelatin on burn wound healing in mice., Materials and Methods: Sixty healthy male BALB/c mice with a full-thickness burn wound were randomized into 4 experimental groups of 15 animals each: (1) control group was treated with normal saline; (2) gelatin group was treated with gelatin-based ointment; (3) silver sulfadiazine group was treated with silver sulfadiazine 1% ointment; and (4) TiO₂ NP/gelatin group (TNG) received TiO₂ NP/gelatin. Wound size was measured on postoperative days 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 21, and histopathological studies of tissue samples were performed on postop days 7, 14, and 21., Results: The wound area reduction indicated that there was a significant difference between the TNG and other groups (P < .05). Quantitative histological and morphometric studies and the mean rank gained from the qualitative studies demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the TNG and other groups (P < .05)., Conclusions: In this study, TNG offered potential advantages in burn wound healing acceleration and improvement through angiogenesis stimulation, fibroblast proliferation, and granulation tissue formation in the early phases of healing. In addition, factors such as accelerated wound repair associated with earlier wound contraction and stability of the damaged area by rearrangement of granulation tissue and collagen fibers were also advantages of TNG.

This work reports a novel reduction procedure for the synthesis of Gum Arabic (GA) capped-gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in glucosammonium formate as a new ionic liquid. The GA coated AuNPs show good stability in physiological media. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and X-ray diffraction analysis. These stable AuNPs are introduced as a new contrast agent for X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT). These nanoparticles have higher contrasting properties than the commercial contrast agent, Visipaque. The precursors used (Gum Arabic and glucose based-ionic liquid) for synthesis of AuNPs are biocompatible and non-toxic.

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs with key roles in gene expression. It has been revealed that aberrant expression of microRNAs is related to gene expression abnormality, and they have the potential to be used as anti-cancer drugs. However, the delivery of microRNAs is limited due to barriers, such as low uptake and insufficient endosomal release, intracellular nucleases degradation, phagocytic elimination, and renal filtration. To overcome these issues, novel delivery systems are developed for improving the efficiency of microRNAs therapy ranging from viral to synthetic; some are further developed with targeted ligands for active targeting purposes. Such delivery systems provide efficient cellular uptake and endosomal release as well as low cytotoxicity and minimum unwanted host immune response. Nevertheless, more complementary studies are warranted before being applied in human studies. This review deals with recent updates on the challenges and achievements of the various nanotechnology-based gene delivery vehicles with a special emphasis on the miRNA delivery in cancer therapy. In addition, we attempted to categorize the designed delivery systems based on miRNA therapeutic molecule. The related cellular signaling pathways and pharmacological action against cancer promotion have also been highlighted., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Mesenchymal stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to divide continuously and tissue regeneration potential during the transplantation. Aging and loss of cell survival, is one of the main problems in cell therapy. Since the production of free radicals in the aging process is effective, the use of antioxidant compounds can help in scavenging free radicals and prevent the aging of cells. The aim of this study is evaluate the effects of L-carnitine (LC) on proliferation and aging of rat adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rADSC). rADSCs were isolated from inguinal region of 5 male Rattus rats. Oil red-O, alizarin red-S and toluidine blue staining were performed to evaluate the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of rADSCs, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis was done for investigating the cell surface markers. The methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to determine the cell proliferation of rADSCs following exposure to different concentrations of LC. rADSCs aging was evaluated by beta-galactosidase staining. The results showed significant proliferation of rADSCs 48 h after treatment with concentrations of 0.2 mM LC. In addition, in the presence of 0.2 mM LC, rADSCs appeared to be growing faster than control group and 0.2 mM LC supplementation could significantly decrease the population doubling time and aging of rADSCs. It seems that LC would be a good antioxidant to improve lifespan of rADSCs due to the decrease in aging.

In the past decade, miRNAs have been extensively attracted the scientist's attentions as tumor suppressors or oncogenes that have been implicated in tumor progression, metastasis and intrinsic resistance to various cancer therapies. microRNA-21 (miR-21) demonstrates a potential oncogenic function and targets tumor inhibitor proteins in almost all types of cancer. miR-21 overexpression has been studied in terms of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis regulation. Inhibition of miRNA expression using antisense technology by various nanovectors of different sizes, shapes and compositions has been evolved progressively to overcome the barriers confronted by miRNA delivery. Application of miR-21 antisense oligonucleotides for treating cancerous cells has become a promising achievement for cancer therapy. Moreover, miR-21 can mediate resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. The expanding role of miR-21 functions in human cancers with an emphasis on its regulatory targets and mechanisms, miR-21 related achievements against cancer promotion have been discussed., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)