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As a nation, Iraq is currently experiencing climate change impacts that are comparable to or even worse than those of many other nations. The effects of these climate changes are being felt in the form of global warming, changes to the elements that drive weather, and sea level rise. Iraq is experiencing water stress due to rising temperatures, declining precipitation rates, altered distribution patterns, and rising evaporation. However, they initiate a chain reaction of other changes, such as droughts, desertification, and sandstorms. The southern portion of the Tigris-Euphrates basin is threatened by flooding, and Iraq's ports and coastline are at risk due to the predicted rise in sea level. So far, the agricultural sector in Iraq has been severely impacted by the decreased water availability for arable lands. These discharges have already been exacerbated by the unequal distribution of water resources by Turkey, the primary source of water for the two rivers. All previous projections and studies indicate that the current negative climate change trends are likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Loss of cultivable land to desertification, recurrent droughts and sand storms, and declining agriculture are the pattern of change in Iraq's already fragile environment; and this will inevitably lead to much more suffering for the population and social unrest in the future. These will contribute to the enormous pressures that all future governments will face if the government does not implement protective planning and solutions.

Dysfunctions in post‐transcriptional control are observed in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Here, we employed a kinome inhibitor library (n = 378) in a reporter system selective for 3′‐untranslated region–AU‐rich elements (ARE). Fifteen inhibitors reduced the ARE‐reporter activity; among the targets is the polo‐like kinase 1 (PLK1). RNA‐seq experiments demonstrated that the PLK1 inhibitor, volasertib, reduces the expression of cytokine and cell growth ARE mRNAs. PLK1 inhibition caused accelerated mRNA decay in cancer cells and was associated with reduced phosphorylation and stability of the mRNA decay‐promoting protein, tristetraprolin (ZFP36/TTP). Ectopic expression of PLK1 increased abundance and stability of high molecular weight of ZFP36/TTP likely of the phosphorylated form. PLK1 effect was associated with the MAPK‐MK2 pathway, a major regulator of ARE‐mRNA stability, as evident from MK2 inhibition, in vitro phosphorylation, and knockout experiments. Mutational analysis demonstrates that TTP serine 186 is a target for PLK1 effect. Treatment of mice with the PLK1 inhibitor reduced both ZFP36/TTP phosphorylation in xenograft tumor tissues, and the tumor size. In cancer patients' tissues, PLK1/ARE‐regulated gene cluster was overexpressed in solid tumors and associated with poor survival. The data showed that PLK1‐mediated post‐transcriptional aberration could be a therapeutic target.

We report a case of a 54-year-old female patient who underwent PAC-IOL implantation 18 years prior to presentation. The patient had a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 20/20 in the right eye (OD) postoperatively with normal eye exam on routine follow-up since then. The patient presented for acute onset decreased visual acuity in the right eye. BCVA was 20/60, and exam showed blunted macular reflex with no evidence of inflammation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed CME. She was started on topical treatment (ketorolac 0.5%) OD four times daily. Three weeks later, the patient had a BCVA of 20/20 OD with a normal macular reflex and an OCT showing the resolution of the CME. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a CME 18 years post PAC-IOL implantation. The possible cause of this incidence could be related to subclinical intraocular inflammation. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the possibility of such a latent CME post-PAC-IOL implantation.

Abstract Background Variable expressivity is a well-known phenomenon in which patients with mutations in one gene display varying degrees of clinical severity, potentially displaying only subsets of the clinical manifestations associated with the multisystem disorder linked to the gene. This remains an incompletely understood phenomenon with proposed mechanisms ranging from allele-specific to stochastic. Results We report three consanguineous families in which an isolated ocular phenotype is linked to a novel 3′ UTR mutation in SLC4A4, a gene known to be mutated in a syndromic form of intellectual disability with renal and ocular involvement. Although SLC4A4 is normally devoid of AU-rich elements (AREs), a 3′ UTR motif that mediates post-transcriptional control of a subset of genes, the mutation we describe creates a functional ARE. We observe a marked reduction in the transcript level of SLC4A4 in patient cells. Experimental confirmation of the ARE-creating mutation is shown using a post-transcriptional reporter system that reveals consistent reduction in the mRNA-half life and reporter activity. Moreover, the neo-ARE binds and responds to the zinc finger protein ZFP36/TTP, an ARE-mRNA decay-promoting protein. Conclusions This novel mutational mechanism for a Mendelian disease expands the potential mechanisms that underlie variable phenotypic expressivity in humans to also include 3′ UTR mutations with tissue-specific pathology.

Context: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EG), the main active flavonoid in green tea, has well-known anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic activities. Objective: The EG protection against testicular injury induced by cisplatin was studied in Sprague–Dawley rats. Materials and methods: Cisplatin (10 mg/kg, i.p) was given as a single injection to rats. EG was given at 40 and 80 mg/kg/day, i.p., for 5 days, starting the same day of cisplatin insult. Serum testosterone, and testicular malondialdehyde, total antioxidant status, nitric oxide, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, cytochrome C, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and caspase-3 were measured. In addition, testicular histopathological examination and immunohistochemical expression of testicular tumour necrosis factor-α were evaluated. Results: Cisplatin, compared to the control, significantly decreased serum testosterone (6.48 ± 0.7 vs. 50.8 ± 4.91 ng/10 mL), and testicular tissue antioxidant status (17.3 ± 1.21 vs. 64.12 ± 5.4 μmol/g), and significantly increased interleukin-6 (85.81 ± 6.11 vs. 38.2 ± 2.79 pg/100 mg), interleukin-1β (98.09 ± 8.31 vs. 32.52 ± 2.08 pg/100 mg), malondialdehyde (74.5 ± 5.88 vs. 23.8 ± 1.91 nmol/g), nitric oxide (104.98 ± 8.5 vs. 52.68 ± 5.12 nmol/100 mg), cytochrome C (5.97 ± 0.33 vs. 1.6 ± 0.99 ng/mg protein), Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (4.01 ± 0.38 vs. 0.71 ± 0.0), and caspase-3 (3.2 ± 0.21 vs. 0.98 ± 0.08 O.D. 405 nm) in rat testes. EG (40 and 80 mg/kg, respectively) caused significant increases of serum testosterone (33.9 ± 2.89 and 47.88 ± 4.4 ng/10 mL), and testicular antioxidant status (47.1 ± 3.92 and 58.22 ± 3.58 μmol/g), and significant decreases of interleukin-6 (57.39 ± 4.2 and 48.18 ± 3.98 pg/100 mg), interleukin-1β (65.12 ± 5.88 and 41.96 ± 3.51 pg/100 mg), malondialdehyde (42.3 ± 3.9 and 28.67 ± 2.49 nmol/g), nitric oxide (70.6 ± 6.79 and 61.31 ± 5.18 nmol/100 mg), cytochrome C (3.4 ± 0.27 and 2.21 ± 0.18 ng/mg protein), Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (1.49 ± 0.14 and 1.1 ± 0.09), and caspase-3 (2.1 ± 0.17 and 1.48 ± 0.13 O.D. 405 nm) in testes of cisplatin-treated rats. Additionally, both doses of EG significantly ameliorated the histopathological injury and reduced tumour necrosis factor-α expression in rat testes. Conclusion: EG can afford testicular protection in cisplatin-challenged rats by its antioxidant, antinitrative, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects.

Background: Proper cleaning and shaping of the whole root canal space have been recognized as a real challenge, particularly in oval-shaped canals.This in vitro study was conducted to evaluate and compare the efficiency of different instrumentation systems in removing of dentin debris at three thirds of oval-shaped root canals and to compare the percentage of remaining dentin debris among the three thirds for each instrumentation system. Materials and methods: Fifty freshly extracted human mandibular molars with single straight oval-shaped distal root canals were randomly divided into five groups of ten teeth each. Group One: instrumentation with ProTaper Universal hand instruments, Group Two: instrumentation with ProTaper Universal rotary instruments, Group Three: instrumentation with Revo-Srotary instruments, Group Four: instrumentation withTwisted rotary files and Group Five: instrumentation with Self-Adjusting Files (SAF). Sodium hypochlorite (3%) was used as an irrigant for all groups. After canals preparation, the roots were split longitudinally and photographed with a professional digital camera. The images of root sections were then magnified to 100x and the percentage of remaining dentin debris calculated for the apical, middle and coronal thirds by dividing the pixels occupied by debris at each third by the total pixels representing the entire area of the canal using Adobe Photoshop CS6. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and LSD at 1% and 5% significant levels. Results: Both ProTaper hand and ProTaper rotary files resulted in significantly cleaner canals than Revo-S and Twisted rotary files at the middle and coronal thirds. The Self-Adjusting Files produced significantly cleaner canals at the three thirds than all the other groups. The coronal and middle thirds showed a greater amount of remaining dentin debris than the apical third for all groups except a non-significant difference found between the apical and middle thirds in SAF group. Conclusion: The Self-Adjusting Files allowed more efficient cleaning of oval-shaped root canals than hand and rotary instruments

Abstract The environmental-friendly hydrothermal method has been carried out to synthesize Bi2WO6 and g-C3N4/PVP doped Bi2WO6 nanorods (NRs) by incorporating different concentrations of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as well as a specified quantity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Bi2WO6 doped with g-C3N4 provides structural and chemical stability, reduces charge carriers, degrades dyes, and, owing to lower bandgap energy, is effective for antibacterial, catalytic activity, and molecular docking analysis. The purpose of this research is the treatment of polluted water and to investigate the bactericidal behavior of a ternary system. The catalytic degradation was performed to remove the harmful rhodamine B (RhB) dye using NaBH4 in conjunction with prepared NRs. The specimen compound demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) at both high and low concentrations. Higher doped specimens of g-C3N4/PVP-doped Bi2WO6 exhibited a significant improvement in efficient bactericidal potential against E. coli (4.55 mm inhibition zone). In silico experiments were carried out on enoyl-[acylcarrier-protein] reductase (FabI) and β-lactamase enzyme for E. coli to assess the potential of Bi2WO6, PVP doped Bi2WO6, and g-C3N4/PVP-doped Bi2WO6 NRs as their inhibitors and to justify their possible mechanism of action.

The performance of a cDNA expression screen for the isomerase in bovine retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is discussed. The isomerase discovered is a previously characterized protein called Rpe65.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2005.06.042 Byline: Minghao Jin (1), Songhua Li (1), Walid N. Moghrabi (1), Hui Sun (1)(2), Gabriel H. Travis (1)(3) Abstract: The first event in light perception is absorption of a photon by an opsin pigment, which induces isomerization of its 11-cis-retinaldehyde chromophore. Restoration of light sensitivity to the bleached opsin requires chemical regeneration of 11-cis-retinaldehyde through an enzymatic pathway called the visual cycle. The isomerase, which converts an all-trans-retinyl ester to 11-cis-retinol, has never been identified. Here, we performed an unbiased cDNA expression screen to identify this isomerase. We discovered that the isomerase is a previously characterized protein called Rpe65. We confirmed our identification of the isomerase by demonstrating catalytic activity in mammalian and insect cells that express Rpe65. Mutations in the human RPE65 gene cause a blinding disease of infancy called Leber congenital amaurosis. Rpe65 with the Leber-associated C330Y and Y368H substitutions had no isomerase activity. Identification of Rpe65 as the isomerase explains the phenotypes in rpe65.sup.-/- knockout mice and in humans with Leber congenital amaurosis. Author Affiliation: (1) Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095 (2) Department of Physiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095 (3) Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90095 Article History: Received 10 April 2005; Revised 27 May 2005; Accepted 20 June 2005 Article Note: (miscellaneous) Published: August 11, 2005

Bacteria employ sophisticated information-processing systems to track their environment and respond properly to new conditions as they arise. The data-processing system of the Escherichia coli bacteria is one of the best characterized. A molecularly based computer simulation is conducted of the chemotaxis signal transduction system to resolve the contradictory results of two previously conducted studies on this area. Results consolidate the existing view of the chemotaxis signaling pathway.

Research was conducted to identify the factors that affect acetate-caused changes in the flagellar rotation in Escherichia coli. This requires the preparation of an acs mutant, an ack pta double mutant and an acs ack pta triple mutant. Results show that E. coli strains increase the clockwise bias of flagellar rotation as a response to acetate. Acetyl coenzyme A synthetase and acetate kinase are both involved in the response.

Abstract Various concentrations of samarium‐grafted‐carbon nitride (Sm‐g‐C3N4) doped‐bismuth oxobromide (BiOBr) quantum dots (QDs) are prepared by the co‐precipitation method. Elemental evaluation, morphological, optical, and functional group assessment are studied employing characterization techniques. Based on the XRD pattern analysis, it is determined that BiOBr exhibits a tetragonal crystal structure. The electronic spectroscopy revealed an absorption peak for BiOBr at 315 nm and the bandgap energy (Eg) decreasing from 3.9 to 3.8 eV with the insertion of Sm‐g‐C3N4. The presence of vibrational modes related to BiOBr at 550 cm−1 is confirmed through FTIR spectra. TEM revealed that pure BiOBr possessed non‐uniform QDS, and agglomeration increased with the addition of Sm‐g‐C3N4. The catalytic performance of Sm‐g‐C3N4 into BiOBr (6 mL) in a neutral medium toward rhodamine B exhibited excellent results (99.66%). The bactericidal activity is evaluated against multi‐drug resistance (MDR) Escherichia coli once the surface area is increased by dopant and the measured inhibition zone is assessed to be 3.65 mm. Molecular docking results supported the in vitro bactericidal potential of Sm‐g‐C3N4 and Sm‐g‐C3N4 doped‐BiOBr as DNA gyraseE. coli inhibitors. This study shows that the novel Sm‐g‐C3N4 doped‐BiOBr is a better catalyst that increases specific semiconductor's catalytic activity (CA).

Background Intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is not uncommon with endoscopic transsphenoidal surgical excision of pituitary macroadenomas. How to seal the defect and prevent postoperative leak is still a matter of debate. Objectives In patients with CSF leak, we tried to figure out which is more important in preventing postoperative leak, is it the sellar fat packing, is it tight repair of the sellar floor, or do we need to combine them both? Patients and Methods Over 5 years, in patients with evident intraoperative CSF leak, with growing experience supported by positive postoperative results, we shifted gradually from intrasellar packing using combined fat graft and bioabsorbable materials (SURGICEL FIBRILLAR/Gelfoam) (group A, n =15) to only bioabsorbable materials (group B, n = 18), either of which is followed by tight repair of the sellar floor. Results Postoperative clinical assessment did not differ significantly between both groups at early, midterm, and long-term follow-up intervals. We did not have any patients with delayed postoperative CSF leak or symptomatic empty sella syndrome (ESS). Conclusion There is no difference in the incidence of postoperative CSF leak and clinical ESS among both groups, indicating that tight sellar floor repair is more important than packing the sellar cavity with or without fat graft.

In the original publication [...]

Abstract Microplastic pollution has adversely affected the aquatic ecosystem, living creatures, and human health. Several studies in Malaysia have provided baseline information on the existence of microplastics in surface water, ingestion by marine life and sediment. Also, humans are exposed to microplastic due to consumption of contaminated abiotic and biotic products, such as processed seafood. Nonetheless, knowledge is still scarce among Malaysian on the potential remediation and pollution management of microplastics, which poses a significant challenge to preserve a good environmental status. Green technologies also other alternative to mitigate the contamination of microplastics for sustainable future. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of microplastic's occurrence, fate, and implications in Malaysia's aquatic environment. Detection of microplastics from the water surface, ingestion by aquatics, and sediment samples are highlighted. Available different treatment processes toward microplastic remediation are also discussed. Additionally, the potential challenges, current perspective for plastic management in Malaysia, as well as green strategies for reducing microplastic contamination are also put forward. The goal of this work is to improve the understanding of the seriousness of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, thus encouraging key concerns that need to be investigated further.

Background The growing prevalence of dementia is a global concern, especially in the Arab world, where updated economic impact data are scarce. Understanding its prevalence and cost is crucial for effective policies and support systems. Aims To estimate dementia prevalence and cost in Arab countries for 2021. Method United Nations population data and dementia prevalence estimates were used to calculate total cases. Direct costs were based on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (purchasing power parity) and income classification. Indirect caregiver support costs were estimated using average monthly wages and two distinct scenarios. Results The highest dementia prevalence among those aged more than 60 years was in Lebanon (4.88%), Tunisia (4.43%) and Algeria (4.19%). The total direct cost in the Arab region was $8.18 billion for those over 50 years old. Indirect costs ranged from $2.25 billion (best case) to $5.67 billion (worst case), with a mean value of $3.98 billion. Total dementia care costs (direct and indirect) under the mean scenario for the entire Arab world amounted to $12.17 billion, with costs as a percentage of GDP ranging from 0.05% (Sudan) to 0.44% (Lebanon). Conclusions This study highlights dementia as a growing public health issue in the Arab world, with 1 329 729 individuals affected in 2021 and total costs between $10.43 billion and $13.90 billion. The findings emphasise the urgent need for investment in research and specialised services for older adults, particularly those with dementia.

Abstract A wide range of hard contaminants in wastewater is generated from different industries as byproducts of the organic compound. In this review, various metal oxide‐based nanomaterials are employed for the photocatalytic removal of malachite green (MG) dye from wastewater. Some cost‐effective and appropriate testing conditions are used for degrading these hard dyes to get higher removal efficiency. The effects of specific parameters are considered such as how the catalyst is made, how much dye is in the solution at first, how much nanocatalyst is needed to break down the dye, the initial pH of the dye solution, the type of light source used, the year of publications, and how long the dye has to be exposed to light to be removed. This study suggests that Scopus‐based core collected data employ bibliometric methods to provide an objective analysis of global MG dye from 2011 to 2022 (12 years). The Scopus database collects all the information (articles, authors, keywords, and publications). For bibliometric analysis, 658 publications are retrieved corresponding to MG dye photodegradation, and the number of publications increases annually. A bibliometric study reveals a state‐of‐art review of metal oxide‐based nanomaterials' effects on photocatalytic degradation of MG dyes (12 years).

Huge plastic consumption and depletion of fossil fuels are at the top of the world's environmental and energy challenges. The scientific community has tackled these issues through different approaches. Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes to valuable products has been proved as a sustainable route which fits with the circular economy aspects. The design of catalytic materials is the central factor for performing the catalytic conversion of plastic wastes. This review aims to conduct a Bibliometric analysis of the pyrolysis of plastic wastes and non-precious-based catalysts by mapping research studies over the last fifty years. The analysis was developed via VOSviewer and RStudio tools. It showed the historical progress regarding plastic waste pyrolysis to produce valuable products and chemicals worldwide. The research shows that the top five countries with the highest citations and publications in this field were Spain, China, England, the USA and India. The Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis had the most comprehensive coverage of plastic waste. The relationship between the catalyst and the mechanism of plastic waste can influence the production yield and selectivity. The research gap and underrepresented research topics were identified, and previous research studies on developing non-precious-based catalysts that were most relevant to the current topic were reviewed and discussed. The challenges and perspectives on catalyst preparation and development for material complexity were critically discussed. Challenges of previous studies and directions for future research were provided. This report might guide the reader to take a general look at plastic waste valorization by pyrolysis and easily understand the main challenges.

In this study, MoO3 nanostructures were prepared, doped with various concentrations of graphene oxide (2 and 4% GO) and a fixed amount of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) using the co-precipitation method. The motive of this study was to examine the catalytic and antimicrobial efficacy with evidential molecular docking analyses of GO/PVP-doped MoO3. GO and PVP were utilized as doping agents to reduce the exciton recombination rate of MoO3 by providing more active sites that increase the antibacterial activity of MoO3. The prepared binary dopant (GO and PVP)-dependent MoO3 was used as an effective antibacterial agent against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Notably, 4% GO/PVP-doped MoO3 showed good bactericidal potential against E. coli at higher concentrations in comparison to ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, in silico docking revealed the possible inhibitory impact of the synthesized nanocomposites on folate and fatty acid synthesis enzymes, dihydrofolate reductase and enoyl-[acyl carrier protein] reductase, respectively.