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The compressive strength of concrete is a crucial parameter in structural design, yet its determination in a laboratory setting is both time-consuming and expensive. The prediction of compressive strength in fly ash-based concrete can be accelerated through the use of machine learning algorithms with artificial intelligence, which can effectively address the problems associated with this process. This paper presents the most innovative model algorithms established based on artificial intelligence technology. These include three single models—a fully connected neural network model (FCNN), a convolutional neural network model (CNN), and a transformer model (TF)—and three hybrid models—FCNN + CNN, TF + FCNN, and TF + CNN. A total of 471 datasets were employed in the experiments, comprising 7 input features: cement (C), fly ash (FA), water (W), superplasticizer (SP), coarse aggregate (CA), fine aggregate (S), and age (D). Six models were subsequently applied to predict the compressive strength (CS) of fly ash-based concrete. Furthermore, the loss function curves, assessment indexes, linear correlation coefficient, and the related literature indexes of each model were employed for comparison. This analysis revealed that the FCNN + CNN model exhibited the highest prediction accuracy, with the following metrics: R2 = 0.95, MSE = 14.18, MAE = 2.32, SMAPE = 0.1, and R = 0.973. Additionally, SHAP was utilized to elucidate the significance of the model parameter features. The findings revealed that C and D exerted the most substantial influence on the model prediction outcomes, followed by W and FA. Nevertheless, CA, S, and SP demonstrated comparatively minimal influence. Finally, a GUI interface for predicting compressive strength was developed based on six models and nonlinear functional relationships, and a criterion for minimum strength was derived by comparison and used to optimize a reasonable mixing ratio, thus achieving a fast data-driven interaction that was concise and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory failure is known to be the main clinical manifestation of COVID-19. However, the mechanism of its development has not been sufficiently studied. The originality of the study is that for the first time, coagulation, fibrinolysis and endothelial dysfunction indicators were studied depending on the SpO2/FiO2 index in patients with COVID-19.The aim of the work. To assess the role of impaired activity of the blood coagulation system and the development of endothelial dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 in the pathogenesis of respiratory failure.Methods. The study included 134 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus having varying severity of the clinical picture. They were divided into three groups according to the SpO2/FiO2 index. We determined the number of venous blood cells and studied the level of transferrin (TF), D-dimer, tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), inter-cellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) in the blood serum.Results. The study revealed that the tissue factor content increased by 24 % in patients of the third group compared to the first. The PAI-1 level was high in the second group and significantly decreased in the third (p < 0.001). An increase in the D-dimer level was recorded in the second and third groups. The levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 molecules increased significantly in the third group of patients (p = 0.021 and p = 0.028, respectively). A moderate positive correlation was found between the SpO2/FiO2 index and the VCAM-1 level (p < 0.001), a weak positive correlation with PAI-1 (p = 0.012), and a weak negative correlation with TF (p = 0.027).Conclusion. Respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19 is caused by disorders in the hemostasis and fibrinolysis systems, as evidenced by an increase in the level of tissue factor and D-dimer, “consumption” of tissue activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor. Developing endothelial dysfunction, accompanied by increased secretion of adhesion molecules, aggravates the pathogenesis of respiratory failure.

APETALA2 (AP2) belongs to transcription factor (TF) families, with crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. In order to explore the characteristics of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) AP2s (BvAP2s) in response to drought stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA), genome-wide identification, and the phylogeny, gene structure and promoter precursor analysis of the BvAP2s were employed to predict their potential functions. It is shown that there are a total of 13 BvAP2 genes in the Beta vulgaris. Based on the primary amino acid sequence, the BvAP2s can be further subdivided into euAP2, euANT and basalANT. In addition, cis-acting element analysis showed that BvAP2s contained several abiotic stress-related elements, including those associated with ABA and drought stress. Roots are the first to perceive stress signals, and ABA-treated beetroot transcriptome and downstream gene prediction of BvAP2s revealed that BVRB_4g074790, BVRB_6g128480 and BVRB_7g179610 may play an important role involved in ABA signaling pathways during the stress response by regulating downstream GRAM genes, LEAs and U-boxes. Additionally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) further confirmed the downregulation of these three BvAP2s in response to ABA induction in sugar beet roots. These findings provide a basis for future utilization of BvAP2s in developing drought-tolerant Beta vulgaris varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background E2F/DP (Eukaryotic 2 transcription factor/dimerization partner) family proteins play an essential function in the cell cycle development of higher organisms. E2F/DP family genes have been reported only in a few plant species. However, comprehensive genome-wide characterization analysis of the E2F/DP gene family of Solanum lycopersicum has not been reported so far. Results This study identified eight nonredundant SlE2F/DP genes that were classified into seven groups in the phylogenetic analysis. All eight genes had a single E2F-TDP domain and few genes had additional domains. Two segmental duplication gene pairs were observed within tomato, in addition to cis-regulatory elements, miRNA target sites and phosphorylation sites which play an important role in plant development and stress response in tomato. To explore the three-dimensional (3D) models and gene ontology (GO) annotations of SlE2F/DP proteins, we pointed to their putative transporter activity and their interaction with several putative ligands. The localization of SlE2F/DP-GFP fused proteins in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum suggested that they may act in other biological functions. Expression studies revealed the differential expression pattern of most of the SlE2F/DP genes in various organs. Moreover, the expression of E2F/DP genes against abiotic stress, particularly SlE2F/DP2 and/or SlE2F/DP7, was upregulated in response to heat, salt, cold and ABA treatment. Furthermore, the co-expression analysis of SlE2F/DP genes with multiple metabolic pathways was co-expressed with defence genes, transcription factors and so on, suggested their crucial role in various biological processes. Conclusions Overall, our findings provide a way to understand the structure and function of SlE2F/DP genes; it might be helpful to improve fruit development and tolerance against abiotic stress through marker-assisted selection or transgenic approaches.

Abstract Cancer stem cells (CSCs) were first discovered in the 1990s, revealing the mysteries of cancer origin, migration, recurrence and drug-resistance from a new perspective. The expression of pluripotent genes and complex signal regulatory networks are significant features of CSC, also act as core factors to affect the characteristics of CSC. Transcription is a necessary link to regulate the phenotype and potential of CSC, involving chromatin environment, nucleosome occupancy, histone modification, transcription factor (TF) availability and cis-regulatory elements, which suffer from ambient pressure. Especially, the expression and activity of pluripotent TFs are deeply affected by both internal and external factors, which is the foundation of CSC transcriptional regulation in the current research framework. Growing evidence indicates that regulating epigenetic modifications to alter cancer stemness is effective, and some special promoters and enhancers can serve as targets to influence the properties of CSC. Clarifying the factors that regulate CSC transcription will assist us directly target key stem genes and TFs, or hinder CSC transcription through environmental and other related factors, in order to achieve the goal of inhibiting CSC and tumors. This paper comprehensively reviews the traditional aspects of transcriptional regulation, and explores the progress and insights of the impact on CSC transcription and status through tumor microenvironment (TME), hypoxia, metabolism and new meaningful regulatory factors in conjunction with the latest research. Finally, we present opinions on omnidirectional targeting CSCs transcription to eliminate CSCs and address tumor resistance.

Aim: to study the role of the hemostatic system in pretem delivery in pregnant women who have had COVID-19 in the gestation period from 14 to 16 weeks.Materials and Methods. A prospective single-center observational study was conducted by enrolling 63 pregnant women with verified COVID-19 at 14–16 weeks of gestation. The main group consisted of 37 patients with preterm birth (PB), comparison group – 26 patients labour activity that occurred at least at gestational age of 37 weeks. Clinical and anamnestic data and dynamic changes in fibrinogen and D-dimer level, activity of tissue factor (TF), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) were analyzed; thrombin generation assay (TGA) was performed.Results. It was found that severity of COVID-19 infection did not determine the timing of delivery that depended on patient comorbid condition. All PB observations (37 out of 63, 58.7 %) were caused by decompensated placental function manifested by acute obstetrical complications: increasing intrauterine fetal hypoxia (64.9 %) along with intrauterine growth retardation (51.4 %), severe preeclampsia (13.5 %) and premature abruption of the normally located placenta (5.0 %). In both study groups, COVID-19 experienced at 14–16 weeks of pregnancy was associated with coagulation and fibrinolytic imbalances. At the same time, at least 6 weeks post-COVID-19 infection, patients with PB had higher level of the “Peak thrombin” vs. comparison group (3050 vs. 2527 pmol/L; p = 0.0433). Also, patients with term vs. preterm delivery had TF activity decreased significantly: by 47.1% and 28.1%, respectively (p = 0.0546). Patients in preterm delivery group were characterized by fibrinolytic imbalance. At the first time point, suppressed fibrinolysis (PAI-1 level – 18.4 vs. 12.5 ng/ml in the comparison group; p = 0.0209) was concomitant with elevated level of u-PA (1.5 vs. 0.55 ng/ml in comparison group, p = 0.0015), which suggests a potential prolonged immunoinflammatory response in patients with PB. Magnitude of fibrinogen concentration and D-dimer level during post-COVID-19 follow-up study was within the reference values specific to gestational age.Conclusion. A significant increase in coagulation potential was found and verified by elevated activity of tissue factor and potential to thrombin generation in COVID-19 convalescent patients. In the case of preterm delivery, there was an imbalance in fibrinolysis system revealed by decreased blood fibrinolytic activity elevating along with increasing gestational age.

Background: E2F/DP (Eukaryotic 2 transcription factor/dimerization partner) family proteins play an essential function in the cell cycle development of higher organisms. E2F/DP family genes have been reported only in a few plant species. However, comprehensive genome-wide characterization analysis of the E2F/DP gene family of Solanum lycopersicum has not been reported so far. Results: This study identified eight nonredundant SlE2F/DP genes that were classified into seven groups in the phylogenetic analysis. All eight genes had a single E2F-TDP domain and few genes had additional domains. Two segmental duplication gene pairs were observed within tomato, in addition to cis-regulatory elements, miRNA target sites and phosphorylation sites which play an important role in plant development and stress response in tomato. To explore the three-dimensional (3D) models and gene ontology (GO) annotations of SlE2F/DP proteins, we pointed to their putative transporter activity and their interaction with several putative ligands. The localization of SlE2F/DP-GFP fused proteins in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum suggested that they may act in other biological functions. Expression studies revealed the differential expression pattern of most of the SlE2F/DP genes in various organs. Moreover, the expression of E2F/DP genes against abiotic stress, particularly SlE2F/DP2 and/or SlE2F/DP7, was upregulated in response to heat, salt, cold and ABA treatment. Furthermore, the co-expression analysis of SlE2F/DP genes with multiple metabolic pathways was co-expressed with defence genes, transcription factors and so on, suggested their crucial role in various biological processes. Conclusions: Overall, our findings provide a way to understand the structure and function of SlE2F/DP genes; it might be helpful to improve fruit development and tolerance against abiotic stress through marker-assisted selection or transgenic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adequate compliance with wearing therapeutic footwear (TF) to prevent diabetic foot ulcers is known to be low. The primary aim of this study was to identify population awareness about the ulceration and/or recurrence risk according to footwear choice. The secondary aim was to evaluate the compliance level in footwear choice based on a patient's own risk. Methods: Forty podiatrists participated from 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018, providing six-section forms which included personal data, risk classification, footwear characteristics and a knowledge questionnaire. Results: This study included 1507 patients. Those with active ulcers were excluded. A total of 43% of patients belonged to risk class 0, 19% to risk class 1, 19% to risk class 2 and 19% to risk class 3. A total of 58% had foot deformities. Conclusions: Nearly half of patients with a high risk of ulceration had knowledge of their own risk but the majority of them did not follow the recommendations. Only a small percentage (36%) of risk class 3 patients wore footwear suitable for their risk class. There was poor consideration of footwear choice among patients. We highlight critical issues in patient education and compliance with wearing footwear appropriate to their risk class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitigation rate (Rj) was evaluated for Ra-226 in cultivated soil in twelve fields in Vietnam. For the collected soils, the Rj values were between 0.1 and 0.58 Bq kg−2 y−1 with an average value of 0.28 Bq kg−2 y−1. The influence of the physicochemical properties of soil and cultivation characteristics on the rate of Ra-226 was considered. A strong correlation was found between the soil-to-plant factors (TF) and the uptake rates of plants (Ru) (Pearson coefficient |p|> 0.6). The leaching rate (Rℓ) in the surface soil correlates with some physical–chemical properties of soil such as the partition coefficient of Ra-226 in soil (Kd), infiltration rate of water (Rw), and activity concentration of Ra-226 in soil water (Cw) (|p|> 0.6). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a catabolic cellular process that is conserved and plays an important role in sustaining cellular stability, adjusting to malnourishment, and responding to cellular stress. ATG4D is a gene that involves the formation of the autophagosome and is considered a key player in autophagy. Inclusive knowledge of how the ATG4D gene is regulated may provide insights into the gene's role in different cellular aspects. In this research, bioinformatics tools were utilized, specifically the JASPAR database, to predict the transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) and transcription factors (TFs) binding to the ATG4D promoter region. Multiple TFs were identified, and among these identified TFs, we focused on eight that were well-known for their established roles in regulating autophagy, responding to cellular stress, and promoting transcriptional regulation of ATG4D. These TFs include FOXO3, TFEB, TP53, SP1, STAT3, NF-κB, E2F1, and CREB1. To discover the functional interactions of these TFs, the STRING database was utilized to conduct protein-protein interaction analysis and functional enrichment. This analysis helped us to better comprehend the complicated regulatory network linked to autophagy and the precise role of ATG4D. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant gene ontology terms and pathways linked with autophagy, cellular stress response, apoptosis, and transcriptional regulation. These findings indicate that the regulation of ATG4D gene expression is shaped by a complicated network of transcription factors that play significant roles in autophagy and sustaining cellular balance. Using a combination of bioinformatics tools such as JASPAR and STRING gave a thorough insight into the regulatory atmosphere of ATG4D, providing opportunities for treating diseases associated with autophagy dysregulation.

Optical packet switching has gained lot of popularity in last a few years due to its advantages like, large speed, more bandwidth and very less crosstalk. But due to immature optical fabrication and designing technology OPS is still beyond reality. However, many of the optical components are commercialized and some of them are still in laboratory. Thus, for optical switches which are considered as future generation routers, many switch architectures are proposed by using different sets of optical components. This paper presents a detailed review of notable switch designs in past 20 years, and also presents a comprehensive literature survey of the notable papers related to optical packet switch designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aim: The histologic and molecular changes from intestinal metaplasia (IM) to gastric cancer (GC) have not been fully characterized. The present study sought to identify potential alterations in signaling pathways in IM and GC to predict disease progression; these alterations can be considered therapeutic targets. Materials & methods: Seven gene expression profiles were selected from the GEO database. Discriminate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by EnrichR. The STRING database, Cytoscape, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), cBioPortal, NetworkAnalyst, MirWalk database, OncomiR, and bipartite miRNA‒mRNA correlation network was used for downstream analyses of selected module genes. Results: Analyses revealed that extracellular matrix-receptor interactions (ITGB1, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL4A1, FN1, COL6A3, and THBS2) in GC and PPAR signaling pathway interactions (FABP1, APOC3, APOA1, HMGCS2, and PPARA and PCK1) in IM may play key roles in both the carcinogenesis and progression of underlying GC from intestinal metaplasia. IM enrichment indicated that this is closely related to digestion and absorption. The TF-hub gene regulatory network revealed that AR, TCF4, SALL4, and ESR1 were more important for hub gene expression. It was revealed that the development and prediction of GC may be affected by hsa-miR-29. It was found that PTGR1, C1orf115, CRYL1, ALDOB, and SULT1B1 were downregulated in GC and upregulated in IM. Therefore, they might have tumor suppressor activity in GC progression. Conclusion: New potential biomarkers and pathways involved in GC and IM were identified that are important for the transformation of GC from IM to adenocarcinoma and can be therapeutic targets for GC.

APETALA2 (AP2) belongs to transcription factor (TF) families, with crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. In order to explore the characteristics of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) AP2s (BvAP2s) in response to drought stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA), genome-wide identification, and the phylogeny, gene structure and promoter precursor analysis of the BvAP2s were employed to predict their potential functions. It is shown that there are a total of 13 BvAP2 genes in the Beta vulgaris. Based on the primary amino acid sequence, the BvAP2s can be further subdivided into euAP2, euANT and basalANT. In addition, cis-acting element analysis showed that BvAP2s contained several abiotic stress-related elements, including those associated with ABA and drought stress. Roots are the first to perceive stress signals, and ABA-treated beetroot transcriptome and downstream gene prediction of BvAP2s revealed that BVRB_4g074790, BVRB_6g128480 and BVRB_7g179610 may play an important role involved in ABA signaling pathways during the stress response by regulating downstream GRAM genes, LEAs and U-boxes. Additionally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) further confirmed the downregulation of these three BvAP2s in response to ABA induction in sugar beet roots. These findings provide a basis for future utilization of BvAP2s in developing drought-tolerant Beta vulgaris varieties.

IntroductionChromium pollution of the soil due to natural processes or industrial activities such as metal refining, chrome plating, stainless-steel production, leather tanning, and chemical dye production is a globle environmental issue. Excessive soil Cr levels cause detrimental effects on plant physiological processes including photosynthesis, water relations and mineral nutrition as well as the growth of roots, stems and leaves, which may decrease the biomass and yield of plants. Currently, soil application of organic amendments particularly humic acid seems to be an effective procedure to enhance relative plant tolerance to Cr stress. Humic acids are complexes of heterogeneous poly electrolytes with abundant functional groups that act as a weak poly electrolytic acid. Their structures, the degree to which these functional groups are protonated or ionized and environmental conditions influence the interaction between HA and soil pollutants. The complex compounds form by interaction of HA and heavy metals that cannot be uptaken by plants. Humic acid may play a significant role in the mobility and uptake of Cr which leads to a significant increase in plant biomass and growth. The aim of this research was to investigate the ability of humic acid to reduce Cr uptake and translocation by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from Cr-contaminated soil. Materials and MethodsThe present study through a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of Ferdowsi university of Mashhad. The experiment was arranged in a factorial manner in a randomized complete design with three replications and treatments consisted of 3 levels of Cr (0, 25, and 50 mg kg-1as K2Cr2O7) and 3 rates of HA (0, 5 and 10 %). The soil samples were dried at room temperature, ground and sieved with a 2-mm mesh screen for further analysis. The bioavailable concentrations of Cr in the soils were assessed by DTPA. Three lettuce seedlings were grown in each pot containing five air-dried soil and watered to a near field capacity with distilled water as needed. After 100 days plant tissues were harvested, carefully washed with deionized water and the leaf, stem and root parts separated. All of them were oven-dried at 65-75 °C to constant weight and the dry weight of lettuce tissue samples was recorded. To determine the Cr concentrations, the tissues were ground, passed through a 0.3-mm sieve and digested in di-acid mixture (HNO3:HClO4). Concentrations of Cr in the digested solutions and soil extractions were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). Translocation factor (TF) is determined from the ratio of the concentration of Cr in the plant’s shoots compared to that in the plant’s roots. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was evaluated as defined as the accumulated concentration of Cr in plant divided by concentration to that in respective soil. A two-way analysis of variance was done by using a statistical package, JMP version 8.0. The differences between the treatments were determined using LSD multiple range tests at significance level of P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.001.Results and DiscussionThe results of the present study clearly demonstrate that all Cr treatments significantly reduced leaf, stem, shoot and root dry weights. In unamended soils, both Cr treatments alone reduced leaf, shoot, stem and root dry weights 83%, 101%, 207% and 65% (for Cr 25 mg kg-1) and 194%, 219%, 355% and 92% (for Cr 50 mg kg-1) respectively as compared to control. Using HA (5 and 10%) and Cr treatments (25 and 50 mg kg-1), showed that leaf, shoot, stem and root dry weights were significantly increased as compared to Cr contaminated control. The lowest values of these parameters were recorded in Cr treatments without addition of HA, whereas at each Cr level, the highest values of them were obtained with application of 10% HA. The Cr concentrations in shoot and root samples significantly were affected by adding HA and Cr levels in soil. It was observed that Cr contents in shoots and roots, transfer factor and bioaccumulation factor of shoots and roots significantly increased by increasing soil Cr levels. Moreover, HA application negatively affected Cr content in shoot compared to Cr treatment alone. The interaction of chromium and humic acid caused a significant decrease in the concentration of chromium in the aerial parts, the shoot accumulation factor and a significant increase in the concentration of chromium in the roots and consequently reduced translocation factor. The highest value of Cr in shoot (47.7 mg kg-1) was obtained in those plants grown in soil with addition of 50 mg kg-1 Cr alone, whereas at each Cr level the lowest value of Cr in shoot was found in those plants grown in soil with the application of 10% HA. HA application in soil increased Cr concentration in root compared with Cr contaminated control. The maximum Cr concentration in the root (367 mg kg-1) and root bioaccumulation factor (28.5) was obtained after exposure to 50 mg kg-1 Cr +10% HA treatment. Also, the regression models showed that the transfer factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor decreased significantly and linearly with increasing shoot dry weight. Moreover, the regression model of shoot dry weight and shoot bioaccumulation factor was able to predict traslocation factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor with Adjusted R2 = -0.78** and R2 = -0.93**, respectively. ConclusionResults demonstrated that Cr toxicity markedly reduced plant growth parameters for instance leaf, stem, shoot and root dry weight and enhanced the concentration of Cr in shoot and root as compared to control. Humic acid application in Cr contaminated soil induced increased plant biomass, root bioaccumulation factor, Cr contents in roots and reduced Cr concentration in leaves, translocation factor and shoot bioaccumulation factor. Therefore, the application of HA specially at higher dose (10%) seems to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for the restriction of Cr accumulation and its transfer from contaminated soil to edible parts of lettuce, thus helping to enhance food security.

Emerging evidence suggests that DNA methylation affects transcriptional regulation and expression perturbations of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer. However, a comprehensive investigation into the transcriptional control of DNA methylation-mediated dysregulation of transcription factors (TFs) on lncRNAs has been lacking. Here, we integrated the transcriptome, methylome, and regulatome across 21 human cancers and systematically identified the transcriptional regulation of DNA methylation-mediated TF dysregulations (DMTDs) on lncRNAs. Our findings reveal that TF regulation of lncRNAs is significantly impacted by DNA methylation. Comparative analysis of DMTDs on mRNAs revealed a conserved pattern of TFs involvement. Pan-cancer Methylation TFs (MethTFs) and Methylation LncRNAs (MethLncRNAs) were identified, and were found to be closely associated with cancer hallmarks and clinical features. In-depth analysis of co-expressed mRNAs with pan-cancer MethLncRNAs unveiled frequent disruptions in cancer immunity, particularly in the context of inflammatory response. Furthermore, we identified five immune-related network modules that contribute to immune cell infiltration in cancer. Immune-related subtypes were subsequently classified, characterized by high levels of immune cell infiltration, expression of immunomodulatory genes, and relevant immune cytolytic activity score, major histocompatibility complex score, response to chemotherapy, and prognosis. Our findings provide valuable insights into cancer immunity from the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation perspective.

Background: Brucellosis is one of the most common diseases between humans and animals. Therefore, the need for prevention and production of an efficient vaccine is necessary. The aim of the present study is to prepare a niosomal nanostructure containing trivalent immunogen (TF, Bp26 and Omp31) of Brucella as a nanovaccine candidate. Materials and Methods: In this study, after designing the immunogen structure by bioinformatics databases and software, in order to evaluate the immunogenicity of the designed recombinant protein, clone and gene expression were carried out in E.coli BL21. The protein extracted from the culture of said cells was purified by Ni-NTA column. Thin layer coating method was used to prepare niosomes carrying trivalent immunogen and were evaluated using DLS and Zetasizer characterization tests. Then, the amount of trivalent immunogen loading and release was calculated. Results: The results of the characterization confirmed the successful fabrication of niosomal nanosystem containing trivalent immunogen. The results showed that the produced niosomes are in a suitable range of size (100 nm). Trivalent immunogen with high efficiency (81.96%) is encapsulated in the system. The release of trivalent immunogen from Niosomal nanosystem was reported to be 97% after 96 hours. In addition, the trivalent immunogen release pattern of the coated system was more controlled and slower. This confirms the positive effect of the niosome nanosystem. Conclusion: The use of nisome as a nanovaccine agent has an effective role in controlling antigen release and can be considered as a vaccine candidate and increase the protective immune response against Brucella.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a severe adverse reaction to chemotherapeutics, which seriously affects the outcome of chemotherapy and patients' quality of life. Although it is commonly seen, it lacks effective treatment. Our previous study found that ozone could alleviate neuropathic pain. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) or Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) or tissue factor (TF)-mediated neuroinflammation and microcirculation disturbance is the main reason for CIPN. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 3 is an endogenous negative feedback regulator of inflammation via TLR4 inhibition. Materials and Methods: Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) was used to establish mice's CIPN model. Nociceptive responses were assessed by observing the ICR mice's incidence of foot regression in mechanical indentation response experiments. Cell signaling assays were performed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The mouse leukemia cells of monocyte--macrophage line RAW 264.7 were cultured to investigate the effects of ozone administration on macrophage. Results: Ozone decreased the expression of TF in the blood and sciatic nerve. It upregulated the adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-SOCS3 axis to relieve CIPN and inhibit TF expression in vivo. SOCS3 expression was induced by ozone to inhibit the p38/TF signaling in RAW 246.7 cells. Ozone also prevented L-OHP-induced sciatic nerve demyelination. Microglia activation was inhibited, and c-Fos and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) expression was decreased in the spinal dorsal horn via ozone. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that ozone could alleviate CIPN by upregulating the AMPK-SOCS3 axis to inhibit TF expression, which is a potential treatment for CIPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: to determine a role of specific parameters of coagulation hemostasis for development of severe early-onset preeclampsia (еPE) in low-risk patients.Materials and Methods. A single-center prospective study included 40 patients with a physiological course of pregnancy and term delivery (control group) as well as 41 pregnant women with developed severe еPE (study group). Patients at the gestational age of 19–21 and 27–28 weeks in the comparison groups were examined for serum tissue factor (TF) activity; tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and potential to generate thrombin in calibrated thrombography test.Results. Patients with developed ePE vs. control group were found to have significantly increased TF activity at both time points: 49.1 pmol/ml vs. 5.3 pmol/ml (p < 0.0001) and 56.7 pmol/ml vs. 6.6 pmol/ml (p < 0.0001); respectively. At gestational age of 19–21 weeks; patients in the study vs. control group had serum TFPI level significantly lower (1.1 U/ml vs. 1.6 U/ml; p < 0.0001) that was significant elevated up to 2.1 U/ml by 82 % at 27–28 weeks of pregnancy. At both time points; a significantly increased thrombin generation was detected in women with developed ePE.Conclusion. The development of ePE is characterized by increased potential to generate thrombin. TF has been identified as a more sensitive marker of activated coagulation hemostasis; and its significantly increased activity was recorded at gestational age of 19–21 weeks that allows us to consider TF as a prognostic biomarker.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients are at special risk of suffering atherosclerosis, leading to major cardiovascular diseases. Notably, the transforming growth factor (TGF-β) plays a crucial role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. In this context, the central regulator of TGF-β pathway, SMAD4 (small mother against decapentaplegic homolog 4), has been previously reported to be augmented in OSA patients, which levels were even higher in patients with concomitant cardiometabolic diseases. Here, we analyzed soluble and intracellular SMAD4 levels in plasma and monocytes from OSA patients and non-apneic subjects, with or without early subclinical atherosclerosis (eSA). In addition, we used in vitro and ex vivo models to explore the mechanisms underlying SMAD4 upregulation and release. Our study confirmed elevated sSMAD4 levels in OSA patients and identified that its levels were even higher in those OSA patients with eSA. Moreover, we demonstrated that SMAD4 is overexpressed in OSA monocytes and that intermittent hypoxia contributes to SMAD4 upregulation and release in a process mediated by NLRP3. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential role of sSMAD4 as a biomarker for atherosclerosis risk in OSA patients and provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying its upregulation and release to the extracellular space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aimsMulticopper ferroxidases (MCFs) facilitate intestinal iron absorption and systemic iron recycling, likely by a mechanism involving the oxidization of Fe2+ from the iron exporter ferroportin 1 for delivery to the circulating Fe3+ carrier transferrin. Hephaestin (HEPH), the only MCF known to be expressed in enterocytes, aids in the basolateral transfer of dietary iron to the blood. Mice lacking HEPH in the whole body (Heph-/- ) or intestine alone (Hephint/int ) exhibit defects in dietary iron absorption but still survive and grow. Circulating ceruloplasmin (CP) is the only other known MCF likely to interact with enterocytes. Our aim was to assess the effects of combined deletion of HEPH and CP on intestinal iron absorption and homeostasis in mice.MethodsMice lacking both HEPH and CP (Heph-/-Cp-/- ) and mice with whole-body knockout of CP and intestine-specific deletion of HEPH (Hephint/intCp-/- ) were generated and phenotyped.ResultsHeph-/-Cp-/- mice were severely anemic and had low serum iron, but they exhibited marked iron loading in duodenal enterocytes, the liver, heart, pancreas, and other tissues. Hephint/intCp-/- mice were moderately anemic (similar to Cp-/- mice) but were iron loaded only in the duodenum and liver, as in Hephint/int and Cp-/- mice, respectively. Both double knockout models absorbed iron in radiolabeled intestinal iron absorption studies, but the iron was inappropriately distributed, with an abnormally high percentage retained in the liver.ConclusionsThese studies indicate that HEPH and CP, and likely MCFs in general, are not essential for intestinal iron absorption but are required for proper systemic iron distribution. They also point to important extra-intestinal roles for HEPH in maintaining whole-body iron homeostasis.

Ficus carica L., commonly known as the fig tree, is a plant belonging to the Moraceae family whose fruits are traditionally used for edible and therapeutic purposes. The study aimed to investigate the lyophilized aqueous extracts of two native Algerian fig varieties, azendjar (Az) and taamriouth (Ta), as a potential source of antioxidant compounds for possible use as ingredients in pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals. The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of two phenolic acids (3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid) and two flavonoids (rutin and quercetin) at levels 3.67, 4.80, 84.16, and 6.87 µg/g respectively for Az variety extract, and 6.90, traces, 7.46 and 3.37 µg/g respectively for Ta variety extract. Total phenolic content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method at levels 951.06 ± 61.08 and 730.88 ± 45.25 GAE mg/100 g of the dry extract. In contrast, the total flavonoid content was determined using Christ-Müller's method at levels 428.34 ± 15.42 and 307.63 ± 7.94 QE mg/100 g of dry extract in the Az and Ta varieties, respectively. The total polyphenolic content of the extract may be responsible for its antioxidant action. The gathered results indicate that the extracts from the dark peel fig variety – azendjar, are characterized by a higher content of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and antioxidant activity than the extract from the light peel variety – taamriouth. In conclusion, the conducted studies and in vitro assays indicate that the studied extracts are a source of natural antioxidants and can be considered functional raw materials for producing food supplements and pharmaceuticals.

Background. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide that endangers human health. Transcription factors (TFs) have gradually become hot spots for drug development in NAFLD for their impacts on metabolism. However, the specific TFs that regulate immune response in the development of NAFLD is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the TFs involved in the immune response of NAFLD and provide novel targets for drug development. Methods. Microarray data were obtained from liver samples from 26 normal volunteers and 109 NAFLD patients using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by limma package. Differentially expressed transcription factors (DETFs) were obtained on DEGs combined with Cistrome Cancer database. Immune signatures and pathways hallmark were identified by ssGSSEA and GSVA. The co-regulation network was constructed by the above results. Further, quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot (WB) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to validate the relationship between GTF2I and NAFLD. CIBERSORT analysis was performed to identify cell types to explore the relationship between differential expression of GTF2I and immune cell surface markers. Results. A total of 617 DEGs and six DETFs (ESR1, CHD2, GTF2I, EGR1, HCFC1, SP2) were obtained by differential analysis. Immune signatures and pathway hallmarks were identified by ssGSSEA and GSVA. GTF2I and CHD2 were screened through the co-regulatory networks of DEGs, DETFs, immune signatures and pathway hallmarks. Furthermore, qRT-PCR, WB and IHC indicated that GTF2I but not CHD2 was significantly upregulated in NAFLD. Finally, in silico, our data confirmed that GTF2I has a wide impact on the immune profile by negatively regulating the expression of the chemokine receptor family (227/261, count of significance). Conclusion. GTF2I plays a role in NAFLD by negatively regulating the chemokine receptor family, which affects the immune profile. This study may provide a potential target for the diagnosis or therapy of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the release and proteomic profile of tissue factor microparticles (TFMPs) prospectively (up to 6 months) following a myocardial infarction (MI) in a chronic porcine model to establish their utility in tracking cellular level activities that predict physiologic outcomes. Our animal groups (n = 6 to 8 each) consisted of control, noninfarcted (negative control); infarcted only (positive control); and infarcted animals treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and a β-blocker (BB) (metoprolol succinate). The authors found different protein profiles in TFMPs between the control, infarcted only group, and the CRT + BB treated group with predictive impact on the outward phenotype of pathological remodeling after an MI within and between groups. This novel approach of monitoring cellular level activities by profiling the content of TFMPs has the potential of addressing a shortfall of the current crop of cardiac biomarkers, which is the inability to capture composite molecular changes associated with chronic maladaptive signaling in a spatial and temporal manner.

BackgroundIt has been observed that trauma patients often display elevated procoagulant activity that could be caused, in part, by tissue factor (TF). We previously observed that trauma patients with thermal, blunt, and penetrating injuries have active FIXa and FXIa in their plasma. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of injury severity, with or without accompanying shock, on the frequency and concentration of TF, FIXa, and FXIa in plasma from trauma patients.MethodsEighty trauma patients were enrolled and divided equally into four groups based on their Injury Severity Score and base deficit:Blood was collected at a 0 time-point (first blood draw upon arrival at hospital) and citrate plasma was prepared, frozen, and stored at -80 °C. FXIa, FIXa, and TF activity assays were based on a response of thrombin generation to corresponding monoclonal inhibitory antibodies.ResultsThe frequency and median concentrations of TF were relatively low in non-severe injury groups (17.5% and 0 pM, respectively) but were higher in those with severe injury (65% and 0.5 pM, respectively). Although FXIa was observed in 91% of samples and was high across all four groups, median concentrations were highest (by approximately fourfold) in groups with shock. FIXa was observed in 80% of plasma samples and concentrations varied in a relatively narrow range between all four groups. No endogenous activity was observed in plasma from healthy individuals.Conclusions(1) Frequency and concentration of TF is higher in patients with a higher trauma severity. (2) Concentration of FXIa is higher in patients with shock. (3) For the first time reported, the vast majority of plasma samples from trauma patients contain active FIXa and FXIa.Level of evidencePrognostic/epidemiological study, level II.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in complement factor I (CFI), interleukin-8 (IL-8), transferrin (TF), and transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a northeastern Chinese population. Methods: A total of 400 AMD patients (200 wet AMD and 200 dry AMD) and 200 controls were enrolled in this study, and genetic polymorphisms in the above genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). The χ2 test was used to compare differences in allele frequencies in each group, and the associations of genotype frequencies with AMD were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Our research shows that CFI rs141853578, IL-8 rs2227543, TF rs8177178 and TFR2 rs2075674 are associated with the incidence of AMD. In wet AMD, allele T of CFI rs141853578, IL-8 rs2227543 and TFR2 rs2075674 may be a risk factor. Allele A of TF rs8177178 may increase the risk of dry AMD. Conclusions:CFI rs141853578, IL-8 rs2227543, TF rs8177178 and TFR2 rs2075674 genetic polymorphisms are associated with the occurrence of AMD in a northeastern Chinese population, especially wet AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation enteritis is one of the main adverse effects of radiotherapy, presenting with a poorly understood etiology and limited options for therapy. Intestinal inflammation and ischemia are the core mechanisms of radiation enteritis. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is an endogenous "inflammation brake." We hypothesized that paeoniflorin, a pinane monoterpene bitter glycoside, could increase SOCS3 expression to reduce inflammation and ischemia and improve enteritis in mice. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to detect changes in intestinal blood flow. RAW264.7 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were used to investigate the mechanism of action of paeoniflorin. It was observed that radiation caused high mortality, intestinal inflammatory responses, and low blood flow in mice. Paeoniflorin effectively alleviated intestinal atrophy, prevented thrombosis, improved radiation enteritis, and reduced mortality in mice undergoing radiotherapy. In addition, paeoniflorin increased the release of growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) and phosphorylation of the Axl receptor, subsequently inducing the expression of SOCS3 and inhibiting the expression of p-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 and tissue factor in vivo and in vitro. Based on our findings, we suggest that paeoniflorin is potentially effective in alleviating radiation enteritis via the activation of the Gas6/Axl/SOCS3 axis and subsequent reduction in intestinal inflammation and ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunhan Zhang,1,* Meihui Xia,2,* Zizhen Zhou,3 Xiaoqing Hu,1 Jiabin Wang,1 Meiyu Zhang,3 Yi Li,4 Liankun Sun,1 Fangfang Chen,4,5 Huimei Yu1,6 1Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, People’s Republic of China; 3Clinical Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People’s Republic of China; 4State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Gastrointestinal, Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, People’s Republic of China; 6Animal Experiment Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Huimei YuKey Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathophysiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 431 85619485Email yuhuimei@jlu.edu.cnFangfang ChenDepartment of Gastrointestinal, Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130033, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 431 84995312Email cff@jlu.edu.cnMethods: In this study, we used MTT assays to demonstrate that a combination of SPIO-Serum and wild-type p53 overexpression can reduce ovarian cancer cell viability in vitro. Prussian blue staining and iron assays were used to determine changes in intracellular iron concentration following SPIO-Serum treatment. TEM was used to evaluate any mitochondrial damage induced by SPIO-Serum treatment, and Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of the iron transporter and lipid peroxidation regulator proteins. JC-1 was used to measure mitochondrial membrane potential, and ROS levels were estimated by flow cytometry. Finally, xCT protein expression and mitochondrial ROS levels were confirmed using fluorescence microscopy.Results: SPIO-Serum effectively induced lipid peroxidation and generated abundant toxic ROS. It also facilitated the downregulation of GPX4 and xCT, ultimately resulting in iron-dependent oxidative death. These effects could be reversed by iron chelator DFO and lipid peroxidation inhibitor Fer-1. SPIO-Serum treatment disrupted intracellular iron homeostasis by regulating iron uptake and the cells presented with missing mitochondrial cristae and ruptured outer mitochondrial membranes. Moreover, we were able to show that p53 contributed to SPIO-Serum-induced ferroptosis in ovarian cancer cells.Conclusion: SPIO-Serum induced ferroptosis and overexpressed p53 contributed to ferroptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Our data provide a theoretical basis for ferroptosis as a novel cell death phenotype induced by nanomaterials.Keywords: ferroptosis, SPIO, p53, TF, xCT, iron-based nanomaterials

Radiation enteritis is one of the main adverse effects of radiotherapy, presenting with a poorly understood etiology and limited options for therapy. Intestinal inflammation and ischemia are the core mechanisms of radiation enteritis. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is an endogenous “inflammation brake.” We hypothesized that paeoniflorin, a pinane monoterpene bitter glycoside, could increase SOCS3 expression to reduce inflammation and ischemia and improve enteritis in mice. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to detect changes in intestinal blood flow. RAW264.7 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were used to investigate the mechanism of action of paeoniflorin. It was observed that radiation caused high mortality, intestinal inflammatory responses, and low blood flow in mice. Paeoniflorin effectively alleviated intestinal atrophy, prevented thrombosis, improved radiation enteritis, and reduced mortality in mice undergoing radiotherapy. In addition, paeoniflorin increased the release of growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) and phosphorylation of the Axl receptor, subsequently inducing the expression of SOCS3 and inhibiting the expression of p-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 and tissue factor in vivo and in vitro. Based on our findings, we suggest that paeoniflorin is potentially effective in alleviating radiation enteritis via the activation of the Gas6/Axl/SOCS3 axis and subsequent reduction in intestinal inflammation and ischemia.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that emanate from enhancer regions (defined as enhancer-associated lncRNAs, or elncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators in disease progression. However, their biological characteristics and clinical relevance have not been fully portrayed. Here, based on the traditional expression quantitative loci (eQTL) and our optimized residual eQTL method, we comprehensively described the genetic effect on elncRNA expression in more than 300 lymphoblastoid cell lines. Meanwhile, a chromatin atlas of elncRNAs relative to the genetic regulation state was depicted. By applying the maximum likelihood estimate method, we successfully identified causal elncRNAs for protein-coding gene expression reprogramming and showed their associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) favor binding of transcription factors. Further epigenome analysis revealed two immune-associated elncRNAs AL662844.4 and LINC01215 possess high levels of H3K27ac and H3K4me1 in human cancer. Besides, pan-cancer analysis of 3D genome, transcriptome, and regulatome data showed they potentially regulate tumor-immune cell interaction through affecting MHC class I genes and CD47, respectively. Moreover, our study showed there exist associations between elncRNA and patient survival. Finally, we made a user-friendly web interface available for exploring the regulatory relationship of SNP-elncRNA-protein-coding gene triplets (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/elncVarReg). Our study provides critical mechanistic insights for elncRNA function and illustrates their implications in human cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In any given cell type, dozens of transcription factors (TFs) act in concert to control the activity of the genome by binding to specific DNA sequences in regulatory elements. Despite their considerable importance in determining cell identity and their pivotal role in numerous disorders, we currently lack simple tools to directly measure the activity of many TFs in parallel. Massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) allow the detection of TF activities in a multiplexed fashion; however, we lack basic understanding to rationally design sensitive reporters for many TFs. Here, we use an MPRA to systematically optimize transcriptional reporters for 86 TFs and evaluate the specificity of all reporters across a wide array of TF perturbation conditions. We thus identified critical TF reporter design features and obtained highly sensitive and specific reporters for 60 TFs, many of which outperform available reporters. The resulting collection of "prime" TF reporters can be used to uncover TF regulatory networks and to illuminate signaling pathways., Competing Interests: DECLARATION OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have filed a patent application to secure intellectual property rights for the designed TF reporters. C.R. is a co-founder and shareholder of Metric Biotechnologies, Inc.

This article makes a study on the modulation in the orthogonal time-frequency space (OTFS) and its influence on the development of wireless networks, to achieve greater data transmission, flexibility, and reliability for the deployment of the sixth generation (6G), due to the benefits that this modulation can provide for environments with high-frequency dispersion. Offering the possibility of covering localized delays and Doppler degradations, converting the selective timefrequency (TF) channels into an invariant channel in the delay-Doppler domain (DD). This will be possible thanks to the fact that it is a new two-dimensional (2D) modulation scheme, where the information symbols are multiplexed in the DD domain instead of the TF domain, about traditional modulation techniques. Defining the security and privacy challenges that may arise for the new network architecture, applications, and enabling technologies, given the new requirements that will be established for 6G. The study is carried out to improve data transmission, as this is a key technology to address similar problems in future massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) systems, due to the ability provided by this modulation to transform a channel that randomly fades within the frequency-time slot on a non-random, non-fading stationary channel between the transmitter and receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal often discovered to be polluting the water areas. One of the efforts made to overcome the heavy metal pollution in estuaries was phytoremediation technique using mangroves. The Wonorejo River was one of the rivers that received industrial waste loads. There were various types of mangrove plant species at the estuary of the Wonorejo River. The location of this research was divided into 3 monitoring stations (A, B, C). Station A was directly adjacent to the estuary, as location C was farther away and very close to the sea. However, station B was located between location A and B. This study aimed to determine the ability of mangrove in remediating and illustrating the distribution of Pb, at the Wonorejo River estuary. Moreover, it also aimed to determine the values of Bioconcentration (BCF) and Translocation (TF) Factors in the ability of Avicennia alba, Avicennia marina, Sonneratia caseolaris, Avicennia lanata, and Rhizophora stylosa to accumulate Pb. The samples were the roots, stems, and leaves of mangroves, with the water and sediment at the Wonorejo estuary, as all solid materials were also extracted. The samples were analyzed for heavy metal concentration, using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that the highest average Pb concentration for waters and sediments was obtained at station C and A, with values of 0.069 mg/L and 4.22 mg/kg, respectively. It was further observed that the Pb concentration in the water was lower than in sediment, indicating that the metal was accumulated in the sediments. On the basis of the BCF value, the most effective mangrove involved in the accumulation of Pb was A. alba. The highest values of TF for both root to stems and to leaves in the accumulation of Pb was also discovered in A. lanata and A. alba mangroves, respectively. On the basis of the Pb distribution mapping, the concentration of the metal was shown to increased, as the research location moved further away from the estuary. Conclusively, each type of mangrove had different ability to accumulate and translocate Pb in its body, with the potential of using those plants as phytoremediaton agents for the metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]