Application of fertilizers improves cadmium phytoextraction efficiency of Nasturtium officinale R.Br. grown in cadmium-contaminated water.

Increasing toxic metal pollution in the aquatic ecosystem since the industrial revolution produces serious environmental challenges and has raised critical questions of ecological and human health implications. As a typical aquatic plant, Nasturtium officinale (N. officinale) has drawn significant attention due to its remarkable accumulation of heavy metals and other harmful substances from polluted water.

Efficacy of ascorbic acid coated quantum dots in alleviating lead-induced oxidative damage and enhancing growth parameters in rice (Oryza sativa L.) for sustainable cultivation.

Lead (Pb) toxicity impairs the growth, yield, and biochemical traits of rice, making it essential to mitigate Pb stress in soil and restore its growth and production. This study investigated the potential of ascorbic acid-coated quantum dots (AsA-QDs) in alleviating Pb stress in two rice cultivars, Japonica (JP-5) and Indica (Super Basmati), grown in pots under Pb stress (50 mg/kg as lead chloride) with AsA-QD suspensions (50 ppm and 100 ppm) as treatments. The synthesized AsA-QDs were characterized by zeta potential (-14.

Evaluating the potential of in alleviation of aluminium stress in .

Soil contamination with toxic heavy metals [such as aluminum (Al)] is becoming a serious global problem due to the rapid development of the social economy. Although plant growth-promoting rhizo-bacteria (PGPR) are the major protectants to alleviate metal toxicity, the study of these bacteria to ameliorate the toxic effects of Al is limited. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of different levels of (5 ppm and 10 ppm) of accession number of MT123456 on plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, oxidative stress and response of antioxidant compounds (enzymatic and nonenzymatic), and their specific gene expression, sugars, nutritional status of the plant, organic acid exudation pattern and Al accumulation from the different parts of the plants, which was spiked with different levels of Al [0 µM (i.

MACB CKD Task Force updated recommendations for reporting estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria in adults.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common clinical condition with significant health risks for patients and is widely recognised as a major public health concern. Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in both diagnosing and managing CKD, as diagnosis and staging rely on estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and evaluating albuminuria (or proteinuria). It was evident that the laboratory assessment of CKD in Malaysia is not standardised.

Influence of maternal nutrition and one-carbon metabolites supplementation on bovine antimicrobial peptides in fetal and maternal tissues.

Introduction: Maternal nutrition during pregnancy critically influences offspring development and immune function. One-carbon metabolites (OCM) are epigenetic modifiers that may modulate antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression, which is vital for innate immunity. This study investigated the effects of maternal nutrient restriction and OCM supplementation on mRNA expression of AMP in fetal and maternal lung, mammary gland, and small intestine of beef cattle.

A randomised controlled feasibility trial of Behavioural activation as a treatment for people with diabetes and depression: (DiaDeM feasibility trial).

Background: There is a lack of evidence on effective treatments for depression in people with T2DM, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted Behavioural Activation (BA) intervention (DiaDeM) for people with depression and T2DM in two South Asian LMICs.

Methods: A multicountry, individually randomised-controlled feasibility trial was conducted from March 2022 to November 2022.

Positive effect of fermented sorghum on productivity, jejunal histomorphology, and tight junction gene expression in broiler chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary fermented sorghum (FS) as a substitute for corn on growth performance, jejunal histomorphology, cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, and gene expression of tight junctions in broiler chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old male New Lohmann Indian River chicks were randomly divided into five groups, with each group receiving different dietary treatments: a control group (CTRL) with a basal diet, groups supplemented with 10% (NFS10) and 20% (NFS20) non-fermented sorghum, and groups supplemented with 10% (FS10) and 20% (FS20) fermented sorghum. Each group was further divided into six replications, with eight birds per replicate.

Intergenerational effects of maternal rate of body weight gain on the multi-omics hepatic profiles of bovine fetuses.

Maternal periconceptual nutrition affects the growth trajectory of developing fetuses by modulating gene expression. The regulatory mechanisms and their role in fetal development remain underexplored in livestock models. Herein, we investigated the effects of maternal rate of body weight (BW) gain during early gestation on the DNA methylation, microRNA profiles, and their interaction with the hepatic gene expression in female fetuses.

iDNA-ITLM: An interpretable and transferable learning model for identifying DNA methylation.

In this study, from the perspective of image processing, we propose the iDNA-ITLM model, using a novel data enhance strategy by continuously self-replicating a short DNA sequence into a longer DNA sequence and then embedding it into a high-dimensional matrix to enlarge the receptive field, for identifying DNA methylation sites. Our model consistently outperforms the current state-of-the-art sequence-based DNA methylation site recognition methods when evaluated on 17 benchmark datasets that cover multiple species and include three DNA methylation modifications (4mC, 5hmC, and 6mA). The experimental results demonstrate the robustness and superior performance of our model across these datasets.

Evaluation of black soldier fly larvae oil (Hermatia illucens L.) calcium salt as an alternative fat source for laying quail diets.

Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of adding saponified black soldier fly larvae oil calcium salt (BSFLO-SCa) to quail feed as an alternative source of fat on laying performance, blood lipid profile, egg quality, and gene expression in lipid metabolism.

Methods: A total of 120 female Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) aged 24 weeks were divided into 3 treatments, each with 8 replications, and each replication consisted of 5 quails in a completely randomized design. The applied treatments were the inclusion of basal feed as a control (T0) and basal feed supplemented with 1% BSFLO-SCa (T1) and 2% BSFLO-SCa (T2).

Inclusion of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L). Moench) with protease and NSP-ase increases jejunal histomorphology and barrier function gene expression in broiler chickens.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sorghum with or without protease and NSP-ase on performance, jejunal histomorphology, caecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and gene expression of barrier function in the broiler chickens. A total of 240 males New Lohmann strain MB 202 broiler chicks (1-day-old) were randomly placed into 12 treatments with 4 replications, 5 birds per replicate for 35 d. The diets were a factorial combination of 3 levels of sorghum (0, 10, and 20%), 2 concentrations of protease (with and without protease), and 2 concentrations of NSP-ase (with and without NSP-ase).

Antimicrobial Resistance and Public Health Risks Associated with Staphylococci Isolated from Raw and Processed Meat Products.

This study aimed at evaluating the occurrence, antibiotic resistance, and β-lactamase production in isolates recovered from meat and meat products, as well as the incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in these bacterial isolates. The prevalence of was very high (75% and 50%) in street kebab and raw buffalo meat, respectively. The antibiotic resistance and susceptibility behavior showed that 82% of the isolates were resistant to β-lactam antibiotics such as aztreonam, followed by methicillin (68%), oxacillin (54%), cefepime (36%), ceftazidime (34%), cefaclor (24%), cefotaxime (22%), ertapenem (4%), meropenem and imipenem (2%).

An approach to assess real workload of medical linear accelerators in Sri Lanka.

Due to the introduction of new radiotherapy treatment techniques and the increased number of cancer patients, there is a higher possibility of redundant workload on radiotherapy machines. Therefore, this study aims to assess the workload in three linear accelerator units. An 8-week survey was conducted in the selected three units, during which all treatment parameters were accumulated.

Biofilm-forming bacteria associated with corals secrete melanin with UV-absorption properties.

Corals are colonized by a plethora of microorganisms, and their diversity plays a significant role in the health and resilience of corals when they face oxidative stress leading to bleaching. In the current study, we examined 238 bacteria isolated from five different coral species (Acropora hyacinthus, Pocillopora damicornis, Podabacea crustacea, Porites lobata, and Pavona venosa) collected from the coral reef ecosystems of Kavaratti, Lakshadweep Islands, India. We found that bacteria such as Psychrobacter sp.

Design and synthesis of a shikimoyl-functionalized cationic di-block copolypeptide for cancer cell specific gene transfection.

Targeted and efficient gene delivery systems hold tremendous potential for the improvement of cancer therapy by enabling appropriate modification of biological processes. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a novel cationic di-block copolypeptide, incorporating homoarginine (HAG) and shikimoyl (LSA) functionalities (HDA-b-PHAGm-b-PLSAn), tailored for enhanced gene transfection specifically in cancer cells. The di-block copolypeptide was synthesized sequential -carboxyanhydride (NCA) ring-opening polymerization (ROP) techniques and its physicochemical properties were characterized, including molecular weight, dispersity, secondary conformation, size, morphology, and surface charge.

Dietary jack bean ( L.) supplementation enhanced intestinal health by modulating intestinal integrity and immune responses of broiler chickens.

This study investigated the influence of supplementing with jack beans on jejunal morphology, cecal short-chain fatty acids production, gene expression both of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and tight junctions. Four treatment groups including 288 Indian River chicks that were one day old were randomized at random. While the treatment groups received jack bean supplementation at levels of 5 %, 10 %, and 15 %, the control group (0 %) was given a basal diet.

Molecular characterization of rotavirus indicates predominance of G9P[4] genotype among children with acute gastroenteritis: First report after vaccine introduction in Pakistan.

Globally, Group A rotavirus (RVA) is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old, with Pakistan having the highest rates of RVA-related morbidity and mortality. The current study aims to determine the genetic diversity of rotavirus and evaluate the impact of Rotarix-vaccine introduction on disease epidemiology in Pakistan. A total of 4749 children, hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis between 2018 and 2020, were tested at four hospitals in Lahore and Karachi.