Polymerization potential of a bacterial CotA-laccase for β-naphthol: enzyme structure and comprehensive polymer characterization.

Introduction: Laccases are blue-multicopper containing enzymes that are known to play a role in the bioconversion of recalcitrant compounds. Their role in free radical polymerization of aromatic compounds for their valorization remains underexplored. In this study, we used a pBAD plasmid containing a previously characterized CotA laccase gene (abbreviated as -Lacc) from strain ATCC 9945a to express this enzyme and explore its biotransformation/polymerization potential on β-naphthol.

Exploring the genome-wide transcriptomic responses of Bulinus truncatus to Schistosoma haematobium infection: An important host-parasite system involved in the transmission of human urogenital schistosomiasis.

Freshwater snails of the genus Bulinus are critical hosts for Schistosoma haematobium, the causative agent of urogenital schistosomiasis. Among the 37 recognized Bulinus species, B. truncatus is a key vector.

A haplotype-like, chromosome-level assembled and annotated genome of Biomphalaria glabrata, an important intermediate host of schistosomiasis and the best studied model of schistosomiasis vector snails.

Schistosomiasis is one of the world's most devastating parasitic diseases, afflicting 251 million people globally. The Neotropical snail Biomphalaria glabrata is an important intermediate host of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and a predominant model for schistosomiasis research. To fully exploit this model snail for biomedical research, here we report a haplotype-like, chromosome-level assembled and annotated genome of the homozygous iM line of B.

Yolk proteins of the schistosomiasis vector snail Biomphalaria glabrata revealed by multi-omics analysis.

Vitellogenesis is the most important process in animal reproduction, in which yolk proteins play a vital role. Among multiple yolk protein precursors, vitellogenin (Vtg) is a well-known major yolk protein (MYP) in most oviparous animals. However, the nature of MYP in the freshwater gastropod snail Biomphalaria glabrata remains elusive.

Non-enzymatic glycation reduces glucose transport in the human cartilage endplate independently of matrix porosity or proteoglycan content.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration is associated with low back pain, which is a leading cause of disability. While the precise causes of disc degeneration are unknown, inadequate nutrient and metabolite transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) may be one important factor. Prior work shows that CEP transport properties depend on the porosity of the CEP matrix, but little is known about the role of CEP characteristics that could influence transport properties independently from porosity.

Onyx Cast Migration to the Right Ventricle Following Trans-arterial Embolization of a Cranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistula.

We report a case of a middle-aged man who presented to the cardiology clinic with an incidental finding of a hyperdense lesion in the right ventricle (RV). He is an ex-smoker and had a low-dose CT chest as part of a screening program for early lung malignancy. His medical history included a cerebellar hemorrhage in 2021 due to a ruptured dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF).

What are the current anti-COVID-19 drugs? From traditional to smart molecular mechanisms.

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a highly infectious member of the coronavirus family, which emerged in December 2019 in "Wuhan, China". It induces respiratory illness ranging from mild symptoms to severe disease. It was declared a "pandemic" by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020.

Amisulpride attenuates 5-fluorouracil-induced cognitive deficits via modulating hippocampal Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling in Wistar rats.

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is a general term describing cognitive dysfunction during/after treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. CICI represents a significant medical problem due to its increasing prevalence with the lack of robust therapeutic approaches. This study aimed at investigating the effects of chronic treatment with amisulpride (5 mg/kg/day) in the management of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced cognitive deficits in Wistar rats.

Impaction bone grafting for contained acetabular defects in total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Acetabular bone loss is a technical challenge in total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study sought to report the functional and radiological results of acetabular reconstruction using impaction bone grafting (IBG) in patients with acetabular bone deficiency undergoing primary or revision THA.

Methods: In this prospective study, full history taking, preoperative clinical and radiological evaluation, and preoperative planning and templating were performed.

Bisphenol A effects on the host Biomphalaria alexandrina and its parasite Schistosoma mansoni.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most potent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that adversely affect aquatic organisms. The present investigation explored the effects of exposure to BPA at 0.1 and 1 mgL concentrations on the fecundity of Biomphalaria alexandrina, snail's infection with Schistosoma mansoni, and histology of the ovotestis and topographical structure of S.

Risperidone impedes glutamate excitotoxicity in a valproic acid rat model of autism: Role of ADAR2 in AMPA GluA2 RNA editing.

Several reports indicate a plausible role of calcium (Ca) permeable AMPA glutamate receptors (with RNA hypo-editing at the GluA2 Q/R site) and the subsequent excitotoxicity-mediated neuronal death in the pathogenesis of a wide array of neurological disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study was designed to examine the effects of chronic risperidone treatment on the expression of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 2 (Adar2), the status of AMPA glutamate receptor GluA2 editing, and its effects on oxidative/nitrosative stress and excitotoxicity-mediated neuronal death in the prenatal valproic acid (VPA) rat model of ASD. Prenatal VPA exposure was associated with autistic-like behaviors accompanied by an increase in the apoptotic marker "caspase-3" and a decrease in the antiapoptotic marker "BCL2" alongside a reduction in the Adar2 relative gene expression and an increase in GluA2 Q:R ratio in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.

The FMRF-NH2 gated sodium channel of Biomphalaria glabrata: Localization and expression following infection by Schistosoma mansoni.

The neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis impacts over 700 million people globally. Schistosoma mansoni, the trematode parasite that causes the most common type of schistosomiasis, requires planorbid pond snails of the genus Biomphalaria to support its larval development and transformation to the cercarial form that can infect humans. A greater understanding of neural signaling systems that are specific to the Biomphalaria intermediate host could lead to novel strategies for parasite or snail control.

Advancement of Physical and Photoelectrochemical Properties of Nanostructured CdS Thin Films toward Optoelectronic Applications.

CdS thin films were grown on an FTO substrate at different temperatures, employing the low-cost hydrothermal method. All the fabricated CdS thin films were studied using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, PL spectroscopy, a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, photocurrent, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Mott-Schottky measurements. According to the XRD results, all the CdS thin films were formed in a cubic (zinc blende) structure with a favorable (111) orientation at various temperatures.

Enhancement of Structural, Optical and Photoelectrochemical Properties of n-CuO Thin Films with K Ions Doping toward Biosensor and Solar Cell Applications.

n-type CuO thin films were grown on conductive FTO substrates using a low-cost electrodeposition method. The doping of the n-CuO thin films with K ions was well identified using XRD, Raman, SEM, EDX, UV-vis, PL, photocurrent, Mott-Schottky, and EIS measurements. The results of the XRD show the creation of cubic CuO polycrystalline and monoclinic CuO, with the crystallite sizes ranging from 55 to 25.

Intradiscal treatment of the cartilage endplate for improving solute transport and disc nutrition.

Poor nutrient transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) is a key factor in the etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration and may hinder the efficacy of biologic strategies for disc regeneration. Yet, there are currently no treatments for improving nutrient transport through the CEP. In this study we tested whether intradiscal delivery of a matrix-modifying enzyme to the CEP improves solute transport into whole human and bovine discs.

Memantine/Aripiprazole Combination Alleviates Cognitive Dysfunction in Valproic Acid Rat Model of Autism: Hippocampal CREB/BDNF Signaling and Glutamate Homeostasis.

Significant efforts are increasingly directed towards identifying novel therapeutic targets for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with a rising role of aberrant glutamatergic transmission in the pathogenesis of ASD-associated cellular and behavioral deficits. This study aimed at investigating the role of chronic memantine (20 mg/kg/day) and aripiprazole (3 mg/kg/day) combination therapy in the management of prenatal sodium valproate (VPA)-induced autistic-like/cognitive deficits in male Wistar rats. Pregnant female rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA (600 mg/kg) to induce autistic-like behaviors in their offspring.

Inhibition of alternative oxidase disrupts the development and oviposition of Biomphalaria glabrata snails.

Background: Biomphalaria glabrata is one of the main intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni, the most widespread species of Schistosoma. Our previous studies proved that alternative oxidase (AOX), the terminal oxidase in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, widely exists in several species of intermediate host snails of Schistosoma. Meanwhile, inhibition of AOX activity in Oncomelania hupensis snails could dramatically enhance the molluscicidal effect of niclosamide.

Assessment of schistosomiasis transmission in the River Nile at Greater Cairo using malacological surveys and cercariometry.

Continuous field studies on the abundance and distribution of freshwater snails and cercarial populations are important for schistosomiasis control programs. In the present work, snail surveys and cercariometry were conducted for four successive seasons at 12 sites on the Nile River banks in the area of Greater Cairo to identify potential transmission foci for schistosomiasis. In addition, water physicochemical parameters were recorded.

Analysis of Highly CO-Diluted Oxy-propane Flames Stabilized over a Multihole Burner of a Model Gas Turbine Combustor.

Premixed oxy-propane flames are investigated numerically in a multihole model gas turbine combustor at various inlet mixture compositions over a range of equivalence ratios (Ø: 0.241-0.500), oxygen fractions (OF: 32.

Chemistry and the Potential Antiviral, Anticancer, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Cardiotonic Steroids Derived from Toads.

Cardiotonic steroids (CTS) were first documented by ancient Egyptians more than 3000 years ago. Cardiotonic steroids are a group of steroid hormones that circulate in the blood of amphibians and toads and can also be extracted from natural products such as plants, herbs, and marines. It is well known that cardiotonic steroids reveal effects against congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation; therefore, the term "cardiotonic" has been coined.

tissue extract: bioactivity, chemical composition, and molecular docking.

Context: Deshayes (Muricidae) is widely distributed in the Red Sea. Its abundance and the history of Muricidae in traditional medicine make it a tempting target for investigation.

Objective: To investigate the chemical profile and biological activities of tissue extracts.