Publications by authors named "Najar M"

This study was conducted in Lahij city, Yemen, to evaluate the concentrations and potential health risks of natural radioactive nuclides and heavy metals in soil and drinking water. A total of 21 soil samples and 17 water samples were collected from various locations. A high-purity germanium gamma detector HPGe was used to measure the concentrations of K, Th, and Ra in all samples, along with the concentrations of heavy metals.

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Alzheimer's disease, a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly, is characterized by the accumulation of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, triggering oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis. Current therapies focus on symptomatic treatment rather than targeting the underlying disease-modifying molecular mechanisms and are often associated with significant side effects. Bacopa monnieri, a traditional Indian herb with nootropic properties, has shown promise in neurological disorder treatment from ancient times.

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Breast cancer adaptability to the drug environment reduces the chemotherapeutic response and facilitates acquired drug resistance. Cancer-specific therapeutics can be more effective against advanced-stage cancer than standard chemotherapeutics. To extend the paradigm of cancer-specific therapeutics, clinically relevant acquired tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 proteome was deconstructed to identify possible druggable targets (N = 150).

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Background: AT-MSCs display great immunoregulatory features, making them potential candidates for cell-based therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the "RBC lysis buffer" isolation protocol and immunological profiling of the so-obtained AT-MSCs.

Methods: We established an immune-comparative screening of AT-MSCs throughout in vitro cell expansion (PM, P1, P2, P3, P4) and inflammatory priming regarding the expression of 28 cell-surface markers, 6 cytokines/chemokines, and 10 TLR patterns.

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The ability to study proteins in a cellular context is crucial to our understanding of biology. Here, we report a new technology for "intracellular protein editing", drawing from intein- mediated protein splicing, genetic code expansion, and endogenous protein tagging. This protein editing approach enables us to rapidly and site specifically install residues and chemical handles into a protein of interest.

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Recently, targeted degradation has emerged as a powerful therapeutic modality. Relying on "event-driven" pharmacology, proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) can degrade targets and are superior to conventional inhibitors against undruggable proteins. Unfortunately, PROTAC discovery is limited by warhead scarcity and laborious optimization campaigns.

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PRMT1 plays many important roles in both normal and disease biology, thus understanding it's regulation is crucial. Herein, we report the role of p300-mediated acetylation at K228 in triggering PRMT1 degradation through FBXL17-mediated ubiquitination. Utilizing mass-spectrometry, cellular biochemistry, and genetic code-expansion technologies, we elucidate a crucial mechanism independent of PRMT1 transcript levels.

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Studies on the beneficial role of dietary antioxidants in preventing or managing hypertension in postmenopausal women are infrequent. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess the association between dietary antioxidants and hypertension among menopausal women in Rafsanjan, a city located in the southeast of Iran. This study was based on data from the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as part of the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN (PERSIAN).

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Article Synopsis
  • The paper systematically reviewed 26 articles from 13 regions in Yemen to examine both natural and enhanced artificial radioactivity (NORM and TENORM).
  • It analyzed various sample types—such as air, water, soil, and building materials—along with the detectors used and the timeframes of the studies.
  • The results revealed concerning high radioactivity levels in many areas, with some regions lacking previous research, highlighting the need for further studies on potential radionuclide concentrations.
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CD4 CD25 FOXP3 T regulatory cells (Tregs) are a subset of the immunomodulatory cell population that can inhibit both innate and adaptive immunity by various regulatory mechanisms. In hepatic microenvironment, proliferation, plasticity, migration, and function of Tregs are interrelated to the remaining immune cells and their secreted cytokines and chemokines. In normal conditions, Tregs protect the liver from inflammatory and auto-immune responses, while disruption of this crosstalk between Tregs and other immune cells may result in the progression of chronic liver diseases and the development of hepatic malignancy.

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Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be a promising immunotherapeutic tool due to their easy accessibility, culture expansion possibilities, safety profile, and immunomodulatory properties. Although several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of MSCs, their efficacy needs to be improved while also preserving their safety. It has been suggested that cell homeostasis may be particularly sensitive to plant extracts.

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As a form of immunomodulatory therapeutics, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) from umbilical cord (UC) tissue were assessed for their dynamic interplay with the Th-17 immune response pathway. UC-MSCs were able to modulate lymphocyte response by promoting a Th-17-like profile. Such modulation depended on the cell ratio of the cocultures as well as the presence of an inflammatory setting underlying their plasticity.

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  • D prostanoid receptor 1 (DP1) is crucial for reducing inflammation and protecting cartilage in osteoarthritis, but its regulation in cartilage was not well understood.
  • The study focused on characterizing the human DP1 promoter and investigating how DNA methylation affects its expression in chondrocytes.
  • Results showed that the transcription factor Sp1 and DNA methylation significantly influence DP1 regulation, but neither the methylation status nor expression levels of DP1 varied between normal and osteoarthritis cartilage.
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Article Synopsis
  • Starvation and low-carb diets lead to high levels of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in the blood, which can modify proteins through a process called lysine β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb).
  • Research shows that class I histone deacetylases (HDACs), typically known for removing acetyl groups, also catalyze the addition of BHB to proteins, indicating a novel role for these enzymes.
  • The study suggests that Kbhb formation depends on substrate availability and shares similarities with traditional deacetylation processes, highlighting its relevance for metabolic changes in proteins.
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Objective And Design: 15-Lipoxygenase-1 (15-LOX-1) catalyzes the biosynthesis of many anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory lipid mediators and was reported to have protective properties in several inflammatory conditions, including osteoarthritis (OA). This study was designed to evaluate the expression of 15-LOX-1 in cartilage from normal donors and patients with OA, and to determine whether it is regulated by DNA methylation.

Methods: Cartilage samples were obtained at autopsy from normal knee joints and from OA-affected joints at the time of total knee joint replacement surgery.

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Aim: Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is one of the principal causes of neonatal mortality and long-term morbidity worldwide. The neonatal signs of mild cerebral injury are subtle, making an early precise diagnosis difficult. Delayed detection, poor prognosis, and lack of specific biomarkers for the disease are increasing mortality rates.

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Cancer is a highly lethal disease that causes millions of deaths worldwide, thus representing a major public health challenge [...

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Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis (IGM) is an infrequent, benign breast disease that primarily affects women during their childbearing years and can be mistaken for breast cancer. This study aimed to review the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings of patients with IGM in addition to management and outcome. Retrospective cross-sectional study of biopsy-confirmed IGM at an academic medical center and a private hospital in Amman, Jordan.

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Clethodim is a widely used and approved class II herbicide, with little information about its impact on the reproductive system. Herein, we investigated the male reproductive toxicity of clethodim using a mouse model. GrassOut Max (26% clethodim-equivalent) or analytical grade clethodim (≥90%) were given orally to male mice for 10 d in varying doses.

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CD4CD25 FOXP3 regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a subpopulation of CD4 T cells central for the suppression of physiological and pathological immune reactions. Although distinct cell surface antigens are expressed in regulatory T cells, those components are also present on the surface of activated CD4CD25 FOXP3T cells, thus making the discrimination between Tregs and conventional CD4 T difficult and isolation of Tregs complex. Yet, the molecular components driving Tregs' function are still not fully characterized.

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Background: Dental color change and the temperature of the pulp chamber and of the buccal surface were evaluated during bleaching with 37% carbamide peroxide (CP) with continuous vs fractionated violet LED light protocols.

Methodology: Bovine incisors received in-office bleaching for 30 min using different light protocols (Bright Max Whitening, MMOptics). Teeth were separated into groups (n = 10): HP) 35% hydrogen peroxide (Whiteness HP, FGM)/no light; CP) 37% carbamide peroxide (Whiteness SuperEndo, FGM)/no light; CP10) CP+10 min of continuous light; CP20) CP+20 min of continuous light; CP30) CP+30 min of continuous light; CPF) CP+20 cycles of 60 s light / 30 s no light (fractionated).

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Aim: The risks of thromboembolism and major bleeding in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients were assessed according to the "Evaluated Heartvalves, Rheumatic or Artificial" (EHRA) classification. Additionally, the safety and efficacy of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were compared in AF patients with EHRA type 2 valvular heart disease (VHD) versus those with no VHD.

Methods: AF patients enrolled in the "Jordan Atrial Fibrillation (JoFib)" study were followed up for thromboembolic events and major bleeding at 30, 180, and 365 days.

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Objective: To describe variable mullerian duct anomalies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to classify these anomalies according to the available classification systems, namely the American Fertility Society (AFS) system, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) system, and the new American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) system.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Subjects: The pelvic MRI studies and the clinical records of 64 females with mullerian congenital anomalies were retrospectively reviewed between January 2010 and December 2021.

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