Historical record of heavy metals in the mollusk shells of the Nile Delta.

Identifying the baseline status and the timing of ecosystem disturbances are essential for restoration programs. The historical bioaccumulation of heavy metals was assessed from an 80-cm-long core from the Manzala Lagoon (Nile Delta). The heavy metal concentrations increased slightly upward and peaked around 1964, after the completion of Aswan High Dam.

The Potential of JWH-133 to Inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Uterine Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the biological and molecular pathways that regulate the effects of ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injuries. However, despite these developments, various pharmacological agents are still being tested to either protect against or mitigate the damage caused by the IR's harmful consequences. JWH133 is a CB2R-selective agonist and belongs to the class of Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Bioinformatics proficiency among African students.

Bioinformatics, the interdisciplinary field that combines biology, computer science, and data analysis, plays a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of life sciences. In the African context, where the diversity of biological resources and healthcare challenges is substantial, fostering bioinformatics literacy and proficiency among students is important. This perspective provides an overview of the state of bioinformatics literacy among African students, highlighting the significance, challenges, and potential solutions in addressing this critical educational gap.

miR-4716-3p and the target AKT2 Gene/rs2304186 SNP are associated with blood cancer pathogenesis in Pakistani population.

AKT2 is crucial for cancer cells' invasion, metastasis, and survival. It is a possible downstream gene target of cancer glycolysis-related microRNAs. The study investigated the role of miRNA-4716-3p, rs2304186, and the AKT2 gene in blood cancer pathogenesis.

Anthropogenic-induced environmental and ecological changes in the Nile Delta over the past half-century.

Anthropogenic activities over the past half-century have had a negative impact on the wetland ecosystem in the Nile Delta, which provides essential provisioning and regulating services. Therefore, it is crucial to systematically investigate pollution levels and their ecological consequences at both spatial and temporal scales in order to promote sustainable development. In this study, data on metal pollution in the Manzala Lake were compiled through a systematic review of all published literature from 1968 to 2020.

Inhibition of NS2B-NS3 protease from all four serotypes of dengue virus by punicalagin, punicalin and ellagic acid identified from .

Despite a major threat to the public health in tropical and subtropical regions, dengue virus (DENV) infections are untreatable. Therefore, efforts are needed to investigate cost-effective therapeutic agents that could cure DENV infections in future. The NS2B-NS3 protease encoded by the genome of DENV is considered a critical target for the development of anti-dengue drugs.

Mixed agricultural, industrial, and domestic drainage water discharge poses a massive strain on freshwater ecosystems: a case from the Nile River in Upper Egypt.

Heavy metal and pesticide pollution of freshwater ecosystems, i.e., rivers, raises significant concerns worldwide, where practical solutions to reduce the threats become urgent need.

Cervical Mediastinoscopy as a Diagnostic Tool for Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.

Objective: To determine the yield of cervical mediastinoscopy in determining causes of mediastinal lymph node enlargement.

Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: CMH Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan, from January 2010 to December 2021.

University female students' perception and prospective practice of female genital mutilation in Umudike, Southeast Nigeria.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) under the guise of female circumcision is still practiced across wider communities in Nigeria despite various dangers associated with it and several efforts to curtail the practice. This study investigated the prevalence of and personal disposition towards female genital mutilation in 345 university undergraduate students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), South east Nigeria using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The major inclusion criteria for the face-to-face interview were being a female student of MOUAU and consented approval.

Historical changes in fish landings indicate a significant shift in fish catch composition and biodiversity loss in the Nile-Delta lakes.

To monitor the changes in fish biodiversity and to elucidate the factors responsible for these changes, the landings composition (LC) over the past 30 years in the Nile-Delta lakes was quantitatively analyzed. The LC data indicates a shift in target species towards demersal opportunistic species. A significant difference (P < 0.

Use of confocal Raman microscopy to characterise ethyl cyanoacrylate adhesive depth curing.

In situ spatial temporal measurement of monomer conversion during adhesive bondline curing remains a challenging area. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the effectiveness of using confocal Raman microscopy in a specially configured experimental set-up, as a versatile tool for measuring monomer concentration changes as a function of both time and adhesive bond depth during ethyl cyanoacrylate polymerisation. This also allowed monitoring of the extent of polymerisation at the adhesive substrate interface independently of the bulk bondline polymerisation region.

Cytokines, growth factors and macromolecules as mediators of implantation in mammalian species.

Implantation is one of the most critical steps in mammalian reproduction and implantation failure constitutes a major cause of infertility in both animals and humans. The mechanism of implantation is exclusively under the control of ovarian steroids progesterone and oestrogen whose actions are mediated in a complex phenomenon that involves a number of cytokines and growth factors. According to a plethora of literature on implantation in mammalian species, prominent of these cytokines and growth factor playing crucial roles in implantation include integrin, osteopontin, integrin, insulin-like growth factor and leukaemia inhibitory factor.

Signatures of anthocyanin metabolites identified in humans inhibit biomarkers of vascular inflammation in human endothelial cells.

Scope: The physiological relevance of contemporary cell culture studies is often perplexing, given the use of unmetabolized phytochemicals at supraphysiological concentrations. We investigated the activity of physiologically relevant anthocyanin metabolite signatures, derived from a previous pharmacokinetics study of 500 mg C -cyanidin-3-glucoside in eight healthy participants, on soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in human endothelial cells.

Methods And Results: Signatures of peak metabolites (previously identified at 1, 6, and 24 h post-bolus) were reproduced using pure standards and effects were investigated across concentrations ten-fold lower and higher than observed mean (<5 μM) serum levels.

Regulation and roles of the hyaluronan system in mammalian reproduction.

Hyaluronan (HA) is a non-sulphated glycosaminoglycan polymer naturally occurring in many tissues and fluids of mammals, including the reproductive system. Its biosynthesis by HA synthase (HAS1-3) and catabolism by hyaluronidases (HYALs) are affected by ovarian steroid hormones. Depending upon its molecular size, HA functions both as a structural component of tissues in the form of high-molecular-weight HA or as a signalling molecule in the form of small HA molecules or HA fragments with effects mediated through interaction with its specific cell-membrane receptors.

Influence of hyaluronan on endometrial receptivity and embryo attachment in sheep.

An increasing number of reports suggests a role of hyaluronan (HA) in female reproduction and interest in its application in assisted reproduction is rising. However, there are contrasting data about the effectiveness of adding HA to the embryo-transfer medium on improving pregnancy rates. Using sheep as an experimental model, the studies reported here analysed the impact of HA infusion into the uterus on embryo attachment to uterine luminal epithelium (LE) and expression of selected markers of uterine receptivity.

Correction: Influence of LAR and VAR on Para-Aminopyridine Antimalarials Targetting Haematin in Chloroquine-Resistance.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Influence of LAR and VAR on Para-Aminopyridine Antimalarials Targetting Haematin in Chloroquine-Resistance.

Antimalarial chloroquine (CQ) prevents haematin detoxication when CQ-base concentrates in the acidic digestive vacuole through protonation of its p-aminopyridine (pAP) basic aromatic nitrogen and sidechain diethyl-N. CQ export through the variant vacuolar membrane export channel, PFCRT, causes CQ-resistance in Plasmodium falciparum but 3-methyl CQ (sontochin SC), des-ethyl amodiaquine (DAQ) and bis 4-aminoquinoline piperaquine (PQ) are still active. This is determined by changes in drug accumulation ratios in parasite lipid (LAR) and in vacuolar water (VAR).

Hyaluronan and hyaluronidase, which is better for embryo development?

Our aim was to examine size-specific effects of Hyaluronan (HA) on preimplantation embryo development. We investigated the effects of Hyalovet (HA, 500-750 kDa; the size produced by HA synthase-3, which is abundant in the oviduct), or HA treated with Hyaluronidase-2 (Hyal2; also expressed in the oviduct that breaks down HA into 20 kDa fragments). In experiment 1 (in vivo), oviducts of synchronized and superovulated ewes (n = 20) were surgically exposed on Day 2 post-mating, ligated, and infused with either Hyalovet, Hyalovet + Hyal2, Hyal2, or PBS (control).

In vivo and in vitro studies of MUC1 regulation in sheep endometrium.

In this study, we investigated the expression of mucin 1 (MUC1) mRNA and protein in sheep endometrium at different time points during follicular and luteal phases of estrous cycle, and also determined the effect of steroid hormone treatments and interferon tau (IFNτ) on MUC1 mRNA expression in endometrial cell culture in vitro. In experiment one, 15 Welsh mountain ewes were synchronized to a common estrus and killed at precise stages of estrous cycle corresponding to (1) pre-LH peak, (2) LH peak, (3) post-LH peak, (4) early luteal, and (5) mid-luteal. Reproductive tracts were harvested and mRNA was extracted from the endometrial tissues.

Common Phenolic Metabolites of Flavonoids, but Not Their Unmetabolized Precursors, Reduce the Secretion of Vascular Cellular Adhesion Molecules by Human Endothelial Cells.

Background: Flavonoids have been implicated in the prevention of cardiovascular disease; however, their mechanisms of action have yet to be elucidated, possibly because most previous in vitro studies have used supraphysiological concentrations of unmetabolized flavonoids, overlooking their more bioavailable phenolic metabolites.

Objective: We aimed to explore the effects of phenolic metabolites and their precursor flavonoids at physiologically achievable concentrations, in isolation and combination, on soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1).

Method: Fourteen phenolic acid metabolites and 6 flavonoids were screened at 1 μM for their relative effects on sVCAM-1 secretion by human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α).

Methods for isolating, identifying, and quantifying anthocyanin metabolites in clinical samples.

The metabolic fate of anthocyanins until recently was relatively unknown, primarily as a result of their instability at physiological pH and a lack of published methods for isolating and identifying their metabolites from biological samples. The aim of the present work was to establish methods for the extraction and quantification of anthocyanin metabolites present in urine, serum, and fecal samples. 35 commercial and 10 synthetic analytes, including both known and predicted human and microbial metabolites of anthocyanins, were obtained as reference standards.

Altering n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios affects prostaglandin production by ovine uterine endometrium.

Consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is considered beneficial to health but effects on fertility remain uncertain. This study investigated the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on endometrial prostaglandin (PG) production. Ovine uterine endometrial cells were cultured to confluence in DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% foetal bovine serum.

Regulation of the hyaluronan system in ovine endometrium by ovarian steroids.

In this study, we investigated steroid regulation of the hyaluronan (HA) system in ovine endometrium including HA synthases (HAS), hyaluronidases, and HA receptor-CD44 using 30 adult Welsh Mountain ewes. Eight ewes were kept intact and synchronized to estrous (day 0). Intact ewes were killed on day 9 (luteal phase; LUT; n=5) and day 16 (follicular phase; FOL; n=3).

Quantitative trait loci for biomechanical performance and femoral geometry in an intercross of recombinant congenic mice: restriction of the Bmd7 candidate interval.

Despite steady progress in identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for bone phenotypes, relatively little progress has been made in moving from QTLs to identifying the relevant gene. We exploited the genetic structure of recombinant congenic mouse strains by performing a reciprocal intercross of the strains HcB-8 and HcB-23, phenotyped for body size, femoral biomechanical performance, and femoral diaphyseal geometry and mapped with R/qtl and QTL Cartographer. Significant QTLs are present on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10.

Gluconeogenic activity in response to chronic administration of amphetamine sulphate and drug withdrawal.

1. Chronic amphetamine administration (10 mg/kg) to young rats (Rattus norvegius) (40-90 g) produced an initial hyperglycemia following the initial drug administration. This was followed by progressive hypoglycemia with the continuous drug treatment.