Intercellular communication via cell-released vesicles is a very important process for both normal and tumor cells. Cell communication may involve exosomes, small vesicles of endocytic origin that ...are released by all types of cells and are found in abundance in body fluids, including blood, saliva, urine, and breast milk. Exosomes have been shown to carry lipids, proteins, mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and even DNA out of cells. They are more than simply molecular garbage bins, however, in that the molecules they carry can be taken up by other cells. Thus, exosomes transfer biological information to neighboring cells and through this cell-to-cell communication are involved not only in physiological functions such as cell-to-cell communication, but also in the pathogenesis of some diseases, including tumors and neurodegenerative conditions. Our increasing understanding of why cells release exosomes and their role in intercellular communication has revealed the very complex and sophisticated contribution of exosomes to health and disease. The aim of this review is to reveal the emerging roles of exosomes in normal and pathological conditions and describe the controversial biological role of exosomes, as it is now understood, in carcinogenesis. We also summarize what is known about exosome biogenesis, composition, functions, and pathways and discuss the potential clinical applications of exosomes, especially as biomarkers and novel therapeutic agents.
AIMS: Due to the strong influence of the gut microbiota on fish health, dominant bacterial species in the gut are strong candidates for probiotics. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota ...of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus to provide a baseline for future probiotic studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: The gut microbiota of five pooled individuals from each fish species was identified using 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. Microbiota differed significantly between fish species in terms of bacterial species evenness. However, all gut communities analysed were dominated by the phylum Fusobacteria, specifically the species Cetobacterium somerae. Relatively high abundances of the human pathogens Plesiomonas shigelloides and Fusobacterium mortiferum, as well as members of the genus Aeromonas, suggest these species are normal inhabitants of the gut. CONCLUSIONS: The overwhelming dominance of the genus Cetobacterium in all species warrants further investigation into its role in the fish gut microbiota. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides the first characterization of the gut microbiota of three economically significant fishes and establishes a baseline for future probiotic trials.
Progressive pollution due to toxic metals significantly undermines global environmental sustainability efforts. Chromium (Cr) is one of the most dangerous to human health. The use of plants to rid ...the environment of such pollutants “phytoremediation” proves to be a promising alternative to the current remediation methods. In the present study, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) determined Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), and Lead (Pb) concentrations in the soil, and plants (
Atriplex leucoclada
,
Calotropis procera
,
Salsola imbricata
,
Typha augustifolia
, and
Phragmites australis
) root and shoots. Results showed that compared to other studied metals, Cr concentration was the highest in the soil at 111.8 mg/kg, whereas Cd records the least concentration of 0.04 mg/kg. Cr also accumulated in higher concentration in
C. procera
than in the soil and other plants, with up to 188.2 and 68.2 mg/kg concentration in the root and shoot, respectively. In order to understand the mechanism of Cr tolerance and uptake in
C. procera
, germinated seeds were irrigated with 20 mg/kg Cr and control treatment (no Cr applied) for six (6) weeks under greenhouse conditions. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed high Cr complexation and binding to
C. procera
tissues via hydroxyl and carboxylic groups. Enzymatic assay reveals increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) in Cr treated
C. procera
than in the control. SOD activity increased by up to six (6) folds. Therefore, we conclude that
C. procera
is suitable for the phytoremediation of Cr polluted arid soil. Additionally, regulation of cellular homeostasis via redox signaling is essential to the Cr tolerance and detoxification mechanism.
This article determines the optimal capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage (BES) for grid-connected households to minimize the net present cost of electricity. The real-time ...rule-based home energy management systems using actual annual data of solar insolation, ambient temperature, household electricity consumption, and electricity rates are used in the optimization process. The above-mentioned technique is applied to two system configurations-household with a solar PV and a BES. The uncertainty analysis is implemented using ten years of real data to confirm the optimal results. An accurate cash flow analysis is also presented to illustrate the customer payment in each year during the project lifetime. The sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the cost and capacity of system components, grid constraint, average daily electricity demand, and retail price of electricity. A typical grid-connected household in South Australia is considered as the case study. A practical guideline is presented for the residential consumers in South Australia to select the optimal PV/BES based on their daily average electricity demand and the available rooftop space for PV installation. Finally, the proposed optimization method is applied to households of other Australian States and a comparison of results is presented.
The microstructure, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE), DC electrical conductivity, AC electrical conductivity and complex permittivity of nanostructured polymeric ...materials filled with three different carbon nanofillers of different structures and intrinsic electrical properties were investigated. The nanofillers were multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), carbon nanofibers (CNF) and high structure carbon black (HS-CB) nanoparticles and the polymer was acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). In addition, the EMI SE mechanisms and the relation between the AC electrical conductivity in the X-band frequency range and the DC electrical conductivity were studied. The nanocomposites were fabricated by solution mixing and characterized by uniform dispersion of the nanofillers within the polymer matrix. It was found that, at the same nanofiller loading, the EMI SE, permittivity and electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites decreased in the following order: MWCNT>CNF>CB. MWCNT based nanocomposites exhibited the lowest electrical percolation threshold and the highest EMI SE owning to the higher aspect ratio and electrical conductivity of MWCNT compared to CNF and HS-CB. The AC conductivity in the X-band frequency range was found to be independent of frequency.
Vapor grown carbon nanofiber (VGCNF)/polymer conductive composites are elegant materials that exhibit superior electrical, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) and thermal ...properties compared to conventional conductive polymer composites. This article reviews recent developments in VGCNF/polymer conductive composites. The article starts with a concise and general background about VGCNF production, applications, structure, dimension, and electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. Next composites of VGCNF/polymer are discussed. Composite electrical, EMI SE and thermal properties are elaborated in terms of nanofibers dispersion, distribution and aspect ratio. Special emphasis is paid to dispersion of nanofibers by melt mixing. Influence of other processing methods such as in-situ polymerization, spinning, and solution processing on final properties of VGCNF/polymer composite is also reviewed. We present properties of CNTs and CFs, which are competitive fillers to VGCNFs, and the most significant properties of their composites compared to those of VGCNF/polymer composites. At the conclusion of the article, we summarize the most significant achievements and address the future challenges and tasks in the area related to characterizing VGCNF aspect ratio and dispersion, determining the influence of processing methods and conditions on VGCNF/polymer composites and understanding the structure/property relationship in VGCNF/polymer composites.
•In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of cereal grains are summarized.•Cereals provide significant levels of bioactive phytochemicals including phenolic acids and carotenoids.•These ...phytochemicals are unevenly distributed in the grain kernel and possess antioxidant properties.•Consumption of cereal grain products favorably alters endogenous antioxidant markers.•Adequate intake of cereal grains may potentially mitigate oxidative stress.
Cereal grains and products have gained popularity in contributing to healthy eating behavior because of their antioxidant properties associated with protection against chronic diseases. In this review, notable studies on the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of commonly consumed cereal grains are summarized. Cereals contain phytochemicals or certain minor components with antioxidant properties. The antioxidant potential of cereals depends on their bioaccessibility, absorption in the gastrointestinal and their bioavailability utilization in vivo. The in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and fermentation of cereals increased their antioxidant potentials which are significantly correlated with their total phenolic contents. Most studies performed in vivo have been concerned with the antioxidant properties of colored rice, wheat bran and rye products. There are inadequate in vitro and in vivo studies on antioxidative potentials of fermented versus unfermented cereals. Therefore, further studies are necessary to maximize possible health benefits of cereal antioxidative phytochemicals.
Heavy metals constitute some of the most significant environmental contaminants today. The abundance of naturally growing Tetraena qataranse around Ras Laffan oil and gas facilities in the state of ...Qatar reflects its toxitolerant character. This study examined the desert plant's tolerance to Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb relative to soil concentration. Analysis by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) showed that the plant biomass accumulates higher Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni concentration than the soil, particularly in the root. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of all metals in the root and shoot indicates the plant's capacity to accumulate these metals. Cd had a translocation factor (TF) greater than one; however, it is less than one for all other metals, suggesting that the plant remediate Cd by phytoextraction, where it accumulates in the shoot and Cr, Cu and Ni through phytostabilization, concentrating the metals in the root. Metals phytostabilization restrict transport, shield animals from toxic species ingestion, and consequently prevent transmission across the food chain. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis further corroborates ICP-OES quantitative data. Our results suggest that T. qataranse is tolerant of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni. Potentially, these metals can accumulate at higher concentration than shown here; hence, T. qataranse is a suitable candidate for toxic metals phytostabilization.
•A novel application of SFO algorithm to extract PV model parameters is presented.•Three-diode PV model is used in this paper.•Parameters of SFO-TDPV model are compared with other optimization based ...models.•The SFO-TDPV model is verified by comparing its results with measured data.•The error among these results records a value less than 0.5%.
This article proposes an accurate and straightforward method for modeling and simulation of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The main target is to find the nine-parameter of a three-diode (TD) model based on the datasheet parameters, which are given by all commercial PV modules. The objective function is formulated based on short circuit, open circuit, power derivative, and maximum power equations. Two parameters (parallel resistance and photo-generated current) are calculated analytically and rest parameters are optimally designed using the sunflower optimization (SFO) algorithm. The presented method is applied to model three types of commercial PV modules (multicrystal KC200GT, poly-crystalline MSX-60, and mono-crystalline CS6K-280M). The optimal nine-parameters obtained in this paper are paralleled with that attained by other approaches. In order to assess the efficiency of the offered approach, I-V and P-V characteristics are validated with measured data under various temperatures and solar irradiations. The error among these results records a value less than 0.5%. Therefore, the simulation results indicate an excellent agreement with the measured data. This proposed approach can be utilized to model any marketable PV module based on given datasheet parameters only.
Abstract Lycopene supplementation decreases oxidative stress and exhibits beneficial effects on bone health, but the mechanisms through which it alters bone metabolism in vivo remain unclear. The ...present study aims to evaluate the effects of lycopene treatment on postmenopausal osteoporosis. Six-month-old female Wistar rats (n = 264) were sham-operated (SHAM) or ovariectomized (OVX). The SHAM group received oral vehicle only and the OVX rats were randomized into five groups receiving oral daily lycopene treatment (mg/kg body weight per day): 0 OVX (control), 15 OVX, 30 OVX, and 45 OVX, and one group receiving alendronate (ALN) (2 μg/kg body weight per day), for 12 weeks. Bone densitometry measurements, bone turnover markers, biomechanical testing, and histomorphometric analysis were conducted. Micro computed tomography was also used to evaluate changes in microarchitecture. Lycopene treatment suppressed the OVX-induced increase in bone turnover, as indicated by changes in biomarkers of bone metabolism: serum osteocalcin (s-OC), serum N-terminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (s-PINP), serum crosslinked carboxyterminal telopeptides (s-CTX-1), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (u-DPD). Significant improvement in OVX-induced loss of bone mass, bone strength, and microarchitectural deterioration was observed in lycopene-treated OVX animals. These effects were observed mainly at sites rich in trabecular bone, with less effect in cortical bone. Lycopene treatment down-regulated osteoclast differentiation concurrent with up-regulating osteoblast together with glutathione peroxidase (GPx) catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. These findings demonstrate that lycopene treatment in OVX rats primarily suppressed bone turnover to restore bone strength and microarchitecture.
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