To explore complex associations among demographic factors, risk factors, health care, and fatality rates of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
We ...based this study on analysis of a publicly accessible line listing of 1256 MERS-CoV cases (2013 to October 2018) available on the World Health Organization's Web site. For analyses of demographic factors (e.g., age, gender), access to health care, promptness of laboratory services, risk factors (comorbidity, exposure to camels and persons with MERS-CoV), occupation (health care), and outcome (fatality), we used descriptive statistics, risk ratio (RR), and the Pearson χ
test.
Presence of comorbidity (RR = 3; 95% confidence interval CI = 2.2, 3.9), being male (RR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.2, 2.1), exposure to dromedary camels (RR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.3), and consumption of camel milk (RR = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.9, 1.7) can significantly increase risk for fatality. Health care workers have significantly lower fatality (
< .001) than the rest of the persons with MERS-CoV.
Policies that promote health awareness for the high-risk population and their prompt seeking of health care should be considered. Publicly accessible line lists of infectious diseases such as MERS-CoV can be valuable sources for epidemiological analysis.
Aging is a normal human cycle and the most important risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. Alternations in cells due to aging contribute to loss of the nutrient-sensing, cell function, ...increased oxidative stress, loss of the homeostasis cell, genomic instability, the build-up of malfunctioning proteins, weakened cellular defenses, and a telomere split. Disturbance of these essential cellular processes in neuronal cells can lead to life threats including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), Lewy's disease, etc. The most common cause of death in the elderly population is AD. Specific therapeutic molecules were created to alleviate AD's social, economic, and health burden. In clinical practice, almost every chemical compound was found to relieve symptoms only in palliative treatment. The reason behind these perfect medicines is that the current medicines are not effective in targeting the cause of this disease. In this paper, we explored the potential role of flavonoid and polyphenolic compounds, which could be the most effective preventative anti-Alzheimer's strategy.
cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB) is one of the most intensively studied phosphorylation-dependent transcription factors that provide evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of differential ...gene expression in vertebrates and invertebrates. Many cellular protein kinases that function downstream of distinct cell surface receptors are responsible for the activation of CREB. Upon functional dimerization of the activated CREB to
-acting cAMP responsive elements within the promoters of target genes, it facilitates signal-dependent gene expression. From the discovery of CREB, which is ubiquitously expressed, it has been proven to be involved in a variety of cellular processes that include cell proliferation, adaptation, survival, differentiation, and physiology, through the control of target gene expression. In this review, we highlight the essential roles of CREB proteins in the nervous system, the immune system, cancer development, hepatic physiology, and cardiovascular function and further discuss a wide range of CREB-associated diseases and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these diseases.
Hilsa shad is one of the most important fisheries, contributing about 12.9% of the country's (Bangladesh) total fish production. There was no previous study on microplastic contamination of this ...important commercial fish. This study aims to identify, classify, and quantify microplastics (MPs) ingested by the national fish of Bangladesh, Hilsa shad, Tenualosa ilisha. A total of 287 MPs were recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts. All the fishes analyzed were contaminated with MPs. The mean (±SD) of the number of MPs was 19.13 ± 10.77 particles/fish, ranging from 7 to 51 particles/fish. Significant correlation was not found between the fish body length and MP abundance (rs = 0.287, p = 0.299), and between the fish body weight and MPs abundance (rs = 0.261, p = 0.347). The most dominant color was transparent (30%), followed by gray and black, contributing to 26% and 23%, respectively. The maximum number of MPs accounted for in the 300–1500 μm size class where fiber was the most dominant (50%) shape of observed MPs. These results provide a baseline of MP contamination in seafood from Bangladesh that should be useful for future monitoring efforts. The present study is the first research on MP contamination of Hilsa shad.
•100% of analyzed Hilsa shad had microplastics in their gastrointestinal tract.•A total of 287 MPs were obtained from all samples.•The dominant color of polymers was transparent (30%), gray (26%) and black (23%).•The maximum number of MPs were in the 300–1500 μm size class
The liquid repellency enabled by air bubbles trapped within surface roughness features has drawn the attention of many researchers over the past century. The effects of surface roughness on ...superhydrophobicity have been extensively studied, mainly using regularly textured, idealized geometries. In comparison, fewer works have investigated the wettability of randomly textured surfaces, although they are much more similar to scalable and bioinspired surfaces. In this work, we investigated whether prior theories developed for understanding the wettability of regularly structured surfaces may be extended to randomly rough surfaces. Sandpapers of varying grit size, when hydrophobized, served as model randomly rough surfaces. Two analyses were conducted. In the first, termed the nonstatistical approach, direct imaging of the surfaces was used to extract an effective texture size and spacing, based on particle analysis and Delaunay triangulation. In the second, termed the statistical approach, two metrology parameters, sample autocorrelation length and mean periodicity, served as the effective texture size and spacing. Overall, the statistical method predicted water contact angles better than the nonstatistical approach, especially for surfaces in the fully wetted Wenzel state or fully nonwetted Cassie state. For surfaces exhibiting a mixed Cassie state of wetting, neither approach was able to predict the apparent contact angles precisely, likely due to the propagation of wetting in three dimensions, as two-dimensional analysis was used to derive the theories of wetting investigated. Estimates on the pressure stability of the nonwetted states were underpredicted when using the statistical parameters. In summation, when randomly rough surfaces exhibit a distribution of texture sizes and spacings, current theories of wettability cannot be directly implemented by a simple mapping using statistical metrology parameters.
Existing methods for fabricating oil-repellent paper rely on highly fluorinated and therefore toxic chemicals. Non-fluorinated omniphobic paper with low contact angle hysteresis (CAH) has not been ...demonstrated. We report a facile method to prepare omniphobic paper through the vapor-phase deposition of chlorosilane molecules to create “liquid-like” polymer brushes on commercially available release liners. Compared to polymer brushes grafted from solution, this solvent-free method avoided physical deformation of the paper, such as curling or wrinkling. The obtained paper displayed low CAH (<6°) and roll-off angles for liquids exhibiting a broad range of surface tension, from 72.8 to 22.4 mN m–1. A hexadecane droplet (15 μL, 27.5 mN m–1) slid off the paper at a tilt angle less than 4°. The effects of surface roughness, composition, and the presence of particle additives on the wetting properties were investigated. The utility of the omniphobic paper was demonstrated in microfluidic, oil funnel, microtiter plate, and food packaging container applications.
A study was conducted to investigate the accumulation and distribution of arsenic in different fractions of rice grain (
Oryza sativa L.) collected from arsenic affected area of Bangladesh. The ...agricultural soil of study area has become highly contaminated with arsenic due to the excessive use of arsenic-rich underground water (0.070
±
0.006
mg
l
−1,
n
=
6) for irrigation. Arsenic content in tissues of rice plant and in fractions of rice grain of two widely cultivated rice varieties, namely BRRI dhan28 and BRRI hybrid dhan1, were determined. Regardless of rice varieties, arsenic content was about 28- and 75-folds higher in root than that of shoot and raw rice grain, respectively. In fractions of parboiled and non-parboiled rice grain of both varieties, the order of arsenic concentrations was; rice hull
>
bran-polish
>
brown rice
>
raw rice
>
polish rice. Arsenic content was higher in non-parboiled rice grain than that of parboiled rice. Arsenic concentrations in parboiled and non-parboiled brown rice of BRRI dhan28 were 0.8
±
0.1 and 0.5
±
0.0
mg
kg
−1 dry weight, respectively while those of BRRI hybrid dhan1 were 0.8
±
0.2 and 0.6
±
0.2
mg
kg
−1 dry weight, respectively. However, parboiled and non-parboiled polish rice grain of BRRI dhan28 contained 0.4
±
0.0 and 0.3
±
0.1
mg
kg
−1 dry weight of arsenic, respectively while those of BRRI hybrid dhan1 contained 0.43
±
0.01 and 0.5
±
0.0
mg
kg
−1 dry weight, respectively. Both polish and brown rice are readily cooked for human consumption. The concentration of arsenic found in the present study is much lower than the permissible limit in rice (1.0
mg
kg
−1) according to WHO recommendation. Thus, rice grown in soils of Bangladesh contaminated with arsenic of 14.5
±
0.1
mg
kg
−1 could be considered safe for human consumption.
Abiotic stresses are significant environmental issues that restrict plant growth, productivity, and survival while also posing a threat to global food production and security. Plants produce ...compatible solutes known as osmolytes to adapt themselves in such changing environment. Osmolytes contribute to homeostasis maintenance, provide the driving gradient for water uptake, maintain cell turgor by osmotic adjustment, and redox metabolism to remove excess level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reestablish the cellular redox balance as well as protect cellular machinery from osmotic stress and oxidative damage. Perceiving the mechanisms how plants interpret environmental signals and transmit them to cellular machinery to activate adaptive responses is important for crop improvement programs to get stress-tolerant varieties. A large number of studies conducted in the last few decades have shown that osmolytes accumulate in plants and have strong associations with abiotic stress tolerance. Production of abundant osmolytes is needed for tolerance in many plant species. In addition, transgenic plants overexpressing genes for different osmolytes showed enhanced tolerance to various abiotic stresses. Many important aspects of their mechanisms of action are yet to be largely identified, especially regarding the relevance and relative contribution of specific osmolytes to the stress tolerance of a given species. Therefore, more efforts and resources should be invested in the study of the abiotic stress responses of plants in their natural habitats. The present review focuses on the possible roles and mechanisms of osmolytes and their association toward abiotic stress tolerance in plants. This review would help the readers in learning more about osmolytes and how they behave in changing environments as well as getting an idea of how this knowledge could be applied to develop stress tolerance in plants.
Potassium (K) is an integral part of plant nutrition, playing essential roles in plant growth and development. Despite its abundance in soils, the limitedly available form of K ion (K+) for plant ...uptake is a critical factor for agricultural production. Plants have evolved complex transport systems to maintain appropriate K+ levels in tissues under changing environmental conditions. Adequate stimulation and coordinated actions of multiple K+-channels and K+-transporters are required for nutrient homeostasis, reproductive growth, cellular signaling and stress adaptation responses in plants. Various contemporary studies revealed that K+-homeostasis plays a substantial role in plant responses and tolerance to abiotic stresses. The beneficial effects of K+ in plant responses to abiotic stresses include its roles in physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved in photosynthesis, osmoprotection, stomatal regulation, water-nutrient absorption, nutrient translocation and enzyme activation. Over the last decade, we have seen considerable breakthroughs in K research, owing to the advances in omics technologies. In this aspect, omics investigations (e.g., transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics) in systems biology manner have broadened our understanding of how K+ signals are perceived, conveyed, and integrated for improving plant physiological resilience to abiotic stresses. Here, we update on how K+-uptake and K+-distribution are regulated under various types of abiotic stress. We discuss the effects of K+ on several physiological functions and the interaction of K+ with other nutrients to improve plant potential against abiotic stress-induced adverse consequences. Understanding of how K+ orchestrates physiological mechanisms and contributes to abiotic stress tolerance in plants is essential for practicing sustainable agriculture amidst the climate crisis in global agriculture.
•Potassium ion (K+) is the most abundant cation required for plant growth and survival.•K+-transport and -signaling play crucial roles in plant abiotic stress responses.•K+ controls multiple physiological processes, such as stomatal regulation and osmoprotection.•K+ interacts with phytohormones and other nutrients for plant adaptation to abiotic stresses.•K+-use-efficiency is requisite to enhance crop performance under stressful conditions.
Aging is an important stage of the human life cycle and the primary risk factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases (ND). The aging process contributes to modifications in cells, which may lead to a lack ...of nutrient signaling, disrupted cellular activity, increased oxidative pressure, cell homeostasis depletion, genomic instability, misfolded protein aggregation, impaired cellular protection, and telomere reduction. The neuropathologies found in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) are internally and extrinsically compound environmental stressors which may be partially alleviated by using different phytochemicals. The new therapies for ND are restricted as they are primarily targeted at final disease progression, including behavioral shifts, neurological disorders, proteinopathies and neuronal failure. This review presents the role of phytochemicals-related polyphenolic compounds as an accompanying therapy model to avoid neuropathologies linked to AD, PD and to simultaneously enhance two stochastic stressors, namely inflammation and oxidative stress, promoting their disease pathologies. Therefore, this approach represents a prophylactic way to target risk factors that rely on their action against ND that does not occur through current pharmacological agents over the life of a person.
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