Cancer cells usually adapt metabolic phenotypes to chemotherapeutics. A defensive strategy against this flexibility is to modulate signaling pathways relevant to cancer bioenergetics. A ...triphenylphosphonium‐modified terpyridine platinum(II) complex (TTP) was designed to inhibit thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and multiple metabolisms of cancer cells. TTP exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity against cisplatin‐insensitive human ovarian cancer cells in a caspase‐3‐independent manner and showed preferential inhibition to mitochondrial TrxR. The morphology and function of mitochondria were severely damaged, and the levels of mitochondrial and cellular reactive oxygen species were decreased. As a result, TTP exerted strong inhibition to both mitochondrial and glycolytic bioenergetics, thus inducing cancer cells to enter a hypometabolic state.
Blocking both avenues: A triphenylphosphonium‐modified terpyridine platinum(II) complex (see structure) exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity against human ovarian cancer cells and showed strong inhibitory effects on both mitochondrial and glycolytic metabolisms. The morphology and function of mitochondria were severely damaged and the levels of mitochondrial and cellular reactive oxygen species decreased, thus inducing the cells to enter a hypometabolic state.
Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in women and often accompanied by inflammatory processes. Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) plays a vital role in the progression of BC, correlating ...with the expression of programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1). Overexpression of PD‐L1 contributes to the immune escape of cancer cells, and its blockade would stimulate anticancer immunity. Two multispecific platinum(IV) complexes DNP and NP were prepared using non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drug naproxen (NPX) as axial ligand(s) to inhibit the BC cells. DNP exhibited high cytotoxicity and antiinflammatory properties superior over NP, cisplatin and NPX; moreover, it displayed potent antitumor activity and almost no general toxicity in mice bearing triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Mechanistic studies revealed that DNP could downregulate the expression of COX‐2 and PD‐L1 in vitro and vivo, inhibit the secretion of prostaglandin, reduce the expression of BC‐associated protein BRD4 and phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 (Erk1/2), and block the oncogene c‐Myc in BC cells. These findings demonstrate that DNP is capable of intervening in inflammatory, immune, and metastatic processes of BC, thus presenting a new mechanism of action for anticancer platinum(IV) complexes. The multispecificity offers a special superiority for DNP to treat TNBC by combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy in one molecule.
A platinum(IV) complex (DNP) modified by the non‐steroidal antiinflammatory drug naproxen downregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in vitro and vivo, retarded the metastasis of breast cancer cells, and showed potent antitumor activity in cancer‐bearing mice. Suppression on inflammatory cytokines and immune checkpoint is the unique character of DNP as a drug candidate.
Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal that contaminates soil and water resources after its discharge from different industries. It can act as carcinogen and mutagen for biological systems. ...Microbe-assisted phytoremediation is one of the most emergent and environment friendly technique used for detoxification of Cr from Cr-contaminated soils. In this study, wheat as a test crop was grown under varying stress levels (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of Cr in a pot experiment under a complete randomized design. Alleviative role of Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 was assessed by applying as a treatment in different combinations of zinc oxide nanoparticles (0, 50, 100 mg/L). Growth and yield attributes data presented nurturing impact of bacterial inoculation and ZnO NPs in improvement of wheat defense system by decreasing Cr toxicity. Increase in chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, CAT) activities and nutrient uptake also confirmed the mitigative potential of bacterial inoculation when applied solely or in combination with ZnO NPs. The Cr accumulation in different parts of plant was significantly reduced with the application of NPs and S. aureus strain K1. Taken together, the results showed that combined application of Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 and ZnO NPs detoxifies the effects of Cr on wheat plants and boosts its growth, physiology and defense system.
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•Chromium toxicity reduced the plant growth, physiological along with oxidant and antioxidant activity.•ZnO application improves enzymatic activity by enhancing growth and physiology of wheat plants.•Staphylococcus aureus strain K1 reduced oxidative stress and improved plant growth.•S. aureus bio-transformed the chromium Cr6+ into Cr3+ and decreased its uptake by plant.
Agriculture is considered as the backbone of the economy of Pakistan. However, current changes in climate have been adversely affecting agricultural productivity. In this paper, perceived impacts of ...climate change on agriculture and adaptation towards it have been studied in Charsadda district (lowlands) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan through extensive field surveys, involving 116 farm households. Results have revealed that climate change factors including fluctuating temperature, evidence of yearly long droughts, and a steady shift in rainfall patterns have pressured the agriculture sector and livelihoods of the local peasants. The staggering floods of 2010 and 2011 in Pakistan have evidenced severe climatic changes in Pakistan. These countrywide floods have washed fertile soil in the study area that has directly contributed to losses in agricultural yield and increased vector-borne diseases in crops. The local farmers have commonly deployed adaptive measure such as crops diversification, changing fertilizer, and planting shaded trees to minimize the impacts of changes in climate. However, these adjustments measures are perceived as not appropriate for improving farm yield. Therefore, the study suggests that improved understanding of the climate change impacts and knowledge on adapting adequately will lead to no-regret adaptation. It will also help protecting farmer’s lives and livelihoods and will boost their resilience towards changing climatic conditions.
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The quest for new adsorbing material directed several scientists for more efficient sorbent material for environmental remediation. Natural materials such as clays are good sorbents for many ...contaminants in soil and water; due to their availability, low cost, environmental stability and high adsorptive, and ion exchange properties. Clay materials can potentially be modified by introducing long or short chain organic compounds to achieve the desired surface properties for best immobilization of hydrophobic compounds. Modified clays obtained are called organoclays and have been proven effective for remediation of many contaminants in soil and water such as phenols and its derivatives. This paper will highlight the synthesis, mechanism of sorption, isotherm models, and the applications of organoclays as potential sorbents for the environmental remediation of phenol and its derivatives. By looking at all the above as well as the detailed literature survey, we conclude that organoclays are cost effective sorbent material that have a high removal potential for phenol and its derivatives from water and wastewater.
Organoclays have been proven effective for remediation of many contaminants in soil and water such as phenols and its derivatives. This paper will highlight the synthesis, mechanism of sorption, isotherm models, and the applications of organoclays as potential sorbents for the environmental remediation of phenol and its derivatives.
Salt stress is the major risk to the seed germination and plant growth via affecting physiological and biochemical activities in plants. Zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) are emerged as a key agent in ...regulating the tolerance mechanism in plants under environmental stresses. However, the tolerance mechanisms which are regulated by ZnNPs in plants are still not fully understood. Therefore, the observation was planned to explore the role of ZnNPs (applied as priming and foliar) in reducing the harmful influence of sodium chloride (NaCl) stress on the development of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants. Varying concentrations of ZnNPs (0.1%, 0.2% & 0.3%) were employed to the spinach as seed priming and foliar, under control as well as salt stress environment. The alleviation of stress was observed in ZnNPs-applied spinach plants grown under salt stress, with a reduced rise in the concentration hydrogen peroxide, melondialdehyde and anthocyanin contents. A clear decline in soluble proteins, chlorophyll contents, ascorbic acid, sugars, and total phenolic contents was observed in stressed conditions. Exogenous ZnNPs suppressed the NaCl generated reduction in biochemical traits, and progress of spinach plants. However, ZnNPs spray at 0.3% followed by priming was the most prominent treatment in the accumulation of osmolytes and the production of antioxidant molecules in plants.
This study aims to systematically review the literature on the impact of big data and knowledge management on customer interactions and consumption patterns from an applied science perspective. A ...comprehensive search strategy was implemented in seven scientific publication databases. The inclusion criteria consisted of original research articles published in English, excluding gray literature, book chapters, and conference proceedings. A total of 400 articles were retrieved, and 40 articles met the inclusion criteria after two rounds of screening. The selected articles were analyzed following a mixed-method approach incorporating qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. Thematic analysis was deployed to identify recurring themes and patterns in the articles, while descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study characteristics. The data analysis showed that big data and knowledge management significantly affect customer interactions and consumption patterns, with most studies focusing on the retail and banking sectors. The findings of this study have several theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this review contributes to the growing body of literature on the intersection of big data, knowledge management, and consumer behavior. From a practical perspective, the results can inform policymakers and practitioners on leveraging big data and knowledge management in order to improve customer interactions and consumption patterns.
The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor has been recognized as an important wastewater treatment technology among anaerobic treatment methods. The objective of this study was to perform ...literature review on the treatment of domestic sewage using the UASB reactor as the core component and identifying future areas of research. The merits of anaerobic and aerobic bioreactors are highlighted and other sewage treatment technologies are compared with UASB on the basis of performance, resource recovery potential, and cost. The comparison supports UASB as a suitable option on the basis of performance, green energy generation, minimal space requirement, and low capital, operation, and maintenance costs. The main process parameters such as temperature, hydraulic retention time (HRT), organic loading rate (OLR), pH, granulation, and mixing and their effects on the performance of UASB reactor and hydrogen production are presented for achieving optimal results. Feasible posttreatment steps are also identified for effective discharge and/or reuse of treated water.
Strigolactone (GR24) is a phytohormone, involved in reconfiguration of plant development pattern in response to salinity stress. Current experiment was carried out in vitro conditions to study the ...role of GR24 on sunflower (
Helianthus annuus
L. cv. OLIVER-P) under saline and non-saline growth mediums. Two salinity levels 0 mM (control) and 150 mM NaCl were maintained in growth mediums for callus induction along with four GR24 levels (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 mg L
−1
) in Somatic Cell Genetic Lab, Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. Results of this study showed that among GR24 levels, 0.01 mg L
−1
proved to be ideal dose as it improved callus fresh weight (30.59%), dry weight (45.26%), free protein (55.87%), Ca
2+
(13.04%) and K
+
(11.76%) contents under non-saline, while superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), free proline and glycine betaine (GB) contents by 38.1%, 67.87%, 124.01%, 63.38% and 76.12%, respectively, under salinity stress mediums. However, water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential (Ψs), turgor potential (Ψp), hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were reduced up to 32.65%, 39.80%, 40.74%, 65.78% and 30.76%, respectively, due to different levels of GR24. Overall, high saline conditions caused a significant reduction in concentration of callus biomass, Ψw, Ψs, soluble protein, Ca
2+
and K
+
ions than non-saline mediums. These results reflected that GR24 application could be an effective approach to mitigate hazardous impacts of salinity in sunflower production. Further, the molecular techniques of processes in which GR24 may play a key role in different commercially vital crops is extreme important and may carry new leads for future experimentation in this exciting area of plant hormones.
•Rational design of PtIV prodrugs to reduce toxicity and resistance of clinical PtII drugs.•Conjugation of targeting or imaging agents to PtIV centers.•Multinuclear PtII complexes capable of forming ...long range DNA-cross linking adducts.•RuII/RuIII complexes as potential alternative to PtII anticancer therapeutics.•Antitumor active AuI/AuIII and TiIV complexes with different biological targets.
Since the discovery of the cisplatin antitumor activity, great efforts have focused on the rational design of metal-based anticancer agents that can be potentially used in cancer chemotherapy. Over the last four decades, a large number of metal complexes have been extensively investigated and evaluated in vitro and in vivo, and some of them were at different stages of clinical studies. Amongst these complexes, platinum (PtII and PtIV), ruthenium (RuII and RuIII), gold (AuI and AuIII) and titanium (TiIV) complexes are the most studied metals. We describe here some most recent progresses on PtIV prodrugs which can be activated once enter tumor cells, polynuclear PtII complexes which have unique DNA binding ability and mode, anti-metastatic RuII/RuIII complexes, and AuI/AuIII and TiIV antitumor active complexes. The key focuses of these studies lie in finding novel metal complexes which could potentially overcome the hurdles of current clinical drugs including toxicity, resistance and other pharmacological deficiencies.
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