-
Toxics May 2024There are many works associating the presence of nitrate in water and the occurrence of cancer in humans. The most common method for quantifying nitrate in water is...
There are many works associating the presence of nitrate in water and the occurrence of cancer in humans. The most common method for quantifying nitrate in water is based on the use of toxic cadmium as a reductant. In this work, a new approach was developed for the quantification of nitrate in bottled water with indirect spectrophotometry using Zn as a reductant. Nitrate is reduced to nitrite using Zn in a buffered medium (acetate/acetic acid) and quantified with visible spectrophotometry using the Griess reaction between sulfanilamide and N-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine. The influence of pH, buffer solution (constitution and concentration), Zn (mass and granulometry), and agitation time on the efficiency of nitrite generation was evaluated. The optimal conditions were an acetate-acetic acid buffer solution with a concentration and pH of 0.75 mol L and 6.00, respectively, and a Zn particle size of 20 MESH and Zn mass of 300 mg. The limits of detection and quantification (LoD and LoQ) were 0.024 and 0.08 mg L, respectively. The method's accuracy and precision were evaluated using the analysis of commercial bottled water. In conclusion, the use of Zn instead of cadmium provided a green method with excellent LoD/LoQ. Further, the method proved to be simple and easy to apply during outdoor analysis.
PubMed: 38922063
DOI: 10.3390/toxics12060383 -
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024This study focuses on the influence of electrospray deposition parameters on the morphology, topography, optical and sensing properties of ZnO films deposited on gold...
This study focuses on the influence of electrospray deposition parameters on the morphology, topography, optical and sensing properties of ZnO films deposited on gold electrodes of quartz crystal resonators. The substrate temperature, precursor feed rate and emitter's voltage were varied. Zinc acetate dehydrate dissolved in a mixture of deionized water, ethanol and acetic acid was used as a precursor. The surface morphology and average roughness of the films were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D optical profilometry, respectively, while the optical properties were investigated by diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence measurements. The sensing response toward ammonia was tested and verified by the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The studies demonstrated that electrospray deposition parameters strongly influence the surface morphology, roughness and gas sensing properties of the films. The deposition parameters were optimized in order for the highest sensitivity toward ammonia to be achieved. The successful implementation of the electrospray method as a simple, versatile and low-cost method for deposition of ammonia-sensitive and selective ZnO films used as a sensing medium in QCM sensors was demonstrated and discussed.
PubMed: 38921885
DOI: 10.3390/nano14121008 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Several strains of are applied in the field to control plant diseases due to their capacity to suppress fungal pathogens and control plant diseases. Some strains also...
Several strains of are applied in the field to control plant diseases due to their capacity to suppress fungal pathogens and control plant diseases. Some strains also are able to promote plant growth through the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). In southern Thailand, the local rice variety "Chor Khing" is mainly cultivated in the Songkhla province; it is characterized by slow growth and is susceptible to sheath blight caused by . Therefore, this research aimed to screen species with the ability to promote plant growth in this rice variety and enact biological control against . A total of 21 isolates were screened for indole compound production using the Salkowski reagent. The Z2-03 isolate reacted positively to the Salkowski reagent, indicating the production of the indole compound. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPCL) confirmed that Z2-03 produced IAA at 35.58 ± 7.60 μg/mL. The cell-free culture filtrate of the potato dextrose broth (CF) of Z2-03 induced rice germination in rice seeds, yielding root and shoot lengths in cell-free CF-treated rice that were significantly higher than those of the control (distilled water and culture broth alone). Furthermore, inoculation with conidia promoted rice growth and induced a defense response against during the seedling stage. Z2-03 displayed an antifungal capacity against , achieving 74.17% inhibition (as measured through dual culture assay) and the production of siderophores on the CAS medium. The pot experiment revealed that inoculation with the sp. Z2-03 conidial suspension increased the number of tillers and the plant height in the "Chor Khing" rice variety, and suppressed the percentage of disease incidence (PDI). The isolate Z2-03 was identified, based on the morphology and molecular properties of ITS, translation elongation factor 1-alpha (), and RNA polymerase 2 (), as Z2-03. Our results reveal the ability of Z2-03 to act as a plant growth promoter, enhancing growth and development in the "Chor Khing" rice variety, as well as a biological control agent through its competition and defense induction mechanism in this rice variety.
PubMed: 38921403
DOI: 10.3390/jof10060417 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The sclerotium of the edible mushroom (Zhuling) exhibits various medicinal properties. However, given its long growth cycle and overexploitation, wild resources are...
The sclerotium of the edible mushroom (Zhuling) exhibits various medicinal properties. However, given its long growth cycle and overexploitation, wild resources are facing depletion. Macrofungal growth depends on diverse microbial communities; however, the impact of soil bacteria on development is unknown. Here, we combined high-throughput sequencing and pure culturing to characterize the diversity and potential function of bacteria and fungi inhabiting the sclerotium and tested the bioactivities of their isolates. Fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were clustered and classified, revealing 1275 genera. Bacterial OTUs yielded 891 genera. Additionally, 81 bacterial and 15 fungal strains were isolated from sclerotia. Antagonism assays revealed three bacterial strains (FN2, FL19, and CL15) promoting mycelial growth by producing indole-3-acetic acid, solubilizing phosphate, and producing siderophores, suggesting their role in regulating growth, development, and production of active compounds in . FN2-CL15 combined with bacterial liquid promoted growth and increased the polysaccharide content of mycelia. This study reports new bioactive microbial resources for fertilizers or pesticides to enhance the growth and polysaccharide accumulation of mycelia and offers guidance for exploring the correlation between medicinal macrofungi and associated microbial communities.
PubMed: 38921372
DOI: 10.3390/jof10060386 -
Gels (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In the field of stone conservation, the removal of iron stains is one of the most challenging issues due to the stability and low solubility of the ferrous species. In...
In the field of stone conservation, the removal of iron stains is one of the most challenging issues due to the stability and low solubility of the ferrous species. In the present paper, three different chitosan-based hydrogels added with acetic, oxalic or citric acids are applied on different lithotypes, i.e., granite, travertine and marble, widely diffused in monumental heritages, and artificially stained by deposition of a rust dispersion. The reducing power of carboxylic acids is combined with the good chelating properties of chitosan to effectively remove rust from stone surfaces. As evidenced by colorimetry on three samples of each lithotype and confirmed by H-NMR relaxometry and SEM/EDS analyses, the chitosan-oxalic acid hydrogel shows the best performance and a single application of 24 h is enough to get a good restoration of the stone original features. Lastly, the chitosan-oxalic acid hydrogel performs well when a rusted iron grid is placed directly on the lithic surfaces to simulate a more realistic pollution. Current work in progress is devoted to finding better formulations for marble, which is the most challenging to clean or, with a different approach, to developing protective agents to prevent rust deposition.
PubMed: 38920906
DOI: 10.3390/gels10060359 -
AIMS Microbiology 2024In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis to describe the diversity of cultivable endophytic bacteria associated with fennel ( Mill.) and determined their...
In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis to describe the diversity of cultivable endophytic bacteria associated with fennel ( Mill.) and determined their plant-beneficial traits. The bacterial isolates from the roots of fennel belonged to four phyla: (BRN1 and BRN3), (BRN5, BRN6, and BRN7), (BRN2), and (BRN4). The bacterial isolates from the shoot of fennel represented the phyla (BSN1, BSN2, BSN3, BSN5, BSN6, BSN7, and BSN8), (BSN4, BRN1, and BRN3), and (BRN4). The bacterial species , , and were found both in the roots and shoots of fennel. The bacterial isolates were found to produce siderophores, HCN, and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), as well as hydrolytic enzymes such as chitinase, protease, glucanase, and lipase. Seven bacterial isolates showed antagonistic activity against , , and . Our findings show that medicinal plants with antibacterial activity may serve as a source for the selection of microorganisms that exhibit antagonistic activity against plant fungal infections and may be considered as a viable option for the management of fungal diseases. They can also serve as an active part of biopreparation, improving plant growth.
PubMed: 38919721
DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2024022 -
Current Medical Imaging 2024Accurately predicting the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) grade may facilitate the rational selection of treatment strategies. The diagnostic efficacy of the combination...
BACKGROUND
Accurately predicting the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) grade may facilitate the rational selection of treatment strategies. The diagnostic efficacy of the combination of Gadolinium ethoxybenzy diethylenetriamine pentaacetic (Gd-EOB-DTPA) enhancement T1 mapping and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in predicting HCC grade needs further validation.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to assess the capacity of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced T1 mapping and ADC values, both individually and in combination, to discriminate between different grades of HCC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From July 2017 to February 2020, 96 patients (male, 83; mean age, 53.67 years; age range, 29-71 years) clinically diagnosed with HCC were included in the present study. All patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, including T1 mapping sequence) before surgery or biopsy. All the patients were categorized into 3 groups according to the pathological results (including 24 cases of well-differentiated HCCs, 59 cases of moderately differentiated HCCs, 13 cases of and poorly differentiated HCCs). The mean Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1 values (ΔT1=[(T1pre-T1post)/T1pre]×100%) and ADC values between different grading groups of HCC were calculated and compared. The area under the characteristics curve (AUC), the diagnostic threshold, sensitivity, and specificity of ΔT1 and ADC for differential diagnosis were analyzed.
RESULTS
Mean ΔT1 was 58% for well-differentiated HCCs, 50% for moderately-differentiated HCCs, and 43% for poorly-differentiated HCCs. ΔT1 showed statistical differences between the groups (P<0.001). The mean ADC values of the 3 groups were 1.11×10-3 mm2/s, 0.91×10-3 mm2/s, and 0.80×10-3mm2/s, respectively. ADC showed statistical differences between the groups (P<0.001). In discriminating well- differentiated group from the moderately differentiated group, the AUC of ΔT1 was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.642, 0.859), the AUC of ADC was 0.782 (95% CI: 0.671, 0.894), the AUC of combined model was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.709, 0.914). In discriminating the poorly differentiated group from the moderately differentiated group, the AUC of ΔT1 was 0.768 (95% CI: 0.634, 0.902), the AUC of ADC was 0.754 (95% CI: 0.603, 0.904), and the AUC of the combined model was 0.841 (95% CI: 0.729, 0.953).
CONCLUSION
Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced T1 mapping, and ADC values have complementary effects on the sensitivity and specificity for identifying different HCC grades. A combined model of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI T1 mapping and ADC values could improve diagnostic performance for predicting HCC grades.
.Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Liver Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Gadolinium DTPA; Male; Female; Aged; Adult; Contrast Media; Neoplasm Grading; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Retrospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; ROC Curve
PubMed: 38918998
DOI: 10.2174/0115734056259418231112102249 -
BMC Veterinary Research Jun 2024In vitro embryo production is a highly demanded reproductive technology in horses, which requires the recovery (in vivo or post-mortem) and in vitro maturation (IVM) of...
BACKGROUND
In vitro embryo production is a highly demanded reproductive technology in horses, which requires the recovery (in vivo or post-mortem) and in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes. Oocytes subjected to IVM exhibit poor developmental competence compared to their in vivo counterparts, being this related to a suboptimal composition of commercial maturation media. The objective of this work was to study the effect of different concentrations of secretome obtained from equine preovulatory follicular fluid (FF) on cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) during IVM. COCs retrieved in vivo by ovum pick up (OPU) or post-mortem from a slaughterhouse (SLA) were subjected to IVM in the presence or absence of secretome (Control: 0 µg/ml, S20: 20 µg/ml or S40: 40 µg/ml). After IVM, the metabolome of the medium used for oocyte maturation prior (Pre-IVM) and after IVM (Post-IVM), COCs mRNA expression, and oocyte meiotic competence were analysed.
RESULTS
IVM leads to lactic acid production and an acetic acid consumption in COCs obtained from OPU and SLA. However, glucose consumption after IVM was higher in COCs from OPU when S40 was added (Control Pre-IVM vs. S40 Post-IVM: 117.24 ± 7.72 vs. 82.69 ± 4.24; Mean µM ± SEM; p < 0.05), while this was not observed in COCs from SLA. Likewise, secretome enhanced uptake of threonine (Control Pre-IVM vs. S20 Post-IVM vs. S40 Post-IVM: 4.93 ± 0.33 vs. 3.04 ± 0.25 vs. 2.84 ± 0.27; Mean µM ± SEM; p < 0.05) in COCs recovered by OPU. Regarding the relative mRNA expression of candidate genes related to metabolism, Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression was significantly downregulated when secretome was added during IVM at 20-40 µg/ml in OPU-derived COCs (Control vs. S20 vs. S40: 1.77 ± 0.14 vs. 1 ± 0.25 vs. 1.23 ± 0.14; fold change ± SEM; p < 0.05), but not in SLA COCs.
CONCLUSIONS
The addition of secretome during in vitro maturation (IVM) affects the gene expression of LDHA, glucose metabolism, and amino acid turnover in equine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), with diverging outcomes observed between COCs retrieved using ovum pick up (OPU) and slaughterhouse-derived COCs (SLA).
Topics: Animals; Horses; Oocytes; Follicular Fluid; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; Cumulus Cells; Female; Culture Media; Secretome
PubMed: 38918770
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04129-1 -
Nature Medicine Jun 2024Implementing standard-of-care cryotherapy or electrosurgical excision to treat cervical precancers is challenging in resource-limited settings. An affordable...
Implementing standard-of-care cryotherapy or electrosurgical excision to treat cervical precancers is challenging in resource-limited settings. An affordable technological alternative that is as effective as standard-of-care techniques would greatly improve access to treatment. This randomized controlled trial aims to demonstrate the noninferiority efficacy of a portable, battery-driven thermal ablation (TA) device compared to cryotherapy and electrosurgical excision (large loop excision of transformation zone (LLETZ)) to treat cervical precancer in a screen-and-treat program in Zambia. A total of 3,124 women positive on visual inspection with acetic acid and eligible for ablative therapy were randomized to one of the treatment arms. Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing was performed at baseline and at the follow-up. The primary outcome was treatment success, defined as either type-specific HPV clearance at the follow-up in participants positive for HPV at baseline, or a negative visual inspection with acetic acid test for those who had a negative HPV test at baseline. After a median follow-up of 12 months, treatment success rates were 74.0%, 71.1% and 71.4% for the TA, cryotherapy and LLETZ arms, respectively, thus demonstrating noninferiority (P = 0.83). TA was a safe and well-accepted procedure. Only 3.6% of those randomized to TA reported moderate-to-severe pain, compared to 6.5% and 1.9% for the cryotherapy and LLETZ arms, respectively. Thus, our randomized controlled trial demonstrates the safety and efficacy of TA, which is not inferior to cryotherapy or surgical excision.ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT02956239 .
PubMed: 38918630
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03080-w -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Soil salinity is a major environmental stressor impacting global food production. Staple crops like wheat experience significant yield losses in saline environments....
Soil salinity is a major environmental stressor impacting global food production. Staple crops like wheat experience significant yield losses in saline environments. Bioprospecting for beneficial microbes associated with stress-resistant plants offers a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture. We isolated two novel endophytic bacteria, Bacillus cereus (ADJ1) and Priestia aryabhattai (ADJ6), from Agave desmettiana Jacobi. Both strains displayed potent plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, such as producing high amounts of indole-3-acetic acid (9.46, 10.00 µgml), ammonia (64.67, 108.97 µmol ml), zinc solubilization (Index of 3.33, 4.22, respectively), ACC deaminase production and biofilm formation. ADJ6 additionally showed inorganic phosphate solubilization (PSI of 2.77), atmospheric nitrogen fixation, and hydrogen cyanide production. Wheat seeds primed with these endophytes exhibited enhanced germination, improved growth profiles, and significantly increased yields in field trials. Notably, both ADJ1 and ADJ6 tolerated high salinity (up to 1.03 M) and significantly improved wheat germination and seedling growth under saline stress, acting both independently and synergistically. This study reveals promising stress-tolerance traits within endophytic bacteria from A. desmettiana. Exploiting such under-explored plant microbiomes offers a sustainable approach to developing salt-tolerant crops, mitigating the impact of climate change-induced salinization on global food security.
Topics: Salt Tolerance; Triticum; Crops, Agricultural; Bacillus; Endophytes; Salinity; Indoleacetic Acids; Soil Microbiology; Nitrogen Fixation; Germination; Bacillus cereus; Seedlings; Carbon-Carbon Lyases
PubMed: 38918548
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65632-x