Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design, Molecular Modeling and Synthesis of Metal-Free Sensitizers of Thieno Pyridine Dyes as Light-Harvesting Materials with Efficiency Improvement Using Plasmonic Nanoparticles

Considering the thiophene unit as an electron-rich heterocycle, it is investigated with the aim of elucidating its potential efficiency for solar cell application. With the introduction of active substituents such as COOEt, CONH2 and CN into the thiophene segment, three novel thieno pyridine sensitizers (6a–c), based on donor-acceptor D-π-A construction, are designed and synthesized. The effect of the anchoring groups is investigated based on their molecular orbital’s (MO’s) energy gap (Eg). The electrostatic interaction between the synthesized dyes and metal nanoparticles, namely gold, silver and ruthenium, is believed to improve their performance as organic sensitizers. The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are manufactured using the novel diazenyl pyridothiophene dyes, along with their metal nanoparticles conjugates as sensitizers, and were examined for efficiency improvement. Accordingly, using this modification, the photovoltaic performance was significantly improved. The promising results of conjugate (6b/AgNPs), compared with reported organic and natural sensitizers (JSC (1.136 × 10−1 mA/cm2), VOC (0.436 V), FF (0.57) and η (2.82 × 10−2%)), are attributed to the good interaction between the amide, methyl, amino and cyano groups attached to the thiophene pyridyl scaffolds and the surface of TiO2 porous film. Implementation of a molecular modeling study is performed to predict the ability of the thiophene moiety to be used in solar cell applications.
Regular Intake of Pistachio Mitigates the Deleterious Effects of a High Fat-Diet in the Brain of Obese Mice

Obesity has been associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunctions. Recent data showed that pistachio consumption is able to prevent and ameliorate dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, systemic and adipose tissue inflammation in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of pistachio intake in HFD mice. Three groups of mice were fed a standard diet (STD), HFD, or HFD supplemented with pistachio (HFD-P) for 16 weeks. Metabolic parameters (oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction) were analyzed by using specific assays and biomarkers. The pistachio diet significantly reduced the serum levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the HFD model. No difference was observed in the index of insulin resistance between HFD and HFD-P. A higher number of fragmented nuclei were found in HFD cerebral cortex compared to STD and HFD-P. A decrease in reactive oxygen species, singlet oxygen and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and an increase of superoxide dismutase 2 and heme oxygenase expression were found in the brains of the HFD-P samples compared to HFD. Furthermore, the impaired mitochondrial function found in HFD brain was partially recovered in HFD-P mice. These results suggest that the regular intake of pistachio may be useful in preventing obesity-related neurodegeneration, being able to reduce both metabolic and cellular dysfunctions.
Anserine Reverses Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress and Preserves Cellular Homeostasis in Healthy Men

The study tested whether anserine (beta-alanyl-3-methyl-l-histidine), the active ingredient of chicken essence affects exercise-induced oxidative stress, cell integrity, and haematology biomarkers. In a randomized placebo-controlled repeated-measures design, ten healthy men ingested anserine in either a low dose (ANS-LD) 15 mg·kg−1·bw−1, high dose (ANS-HD) 30 mg·kg−1·bw−1, or placebo (PLA), following an exercise challenge (time to exhaustion), on three separate occasions. Anserine supplementation increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 50% (p < 0.001, effect size d = 0.8 for both ANS-LD and ANS-HD), and preserved catalase (CAT) activity suggesting an improved antioxidant activity. However, both ANS-LD and ANS-HD elevated glutathione disulfide (GSSG), (both p < 0.001, main treatment effect), and consequently lowered the glutathione to glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG) ratio compared with PLA (p < 0.01, main treatment effect), without significant effects on thiobarbituric acid active reactive substances (TBARS). Exercise-induced cell damage biomarkers of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and myoglobin were unaffected by anserine. There were slight but significant elevations in glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CKMB), especially in ANS-HD (p < 0.05) compared with ANS-LD or PLA. Haematological biomarkers were largely unaffected by anserine, its dose, and without interaction with post exercise time-course. However, compared with ANS-LD and PLA, ANS-HD increased the mean cell volume (MCV), and decreased the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (p < 0.001). Anserine preserves cellular homoeostasis through enhanced antioxidant activity and protects cell integrity in healthy men, which is important for chronic disease prevention. However, anserine temporal elevated exercise-induced cell-damage, together with enhanced antioxidant activity and haematological responses suggest an augmented exercise-induced adaptative response and recovery.
Marfan Syndrome Versus Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease: Comparative Analysis of Obstetric Outcome and Pregnancy-Associated Immediate and Long-Term Aortic Complications

Pregnancy poses a threat to women with aortopathy. Conclusive data on the obstetric and aortic outcome in this risk collective, especially when it comes to aortic complications in the long term, are still missing. This study offers a comparative analysis of pregnancy-associated outcome in 113 consecutive women with Marfan syndrome or bicuspid aortic valve disease, including 46 ever-pregnant and 37 never-pregnant women with Marfan syndrome, and 23 ever-pregnant and 7 never-pregnant females with bicuspid aortic valve disease. The overall obstetric outcome was comparable between ever-pregnant women with Marfan syndrome and with bicuspid aortic valve disease (p = 0.112). Pregnancy-associated aortic dissection occurred in two women with Marfan syndrome (3%) during a total of 62 completed pregnancies, whereas no single case of aortic event occurred in women with bicuspid aortic valve disease during a total of 36 completed pregnancies (p = 0.530). In the long-term follow-up, aortic dissection occurred in 21% of ever-pregnant women with Marfan syndrome, but in none of the women with bicuspid aortic valve disease (p = 0.022). Proximal aortic surgery was performed with similar frequency in ever-pregnant women with Marfan syndrome and with bicuspid aortic valve disease in the long term (p = 0.252). However, ever-pregnant women with Marfan syndrome were younger when surgery was performed (44 ± 9 vs. 59 ± 7 years; p = 0.041). In Marfan syndrome, long-term growth of the aorta was comparable between ever-pregnant and never-pregnant women. Pregnancy thus exhibited an increased immediate aortic risk only in women with Marfan syndrome, but not in women with bicuspid aortic valve disease. Previous pregnancy did not relate to an increased long-term risk of adverse aortic events in women with Marfan syndrome or with bicuspid aortic valve disease.
Natural Compounds Rosmarinic Acid and Carvacrol Counteract Aluminium-Induced Oxidative Stress

Aluminum accumulation, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations as well as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined in erythrocytes and brain and liver homogenates of BALB/c mice treated with Al3+ (7.5 mg/kg/day (0.15 LD50) as AlCl3 (37.08 mg/kg/day), whereas HCl (30.41 mg/kg/day) was used as Cl− control, the treatments were performed for 21 days, i.p., in the presence and absence of rosmarinic acid (0.2805 mg/kg/day (0.05 LD50), 21 days, i.g. ) or carvacrol (0.0405 mg/kg/day (0.05 LD50), 21 days, i.g. ). The treatment with AlCl3 increased GSH concentration in erythrocytes only slightly and had no effect on brain and liver homogenates. Rosmarinic acid and carvacrol strongly increased GSH concentration in erythrocytes but decreased it in brain and liver homogenates. However, AlCl3 treatment led to Al accumulation in mice blood, brain, and liver and induced oxidative stress, assessed based on MDA concentration in the brain and liver. Both rosmarinic acid and carvacrol were able to counteract the negative Al effect by decreasing its accumulation and protecting tissues from lipid peroxidation. AlCl3 treatment increased CAT activity in mice brain and liver homogenates, whereas the administration of either rosmarinic acid or carvacrol alone or in combination with AlCl3 had no significant effect on CAT activity. SOD activity remained unchanged after all the treatments in our study. We propose that natural herbal phenolic compounds rosmarinic acid and carvacrol could be used to protect brain and liver against aluminum induced oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation.
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Anthocyanins of Trifolium pratense (Red Clover) in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW-267.4 Macrophages

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) possesses various dietary compounds that improve human health. However, the functions of anthocyanins in red clover remain unclear. Here we examined anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of red clover extract (RC) and red clover anthocyanins fraction (RCA) using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages and identified dietary compounds. RC and RCA suppressed LPS-induced expression of genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin (IL)1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)1, and cyclooxygenase (COX)2. LPS-stimulated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production also was prevented by both RC and RCA. NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) gene and phosphorylation of p47phox of NOX1 that were increased by LPS were inhibited in the cells treated with RCA. LPS-stimulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) gene expression and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) subunit p65 were suppressed together with reduced iNOS and COX2 proteins by RCA. Additionally, 27 polyphenols and 7 anthocyanins from RC were identified and quantified. In conclusion, RC, especially RCA, exerted anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities in vitro by regulating NF-κB and NRF2 signaling pathways, suggesting that anthocyanins in red clover are the potential candidates to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Comparative Study Regarding the Properties of Methylene Blue and Proflavine and Their Optimal Concentrations for In Vitro and In Vivo Applications

Methylene blue and proflavine are fluorescent dyes used to stain nucleic acid from the molecular level to the tissue level. Already clinically used for sentinel node mapping, detection of neuroendocrine tumors, methemoglobinemia, septic shock, ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy, and photodynamic inactivation of RNA viruses, the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effect of methylene blue has been demonstrated in different in vitro and in vivo studies. Proflavine was used as a disinfectant and bacteriostatic agent against many gram-positive bacteria, as well as a urinary antiseptic involved in highlighting cell nuclei. At the tissue level, the anti-inflammatory effects of methylene blue protect against pulmonary, renal, cardiac, pancreatic, ischemic-reperfusion lesions, and fevers. First used for their antiseptic and antiviral activity, respectively, methylene blue and proflavine turned out to be excellent dyes for diagnostic and treatment purposes. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that both dyes are efficient as perfusion and tissue tracers and permitted to evaluate the minimal efficient concentration in different species, as well as their pharmacokinetics and toxicity. This review aims to identify the optimal concentrations of methylene blue and proflavine that can be used for in vivo experiments to highlight the vascularization of the skin in the case of a perforasome (both as a tissue tracer and in vascular mapping), as well as their effects on tissues. This review is intended to be a comparative and critical presentation of the possible applications of methylene blue (MB) and proflavine (PRO) in the surgical field, and the relevant biomedical findings from specialized literature to date are discussed as well.
Human West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Infection: Epidemiological, Clinical, and Virological Findings

West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 is expanding and causing large outbreaks in Europe. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological, clinical, and virological features of WNV lineage 2 infection during the large outbreak that occurred in northern Italy in 2018. The study population included 86 patients with neuroinvasive disease (WNND), 307 with fever (WNF), and 34 blood donors. Phylogenetic analysis of WNV full genome sequences from patients’ samples showed that the virus belonged to the widespread central/southern European clade of WNV lineage 2 and was circulating in the area at least since 2014. The incidence of WNND and WNF progressively increased with age and was higher in males than in females. Among WNND patients, the case fatality rate was 22%. About 70% of blood donors reported symptoms during follow-up. Within the first week after symptom onset, WNV RNA was detectable in the blood or urine of 80% of patients, while 20% and 40% of WNND and WNF patients, respectively, were WNV IgM-seronegative. In CSF samples of WNND patients, WNV RNA was typically detectable when WNV IgM antibodies were absent. Blunted or no WNV IgM response and high WNV IgG levels were observed in seven patients with previous flavivirus immunity.
Keratinous biomarker of mercury exposure associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis risk in a nationwide U.S. study

Abstract Objective: The majority of cases of the fatal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are of unknown etiology. A proportion of these cases are likely to be attributable to contaminant exposures, although the specific environmental etiology of ALS remains largely a mystery. Certain forms of the neurotoxic metal mercury readily cross into the central nervous system. Fish is a dietary source of methylmercury, but also of beneficial components, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Prior work using clinic-based studies of toenails and hair as keratinous biomarkers of exposure suggest elevated mercury levels in ALS patients compared with controls. We sought to validate this relationship in a U.S. case-control comparison of mercury levels in nail clippings. Methods: We performed trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) on the nail clippings of n = 70 female, geographically representative ALS patients from the National ALS Biorepository and compared them to n = 210 age-matched controls from a set of n = 1216 nationally distributed controls from the Sister and Two Sister Studies. Results: Compared to the lowest quartile of nail mercury, moderate levels were associated with decreased risk of ALS (P = 4.18e–6). However, the odds of having nail mercury levels above the 90th percentile were 2.3-fold higher among ALS patients compared with controls (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.10–4.58, adjusted for age and smoking status). Conclusion: This finding suggests that excessive mercury exposure may be associated with the neurodegenerative health of aging populations.
Cdc24 interacts with septins to create a positive feedback loop during bud site assembly in yeast

ABSTRACT Yeast cells select the position of their new bud at the beginning of each cell cycle. The recruitment of septins to this prospective bud site is one of the critical events in a complex assembly pathway that culminates in the outgrowth of a new daughter cell. During recruitment, septin rods follow the high concentration of Cdc42GTP that is generated by the focused localization of the Cdc42 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor Cdc24. We show that, shortly before budding, Cdc24 not only activates Cdc42 but also transiently interacts with Cdc11, the septin subunit that caps both ends of the septin rods. Mutations in Cdc24 that reduce affinity to Cdc11 impair septin recruitment and decrease the stability of the polarity patch. The interaction between septins and Cdc24 thus reinforces bud assembly at sites where septin structures are formed. Once the septins polymerize to form the septin ring, Cdc24 is found at the cortex of the bud and directs further outgrowth from this position. Summary: The Cdc42 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor Cdc24 interacts with septins during bud site assembly. This interaction assists in recruiting septins and stabilizing Cdc24 at the incipient bud site.
The Role of the SLC Transporters Protein in the Neurodegenerative Disorders

The solute carrier (SLC) superfamily is one of the major sub-groups of membrane proteins in mammalian cells. The solute carrier proteins include more than 400 different membrane-spanning solute carriers organized with 65 families in the human. In solute carrier family neurons, neurotransmitter is considered to be a pharmacological target of neuropsychiatric drugs because of their important role in the recovery of neurotransmitters such as GABA, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline and regulation of their concentration in synaptic regions. Therefore, solute carrier transporters play vital and different roles in neurodegenerative disorders. In this article, the role of solute carrier transporters in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, Parkinson’s diseases, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, and Epilepsy reviewed and discussed to see how defects or absences in SLC transporter cause neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we try to summarize what is known about solute carriers with respect to brain distribution and expression. The review summarizes current knowledge on the roles of solute carrier transporters in neurodegenerative disorders.
Pro-Inflammatory Effects of NX-3 Toxin Are Comparable to Deoxynivalenol and not Modulated by the Co-Occurring Pro-Oxidant Aurofusarin

The type A trichothecene NX-3, produced by certain Fusarium graminearum strains, is similar to the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), with the exception that it lacks the carbonyl moiety at the C-8 position. NX-3 inhibits protein biosynthesis and induces cytotoxicity to a similar extent as DON, but so far, immunomodulatory effects have not been assessed. In the present study, we investigated the impact of NX-3 on the activity of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in direct comparison to DON. Under pro-inflammatory conditions (IL-1β treatment), the impact on cytokine mRNA levels of NF-κB downstream genes was studied in human colon cell lines, comparing noncancer (HCEC-1CT) and cancer cells (HT-29). In addition, potential combinatory effects with the co-occurring Fusarium secondary metabolite aurofusarin (AURO), a dimeric naphthoquinone known to induce oxidative stress, were investigated. NX-3 and DON (1 μM, 20 h) significantly activated a NF-κB regulated reporter gene to a similar extent. Both trichothecenes also enhanced transcript levels of the known NF-κB-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β. Comparing the colon cancer HT-29 and noncancer HCEC-1CT cells, significant differences in cytokine signaling were identified. In contrast, AURO did not affect NF-κB pathway activity and respective cytokine expression levels at the tested concentration. Despite its pro-oxidant potency, the combination with AURO did not significantly affect the immunomodulatory effects of the tested trichothecenes. Taken together, the present study reveals comparable potency of DON and NX-3 with respect to immunomodulatory and pro-inflammatory potential. Consequently, not only DON but also NX-3 should be considered as factors contributing to intestinal inflammatory processes.
Histologic and Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Infiltrating Inflammatory Cells in Kawasaki Disease Arteritis Lesions

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology which predominantly affects medium- and small-sized muscular arteries. Histopathologic studies of KD vasculitis lesions have demonstrated characteristic T cell infiltration and an abundance of CD8+ T cells; however, the contribution of cytotoxic lymphocytes to KD vasculitis lesions has not been identified. Here, we histopathologically and immunohistochemically examined infiltrating inflammatory cells, particularly cytotoxic protein-positive cells, such as granzyme B+ cells and TIA-1+ cells, in KD vasculitis lesions. Three autopsy specimens with acute-phase KD were observed and contained 24 vasculitis lesions affecting medium-sized muscular arteries, excluding pulmonary arteries. Infiltrating neutrophils in vasculitis lesions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The predominant cells were CD163+ monocytes/macrophages and CD3+ T cells. CD8+ T cells, granzyme B+ cells, and TIA-1+ cells were also observed, but CD56+ natural killer cells were rare. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first histopathologic report confirming the infiltration of inflammatory cells with cytotoxic proteins in vasculitis lesions in patients with KD. Cytotoxic T cells may play a role in the development of vasculitis lesions in KD patients.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the endangered Assam Roofed Turtle, Pangshura sylhetensis (Testudines: Geoemydidae): Genomic features and phylogeny

The Assam Roofed Turtle, Pangshura sylhetensis is an endangered and least studied species endemic to India and Bangladesh. The present study decodes the first complete mitochondrial genome of P. sylhetensis (16,568 bp) by using next-generation sequencing. The assembly encodes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and one control region (CR). Most of the genes were encoded on the majority strand, except NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (nad6) and eight tRNAs. All PCGs start with an ATG initiation codon, except for Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5), which both start with GTG codon. The study also found the typical cloverleaf secondary structures in most of the predicted tRNA structures, except for serine (trnS1) which lacks of conventional DHU arm and loop. Both Bayesian and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic inference using 13 concatenated PCGs demonstrated strong support for the monophyly of all 52 Testudines species within their respective families and revealed Batagur trivittata as the nearest neighbor of P. sylhetensis. The mitogenomic phylogeny with other amniotes is congruent with previous research, supporting the sister relationship of Testudines and Archosaurians (birds and crocodilians). Additionally, the mitochondrial Gene Order (GO) analysis indicated plesiomorphy with the typical vertebrate GO in most of the Testudines species.