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In this study the most stable isobar for some isobaric families (light and intermediate ) nuclei with mass number (A) equals to (15-30) & (101- 115) have been determined. This determination of stable nuclide can help to determine the suitable nuclide, which can be used in different fields. Most stable isobar can be determined by two means. First: plot mass parabolas (plotting the binding energy (B.E) as a function of the atomic number (Z)) for these isobaric families, in this method most stable isobars represent the lowest point in mass parabola (the nuclide with the highest value of binding energy). Second: calculated the atomic number for most stable isobar (ZA) value. Our results show that there is only one stable nuclide for isobars with odd mass number (A) (one mass parabolas), while for nuclides with an even mass number (A) there is more than one stable nuclide (two mass parabola). Also, our results show that nuclides representing the most stable isobars in the two methods, which used in this study practically, are the same nuclide.

The purpose of present work is to study the relationship of the deformed shape of the nucleus with the radioactivity of nuclei for (Uranium-238 and Thorium-232) series. To achieve our purposes we have been calculated the quadruple deformation parameter (β2) and the eccentricity (e) and compare the radioactive series with the change of the (β2) and (e) as indicator for the changing in the nucleus shape with the radioactivity.To obtain the value of quadruple deformation parameter (β2), the adopted value of quadruple transition probability B (E2; 0+ → 2+) was calculated from Global Best fit equation. While the eccentricity (e) was calculated from the values of the minor and major ellipsoid axis’s (a & b).From the results, it is obvious that the radioactive nuclei by its decay for both series, try to achieve more stability by changing its shape towards the perfect sphere shape. Keywords: Radioactive, Nuclear deformation, Eccentricity, Ellipsoid axis, Quadruples transition probability

A theoretical calculation of the binding and excitation energies have been used at low – lying energies based on shell model and quantum theory. In this model, we evaluated the energies under assume Ni 28 56 30 as inert core with two nucleon extra, nucleons in the 2P3/2 , 1f 5/2 and 2P1/2 configuration. Modified Surface Delta Interaction (MSDI) and Reid's Potential (RP) theory for two body matrix elements are evaluated by using a Matlab program to calculate the energies of experimental and Reid single particle energies. Our results of the theoretical calculation have been compared with the experimental results, which show no good agreement with the experiment but have a good agreement with the theoretical studies of Non Zero Pairing Shell Model (NZPSM) and Energy Spectra Method (ESM).

This research introduced the derivation of mathematical equations to calculate the Cartesian and geographical coordinates of a site situated at a far distance from the observer position by using GPS data. The geographical coordinates (ϕobs., λ obs., hobs.) for observer position were transformed to Cartesian coordinates (X obs., Y obs., Z obs.) of observer position itself. Then the Cartesian coordinates of unknown position mathematically were calculated from these calculated equations, and its transformed to geographical coordinates of (ϕunk., λunk.) position.

This study deals with the measurement of the specific activity radiation for beryllium -7 isotope in Baghdad city for samples of surface soils, by using gamma ray spectrometer technique. Twenty one samples were collected from surface soil of Baghdad city from Risafa and Karkh sides, (7) samples from Risafa side and(14) samples from Karkh side, where the axis for locations which are fixed by using (G.P.S.) . Gamma-ray spectrometry system (DSA 2000) with high purity germanium detector was used, which has (50%) efficiency and resolution of (2.2 keV) at gamma line (1332 keV) of 60Co source. The specific activity values for beryllium -7 isotope in surface soil of Risafa and Karkh sides, ranged between (B.D.L.- 32.827  6.636) Bq/kg for Risafa soil , and (B.D.L.-23.660  3.703) Bq/kg for Karkh soil. While the average of beryllium -7 isotope in surface soil of Baghdad city from Risafa and Karkh sides would be (32.827±6.636) Bq/kg & (23.660±3.703) respectively. The results showed that the most samples have a specific activity for beryllium -7 isotope which is higher than that for normal limits of international levels because of falls of atmosphere dust resulting from sun reactions.

When interacting with absorption materials, beta rays, which are emitted by isotopes, are harmful because bremsstrahlung (braking) radiation is produced. Therefore, the efficiency of a shielding material can be improved by considering the bremsstrahlung radiation generated by the material's beta ray absorption. In this study, to determine the risk of bremsstrahlung radiation produced by beta rays, the fractions of beta energy transformed into bremsstrahlung radiation were calculated for beta emitters in the energy ranges of 0.0026-0.1734, 0.205-0.694, and 0.9345-2.640 MeV, using five different absorption materials (13Al, 26Fe, 48Cd, 74W, and 82Pb). The relationship between the fractions of beta energy transformed into bremsstrahlung radiation by the five shielding materials and the maximum energies of some beta emitters was studied to determine the most suitable beta-ray shielding materials to effectively minimize bremsstrahlung radiation. The results showed that the fractions of beta energy transformed into bremsstrahlung radiation increased as the beta energy and the atomic number of the shielding material increased. The fraction of beta energy transformed into bremsstrahlung radiation in 13Al < 26Fe < 48Cd < 74W < 82Pb. Therefore, beta ray shields should be made with low atomic number materials to reduce the generation of bremsstrahlung radiation. Practically, beta shields made from materials with atomic numbers greater than 13 are rarely employed; notably, aluminum successfully decreased the production of bremsstrahlung radiation. However, it is also necessary to use materials with medium and high atomic numbers as secondary beta shields to reduce the effect of the bremsstrahlung radiation photons formed by the interaction between beta rays and shielding materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Large-scale analysis of single-cell gene expression has revealed transcriptomically defined cell subclasses present throughout the primate neocortex with gene expression profiles that differ depending upon neocortical region. Here, we test whether the interareal differences in gene expression translate to regional specializations in the physiology and morphology of infragranular glutamatergic neurons by performing Patch-seq experiments in brain slices from the temporal cortex (TCx) and motor cortex (MCx) of the macaque. We confirm that transcriptomically defined extratelencephalically projecting neurons of layer 5 (L5 ET neurons) include retrogradely labeled corticospinal neurons in the MCx and find multiple physiological properties and ion channel genes that distinguish L5 ET from non-ET neurons in both areas. Additionally, while infragranular ET and non-ET neurons retain distinct neuronal properties across multiple regions, there are regional morpho-electric and gene expression specializations in the L5 ET subclass, providing mechanistic insights into the specialized functional architecture of the primate neocortex.

Abstract Background Acute pharyngitis is a frequent reason for primary care or emergency unit visits in children. Most available data on pharyngitis management come from primary care studies that demonstrate an underuse of microbiological tests, a tendency to over-prescribe antibiotics and a risk of antimicrobial resistance increase. However, a comprehensive understanding of acute pharyngitis management in emergency units is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of rapid antigen test use to diagnose acute pharyngitis, as well as other diagnostic approaches, the therapeutic attitude, and follow-up of children with this condition in the emergency units. Methods A multicentric national study was conducted in Italian emergency departments between April and June 2022. Results A total of 107 out of 131 invited units (response rate 82%), participated in the survey. The results showed that half of the units use a scoring system to diagnose pharyngitis, with the McIsaac score being the most commonly used. Most emergency units (56%) were not provided with a rapid antigen diagnostic test by their hospital, but the test was more frequently available in units visiting more than 10,000 children yearly (57% vs 33%, respectively, p = 0.02). Almost half (47%) of the units prescribe antibiotics in children with pharyngitis despite the lack of microbiologically confirmed cases of Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus. Finally, about 25% of units prescribe amoxicillin-clavulanic acid to treat Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus pharyngitis. Conclusions The study sheds light on the approach to pharyngitis in emergency units, providing valuable information to improve the appropriate management of acute pharyngitis in this setting. The routinary provision of rapid antigen tests in the hospitals could enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to pharyngitis.

Among the established breeds of buffalo in Pakistan, the Nili-Ravi breed is dominant in the Punjab Province. The purpose of the study is to determine the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of buffalo milk. Milk is a complete food and contains all the nutritional components in balanced form. It helps to meet important nutritional needs of the human body. The buffaloes were divided into 3 groups on the basis of lactation period i.e. early, middle and late lactation. A total of 90 milk samples were obtained for analysis. Buffalo milk samples were analyzed for proximate analysis, parameters like fat, crude protein, lactose, ash, solids not fat (SNF), total solids (TS), pH and acidity were determined. Fatty acid profile of buffalo milk was determined by the method, Association of Office of Agricultural Chemists (AOAC, 2000). Milk fat content (%) was found to be significantly (p<0.05) lower in the early (6.52) and mid lactation (6.61) stages than the late lactation stage (6.85). The content of TS (%) was found to be significantly (p<0.05) higher in the late lactation (14.62 and 15.45) stage than the early (12.94 and 13.65)) and mid lactation (13.76 and 14.14) stages. In contrast, the content of total protein (4.31% to 4.78%), Solid not fat (8.40% to 8.70%), lactose (4.36% to 4.74%) and ash (0.18% to 0.19%) did not vary significantly among the different lactation stages. The values of Butyric acid, Caproic acid, Myristic acid, Stearic acid and Oleic acid showed significant increase towards end of lactation. These values of fatty acids also revealed that there is significant difference among the animals and lactation stages of Nili Ravi buffalo milk. Results showed that Capric acid, Lauric acid, Palmitic acid, Linoleic acid and Linolenic acid decreased in early to middle and increased towards end of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Delivering genes to and across the brain vasculature efficiently and specifically across species remains a critical challenge for addressing neurological diseases. We have evolved adeno-associated virus (AAV9) capsids into vectors that transduce brain endothelial cells specifically and efficiently following systemic administration in wild-type mice with diverse genetic backgrounds, and in rats. These AAVs also exhibit superior transduction of the CNS across non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques), and in ex vivo human brain slices, although the endothelial tropism is not conserved across species. The capsid modifications translate from AAV9 to other serotypes such as AAV1 and AAV-DJ, enabling serotype switching for sequential AAV administration in mice. We demonstrate that the endothelial-specific mouse capsids can be used to genetically engineer the blood-brain barrier by transforming the mouse brain vasculature into a functional biofactory. We apply this approach to Hevin knockout mice, where AAV-X1-mediated ectopic expression of the synaptogenic protein Sparcl1/Hevin in brain endothelial cells rescued synaptic deficits.

In the context of modified gravity, we study the appearance of anisotropic compact stellar objects. The space–time geometry is characterized by the metric potentials, and to solve the field equations, we consider their specific form known as the Tolman–Kuchowicz space–time. The obtained solutions are free of singularities and satisfy all requirements for stellar objects. We consider the observational data for models of the stars Cen X-3, EXO 1785-248, and LMC X-4, and taking these data into account, we obtain the values of the physical parameters from the matching conditions for the interior Tolman–Kuchowicz space–time and the exterior Schwarzschild metric. In addition, we discuss some physical attributes of anisotropic compact stellar structures to verify the physical validity and stability of the proposed model. We perform a three-dimensional graphical analysis that allows obtaining a representation of the physical behavior of these compact objects. We note that all three compact objects correspond to physically accepted models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Major viral infections, such as Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, avian influenza virus, and infectious bursal disease virus, inflict significant injury to small poultry and tremendous economic damage to the poultry sector. This research aims to develop a multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (m-RT-PCR) approach to simultaneously determine these important viral pathogens. The conserved segment of various viral genetic sequences was used to design and synthesize specific primers. Moreover, as positive controls, recombinant vectors were synthesized in this investigation. The d-optimal approach was used to improve PCR conditions in this investigation. Positive controls and clinical samples were used to assess the m-PCR assay's specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility. According to the sensitivity test findings, the m-PCR technique could generate the 8 target genes from viral genomes using 1 × 102. In addition, 8 viral pathogens were detected from the infected samples. The findings also suggest that live animal oral swabs were not significantly different from tissue sampling of a dead animal (P < 0.05), and this kit had a high sensitivity for analyzing both types of samples. The suggested m-PCR test may detect and evaluate viral infection in birds with excellent specificity, sensitivity, and throughput.

Strangles is the most common infectious and contagious disease of equines that affects upper respiratory tract. It is prevalent among the horses in sub-continent from pre partitioned times, an effective study to isolate locally prevalent strains in the area and study of factors affecting their consequent growth is essential. For the said purpose, twenty nasal swab samples were collected, ten from clinically sick and ten from apparently healthy horses with the history of disease. Isolated strains were undergone identification through biochemical and lancefield testing. Maximum in-vitro growth of Streptococcus equi (S. equi) is a critical factor for its cost effective bioceutics production. Effect of different factors like composition of medium such as (Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB), Nutrient Broth, Brain Heart Infusion broth (BHI), Reinforced Clostridial Medium (RCM) and Peptone Broth, pH (5, 7, 9), gas (oxygen availability, 5% CO2, aeration), horse serum (2%, 5%, 10%) and temperature (35°C, 37°C, 39°C) on growth of S. equi was therefore carried out. Growth was expressed in form of Colony Forming Units (CFU) which was converted into log values followed by statistical analysis. TSB among media, pH 7, CO2 5% gas, horse serum 5% and incubation temperature 37°C showed optimum growth of S. equi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was signed by Turkey in 2000 and has been in force since September 23rd, 2003. For this reason, the Covenant is considered as act of parliament in our domestic law, and unlike the general procedure of application of the law, it can not be alleged to contradict the Constitution (According to Article 90 of the Turkish Constitution). The article 12 of the Covenant defines the right to health and its content. In the article 12 of the Covenant, in its General Comment No. 14 published in 2000, the right to the highest attainable standard of health was interpreted and commented upon. This document contains a detailed description of the right to health, its content, and its obligations to State parties. Although this Comment of the Covenant is not binding, it is a document to which the State parties refer when taking measures related to health services. Every publication and comment on the right to health was based on the General Comment 14 of the Covenant. The Article 12 was reinterpreted by the Covenant on May 2nd, 2016 in the context of rights to sexual and reproductive health. İit has been emphasized that legal, procedural, practical and social barriers limit the access of individuals to full range sexual and reproductive health services. It has also been pointed out that accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services is a distant target for women and girls. Moreover, it has been stated that discrimination that increases exclusion in legislation and practice limits lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals and disabled people'senjoyment of sexual and reproductive health rights. For this reason, it is stated that although commenting on the rights of sexual health and reproductive health is included in 14 comments, it is important to make an interpretation about them. This comment is an interpretation of a binding Convention. Therefore; It is a document that will provide guidance on measures to be taken by States Parties in respect of their rights to sexual health and reproductive health. At the same time, obstacles to discrimination in medical practice bring important approaches in terms of respect for autonomy and respect for private life. In our article, information about the content of the ESKHK's interpretation and possible reflections of this content in the field of medical law and ethics will be given.

The worldwide rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases and the associated risk factors could be country or area specific. A case control study identifying important risk factors of myocardial infarction (MI) prevailing in the northern region of Bangladesh, was conducted in two major northern region hospitals, Rajshahi and Rangpur Medical College for a period of 6 months. Majority of the cases (66%) and controls (56%) were in the age range of 41 - 60 years. The proportion of male, married and urban residents were predominant in both the case and control group. The highest percentage of patients with MI were involved in business comparatively patients without MI. Clinical symptoms like chest pain, epigastric pain, breathlessness, dizziness and fatigue were observed to be somewhat higher in cases compared to controls. The logistic regression analysis showed that smoking habit, smokeless tobacco consumption, sedentary lifestyle and dyslipidemia were found independent predictors of MI in northern district patients with odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) being 3.1 (1.2 to 3.7), 2.5 (1.0 to 3.5), 2.0 (1.1 to 3.6) and 2.3 (1.3 to 4.1), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of artificial irrigation due to arid climate of Pakistan and the shortage of canal water force the use of raw industrial effluents to grow crops, especially around big cities. The sewage contains heavy metal ions, including cadmium. The cultivars of the same crop do differ in their ability to absorb and translocate Cd. Four varieties of mungbean were investigated for their responses to Cd concentration, translocation from roots to shoots and bioaccumulation. The varieties NM-28, NM-54, NM-92 and NM-98 were tested in hydroponics with Cd application rates of 0.04, 0.08, 0.13, 0.17, 0.22 mM. For root dry weight varieties ranked in the order as NM-98 > NM-54 > NM-92 > NM-28, for shoot dry weight the order was NM-54 > NM-98 > NM-28 ~ NM-92. The NM-28 had the highest root Cd concentration followed by NM-92, NM-54 and NM-98. For shoot Cd concentration the varieties ranked as NM-28 > NM-54 > NM-92 > NM-98. All varieties retained most of the absorbed Cd in their roots and also these all have the ability to accumulate Cd in their roots and shoots. For root and shoot Cd bioaccumulation factor, the varieties were found to be in the decreasing order as NM-28 > NM-92 > NM-54 > NM- 98. From the results, NM-98 was found to be a good source for future mungbean breeding programs with the aim to produce low Cd accumulating varieties. It may also be recommended when mandatory to cultivate mungbean on slightly Cd contaminated areas while NM-28 seemed better to avoid under such conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood obesity (CO) is a high priority issue due to its serious health consequences and its rapid increase. Objectives: To examine the views of primary care physicians (family physicians, FPs) in Turkey regarding their role in the management of CO and the barriers they perceive. Methods: Mixed methods approach. Data was collected in two major counties of Istanbul between February and May 2014. All Family Health Centres (FHCs) in the region were visited, and 180/284 FPs (63.4%) agreed to complete a structured questionnaire (22 questions). Of those, 48 FPs agreed to participate in in-depth interviews that were taken until saturation was 25. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. For qualitative data, content analysis was applied to identify the themes. Results: Most of the FPs (93.3%) agreed that they have a role in managing CO. Almost all FPs (98.3%) agreed that for the 0–4-year-olds height and weight measures should be taken. However, only 67.6% recommended this for children aged 5–15 years. The most common barriers in the management of CO were reported as lack of time (68.9%) and FHCs not being utilized for the care of children aged 5–15 years old (53.3%) in Turkey. In-depth interviews showed that FPs tend to limit their role to identifying the problem and making the family aware of it. Conclusion: Although FPs recognize primary healthcare as an appropriate setting for managing CO, they have concerns about being involved in the treatment.

Abstract Background Heart transplant (HT) recipients demonstrate limited exercise capacity compared to normal patients, very likely for multiple reasons. In this study we hypothesized that left atrial volume (LAV), which is known to predict exercise capacity in patients with various cardiac pathologies including heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is associated with limited exercise capacity of HT recipients. Methods We analyzed 50 patients [age 57 ±2 (SEM), 12 females] who had a post-HT echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) within 9 weeks time at clinic follow up. The change in LAV (ΔLAV) was also computed as the difference in LAV from the preceding one-year to the study echocardiogram. Correlations among the measured parameters were assessed with a Pearson's correlation analysis. Results LAV (n = 50) and ΔLAV (n = 40) indexed to body surface area were 40.6 ± 11.5 ml·m-2 and 1.9 ± 8.5 ml·m-2·year-1, data are mean ± SD, respectively. Indexed LAV and ΔLAV were both significantly correlated with the ventilatory efficiency, assessed by the VE/VCO2 slope (r = 0.300, p = 0.038; r = 0.484, p = 0.002, respectively). LAV showed a significant correlation with peak oxygen consumption (r = -0.328, p = 0.020). Conclusions Although our study is limited by a retrospective study design and relatively small number of patients, our findings suggest that enlarged LAV and increasing change in LAV is associated with the diminished exercise capacity in HT recipients and warrants further investigation to better elucidate this relationship.

Aim: This meta-analysis investigates the association between testosterone replacement therapy [TRT] and carotid artery atherosclerosis. Methods: 3 databases were searched for studies up to June 2023 per the PRISMA guidelines. The eligibility criteria comprised RCTs and observational studies involving hypogonadal males receiving exogenous testosterone, in which CIMT was assessed. CAA was the primary outcome, whereas secondary outcomes included HDL, LDL, CRP, total cholesterol and total testosterone. The statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager. Results: Statistical analysis revealed no association between TRT and assessed outcomes. There was a significant increase in total testosterone levels, depicting indirect anti-atherosclerotic effects of TRT. Conclusion: Meta-analysis shows no relation between TRT and CIMT or other markers, allowing its safe usage for hypogonadal males.

SREBP1 is a transcription factor that influences lipogenesis by regulating key genes associated with lipid biosynthesis, while AMPK, modulates lipid metabolism by regulating acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The exact role of these metabolic regulators in oleaginous microbes remains unclear. This study identified and manipulated the genes encoding SREBP1 (sre1) and α1 subunit of AMPK (ampk-α1) in Mucor circinelloides WJ11. Individual overexpression of sre1 yielded 32.5 % lipids and 21 g/L biomass, while ampk-α1 deletion combined with sre1 overexpression yielded 42.5 % lipids and 25 g/L biomass in mutant strains. This increase correlated with upregulated expression of key lipogenic genes and enzyme activity, enhancing lipid production and biomass. These surges were correlated with the increased mRNA levels of key genes (acl, acc1, acc2, cme1, fas1, g6pdh1, g6pdh2 and 6pgdh2). Enzyme activity analysis further showed that upregulation of ACL, ACC, ME, FAS, G6PDH and 6PGDH might provide more precursors and NADPH for lipid biosynthesis in sre1 overexpressing strains. Conversely, the activities of these genes and enzymes were markedly downregulated in sre1 deleted mutants consistent with lower lipid production and biomass than the control. These findings open new avenues for research by exploring the coordinated role of sre1 and ampk-α1 in lipid metabolism in M. circinelloides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background and Objectives : Cervical cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in females. One of the most successful therapeutic modalities to date is suppressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated angiogenesis. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets VEGF-A. The outcomes for cervical cancer patients treated with bevacizumab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy have been explored in several studies. This study aimed to assess the impact of bevacizumab on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic cervical cancer. Materials and Methods : This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023456755). Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search on PubMed and Google Scholar identified 28 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The outcomes of interest were PFS and OS. The statistical analysis computed hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The study also included a subgroup analysis by cervical cancer stage. Results : The pooled analysis revealed that bevacizumab-based therapy significantly improved both PFS with HR 0.77 (95% CI: 0.58-0.96; p < 0.01; I 2 = 58%) and OS with HR 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45-0.89; p < 0.01; I 2 = 41%) in cervical cancer patients. Subgroup analysis by stage of cervical cancer demonstrated better efficacy of bevacizumab in metastatic stage IVB cervical cancer patients indicated by HR for PFS (0.69, 95% CI: 0.54-0.79; p < 0.01) and HR for OS (0.57, 95% CI: 0.46-0.73; p < 0.01). Conclusions : Bevacizumab exhibits a significant increase in PFS and OS, underscoring the efficacy of anti-angiogenesis therapy in cervical cancer, particularly in stage IVB metastatic cervical cancer patients.

Proteus penneri (P. penneri) is a bacillus-shaped, gram-negative, facultative anaerobe bacterium that is primarily an invasive pathogen and the etiological agent of several hospital-associated infections. P. penneri strains are naturally resistant to macrolides, amoxicillin, oxacillin, penicillin G, and cephalosporins; in addition, no vaccines are available against these strains. This warrants efforts to propose a theoretical based multi-epitope vaccine construct to prevent pathogen infections. In this research, reverse vaccinology bioinformatics and immunoinformatics approaches were adopted for vaccine target identification and construction of a multi-epitope vaccine. In the first phase, a core proteome dataset of the targeted pathogen was obtained using the NCBI database and subjected to bacterial pan-genome analysis using bacterial pan-genome analysis (BPGA) to predict core protein sequences which were then used to find good vaccine target candidates. This identified two proteins, Hcp family type VI secretion system effector and superoxide dismutase family protein, as promising vaccine targets. Afterward using the IEDB database, different B-cell and T-cell epitopes were predicted. A set of four epitopes "KGSVNVQDRE, NTGKLTGTR, IIHSDSWNER, and KDGKPVPALK" were chosen for the development of a multi-epitope vaccine construct. A 183 amino acid long vaccine design was built along with "EAAAK" and "GPGPG" linkers and a cholera toxin B-subunit adjuvant. The designed vaccine model comprised immunodominant, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and physicochemical stable epitopes. The model vaccine was docked with MHC-I, MHC-II, and TLR-4 immune cell receptors using the Cluspro2.0 web server. The binding energy score of the vaccine was - 654.7 kcal/mol for MHC-I, - 738.4 kcal/mol for MHC-II, and - 695.0 kcal/mol for TLR-4. A molecular dynamic simulation was done using AMBER v20 package for dynamic behavior in nanoseconds. Additionally, MM-PBSA binding free energy analysis was done to test intermolecular binding interactions between docked molecules. The MM-GBSA net binding energy score was - 148.00 kcal/mol, - 118.00 kcal/mol, and - 127.00 kcal/mol for vaccine with TLR-4, MHC-I, and MHC-II, respectively. Overall, these in silico-based predictions indicated that the vaccine is highly promising in terms of developing protective immunity against P. penneri. However, additional experimental validation is required to unveil the real immune response to the designed vaccine., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Astaxanthin is a bioactive natural pigment with antioxidant properties. It has extensive applications within the industrial sector as well as in human and animal health. Mucor circinelloides is a zygomycete fungus that accumulates β-carotene as the main carotenoid compound. M. circinelloides is a well-known model organism among Mucorales for studying carotenogenesis in fungi, which makes it a promising candidate for the biotechnological production of carotenoids. In this study, β-carotene hydroxylase (crtR-B) and ketolase (bkt) genes (codon-optimized) were coexpressed from Haematococcus pluvialis in M. circinelloides using two potent promoters gpd1 and zrt1 respectively to generate an astaxanthin-producing biofactory. Following 72 h of cultivation, the recombinant M. circinelloides Mc-57 obtained in this study produced 135 ± 8 µg/g of astaxanthin. This is the highest reported amount in M. circinelloides to date. The mRNA levels of crtR-B and bkt in Mc-57 were assayed using RT-qPCR. These levels showed a 5.7-fold increase at 72 h and a 5.5-fold increase at 24 h, respectively, compared to the control strain. This demonstrated the successful overexpression of both genes, which correlated with the production of astaxanthin in the Mc-57. Moreover, the addition of glutamate (2 g/L) and mevalonate (15 mM) resulted in an increase in astaxanthin production in the recombinant strain. The results showed that the combined addition of these metabolic precursors resulted in 281 ± 20 µg/g of astaxanthin, which is 2.08-fold higher than the control medium (135 ± 8 µg/g). The addition of metabolic precursors also positively impacted the biomass growth of Mc-57, reaching 11.2 ± 0.57 g/L compared to 9.1 ± 0.23 g/L (control medium). The study successfully addressed the challenge of balancing the accumulation of astaxanthin with biomass growth, which has been regarded as common bottleneck in the metabolic engineering of microbial cells. The development of a recombinant fungal strain of M. circinelloides not only increased astaxanthin content. Additionally, it provided a foundation for further improvement of the biotechnological production of astaxanthin in M. circinelloides., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Licorice is a therapeutic herb in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Licorice is considered as an anti-inflammatory agent due to its suppression and inhibition of inflammatory pathways. Licorice has many bioactive compounds such as glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquirtigenin which are principally accountable for its therapeutic benefits. These bioactive components reduce inflammation by preventing the activation of important inflammatory pathways including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κ B). As a result of this tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α ), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are among the proinflammatory cytokines whose production is inhibited. Components present in licorice inhibit the activation by suppressing the I κ B α phosphorylation and degradation. Moreover, licorice compounds also attenuate the MAPK signaling cascades by inhibiting the MAPK kinase phosphorylation and downstream MAPKs such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The present review focuses on the current understanding of licorice effect on the NF- κ B and MAPK inflammatory cell signaling pathways at molecular level. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggested that licorice-derived bioactive compounds may attenuate the molecular mechanism which is associated with inflammation, providing the additional insights into the therapeutic potential. Further studies explained the precise molecular mechanism at the cellular level underlying the licorice anti-inflammatory effect and potential application in managing inflammatory disorders. In conclusion, licorice has a complex mode of action and is a valuable natural anti-inflammatory. Its natural origin and effectiveness in clinical applications make it an intriguing topic for additional study. As licorice becomes more widely used in medicine, future research should focus on refining its formulations to optimize therapeutic advantages., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ieaman Fatima et al.)

Background: There have been ongoing attempts to de-escalate surgical intervention in older breast cancer patients in recent years. However, there remains ongoing hesitancy amongst surgeons to de-implement axillary staging in this cohort. The supporting argument for performing a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is that it may guide subsequent management., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 356 SLNBs, in 342 women ≥ 70 years of age with invasive breast cancer, between 2014 and 2022 in a single institution. Data were collected on patient and tumor characteristics and subsequent management for all patients and for patients with ER+/HER2-, early-stage disease., Results: Positive SLNB significantly increased likelihood of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (CTh) in patients aged 70-75 in all clinical subtypes (OR 4.0, 95% CI, 1.6-10; P = .0035). Positive SLNB did not significantly increase likelihood of receiving adjuvant CTh in patients aged 75-80, however, an Oncotype Dx score of ≥ 26 did (OR 34.50, 95% CI, 3.00-455.2; P = .0103). Positive SLNB was significantly associated with receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (RTh) in all patients aged 70-75 (OR 4.5, 95% CI, 2.0-11; P = .0004) and 75-80 (OR 9.7, 95% CI, 2.7-46; P = .0015). In patients aged ≥ 80 years, positive SLNB did not have a significant influence on subsequent treatments., Conclusion: In this study, SLNB did not significantly influence subsequent management decisions in patients over 80 and should rarely be performed in this cohort. However, SLNB still had a role in patients aged 70-80 and should be used selectively in this cohort., Competing Interests: Disclosure Nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Advances in targeted therapies have expanded the treatment options for colorectal cancer (CRC), allowing for more tailored and effective approaches to managing the disease. In targeted therapy, Bevacizumab is a commonly prescribed anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody that has a direct anti-vascular impact in cancer patients. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGFs), especially VEGF-A, are significant agents in promoting tumour angiogenesis ., Objective: To assess the impact of adding Bevacizumab to chemotherapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer., Methodology: Comprehensive searches have been performed on electronic databases such as PubMed, and Google Scholar using the following terms: colorectal cancer, adenocarcinoma, Bevacizumab, chemotherapy, and monoclonal antibody., Results: In the meta-analysis, 16 out of the 24 included studies were analysed. In the final analysis, incorporating Bevacizumab with chеmothеrapy demonstrated favourable outcomes for OS with a hazard ratio (HR = 0.689,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, I ² = 39%, p <0.01) and for PFS with a hazard ratio (HR = 0.77 95% CI: 0.60-0.96, I² = 54%, p  < 0.01). The subgroup analysis of PFS, categorised by study dеsign (prospеctivе vs rеtrospеctivе), reveals that the Hazard Ratio (HR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.62-0.97, I ² = 21%, p  < 0.01) and for OS with a hazard ratio (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.52-0.86, I² = 17%, p  < 0.01)., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that combining Bevacizumab with chemotherapy enhances clinical outcomes and results in a significant increase in PFS and OS in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Positive outcomes are demonstrated by a substantial 23% increase in PFS and 31% increase in OS in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who undergo Bevacizumab in conjunction with chemotherapy ., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)