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Background: The relationship between salivary α-amylase activity (sAAa) and susceptibility to cardiovascular disorders lacks a definitive consensus in available studies. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study endeavors to investigate this association among overweight/obese otherwise healthy Qatari adults. The study specifically categorizes participants based on their sAAa into high and low subgroups, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the potential link between sAAa levels and cardiovascular and inflammation markers in this population., Methods: Plasma samples of 264 Qatari overweight/obese (Ow/Ob) participants were used to quantify the sAAa and to profile the proteins germane to cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, metabolism, and organ damage in low sAAa (LsAAa) and high sAAa (HsAAa) subjects using the Olink technology. Comprehensive statistical tools as well as chemometric and enrichments analyses were used to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and their associated signaling pathways and cellular functions., Results: A total of ten DEPs were detected, among them five were upregulated (QPCT, LCN2, PON2, DPP7, CRKL) while five were down regulated in the LsAAa subgroup compared to the HsAAa subgroup (ARG1, CTSH, SERPINB6, OSMR, ALDH3A). Functional enrichment analysis highlighted several relevant signaling pathways and cellular functions enriched in the DEPs, including myocardial dysfunction, disorder of blood pressure, myocardial infraction, apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, hypertension, chronic inflammatory disorder, immunes-mediated inflammatory disease, inflammatory response, activation of leukocytes and activation of phagocytes., Conclusion: Our study unveils substantial alterations within numerous canonical pathways and cellular or molecular functions that bear relevance to cardiometabolic disorders among Ow/Ob Qatari adults exhibiting LsAAa and HsAAa in the plasma. A more comprehensive exploration of these proteins and their associated pathways and functions offers the prospect of elucidating the mechanistic underpinnings inherent in the documented relationship between sAAa and metabolic disorders., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Khalifa, Al-Akl and Arredouani.)

Intercropping is a sustainable strategy recognized for boosting crop production and mitigating heavy metal toxicity in contaminated soils. This study investigates the effects of biochar amendments on Pb-contaminated soil, utilizing monocropping and intercropping techniques with C. olitorius and Z. mays. The research assesses Pb removal capacity, nutrient uptake, antioxidant enzymes, and soil Pb fractionation. In monocropping, the phytoremediation ratio for C. olitorius increased from 16.67 to 27.33%, while in intercropping, it rose from 19.00 to 28.33% with biochar amendments. Similarly, Z. mays exhibited an increased phytoremediation ratio from 53.33 to 74.67% in monocropping and from 63.00 to 78.67% in intercropping with biochar amendments. Intercropping significantly increased the peroxidase (POD) activity in Z. mays roots by 22.53%, and there were notable increases in shoot POD of C. olitorius (11.54%) and Z. mays (16.20%) with biochar application. CAT showed consistent improvements, increasing by 37.52% in C. olitorius roots and 74.49% in Z. mays roots with biochar. Biochar amendments significantly increased N content in soil under sole cropping of Z. mays and intercropping systems. In contrast, Cu content increased by 56.34%, 59.05%, and 79.80% in monocropping (C. olitorius and Z. mays) and intercropping systems, respectively. This suggests that biochar enhances nutrient availability, improving phytoremediation efficacy in Pb-contaminated soil. Phyto availability of trace metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, and Fe) exhibited higher levels with biochar amendments than those without. The findings indicate that intercropping and biochar amendments elevate antioxidant enzyme levels, reducing reactive oxygen species and mitigating Pb toxicity effects. This approach improves phytoremediation efficiency and holds promise for soil pollution remediation while enhancing nutrient content and crop quality in Pb-contaminated soil., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Obesity, prevalent in approximately 80% of Qatar's adult population, increases the risk of complications like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Predictive biomarkers are crucial for preventive strategies. Salivary α-amylase activity (sAAa) inversely correlates with obesity and insulin resistance in adults and children. However, the connection between sAAa and cardiometabolic risk factors or chronic low-grade inflammation markers remains unclear. This study explores the association between serum sAAa and adiposity markers related to cardiovascular diseases, as well as markers indicative of chronic low-grade inflammation., Methods: Serum samples and clinical data of 1500 adult, non-diabetic, Overweight/Obese participants were obtained from Qatar Biobank (QBB). We quantified sAAa and C reactive protein (CRP) levels with an autoanalyzer. Cytokines, adipokines, and adiponectin of a subset of 228 samples were quantified using a bead-based multiplex assay. The associations between the sAAa and the adiposity indices and low-grade inflammatory protein CRP and multiple cytokines were assessed using Pearson's correlation and adjusted linear regression., Results: The mean age of the participants was 36 ± 10 years for both sexes of which 76.6% are women. Our analysis revealed a significant linear association between sAAa and adiposity-associated biomarkers, including body mass index β -0.032 [95% CI -0.049 to -0.05], waist circumference β -0.05 [95% CI -0.09 to -0.02], hip circumference β -0.052 [95% CI -0.087 to -0.017], and HDL β 0.002 [95% CI 0.001 to 0.004], albeit only in women. Additionally, sAAa demonstrated a significant positive association with adiponectin β 0.007 [95% CI 0.001 to 0.01]while concurrently displaying significant negative associations with CRP β -0.02 [95% CI -0.044 to -0.0001], TNF-α β -0.105 [95% CI -0.207 to -0.004], IL-6 β [95% CI -0.39 -0.75 to -0.04], and ghrelin β -5.95 [95% CI -11.71 to -0.20], specifically within the female population., Conclusion: Our findings delineate significant associations between sAAa and markers indicative of cardiovascular disease risk and inflammation among overweight/obese adult Qatari females. Subsequent investigations are warranted to elucidate the nuances of these gender-specific associations comprehensively., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Al Akl, Khalifa, Habibullah and Arredouani.)

Diabetes is recognized as a risk factor for cognitive decline, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We aimed to identify the metabolic pathways altered in diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD) using untargeted metabolomics. We conducted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics to profile serum metabolite levels in 100 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) (54 without and 46 with DACD). Multivariate statistical tools were used to identify the differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), and enrichment and pathways analyses were used to identify the signaling pathways associated with the DEMs. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a set of metabolites. We identified twenty DEMs, seven up- and thirteen downregulated in the DACD vs. DM group. Chemometric analysis revealed distinct clustering between the two groups. Metabolite set enrichment analysis found significant enrichment in various metabolite sets, including galactose metabolism, arginine and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, citrate cycle, fructose and mannose, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. Pathway analysis identified six significantly altered pathways, including arginine and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, and the metabolism of the citrate cycle, alanine, aspartate, glutamate, a-linolenic acid, and glycerophospholipids. Classifier models with AUC-ROC > 90% were developed using individual metabolites or a combination of individual metabolites and metabolite ratios. Our study provides evidence of perturbations in multiple metabolic pathways in patients with DACD. The distinct DEMs identified in this study hold promise as diagnostic biomarkers for DACD patients.

Nanoporous membranes have emerged as powerful tools for diverse applications, including gas separation and water desalination. Achieving high permeability for desired molecules alongside exceptional rejection of other species presents a significant design challenge. One potential strategy involves optimizing the chemistry and geometry of isolated nanopores to enhance permeability and selectivity while maximizing their density within a membrane. However, the impact of the pore proximity on membrane performance remains an open question. Through path sampling simulations of model graphitic membranes with multiple subnanometer pores, we reveal that nanoscale proximity between pores detrimentally affects water permeability and salt rejection. Specifically, counterion transport is decelerated, while co-ion transport is accelerated, due to direct interactions among water molecules, salt ions, and the dipoles within neighboring pores. Notably, the observed ionic transport time scales significantly deviate from established theories such as the access resistance model but are well explained using the simple phenomenological model that we develop in this work. We use this model to prescreen and optimize pore arrangements that elicit minimal correlations at a target pore density. These findings deepen our understanding of multipore systems, informing the rational design of nanoporous membranes for enhanced separation processes such as water desalination. They also shed light on the physiology of biological cells that employ ion channel proteins to modulate ion transport and reversal potentials.