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Given an integer q and a polynomial f ∈ Z q [ X ] of degree d with coefficients in the residue ring Z q = Z / q Z , we obtain new results concerning the number of solutions to congruences of the form y ≡ f (x) (mod q) , with integer variables lying in some cube B of side length H. Our argument uses ideas of Cilleruelo, Garaev, Ostafe and Shparlinski which reduces the problem to the Vinogradov mean value theorem and a lattice point counting problem. We treat the lattice point problem differently, using transference principles from the geometry of numbers. We also use a variant of the main conjecture for the Vinogradov mean value theorem of Bourgain, Demeter and Guth and of Wooley, which allows one to deal with solutions to the Vinogradov mean value theorem when the variables run through rather sparse sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable water recycling and wastewater reuse are urgent nowadays considering water scarcity and increased water consumption through human activities. In 2015, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (UN SDG6) highlighted the necessity of recycling wastewater to guarantee water availability for individuals. Currently, wastewater irrigation (WWI) of crops and agricultural land appears essential. The present work overviews the quality of treated wastewater in terms of soil microbial activities, and discusses challenges and benefits of WWI in line with wastewater reuse in agriculture and aquaculture irrigation. Combined conventional-advanced wastewater treatment processes are specifically deliberated, considering the harmful impacts on human health arising from WWI originating from reuse of contaminated water (salts, organic pollutants, toxic metals, and microbial pathogens i.e., viruses and bacteria). The comprehensive literature survey revealed that, in addition to the increased levels of pathogen and microbial threats to human wellbeing, poorly-treated wastewater results in plant and soil contamination with toxic organic/inorganic chemicals, and microbial pathogens. The impact of long-term emerging pollutants like plastic nanoparticles should also be established in further studies, with the development of standardized analytical techniques for such hazardous chemicals. Likewise, the reliable, long-term and extensive judgment on heavy metals threat to human beings's health should be explored in future investigations. • We assessed the quality of treated wastewater for reuse in agriculture. • Salts, organic pollutants, toxic metals, and microbial pathogens taken as contaminants. • Quality, economy, and environmental benefits of wastewater were discussed. • Virus contamination and removal efficiency from wastewater were reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we prove the first incidence bound for points and conics over prime fields. As applications, we prove new results on expansion of bivariate polynomial images and on certain variations of distinct distances problems. These include new lower bounds on the number of pinned algebraic distances as well as improvements of results of Koh and Sun (2014) and Shparlinski (2006) on the size of the distance set formed by two large subsets of finite dimensional vector spaces over finite fields. We also prove a variant of Beck's theorem for conics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the in vitro antibacterial activity of three molecular weights of chitosan in the form of micro (CS) as well as nanoparticles (CSNPs). CSNPs were prepared using low (LWC), medium molecular weight (MWC) and middle-viscous crab shells chitosan (MVC). The antibacterial activities were evaluated through determination of IC 50 , minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against Pseudomonas fluorescens , Erwinia carotovora and Escherichia coli . Experimental results showed that the antibacterial activity was significantly enhanced in the CSNPs comparison to CS microparticles, especially so for MVC nanoparticles (MVCN) in that the MIC values against all tested bacteria were ca. 50% those of the microparticles. Moreover, MWC and LWC nanoparticles showed lower MIC values compared with related microparticles only for P. fluorescens and E. coli , respectively. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) of CSNPs-treated cultures of selected bacteria species revealed structural changes in the bacterial cell wall. The present study indicates that the antibacterial activity of CS varied depending on the molecular weight of CS micro and nanoparticles forms as well as on the particular bacterium. The selection of CS's molecular weight could be thought to be more dependent on its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising class of porous nanomaterials in the field of environmental remediation. Ni-MOF and Fe-MOF were chosen for their advantages such as structural robustness and ease of synthesis route. The structure of prepared MOFs was characterized using FE-SEM, XRD, FTIR, and N 2 adsorption-desorption. The efficiency of MOFs to remove organic model contaminants (anionic Alizarin Red S (ARS) and cationic malachite green (MG) and inorganic fluoride was studied. Fe-MOF and Ni-MOF adsorbed 67, 88, 6% and 32, 5, and 9% of fluoride, ARS, and MG, respectively. Further study on ARS adsorption by Fe-MOF showed that the removal efficiency was high in a wide range of pH from 3 to 9. Moreover, dye removal was directly increased by adsorbent mass (0.1–0.75 g/L) and decreased by ARS concentration (25–100 mg/L). The pseudo-first-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model with a q max of 176.68 mg/g described the experimental data well. The separation factor, K L, was in the range of 0–1, which means the adsorption process was favorable. In conclusion, Fe-MOF showed remarkable adsorption of organic and inorganic model contaminants. • Ni-MOF and Fe-MOF have structural robustness and ease of synthesis route. • The efficiency of MOFs to remove ARS, MG and inorganic fluoride was studied. • The pseudo-first-order and Langmuir isotherm model described the experimental data well. • The structural integrity of Ni-MOF and Fe-MOF, and challenges are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the efficacy of chitosan (CS) in combination with Zataria multiflora (ZEO) or Cinnamomum seylanicum (CEO) essential oil to inhibit Phytophthora drechsleri in vitro and on artificially infected cucumbers for a storage period of 10 days. The fungal growth significantly was reduced by increasing concentrations of ZEO, CEO and CS that CEO was the most effective. Moreover, combined treatments showed more significant mycelial inhibition results and reduction of the IC50, MIC and MFC values compared with pure EOs or CS (p < 0.05). The most effective treatments in reducing mycelial growth were those based on the combination of CS with CEO (CC) or ZEO (CZ). In fruit decay assays, the combined treatments (CC and CZ) were able to reduce fungal decay in the range of 77–85% at day 9, compared with in the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove various results on the size and structure of subsets of vector spaces over finite fields which, in some sense, have too many mutually orthogonal pairs of vectors. In particular, we obtain sharp finite field variants of a theorem of Rosenfeld and an almost version of a theorem of Berlekamp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the high rates of burn injuries in patients with epilepsy, it is crucial to evaluate the epidemiological factors, etiology, types of burns, and outcome of these certain individuals and to enhance knowledge about the possible risks of epilepsy-related burns by preventive actions and programs. Our retrospective study was carried out from September 2013 to February 2017 in Amir-al Momenin Hospital, a tertiary referral burns and plastic surgery healthcare center. Because of the fact that a number of patients with burns had experienced their trauma at the time of convulsion or in postconvulsion phase, it is necessary to evaluate the outcome, burn patterns, etiology of injury, and related epidemiological factors in order to develop a greater understanding of possible risks of epilepsy-related burns by preventive actions and programs. In our study, 2715 patients who referred to burn centers and hospitalized with a mean age of 26.838 (standard deviation (SD) = 21.186) were enrolled, in which 29 patients were involved in burn accidents due to epilepsy and seizure, resulting in a 1.1% epilepsy incidence in these individuals. In patients with seizure disorder, there was a mean rate of 5.8 (SD = 1.923) cases per year. Eighteen (62.1%) were male, and 11 (37.9%) were female. There were no cases of seizure-induced burn injury in pediatrics (< 15 years) in our study. Among the patients with seizure-induced burns, 11 (out of 1101; 37.9%) were from rural areas, while 18 (out of 1570; 62.1%) were from urban locations. The occurrence of accidents due to seizure was also categorized based on the season, with the highest occurrence during winter (12 out of 683; 41.4%) and lowest during spring (3 out of 659; 10.3%). The mechanism of burn in patients with seizures was also documented, in which 12 (41.4%) were due to liquid, 12 (41.4%) due to fire, 1 (3.4%) due to explosion, and 1 (3.4%) due to other objects. Out of patients with seizure-induced burns, 21 (72.4%) were discharged, 2 released with their own will, 1 was transferred, and 5 (17.2%) died in the course of hospitalization. This study demonstrates that burn injuries by epilepsy are a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we suggest the execution of a strong national epilepsy preventive actions and programs, as well as proper education for both medical practitioners and patients of the possible dangers as part of an injury control program. • 1.1% of burn incidents were due to epilepsy and seizure. • Among the epilepsy-induced burn injuries, a mortality of 17.2% was observed. • Children are at a lower risk of developing epilepsy-induced burn injuries. • Preventive programs are required to reduce burn injuries in patients with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new algebraic formalism for constructing complex non-Hermitian PT -symmetric superpartners by extending a conventional shape-invariant superpotential into the complex domain. The resulting potential is an unbroken super- and parity-time (PT)-symmetric shape-invariant potential with real energy eigenvalues, maintaining this property for all parameter values. In order to restore the probabilistic interpretation within a true quantum theory, a new inner product called the CPT -inner product is defined in PT -symmetric quantum mechanics, replacing the Dirac Hermitian inner product. In this work, we propose a new version of the inner product called the anti- PT (APT)-inner product, 〈 A | B 〉 ≡ | A 〉 APT. | B 〉 , which replaces the previous versions without any additional considerations. This PT -supersymmetric quantum mechanics framework also allows for the unification of various areas of physics, including classical optics and quantum mechanics. To validate the theory, we present exact solutions for optical waveguides and the quantum tunneling probability, demonstrating excellent agreement with experimental data for the probability of crossing the potential barrier in the 3 H(d,n) 4 He reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are used in a range of applications, including food packaging, preservation, and storage. In the current investigation, extracellular green synthesis of ZnO NPs through an simple, eco-friendly, and rapid approach using a novel bacterial strain (Bacillus subtilis NH1-8) was studied. To assess the morphological, optical, and structural properties of ZnO NPs, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were carried out. In addition, disk diffusion, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods were performed to determine the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs. The average size of biosynthesized ZnO NPs was 39 nm, exhibiting semi-spherical, which was confirmed by TEM analyses. The UV–vis spectroscopy exhibited the absorption peak at 200–800nm. The ZnO NPs have shown effective antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against S. typhimurium. Thus, biosynthesized ZnO NPs could be exploited as a breakthrough technology in the surface coating of food containers and cans to minimize contamination by S. typhimurium. [Display omitted] • Salt Lake bacterium was used to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles. • The zinc oxide nanoparticles are found to be semi-spherical with an average size of 39 nm. • Differential action of zinc oxide nanoparticles is observed on a food-borne pathogen (S. typhimurium). • Cell constituents leakage increased in the zinc oxide nanoparticles treated bacterium. • The zinc oxide nanoparticles killed all the bacteria after 4 h. • Anti-biofilm activity of the nanoparticle on sub-lethal and lethal doses was considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of high molecular weight CH and TEO on increasing the shelf life of yogurt as well as improve the consistency and reduce hydration. First, different concentrations of CH (2%, 4%, and 6%) were made and added to yogurt. Then, tarragon essential oil (TEO) was inoculated into yogurt in different concentrations (20, 40, and 60 ppm). The samples were kept at two temperatures, refrigerator and room temperature, for three weeks. Afterward, the effects of different concentrations of CH and TEO on yogurt properties such as pH, acidity, dry matter, fat, protein, syneresis, and the survival of microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, and yeast were investigated. The results showed that CH concentration, temperature, and storage time had a statistically significant effect (ρ < 0.05) on pH, acidity, syneresis, and the bacterial count and yeast. The best results were related to yogurts containing 6% CH with 60% TEO. Nevertheless, samples containing 2% CH had the highest score in sensory evaluation. It is concluded that the addition of high molecular weight CH at a concentration of 6% with 20% TEO leads to the production of high-quality yogurt and greater durability. • The use of chitosan and tarragon had a statistically significant effect on pH and acidity. • The use of chitosan and tarragon was effective in reducing the syneresis of yogurt samples. • The high concentration of CH and a low concentration of TEO had the highest score in consistency. • CH was effective in increasing the shelf life of yogurt with antimicrobial and antifungal effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic is the hazardous species and still is the global challenge in water treatment. Apatite soil is highly rich in arsenic species, and its mining presents various environmental issues. In this study, novel magnetic microbeads as adsorbent were developed for the elimination of hazardous arsenic ions from apatite soil's aqueous leachate before discharging into environment. The microbeads were fabricated with metformin polyether sulfone after being doped with zero-valent iron (Met-PES/ZVI). The microbeads were characterized using various techniques, including FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, VSM, and zeta potential analysis. The developed adsorbent demonstrated a significant elimination in arsenic in aqueous leachate, achieving 82.39% removal after 30 min of contact time, which further increased to 90% after 180 min of shaking. The kinetic analysis revealed that the pseudo-second-order model best represented the adsorption process. The intra-particle diffusion model indicated that the adsorption occurred in two steps. The Langmuir model (R2 = 0.991), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 188.679 mg g−1, was discovered to be the best fit for the experimental data as compared Freundlich model (R2 = 0.981). According to the thermodynamic outcome (ΔG < −20 kJ/mol), the adsorption process was spontaneous and involved physisorption. These findings demonstrate the potential of magnetic Met-PES/ZVI microbeads as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of arsenic from apatite soil aqueous leachate. • The novel magnetic microbeads were developed based on metformin polyether sulfone doped with zero-valent iron. • Magnetic microbeads (Met-PES/ZVI) used for the removal of hazardous arsenic ions from apatite soil aqueous leachate. • Significant reduction in arsenic in aqueous leachate, achieving 82.39% removal after 30 min. • Langmuir model was fit for the experimental data, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 188.679 mg g−1. • Thermodynamic analysis showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and involved physisorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are zero-dimensional (0D) carbon-based nanoparticles with SP3/SP2-hybridized carbon atoms that have shown great potential in wastewater treatment areas due to their high surface area, chemical stability, and unique adsorption properties. They can efficiently remove a wide range of pollutants from water, including heavy metals, organic compounds, and dyes via various mechanisms such as electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, and ion exchange. NDs can be functionalized following different surface chemistries, enabling tailored surface properties and enhanced pollutant adsorption capabilities. This review covers recent research on the application of nanodiamonds in wastewater treatment domain with a major emphasis on adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, and membrane separation, highlighting their promising performances, challenges, and future directions. • Nanodiamonds can be tailored with different surface properties. • Functionalization and modification of ND offer tailored surface properties and enhance wastewater treatment. • Surface modification of NDs enhances their interaction with water pollutants. • Combination of NDs with other materials enhance their efficiency in wastewater treatment. • NDs show promising performance in adsorption, photocatalysis and membrane separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutagen 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) is known as a potent factor in inducing DNA damage and increasing cancer risk. MX is a chlorination disinfection byproduct that comes from the reaction of humic acids and chlorine in drinking water. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of significant factors (including pH, reaction time, chlorine and the concentration of organic materials (TOC)) and their interactions on the MX formation rate in chlorinated drinking water using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) and response surface method (RSM). For this purpose, the simulation of water chlorination disinfection process was carried out in a laboratory scale. A quadratic model was chosen to determine the mathematical relations between the response and the effective factors. All linear parameters, as well as second-degree components except chlorine, were statistically significant. Also, the interactions of contact time with TOC, free chlorine residual with TOC, and chlorine with pH were also statistically significant. Statistical results showed that the pH had a great effect on the potential of MX formation, and then the factors of TOC, chlorine and contact time were effective, respectively. The percentage of contribution (PC) of each component in the formation of MX. The highest significant percentage of contribution (48.36%) was allocated to the pH. Under the optimum conditions (contact time of 48.38 min, chlorine concentration of 0.79 mg/L, TOC concentration of 0.53 mg/L, and pH of 7.98), minimum value of MX was equal to 28.6. • Effective factors and their interactions on the Mutagen X formation was examined. • pH had a great effect on the potential of MX formation. • The percentage of contribution of each component in the formation of MX was determined. • Synchronized optimization was conducted to set two dependent variables in the range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introducing an effective vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) is an urgent need. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) Ag85 complex is suggested for making protective immunodominant antigens for design and development of novel TB vaccine. In the present study, a pDR2EF1-Fcγ1 vector has been used to make Ag85B:hFcγ1 recombinant fusion protein. Briefly, specific Xba I and Not I site incorporated primers were used to amplify Mtb - fbpB gene by PCR, TA-cloned and amplified in E.coli DH5α. The resulting vector then subcloned into the pDR2EF1.Fcγ1 vector and transferred to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. DNA sequencing was performed to confirm that Ag85B:hFcγ1 construct is precise and in-frame. Then, Ag85B:hFcγ1 protein was produced by CHO expression system and recombinant protein was purified using HiTrap rProtein A Sepharose Fast Flow column. The presence of recombinant fusion protein confirmed by immunofluorescence (IFA) and Western blotting (WB). This fusion protein containing Fc fragment of human IgG1, apart from stability and adjuvanticity potential, could bind to FcRγI (CD64) on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and induce cross-presentation in favour of host immune response and can be used as a potential candidate along with other subunit vaccines against Mtb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater aquifers are considered the second most abundant water supply for drinking water all over the world. In Iran, ground waters are commonly employed for drinking water, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Heavy metals (HMs) pose human concerns about the groundwater contamination; these pollutants are recognized to be capable of bio-accumulation, long persistence in the natural environment, and toxic effects. In the present research, the content of HMs: Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), and Lead (Pb) were detected in 89 water samples collected in 2018 by underground water supplies (active wells) of Saravan city. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Monte Carlo Simulation approach with 10,000 repetitions were applied to discover the human non-carcinogenic impacts of HMs in four groups of ages (adults, teenagers, children, and infants) of consumers. The concentrations of Cr, Pb, and Cd were in the range of 0.49–20, 0.1 to 58.34, and 0.11–12.8 μg/L, respectively. The mean HQ calculated due to exposure to Pb (0.0018–0.0023), Cr (0.0112–0.0186), and Cd (0.0370–0.0615) were lower than one. The findings of sensitivity analysis revealed that HMs concentration had the most contribution effect on human non-carcinogenic risk analysis in four different exposed populations. This study could assist researchers to perform more comprehensive studies with more samples. Therefore, further research is required for decision-makers to plan proper measurements properly. • HRA procedure was conducted to evaluate the health effects of different population exposed to three HMs. • Pb HQ for population groups were in the order of infant > children > teenager > adult. • The most influential parameters in the risk of non-carcinogenicity were in the order ofconcentration > ingestion rate > body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of regulatory endogenous short RNAs, are involved in various biological functions by targeting the mRNA of multiple protein-coding genes and influencing their related signaling pathways. In this investigation, we upregulated microRNA-143 (miR-143) expression levels in bladder cancer (BC) EJ138 cells by pCMV-miR-143 vectors. The efficacy of transfection was verified by Flow cytometry. The influence of miR-143 overexpression on BC cells migration, proliferation, and apoptosis was detected using wound-healing assay, MTT assay, and DAPI and Annexin V/PI staining, respectively. The results demonstrated that upregulation of miR-143 in BC EJ138 cells leads to inhibited proliferation and migration. Also, restoration of miR-143 was negatively associated with the expression levels of metastatic, apoptotic, invasion, and EMT-related genes, including C-Myc, CXCR4, MDM2, Vimentin, Snail-1, and MMP-9, along with increased E-Cadherin and TP53 expression. Therefore, miR-143 may be considered a potential therapeutic target for BC. [Display omitted] • Restoration of miR-143 significantly reduces cell proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells (EJ138). • miR-143 involves different major signaling pathways involved in EMT, such as AKT , ERK , MAPK , and NF-κB. • The expression level of C-myc , MMP-9 , Snail-1 , CXCR4 , MDM2, and Vimentin downregulated by replacement of mir-143. • The expression level of E-cadherin and TP53 is upregulated by restoration of mir-143. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fast continuous cyclic voltammetry was used as a detection method for penicillin V in a flow injection system. Additionally, a special computer-based numerical calculation method (using fast Fourier transformation) providing enhancement of the analyte signal and noise reduction is introduced here. During the measurements, the potential waveform (consisting of the potential steps of cleaning, stripping, and the potential ramp) was continuously applied to an Au disk microelectrode (12.5μm in radius). In particular, the effects of accumulation potential, sweep rate, and delay time on the sensitivity and selectivity of the method were investigated. Eventually, the stripping time was found to be less than 300ms, the detection limit of the method was 7.0×10−12 M, and the associated relative standard deviation at 5.0×10−6 M penicillin V was 2.3 for eight runs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Schematics of proposed pathway for inhibitory connection between butyrate and pyroptosis cell death. Danger signals in diabetic patients detected by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). This initiates a signalling cascade that leads to cell death by pyroptosis or caspase-1-dependent cell death (through activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), stimulation of inflammasomes and production of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β and IL-18). Butyrate can modulate the immune response and alleviate pyroptosis cell death via upregulation of miR-146a and miR-9. : increased level : inhibition. • Diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly worldwide. • Pyroptosis is characterized by release of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines. • Some food ingredients may modulate inflammatory pathways via molecular mechanisms. • Sodium butyrate may exert beneficial actions for attenuating inflammation. • The prebiotic inulin alleviates inflammation via fermentation to butyrate. Pyroptosis, a form of inflammatory programmed cell death, is activated in diabetic patients. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of daily consumption of sodium butyrate (NaBut) and high-performance (HP) inulin supplementation, individually or in combination, on the expression of pyroptosis-related genes, microRNA (miR) 146a-5p, miR-9-5p and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical involving sixty patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants received 600 mg/d of NaBut (group A), 10 g/d of HP inulin (group B), 600 mg/d of NaBut + 10 g/d of HP inulin (group C) or placebo (group D) for 45 consecutive days. We assessed the pyroptosis-related genes mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), as well as the plasmatic levels of miR-146a and miR-9 before and after the intervention. Moreover, blood samples of the patients at baseline and following the intervention were tested for total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study was registered on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (identifier: IRCT201605262017N29; https://www.irct.ir/). Following butyrate supplementation, the relative expression levels of TLR2/4, NF-κB1, Caspase-1, NLRP3, IL-1β & IL-18 were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05). Furthermore, butyrate and concomitant use of butyrate and inulin caused a significant increase in the fold change of miR-146a and miR-9 compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the changes in total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.047) and superoxide dismutase (p = 0.006) were significantly increased after butyrate and concomitant use of butyrate and inulin supplement, respectively. In summary, the change in expression level of miR-146a-5p and miR-9-5p due to butyrate supplementation may have a pivotal role in alleviating of diabetes via inhibiting pyroptosis by targeting TLR2 and NF-κB1. These microRNAs might be considered as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of type 2 diabetes but further researches is required to prove the link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers exposure to the concentration of fluoride in drinking water resources of Showt city in West Azerbaijan Province in, Iran, and its related potential health risk assessment issues to the resident populations. For this purpose, 88 drinking water samples were analyzed in 2016 by using the spectrophotometric method. Non-carcinogenic health risks due to F exposure through consumption of drinking water were assessed using the US EPA method. In addition, the associated zoning maps of the obtained results were presented using a geographic information system (GIS). The results indicated that fluoride concentration in drinking water ranged from 0.0 to 5.5 mg L−1 of the study area. Based on this research, 36.36% of the samples had a fluoride level higher than the permissible level, 13.63% had less than the permissible limit, and 50% of the samples had a level within the optimum limit of 0.5–1.5 mg L−1. The Hazard Quotient index (HQ) for children, teenager and adults had health hazards (HQ > 1) in 54.55%, 31.82%, and 22.73% of samples, respectively. Groundwater resources having a risk of more than one were located in the villages of Khilajajam, Kolos, and Shorboulagh. So, in these study areas, there are potential risks of dental and skeletal fluorosis. • Fluorosis is a considerable health problem worldwide. • High concentrations fluoride above 3 mg l−1 may cause dental and skeletal fluorosis. • HQ indicated health risk assessment in relation to F- concentration for children and adults were significant. • The fluoride contamination must be reduced in this study area to decrease endemic fluorosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]