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Over the past years, the poultry industry has been assigned to greater production performance but has become highly sensitive to environmental changes. The average world temperature has recently risen and is predicted to continue rising. In open-sided houses, poultry species confront high outside temperatures, which cause heat stress (HS) problems. Cellular responses are vital in poultry, as they may lead to identifying confirmed HS biomarkers. Heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly preserved protein families that play a significant role in cell function and cytoprotection against various stressors, including HS. The optimal response in which the cell survives the HS elevates HSP levels that prevent cellular proteins from damage caused by HS. The HSP have chaperonic action to ensure that stress-denatured proteins are folded, unfolded, and refolded. The HSP70 and HSP90 are the primary HSP in poultry with a defensive function during HS. HSP70 was the optimal biological marker for assessing HS among the HSP studied. The current review attempts to ascertain the value of HSP as a heat stress defense mechanism in poultry., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondria are vital organelles found within living cells and have signalling, biosynthetic, and bioenergetic functions. Mitochondria play a crucial role in metabolic reprogramming, which is a characteristic of cancer cells and allows them to assure a steady supply of proteins, nucleotides, and lipids to enable rapid proliferation and development. Their dysregulated activities have been associated with the growth and metastasis of different kinds of human cancer, particularly ovarian carcinoma. In this review, we briefly demonstrated the modified mitochondrial function in cancer, including mutations in mtDNA, reactive oxygen species production, dynamics, apoptosis of cells, autophagy, and calcium excess to maintain cancer genesis, progression, and metastasis. Furthermore, the mitochondrial dysfunction pathway for some genomic, proteomic, and metabolomics modifications in ovarian cancer has been studied. Additionally, ovarian cancer has been linked to targeted therapies and biomarkers found through various alteration processes underlying mitochondrial dysfunction, notably targeting reactive oxygen species, metabolites, rewind metabolic pathways, and chemo-resistant ovarian carcinoma cells., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microtubule dynamics are critical for spindle assembly and chromosome segregation during cell division. Pharmacological inhibition of microtubule dynamics in cells causes prolonged mitotic arrest, resulting in apoptosis, an approach extensively employed in treating different types of cancers. The present study reports the synthesis of thirty-two novel bis-amides (SSE1901-SSE1932) and the evaluation of their antiproliferative activities. N-(1-oxo-3-phenyl-1-(phenylamino)propan-2-yl)benzamide (SSE1917) exhibited the most potent activity with GI 50 values of 0.331 ± 0.01 µM in HCT116 colorectal and 0.48 ± 0.27 µM in BT-549 breast cancer cells. SSE1917 stabilized microtubules in biochemical and cellular assays, bound to taxol site in docking studies, and caused aberrant mitosis and G 2 /M arrest in cells. Prolonged treatment of cells with the compound increased p53 expression and triggered apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, SSE1917 suppressed the growth of both mouse and patient-derived human colon cancer organoids, highlighting its potential therapeutic value as an anticancer agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem reports financial support was provided by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the current study was to ascertain the effect of using ginger powder or frankincense oil at different levels on the production rate, biochemical properties of blood, and immune response of laying Japanese quail housed from 12 to 21 wk of age. Three hundred sexually mature quail (200 females and 100 males) were distributed among 5 groups at 12 wk of age in a completely randomized design. Group 1: received basal diet not including additives and acted as a control group. Groups 2 and 3: received a basal diet with 250 and 500 mg ginger/kg feed, respectively. Groups 4 and 5: received a basal diet with 200 and 400 mg frankincense oil/kg feed, respectively. Results revealed that egg production parameters of laying Japanese quail were not influenced by ginger or frankincense oil added in all groups tested during experimental periods except at the time (15-18 wks.). Moreover, egg weight was significantly increased only during the period (15-18 wks.) and total period (12-21 wk of age), and group 5 recorded the highest weight during the 2 periods studied. Feed additives did not impact feed consumption or feed conversion ratio (FCR). Except for WBCs, Hb, and monocytes, treatments impacted blood hematological parameters. Also, blood serum parameters were influenced by feed additives, except total protein, albumin, globulin, and creatinine were not influenced. Moreover, histological examination of the spleen was influenced by feed additives. It is concluded that utilizing frankincense oil or ginger powder in diets of laying Japanese quails enhanced blood serum properties and improved reproductive and productive performance., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This experiment aimed to examine the effect of chitosan-oligosaccharides (COS) supplementation in laying hens' diets affected their immune response, hematological characteristics, blood biochemical parameters, and histological status. At the age of 34 wk, 200 laying hens and 20 cocks of the Mandarah chicken strain were allotted into four groups, each consisting of 50 hens and five cocks. The first group acted as a control group, fed on a basal diet. The second, third, and fourth experimental groups each received 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 g/kg of COS in addition to a base diet. Birds received COS at various dosages had significantly (P ˂ 0.05) increased serum concentration of immunoglobulins, avian influenza, and Newcastle disease antibodies compared with the control birds. Moreover, adding COS at level 0.2 g/kg diet insignificantly enhanced immune response than the rest of the treatment groups. Also, treated birds with COS at different levels had insignificantly improved hematological parameters such as red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit compared to the control group. Birds fed COS at all levels had significantly decreased serum cholesterol, triglycerides, Ca ++ and alanine aminotransferase concentrations compared with control birds. In addition, compared to the control group, chitosan-treated birds showed enhanced histological examination of the small intestine, isthmus, and testis, notably in birds given COS at 0.1 g/kg diet compared to other treated birds. Cocks fed COS at all levels improved testicular tissues and increased the number and diameter of seminiferous tubules compared with control birds Morphological examination of the ileum showed increased villi number, height, and crypt depth. It is possible to conclude that laying hens' physiological performance and general health can be effectively improved by using chitosan at 0.1 or 2 g/kg diet levels enhanced immune response., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of the existing investigation was to determine the effect of dietary inclusion of threonine amino acid at different levels during feed restriction on growth indices, liver and kidney function parameters, and some hormonal profiles along with economic indicators in broiler chickens. A total of 1,600 from 2 different breeds (800 Ross 308 and 800 Indian River) at 21-day-old age were incorporated. Chicks were randomly assigned into 2 main groups, control and feed-restricted (8 h/d), during the fourth week of age. Each main group was subdivided into 4 groups. The first group was fed a basal diet without adding extra threonine (100%), the second, third, and fourth groups were fed a basal diet with extra threonine levels of 110, 120, and 130%, respectively. Each subgroup consisted of 10 replicates of 10 birds. We noticed that the dietary inclusion of threonine at extra levels in the basal diets significantly enhanced final body weight, body weight gain, and better feed conversion ratio. This was mainly due to the enhanced levels of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF1), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). Moreover, the lowest feed cost per kilogram body weight gain and improved return parameters were reported in control and feed-restricted birds fed higher levels of threonine than other groups. Also, a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and urea levels was observed in feed-restricted birds supplemented with 120 and 130% levels of threonine. Hence, we recommend supplementing threonine at levels of 120 and 130% in the diet of broilers to promote growth and profitability., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The influence of charcoal as feed additives on carcass and meat characteristics was studied in 144 four weeks old Muller ducks. The experimental ducklings were assigned to six groups of 24 birds (Eight per replicates each). The dietary treatments contained 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% charcoal for G1 (C), G2 (L1), G3 (L2), G4 (L3), G5 (L4) and G6 (L5), respectively. All experimental birds were raised under similar environmental and managerial conditions. Results indicated that charcoal did not affect most carcass traits significantly except for dressing percentage was higher (P < 0.05) in 1.5 and 2 % charcoal included ducks diets compared to control ducks. Charcoal supplementation significantly affected duck meat tenderness, juiciness and water holding capacity. Moreover, charcoal altered (P < 0.05) meat components such as crude protein, calcium components, desirable fatty acids, nutritional value and some bacterial counts. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances reduced in birds fed charcoal at 1.5, 2, and 2.5%, with significant variation among treatments. No significant differences in the number of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were detected among the ducks fed with charcoal and the control group. It could be concluded that charcoal could be included in ducks' diets at 1.5 and 2% with beneficial effects on carcass parameters., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

It has been repeatedly reported that nitazoxanide (NTZ) exhibits a wide range of antiviral activities against various viral infections and has shown antimicrobial properties against anaerobic bacteria, helminths and protozoa. To improve these properties, three novel metal complexes were synthesized. The bidentate characteristic of the NTZ ligand was characterized by different spectroscopic techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermogravimetric, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and UV - visible spectroscopy. The geometries of the formed compounds were evaluated by density functional theory, and the results revealed that NTZ-Ru(III) has an octahedral geometry, while NTZ-Au(III) and NTZ-Ag(I) complexes have distorted square planar structures. Binding between the metal complexes and calf thymus DNA (Ct-DNA) has been studied via absorption spectra. Moreover, human albumen serum (HAS) titration has been carried out to test their susceptibility to interact with a major target molecule via absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. Several in vitro bioassays were performed to evaluate the biological activity, antibacterial potency against E. coli , antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of the ligand and the obtained complexes. The results showed that complexes Ru(III) and Au(III) have the highest radical scavenging percentage while the Ag(I) demonstrated the greatest antibacterial activity. Moreover, the metal complexes presented potentially effective against E. coli . Furthermore, compared with NTZ-Ag and the free ligand, the in vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that both NTZ-Ru(III) and NTZ-Au(III) exhibited significant anticancer activity against HeLa cells. The efficiency of the novel compounds as antivirals was tested by molecular docking with two COVID-19 receptors to obtain all interaction details., Competing Interests: 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 paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Objectives: Possible immunomodulatory effect of amantadine in patients treated in intensive care unit (ICU), mostly among patients with brain injuries or vascular diseases was observed in several studies. The potential antiviral effect of amantadine against SARS-CoV-2 was discarded in clinical trials; however, immunomodulatory potential was not studied. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of immunomodulatory amantadine therapy on mortality in patients with respiratory insufficiency due to COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation in ICU., Methods: Retrospective analysis of 241 cases of 141 (58.5%) receiving intravenous amantadine sulfate vs 100 (41.5%) controls on standard of care only was performed., Results: Overall mortality was 72.6%, being notably lower among amantadine treated patients (59.5%, n = 84) compared with controls (91%, n = 91), P-value = 0.001. In multivariate models administration of amantadine was independently associated with lower mortality rate (hazard ratio: 0.220, CI: 0.146-0.333 P-value = 0.001). Furthermore, survival was improved in patients who received amantadine; late administration of amantadine after 5th day was independently associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio: 0.560, CI: 0.313-0.999, P-value = 0.050)., Conclusion: In patients treated in ICU with severe respiratory failure, administration of amantadine is associated with lower mortality, which may be associated with the potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of this agent., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Human serum albumin (HSA) is a monomeric, globular, multi-carrier and the most abundant protein in the blood. HSA displays multiple ligand binding sites with extraordinary binding capacity for a wide range of ions and molecules. For decades, HSA's ability to bind to various ligands has led many scientists to study its physiological properties and protein structure; indeed, a better understanding of HSA-ligand interactions in human blood, at the atomic level, will likely foster the development of more potent, and overall more performant, diagnostic and therapeutic tools against serious human disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. Here, we present a concise overview of the current knowledge of HSA's structural characteristics, and its coordination chemistry with transition metal ions, within the scope and limitations of current techniques and biophysical methods to reach atomic resolution in solution and in blood serum. We also highlight the overwhelming need of a detailed atomistic understanding of HSA dynamic structures and interactions that are transient, weak, multi-site and multi-step, and allosterically affected by each other. Considering the fact that HSA is a current clinical tool for drug delivery systems and a potential contender as molecular cargo and nano-vehicle used in biophysical, clinical and industrial fields, we underline the emerging need for novel approaches to target the dynamic functional coordination chemistry of the human blood serum albumin in solution, at the atomic level., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP), also known as amylin, is a 37-amino-acid peptide hormone that is secreted by pancreatic islet β-cells. Amylin is complementary to insulin in regulating and maintaining blood glucose levels in the human body. The misfolding and aggregation of amylin is primarily associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which is classified as an amyloid disease. Recently, the interactions between amylin and specific metal ions, e.g., copper(II), zinc(II), and iron(II), were found to impact its performance and aggregation processes. Therefore, the focus in this review will be on how the chemistry and structural properties of amylin are affected by these interactions. In addition, the impact of amylin and other amyloidogenic peptides interacting with metal ions on the cell membranes is discussed. In particular, recent studies on the interactions of amylin with copper, zinc, iron, nickel, gold, ruthenium, and vanadium are discussed., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Summary Background: Gene-based warfarin dosing algorithms have largely been developed in homogeneous populations, and their generalizability has not been established., Objectives: We sought to assess the performance of published algorithms in a racially diverse and multiethnic sample, and determine if additional clinical variables or genetic variants associated with dose could enhance algorithm performance., Patients and Methods: In 145 compliant patients on warfarin with a goal international normalized ratio (INR) of 2-3, stable, therapeutic doses were compared with predicted doses using 12 reported algorithms that incorporated CYP2C9 and VKORC1 variants. Additional covariates tested with each model included race, concurrent medications, medications known to interact with warfarin and previously described CYP4F2, CALU and GGCX variants., Results: The mean patient age was 67 +/- 14 years; 90 (62%) were male. Eighty-two (57%) were Caucasian, 28 (19%) African-American, 20 (14%) Hispanic and 15 (10%) Asian. The median warfarin dose was 35 mg per week (interquartile range 23-53 mg per week). Gene-based dosing algorithms explained 37-55% of the variation in warfarin dose requirements. Neither the addition of race, number of concurrent medications nor the number of concurrent medications interacting with warfarin enhanced algorithm performance. Similarly, consideration of CYP4F2, CALU or GGCX variant genotypes did not improve algorithms., Conclusions: Existing gene-based dosing algorithms explained between approximately one-third and one-half of the variability in warfarin dose requirements in this racially and ethnically diverse cohort. Additional clinical and recently described genetic variants associated with warfarin dose did not enhance prediction in our patient population.

We have characterized the interaction between the Zn(2+) ions and the histidine analogues of oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin. Potentiometric methods were used for the determination of the stoichiometry of the complexes formed and the calculation of their stability constants. The NMR measurements revealed detailed structures of the complexes and confirmed the binding mode at physiological pH.

Six hundred thirty-five orthopedic patients who were consecutively referred to an outpatient pain assessment service were grouped into one of five pain-duration categories: 0-3 mo, 4-6 mo, 7-9 mo, 9-12 mo, and more than 12 mo. Comprehensive psychosocial assessment of the patients revealed that longer pain-duration patients are older, complain of greater body surface in pain, have had more surgery, have been out of work longer, report taking more pain medication, have been married more times, are more likely to be involved in worker's compensation, and report a greater likelihood of current suicidal ideation. In addition, patients with longer pain duration showed higher pain intensity and sensitivity, less confidence in coping ability, higher dependency traits, and greater reliability of self-report. Finally, longer pain duration was associated with reports of more symptoms of psychopathologic disturbance, especially in patients with pain durations from 9 to 12 mo. Because the data presented are correlation in nature, prospective analysis of the psychosocial adjustment of orthopedic pain patients is suggested.

Behaviorists have theorized (and experimental analyses suggest) the potential clinical application of verbal behavior modification. This study evaluated therapeutic effects of behavioral intervention to modify the intact verbal community. The setting was an adolescent operant treatment center for behavioral disorders. All residents within the center, 16 females and 22 males, participated in the study. A within subjects experimental design compared effects of a positive verbal community (PVC) plus the ongoing operant treatment program to the operant program alone. Conceptually, these were dual-level and single-level operant programs, respectively. Dependent measures included rates of positive goal-relevant verbalizations of residents, and clinical measures of self-control and psychiatric symptoms. Preliminary evidence supported the feasibility of the PVC as a potential novel therapeutic intervention.

Experimental procedures designed to modify an hypothesized pain detection threshold were arranged to test the notion that to describe a painful experience publicly results in subsequent increased detection of similar pain. First, subjects were pre-tested on their ability to detect and tolerate cold pressor pain. While waiting for a second test, half of the subjects were engaged in conversation by a confederate to whom the subject described his/her impressions of the pre-test. The other half waited in silence for the second test. Results showed that, relative to those who did not describe pain, subjects who publicly described the pain experience had low pain thresholds on the post-test, tolerated the pain less long and reported engaging in a greater number of thoughts indicating that the pain started sooner and was more intense on the post-test. Possible mechanisms to explain this effect are discussed, clinical implications are presented and directions for future research on the same process are outlined.