44 research outputs found
Acute Exercise-Induced Modulation of NOD-like Receptors (NLRs) Expression in Skeletal Muscle
No full textNod-like receptors (NLRs) are part of the innate immune system, but they are also found in
many other cell types, and their role in skeletal muscle remains largely underexplored. To
address this, we developed a reproducible treadmill-based acute exercise model in mice,
conducted at Zeitgeber Time 16 (ZT16) to align with their active nocturnal phase. Muscle
samples were collected from the gastrocnemius at 4-, 8-, and 24-hours post-exercise to
capture immediate and delayed gene expression responses. The aim of this thesis was to
investigate the role of NLRs in muscle function by assessing how acute exercise affects the
expression of NOD1 and NOD2 in skeletal muscle and comparing their expression between
males and females. Gene expression analysis using qPCR confirmed that the early response
gene NR4A3 was significantly upregulated at 4 hours in both male and female mice,
indicating successful activation of exercise-responsive pathways. NOD2 expression was
significantly elevated at 8 hours post-exercise in males only, suggesting a sex-specific
activation possibly linked to cellular stress and the release of DAMPs following muscle
damage. The downstream signalling molecule RIPK2, which is activated by NOD2, was also
upregulated in males at 24 hours, further supporting this pathway's involvement. In contrast,
NOD1 expression remained unchanged in both sexes. These results suggest that acute
exercise triggers sex-specific molecular responses in skeletal muscle, particularly involving
NOD2 signalling pathways. The study highlights the importance of considering biological
sex in experiments investigating immune and exercise-related gene expression in skeletal
muscle tissue.MSc/MABiolog
EVALUATION OF GENETIC DIFFERENCES ON IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN TWO NATIVE CHICKEN STRAINS FED ON DIFFERENT NATURAL AND ORGANIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION
No full textThe main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the genetic differences in immunological response by use the natural growth promoters in diets offered to local chicken strains (GoldenMontazah (GM) and Bandra (B)). The present study was carried out in Seds Poultry Breeding Research Station, Animal Production Research Institute, Banysweif Governorate, through August to January (2016). A total of 240 chicks (120 hens of each strain) were used from 16 to 40 weeks of age. Birds were randomly distributed into six treatments. Each treatment had 20 (female) chicks (20X 6X 2) that were individually caged. The first treatment of each strain served as a control group and fed the formulated basal diet without any tested feed additives. The second treatment fed the basal diet with BioPlus® 2B, (400gm/ton) a commercial probiotic preparation (pro. (Bio)). The third treatment hens were fed the same basal diet with the addition of TechnoMos® (500gm/ton) a prebiotic type (pre. (Tech)).The fourth treatment fed the basal diet with Diamond V®(2.5kg/ton) a commercial prebiotic produced (pre. (Dia)). The fifth treatment fed the basal diet with FORMI® NDF (2kg/ton) (organic acid (FORMI)). The sixth treatment fed the basal diet with combination of (BioPlus® 2B, (400gm/ton) + TechnoMos® (500gm/ton) + FORMI® NDF (1kg/ton)) (combination (BTF)). Data showed that, the Heterophils/Lymphocyte ratio percentage value was significantly higher in Golden Montaza than Bandara. The highest value was found for organic acids (FORMI) group and the lowest value was found for probiotic (Bio Plus) group. As for the antibody titer before vaccination the highest values were found for pre (Tech) group in comparison to pre (Dia) group. And there were no significant differences between the control group and all treated groups. Also, the higher values of antibody titer against Newcastle vaccine after vaccination were found in pre (Tech.), org ((FORMI), combination (Bio, Tech and FORMI) and control groups compare to values were found in pre (Dia) and pro (Bio) groups. As for the differences titer between before and after vaccination against Newcastle disease virus, there were no significant differences
Natural resonance frequency identification for sea waves and EEG epileptic patients using Pade approximation and neural network
No full textPade method is used in the spectral domain estimation to classify both the remote sensing and the biomedical signals. The first example presented from remote sensing is the sea wave classification while the second example depicted from biomedical engineering field is the Epilepsy seizure type classification. Feature extractions of both the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signal and the epilepsy seizure from a human Electroencephalograph (EEG) signal are based on the poles location of the signal
Natural resonance frequency identification for remote sensing and biomedical engineering using Prony method and fuzzy logic
No full textProny method is applied to classify both the remote sensing and the biomedical signals. The first example presented from remote sensing is the sea wave classification while the second example depicted from biomedical engineering field is the Epilepsy seizure type classification. Feature extractions of both the Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) signal and the epilepsy seizure from a human Electroencephalograph (EEG) signal are based on the poles location of the signal
Design, Synthesis, Anticancer Evaluation and Molecular Modeling of Novel Estrogen Derivatives
No full textA series of estrone derivatives 3–8 was designed and synthesized using estrone arylmethylenes 2a,b as starting materials and their structures were confirmed by different spectral data and elemental analyses. All the newly synthesized compounds exhibited potent in vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activities against breast cancer cell lines. In addition, all compounds were subjected to in vitro and in vivo inhibition assays for EGFR and VEGFR-2 kinases as well as p53 ubiquitination activity to obtain more details about their mechanism of action. Based on the promising results, a molecular docking study was investigated for the most representative compound 5a against the two targets, EGFR and VEGFR-2 kinases, to assess its binding affinity, hoping to rationalize and obtain potent anticancer agents in the future
Genotypic variation and yield stability of bread wheat under induced field heat stress during grain-filling for climate resilience in arid regions
No full textClimate change causes frequent periods of heat stress that threaten global wheat production and food security. High temperatures, particularly during grain-filling stage, shorten filling duration and reduce grain yield. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance, heat stress tolerance, and yield stability of 35 bread wheat genotypes under normal and heat stress conditions during two consecutive growing seasons. Field experiments were conducted under six environments created by varying heat stress duration using plastic tunnel covers (two and four weeks) compared to control plots. Yield components, including number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, grain weight per spike, and grain yield, were measured. Heat stress significantly reduced all yield traits, with the greatest relative losses occurring for grain yield and grain weight per spike. Substantial genotypic variability was observed, and genotype-by-environment interaction effects were highly significant. Advanced statistical models, including AMMI1, AMMI2, GGE dendrogram, and hierarchical clustering, were employed to dissect genotype performance and stability across heat treatments and seasons, revealing significant variations in tolerance and adaptation. Dendrogram, heatmaps, and stability analyses identified genotypes with broad adaptability and yield stability under thermal stress. The advanced lines G11, G13, G15, G16, G29, and G25, and G32 exhibited superior heat tolerance and stable high yields. Significant positive correlations among grain yield traits were observed under normal and short-term heat stress. However, prolonged heat stress disrupted these relationships, weakening the association among yield components, which indicates detrimental impact of extended thermal stress on wheat yield formation. The results of this study provide valuable insights into wheat genotypic responses to heat stress and identify promising genotypes for breeding, aiming to improve wheat productivity and sustainability under increasing temperature pressures in arid agroecological zones
Resistance patterns, virulence determinants, and biofilm genes of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from fish and fish handlers
No full textAbstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is an opportunistic bacterium that is widely distributed in aquatic environments and causes major economic losses in fish and public health hazards.This study aimed to identify the occurrence of P. aeruginosa in samples collected from fish and fish handlers, and to investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence determinants, and biofilm genes of P. aeruginosa isolates. A total of 276 samples were cross-sectionally collected from Nile tilapia (53), Golden grey mullet (52), Mediterranean horse mackerel (50), Striped red mullet (71), and fish handlers (50) at five different retail fish markets in Damietta Governorate, Egypt. Pseudomonas species (spp.) were biochemically identified in 57.9% of the total examined samples. Peudomonas aeruginosa were the most prevalent species isolated from the fish and human samples via PCR technique. Peudomonas aeruginosa isolates exhibited full resistance (100%) to tobramycin (TOB), gentamicin (CN), and colistin (CL), with a high level of susceptibility (88.5%) to imipenem (IPM) using the disk diffusion method. Most P. aeruginosa isolates (84.6%) exhibited drug resistance, with 61.5% were multidrug resistance (MDR) and 23.1% were extensive drug resistance (XDR). Most isolates had at least four virulence-associated genes (lasB, toxA, exoU, and oprL) and three biofilm genes (psIA, peIA, and lasR) by using uniplex PCR. The lasI, and rhlR Quorum Sensing (QS) genes were identified in 84.6% and 61.5% in the examined P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. The highest mortality rate in Nile tilapia experimentally infected with P. aeruginosa isolate encoding most of virulent genes. Multivariate analyses revealed high heterogeneity among the examined isolates. This study revealed the emergence of virulent and drug resistant P. aeruginosa isolates in fish, poses high risks to consumers and food. Thus, strict hygienic measures should be considered when catching, handling, and storing fish, in addition to the routine application of antimicrobial susceptibility testing
Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: clinical, computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound features unraveling a rare tumor with pathologic correlation
No full textAbstract Background Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas exhibits low malignant potential and is typically curable via surgical excision, with > 90% 5-year survival rates, including metastatic cases. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is crucial to minimize surgical extent. We aimed to elucidate distinctive imaging features of SPN on computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with pathologic correlation, enabling radiologists to better recognize and distinguish them from other pancreatic lesions. Methods Thirty three patients (3 men, and 30 women; median age of 25 years) with pathologic diagnosis of SPN encountered between November 2019 and July 2024 were included in this study. CT images with pancreatic triphasic protocol were reviewed for tumor location, size, shape, margin, morphology, presence of capsule, calcification, hemorrhage, invasion, enlarged lymph nodes, and bile duct dilatation. Enhancement pattern was assessed and CT attenuation values were calculated. EUS was conducted in 15 patients and its sensitivity in diagnosing SPN was compared to CT alone. Results Most patients in our series were symptomatic young females. Dominant CT features included a well-defined encapsulated lesion with mixed solid/cystic appearance, variable degrees of hemorrhage and calcifications, heterogeneous hypo-enhancement during arterial phase with peak enhancement in portal venous phase, non-dilated bile duct, and absence of liver metastasis. Combining CT and EUS in 15 patients enhanced diagnostic sensitivity compared to CT alone. Conclusion A mixed solid/cystic pancreatic mass in a young woman with progressive enhancement and variable degrees of hemorrhage and calcifications is suggestive of SPN. Combining CT and EUS could enhance preoperative diagnostic accuracy. Despite being a descriptive study with limited scope, this institutional case series provides descriptive insights into tumor characteristics, aligning with existing literature and expanding the collective knowledge base
Enhancing Drought Tolerance and Water Productivity of Diverse Maize Hybrids (Zea mays) Using Exogenously Applied Biostimulants under Varying Irrigation Levels
No full textThis article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology of Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops at Reproductive Stages and Crop Improvement Strategies[Abstract] Water deficit is a decisive challenge that tremendously affects maize physiological functions and productivity. Hence, it is crucial to ameliorate its tolerance to drought stress, in particular under abrupt climate change and a growing population. The present study aimed to explore the influence of exogenously sprayed moringa seed extract (Moringa oleifera) and α-tocopherol on physio-biochemical, morphological, and yield attributes of six diverse maize hybrids under three irrigation levels in poor-fertility sandy soil. The applied irrigation regimes were based on estimated crop evapotranspiration (ET) using the FAO Penman–Monteith equation. A split–split plot arrangement with a randomized complete block design and three replicates was applied for different treatments. Irrigation levels (100% ET, 75% ET and 50% ET) were established in the main plots, while foliar applications (moringa extract and α-tocopherol) were located in subplots and the assessed hybrids (SC162, SC166, SC167, SC168, SC176, and SC178) in subsubplots. Mild (75% ET) and severe (50% ET) drought stress gradually reduced the gas exchange, photosynthetic efficiency, water relations, and yield traits compared with well-watered conditions (100% ET). However, foliar application of moringa seed extract or α-tocopherol was effective in reinforcing maize tolerance to drought stress by enhancing the accumulation of osmoprotectants, improving antioxidant enzymes, and decreasing levels of peroxidation of membrane lipids and electrolyte leakage compared to untreated control. These positive impacts were reflected in boosting yield traits and crop water productivity under water deficit conditions. The physiological and agronomic performance of the assessed maize hybrids considerably varied under water deficit conditions. The hybrids SC168, SC176, and SC178 exhibited the best performance under mild and severe drought conditions compared with the other hybrids. Consequently, the integration of exogenously applied moringa seed extract or α-tocopherol with tolerant maize hybrids such as SC168, SC176, and SC178 is an efficient approach to ameliorating drought tolerance under water-scarce conditions in arid environments.This research was funded by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD-2023R730), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaKing Saud University (Riad, Arabia Saudita); RSPD-2023R73
