The Influence of Rice Husk and Tobacco Waste Biochars on Soil Quality

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural land threatens soil and food quality. Soil pollution could be remediate using biochar, but the effectiveness of biochar on soil quality improvement is determined by types of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature. This study was aimed to explore the effect of different types of biochar on soil properties. Biochar from rice husk and tobacco waste was applied to soil contaminated with lead and mercury. This study was conducted at Sumber Brantas, Malang East Java, and used a completely randomized design with three replicates. Heavy metals content was measured using AAS. The results of measurements were analyzed using analysis of variance at 5% and 1% significance levels. The initial analysis of the soil properties at the research site showed that the soil nutrient status was low, i.e. N (0.2 %), K (0.50 cmol+/kg), and CEC (5.9 me/100g) respectively, but soil pH was neutral (6.8). The research site also has crossed the threshold of heavy metal content for Hg (0.5 ppm), Pb (25.22 ppm), Cd (1.96 ppm), and As (0.78 ppm). Biochar added had a positive influence on soil characteristics improvement. It could increase the content of organic C, i.e. 35.12% and 31.81% and CEC (cation exchange capacity), i.e.30.56 me/100g and 28.13 me/100 g for rice husk biochar and tobacco waste biochar, respectively. However, N, P, and K contents were low i.e. N ( 0.33 and 0.30 %); P2O5 (148.79 and 152 ppm); K (1.58 and 2.11 mg/100g) for rice husk biochar and tobacco waste biochar, respectively

Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the effects of sealants in preventing pit and fissure caries in primary molars.</p

Decreased microbial co-occurrence network stability and SCFA receptor level correlates with obesity in African-origin women.

We compared the gut microbial populations in 100 women, from rural Ghana and urban US [50% lean (BMI &lt; 25 kg/m2) and 50% obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2)] to examine the ecological co-occurrence network topology of the gut microbiota as well as the relationship of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) with obesity. Ghanaians consumed significantly more dietary fiber, had greater microbial alpha-diversity, different beta-diversity, and had a greater concentration of total fecal SCFAs (p-value &lt; 0.002). Lean Ghanaians had significantly greater network density, connectivity and stability than either obese Ghanaians, or lean and obese US participants (false discovery rate (FDR) corrected p-value ≤ 0.01). Bacteroides uniformis was significantly more abundant in lean women, irrespective of country (FDR corrected p &lt; 0.001), while lean Ghanaians had a significantly greater proportion of Ruminococcus callidus, Prevotella copri, and Escherichia coli, and smaller proportions of Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides. Lean Ghanaians had a significantly greater abundance of predicted microbial genes that catalyzed the production of butyric acid via the fermentation of pyruvate or branched amino-acids, while obese Ghanaians and US women (irrespective of BMI) had a significantly greater abundance of predicted microbial genes that encoded for enzymes associated with the fermentation of amino-acids such as alanine, aspartate, lysine and glutamate. Similar to lean Ghanaian women, mice humanized with stool from the lean Ghanaian participant had a significantly lower abundance of family Lachnospiraceae and genus Bacteroides and Parabacteroides, and were resistant to obesity following 6-weeks of high fat feeding (p-value &lt; 0.01). Obesity-resistant mice also showed increased intestinal transcriptional expression of the free fatty acid (Ffa) receptor Ffa2, in spite of similar fecal SCFAs concentrations. We demonstrate that the association between obesity resistance and increased predicted ecological connectivity and stability of the lean Ghanaian microbiota, as well as increased local SCFA receptor level, provides evidence of the importance of robust gut ecologic network in obesity

Ligand-Induced Proton Transfer and Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bond Revealed by X-ray Crystallography

Ligand binding can change the pKa of protein residues and influence enzyme catalysis. Herein, we report three sub-Angstrom resolution X-ray crystal structures of CTX-M \u3b2-lactamase, representing three stages of the enzymatic pathway, apo protein (0.79 \uc5), pre-covalent complex (0.89 \uc5), and acylation transition state analog (0.84 \uc5). The binding of a non-covalent ligand induces a proton transfer from the catalytic Ser70 to the general base Glu166, and the formation of a low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) between Ser70 and Lys73. QM/MM reaction path calculations determined the proton transfer barrier between Ser70 and Lys73 to be 1.53 kcal/mol, further confirming the presence of a LBHB. This LBHB is absent in the other two structures. Our data represents the first evidence of a direct and transient LBHB stabilizing a nucleophilic serine, as hypothesized by Cleland and Kreevoy. These results have important implications for the study of enzyme mechanisms as well as protein-inhibitor interactions

Loss of Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 leads to impaired islet mass and beta cell survival

The regulation of pancreatic β cell mass is a critical factor to help maintain normoglycemia during insulin resistance. Nutrient-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) contribute to aspects of β cell function, including regulation of β cell mass. Nutrients such as free fatty acids (FFAs) contribute to precise regulation of β cell mass by signaling through cognate GPCRs, and considerable evidence suggests that circulating FFAs promote β cell expansion by direct and indirect mechanisms. Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 (FFA2) is a β cell-expressed GPCR that is activated by short chain fatty acids, particularly acetate. Recent studies of FFA2 suggest that it may act as a regulator of β cell function. Here, we set out to explore what role FFA2 may play in regulation of β cell mass. Interestingly, Ffar2(-/-) mice exhibit diminished β cell mass at birth and throughout adulthood, and increased β cell death at adolescent time points, suggesting a role for FFA2 in establishment and maintenance of β cell mass. Additionally, activation of FFA2 with Gαq/11-biased agonists substantially increased β cell proliferation in in vitro and ex vivo proliferation assays. Collectively, these data suggest that FFA2 may be a novel therapeutic target to stimulate β cell growth and proliferation

Variability in Tuberculosis Granuloma T Cell Responses Exists, but a Balance of Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Cytokines Is Associated with Sterilization

Lung granulomas are the pathologic hallmark of tuberculosis (TB). T cells are a major cellular component of TB lung granulomas and are known to play an important role in containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. We used cynomolgus macaques, a non-human primate model that recapitulates human TB with clinically active disease, latent infection or early infection, to understand functional characteristics and dynamics of T cells in individual granulomas. We sought to correlate T cell cytokine response and bacterial burden of each granuloma, as well as granuloma and systemic responses in individual animals. Our results support that each granuloma within an individual host is independent with respect to total cell numbers, proportion of T cells, pattern of cytokine response, and bacterial burden. The spectrum of these components overlaps greatly amongst animals with different clinical status, indicating that a diversity of granulomas exists within an individual host. On average only about 8% of T cells from granulomas respond with cytokine production after stimulation with Mtb specific antigens, and few “multi-functional” T cells were observed. However, granulomas were found to be “multi-functional” with respect to the combinations of functional T cells that were identified among lesions from individual animals. Although the responses generally overlapped, sterile granulomas had modestly higher frequencies of T cells making IL-17, TNF and any of T-1 (IFN-γ, IL-2, or TNF) and/or T-17 (IL-17) cytokines than non-sterile granulomas. An inverse correlation was observed between bacterial burden with TNF and T-1/T-17 responses in individual granulomas, and a combinatorial analysis of pair-wise cytokine responses indicated that granulomas with T cells producing both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-10 and IL-17) were associated with clearance of Mtb. Preliminary evaluation suggests that systemic responses in the blood do not accurately reflect local T cell responses within granulomas

Study on Renal stones: A review

Renal stones represent one of the most prevalent urological conditions, arising from the abnormal accumulation of crystalline materials within the kidney, ultimately leading to renal impairment and urinary tract obstruction. This affliction encompasses four distinct types categorized by their chemical composition, with analysis typically conducted through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Numerous studies have highlighted the significant prevalence of bacterial presence in renal stones, correlating with a heightened risk of urinary tract infections among urolithiasis patients. This study provides a comprehensive overview of renal stones, exploring their various types, morphologies, diagnostic methodologies, risk factors, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations, while also delving into the associated infection dynamics. The bacterial species isolated from stone samples are thoroughly examined, elucidating their bacteriological profiles, with particular emphasis placed on their interactions with different stone types. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/jchr.v14.i2.367

Karakteristik Fisika Kimia Tanah pada Sistem Agroforestri

Priyadarshini R, Hamzah A, Maroeto M, Widjajani BW. 2020. Soil physico-chemical characteristics on agroforestry systems. In: Herlinda S et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-8 Tahun 2020, Palembang 20 Oktober 2020. pp. xx.  Palembang: Penerbit & Percetakan Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI).The composition, structure and type of vegetation are determined by land management patterns and their closely related with the organic matter input, which in turn will determine soil physico-chemical characteristics, in particular soil bulk density, organic-C, and N mineralization. This study aims to measure and compare the soil physico-chemical characteristics and nett N-mineralization, and also nitrogen leaching on agroforestri systems with different levels of tree diversity. The research was conducted on 2 (two) types of agroforestry systems with different compositions; namely simple agroforestry and complex agroforestry. The research was conducted in the Sumber Brantas sub-watershed which is located at 1150 17’00” to 118019’00” East Longitude and 7055’30” to70 57’30” South Latitude, on 3 (three) different plots for each type of agroforestry. The results showed that complex agroforestry systems had a greater input of organic matter (6.55 Mg ha-1) than simple agroforestry (4.68 Mg ha-1), with soil mineral N content of 108.2 kgha-1 and respectively. 120.2 kg ha-1 for complex agroforestry and simple agroforestry. The leached nitrate in the agroforestry systems was also greater (3.16%) than the simple agroforestry systems(1.83%) which was managed with a greater porosity in the complex agroforestry systems indicated by the lower value of soil bulk density (0.84 gcm- 3) compare with simple agroforestry (1.09 gcm-3)