Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Severe Nephritis That Mimicked Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) belongs to a family of related autoimmune rheumatic disorders that are capable of affecting multiple organs, and they are all associated with a variety of autoantibodies. Henoch Schoenlein purpura (HSP) is a sort of systemic vasculitis that is not associated with auto-antibodies and can affect different organs including the kidneys. Case report: A 12 year-old girl presented with abdominal pain, low grade fever, swollen and tender feet and left hand, skin rash on the lower extremities, and high blood pressure. Initial laboratory tests revealed severe proteinuria, microscopic hematuria and low C3 level. Renal biopsy showed diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis with IgA, fibrinogen and C3 deposits. The case was accordingly diagnosed as HSP with severe IgA nephropathy. Treatment was started with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and pulse methylprednisolone followed by prednisolone. The patient improved and treatment was discontinued after 5.5 months. One month after withdrawal of her medications, the patient presented again with serositis and recurrent proteinuria. Both antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti dsDNA were positive. At this point she was diagnosed to have SLE disease and immunosuppressive treatment was restarted. Following this, symptoms disappeared, proteinuria regressed and anti-dsDNA titer dropped. Conclusion: This case presented with features of HSP and was later-on diagnosed to have SLE. This kind of clinical overlapping has not been reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge.Keywords: Henoch-Schoenlein Purpura; Nephritis; Systemic Lupus Erythematosu

Galectin-3: A cardiomyocyte antiapoptotic mediator at 24-hour post myocardial infarction

Background/Aims: Galectin 3 (GAL-3) is a beta galactoside binding lectin that has different roles in normal and pathophysiological conditions. GAL-3 has been associated with heart failure and was linked to increased risk of death in a number of studies. GAL-3 was found to be up regulated in animal models of heart failure as well as myocardial infarction (MI). The objective of his study is to test if high GAL-3 after myocardial infarction has a protective role on the heart through its anti-apoptotic and anti-necrotic functions.Methods: Male C57B6/J mice and GAL-3 knockout (KO) mice were used for permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery of the heart to create infarction in the anterior myocardium. Heart and plasma samples were collected 24 hours after the induction of MI and were used for immunohistochemistry, Tunnel procedure, electron microscopy and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: Our results show that the significant increase in GAL-3 levels in the left ventricle at 24-hour following MI is associated with significant lower levels of pro-apoptotic proteins; cytochrome c, Bax, annexin V, cleaved caspase-3 and a higher levels of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 in GAL-3 wild MI group than GAL-3 KO group. We also have identified the anti-apoptotic activity of GAL-3 is mediated through a significant increase in Akt-1, NF kappa-B and beta- catenin proteins. In addition, we have identified the antiapoptotic activity is mediated through a significant lower levels of cathepsin-D protein.Conclusion: We conclude that the increased levels of GAL-3 at 24-hour following MI regulate antiapoptotic mechanisms in the myocardium that will shape the future course of the disease. We also identified that the anti-apoptotic mechanisms are likely mediated through interaction of GAL-3 with Akt-1, NF kappa-B, beta- catenin and cathepsin D proteins

Recent advances in the Biosynthesis of Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticles and their Biological Applications

أثار أكسيد الزركونيوم  ZrO2  اهتمام الباحثين في جميع أنحاء العالم، لا سيما منذ تطوير طرق لتصنيع جزيئات بحجم النانو. تم تحفيز الدراسة المكثفة في تكوين الجسيمات النانوية باستخدام تقنيات تركيبية مختلفة، بالإضافة إلى استخداماتها المحتملة، من خلال كفاءتها الضوئية العالية، وفجوة النطاق العريض، وطاقة ربط الأكسيتون العالية. في تغليف المواد الغذائية، يمكن استخدام الجسيمات النانوية لثاني أكسيد الزركونيوم كعوامل مضادة للميكروبات ومضادة للسرطان. استجابةً للاهتمام المتزايد بـ nano ZrO2 ، ابتكر الباحثون وطوروا طرقًا لتركيب الجسيمات النانوية. تم مؤخرًا إنشاء مركبات ZrO2 النانوية ذات الأشكال المختلفة باستخدام طرق بيولوجية ("الكيمياء الخضراء"). تساهم كل من الميكروبات والنباتات في إنتاج الزركونيا في المختبر. يتم توفير عوامل التثبيت بواسطة الجزيئات الحيوية الموجودة في المستخلصات النباتية، بينما يتم توفير الإنزيمات بواسطة الكائنات الحية الدقيقة كعوامل للتغطية والتثبيت (داخل الخلايا أو خارج الخلية). من الممكن تحليل الجسيمات النانوية المنتجة باستخدام مجموعة متنوعة من الأساليب التحليلية، بما في ذلك التحليل الطيفي للأشعة فوق البنفسجية المرئية، وحيود الأشعة السينية (XRD) ، والمجهر الإلكتروني للإرسال (TEM) ، والتحليل الطيفي للأشعة تحت الحمراء (FT-IR). عند تطبيقها على البكتيريا (موجبة الجرام وسالبة الجرام) والفطريات، تظهر ZrO2NPs قدرات واعدة مضادة للجراثيم. تعتبر الخلايا الطبيعية والخبيثة حساسة للجسيمات النانوية ZrO2 ، والتي يمكن تفسيرها من خلال توليد الأكسجين التفاعلي (ROS). يناقش هذا العمل ويصف الطرق العديدة لإنتاج جسيمات ZrO2 النانوية، بالإضافة إلى خصائصها وإمكانيات التطبيق المختلفة.A critical milestone in nano-biotechnology is establishing reliable and ecological friendly methods for fabricating metal oxide NPs. Because of their great biodegradable, electrical, mechanical, and optical qualities, zirconia NPs (ZrO2NPs) attract much interest among all zirconia NPs (ZrO2NPs). Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) has piqued the interest of researchers throughout the world, particularly since the development of methods for the manufacture of nano-sized particles. An extensive study into the creation of nanoparticles utilizing various synthetic techniques and their potential uses has been stimulated by their high luminous efficiency, wide bandgap, and high exciton binding energy. Zirconium dioxide nanoparticles may be used as antimicrobial and anticancer agents in food packaging. In response to the growing interest in nano ZrO2, researchers invented and developed methods for synthesizing nanoparticles. ZrO2 nanocomposites with various morphologies have recently been created using biological (green chemistry) methods. Microbes and plants both contribute to the production of zirconia in the laboratory. Capping and stabilizing agents are provided by the biomolecules found in plant extracts, whereas microorganisms provide enzymes as capping and stabilizing agents (intracellular or extracellular). It is possible to analyze the nanoparticles produced using a variety of analytical approaches, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). When applied to bacteria (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative) and fungi, ZrO2NPs show promising antibacterial capabilities. Normal and malignant cells are sensitive to ZrO2 nanoparticles, which can be explained by the generation of reactive oxygen (ROS). This work discusses and describes many ways of producing ZrO2 nanoparticles, their properties, and various application possibilities

Hierarchical Segmentation of the Malawi Rift: The Influence of Inherited Lithospheric Heterogeneity and Kinematics in the Evolution of Continental Rifts

We used detailed analysis of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission-digital elevation model and observations from aeromagnetic data to examine the influence of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity and kinematics in the segmentation of largely amagmatic continental rifts. We focused on the Cenozoic Malawi Rift, which represents the southern extension of the Western Branch of the East African Rift System. This north trending rift traverses Precambrian and Paleozoic-Mesozoic structures of different orientations. We found that the rift can be hierarchically divided into first-order and second-order segments. In the first-order segmentation, we divided the rift into Northern, Central, and Southern sections. In its Northern Section, the rift follows Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic terrains with structural grain that favored the localization of extension within well-developed border faults. The Central Section occurs within Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic terrain with regional structures oblique to the rift extent. We propose that the lack of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity favoring extension localization resulted in the development of the rift in this section as a shallow graben with undeveloped border faults. In the Southern Section, Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic rocks were reactivated and developed the border faults. In the second-order segmentation, only observed in the Northern Section, we divided the section into five segments that approximate four half-grabens/asymmetrical grabens with alternating polarities. The change of polarity coincides with flip-over full-grabens occurring within overlap zones associated with ∼150 km long alternating border faults segments. The inherited lithospheric heterogeneity played the major role in facilitating the segmentation of the Malawi Rift during its opening resulting from extension

q-Ultraspherical polynomials for q a root of unity

Properties of the $q$-ultraspherical polynomials for $q$ being a primitive root of unity are derived using a formalism of the $so_q(3)$ algebra. The orthogonality condition for these polynomials provides a new class of trigonometric identities representing discrete finite-dimensional analogs of $q$-beta integrals of Ramanujan.Comment: 7 pages, LATE

High Active Co/Mg1-xCex3+O Catalyst: Effects of Metal-Support Promoter Interactions on CO2 Reforming of CH4 Reaction

Co/Mg1−XCe3+XO (x = 0, 0.03, 0.07, 0.15; 1 wt% cobalt each) catalysts for the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction were prepared using the co-precipitation method with K2CO3 as precipitant. Characterization of the catalysts was achieved by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The role of several reactant and catalyst concentrations, and reaction temperatures (700–900 °C) on the catalytic performance of the DRM reaction was measured in a tubular fixed-bed reactor under atmospheric pressure at various CH4/CO2 concentration ratios (1:1 to 2:1). Using X-ray diffraction, a surface area of 19.2 m2.g−1 was exhibited by the Co/Mg0.85Ce3+0.15O catalyst and MgO phase (average crystallite size of 61.4 nm) was detected on the surface of the catalyst. H2 temperature programmed reaction revealed a reduction of CoO particles to metallic Co0 phase. The catalytic stability of the Co/Mg0.85Ce3+0.15O catalyst was achieved for 200 h on-stream at 900 °C for the 1:1 CH4:CO2 ratio with an H2/CO ratio of 1.0 and a CH4, CO2 conversions of 75% and 86%, respectively. In the present study, the conversion of CH4 was improved (75%–84%) when conducting the experiment at a lower flow of oxygen (1.25%). Finally, the deposition of carbon on the spent catalysts was analyzed using TEM and Temperature programmed oxidation-mass spectroscopy (TPO-MS) following 200 h under an oxygen stream. Better anti-coking activity of the reduced catalyst was observed by both, TEM, and TPO-MS analysis. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA   License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Stimulation of rhamnolipid biosurfactants production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa AK6U by organosulfur compounds provided as sulfur sources

AbstractA Pseudomonas aeruginosa AK6U strain produced rhamnolipid biosurfactants to variable extents when grown on MgSO4 or organosulfur compounds as sulfur sources and glucose as a carbon source. Organosulfur cultures produced much higher biosurfactants amounts compared to the MgSO4 cultures. The surface tension of the growth medium was reduced from 72mN/m to 54 and 30mN/m in cultures containing MgSO4 and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DM-DBT), respectively. AK6U cultures produced different rhamnolipid congener profiles depending on the provided sulfur source. The dibenzothiophene (DBT) culture produced more diverse and a higher number of rhamnolipid congeners as compared to the DBT-sulfone and MgSO4 cultures. The number of mono-rhamnolipid congeners in the DBT culture was also higher than that detected in the DBT-sulfone and MgSO4 cultures. Di-rhamnolipids dominated the congener profiles in all the analyzed cultures. The sulfur source can have a profound impact on the quality and quantity of the produced biosurfactants