The Application of Nanoparticles of Waste Tires in Remediating Boron from Desalinated Water

A waste tire rubber (WTR) collected from the remains discarded tires has exhibited a noteworthy capacity to adsorb Boron. In the current study, the boron adsorption remediation from water at selected pH values, initial boron concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage and particle size were examined using the WTR, the chemically modified WTR, and nano-WTR. The adsorption isotherms were best fitted to the Freundlich model with a high correlation coefficient (R2 :0.89-0.99), while the adsorption kinetics were satisfactorily described by the pseudo second order kinetic equation with correlation coefficient (R2: 1).The boron remediation using the WTR, the chemically modified-WTR and nano-WTR at low boron concentration (≤ 17.7 mg/L) were comparable with other adsorbents. The highest adsorption capacities for WTR, chemically modified-WTR and nano-WTR at initial concentration of 17.5 mg/L were 16.7 ± 1.3 mg/g, 13.8 ± 1.9 mg/g and 12.7 ± 1.8mg/g, respectively.This publication was made possible by UREP # (19-171-1-031) from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation)

Characterization of the Glycosylation Site of Human PSA Prompted by Missense Mutation using LC–MS/MS

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is currently used as a diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer. It is a glycoprotein possessing a single glycosylation site at N69. During our previous study of PSA N69 glycosylation, additional glycopeptides were observed in the PSA sample that were not previously reported and did not match glycopeptides of impure glycoproteins existing in the sample. This extra glycosylation site of PSA is associated with a mutation in KLK3 genes. Among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of KLKs families, the rs61752561 in KLK3 genes is an unusual missense mutation resulting in the conversion of D102 to N in PSA amino acid sequence. Accordingly, a new N-linked glycosylation site is created with an N102MS motif. Here we report the first qualitative and quantitative glycoproteomic study of PSA N102 glycosylation site by LC–MS/MS. We successfully applied tandem MS to verify the amino acid sequence possessing N102 glycosylation site and associated glycoforms of PSA samples acquired from different suppliers. Among the three PSA samples, HexNAc2Hex5 was the predominant glycoform at N102, while Hex­NAc4­Hex5­Fuc1­Neu­Ac1 or Hex­NAc4­Hex5­Fuc1­Neu­Ac2 was the primary glycoforms at N69. D102 is the first amino acid of “kallikrein loop”, which is close to a zinc-binding site and catalytic triad. The different glycosylation of N102 relative to N69 might be influenced by the close vicinity of N102 to these functional sites and steric hindrance

Three dimensional surface plot for the dependent variable POS in terms of reducing sugars vs. the independent variables pectin and peptone at constant optimal value of NaH₂PO₄.

<p>Three dimensional surface plot for the dependent variable POS in terms of reducing sugars vs. the independent variables pectin and peptone at constant optimal value of NaH₂PO₄.</p

Real–coded values of independent variables and regression analysis for POS optimization by Box-Behnken.

<p>Real–coded values of independent variables and regression analysis for POS optimization by Box-Behnken.</p

Coded-Real levels of six independent variables in PBD for optimizing of POS' production by <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. section Flavi strain EGY1 DSM 101520 along with experimental and predicted levels of releasing POS.

<p>Coded-Real levels of six independent variables in PBD for optimizing of POS' production by <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. section Flavi strain EGY1 DSM 101520 along with experimental and predicted levels of releasing POS.</p

Three dimensional surface plot for the dependent variable POS in terms of reducing sugars vs. the independent variables peptone and NaH₂PO₄ at constant optimal value of pectin.

<p>Three dimensional surface plot for the dependent variable POS in terms of reducing sugars vs. the independent variables peptone and NaH₂PO₄ at constant optimal value of pectin.</p

Estimated maximum response (POS) production by <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. section Flavi strain EGY1 DSM 101520 using a canonical path.

<p>Estimated maximum response (POS) production by <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. section Flavi strain EGY1 DSM 101520 using a canonical path.</p

Real-coded values of independent variables and regression analysis for POS' optimization by PBD.

<p>Real-coded values of independent variables and regression analysis for POS' optimization by PBD.</p

Cytotoxicity of syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol isolated from <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i> on selected human cell lines

<div><p>This study was carried out to determine the cytotoxic effect of seven plant extracts and the isolated compounds – syringin and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol – on cancerous and non-cancerous cells. The ethanol extract of <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i> was found to exhibit the most significant toxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 19.97 μg/mL on HeLa cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two compounds, syringin (<b>1</b>) and 4-methoxycinnamyl alcohol (<b>2</b>). Both compounds showed toxicity against MCF-7, HeLa and DU145 cancer cell line. The results showed that compound <b>2</b> showed high toxicity against all the cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 14.24, 7.82 and 22.10 μg/mL, respectively. 4-Methoxycinnamyl alcohol also showed no apoptotic effect in cell cycle analysis after 48 h at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. However, DNA fragmentation study revealed that necrosis took place at a concentration of 10 μg/mL after 48 h exposure.</p></div

Table2_Genome-wide identification, characterization, and validation of the bHLH transcription factors in grass pea.DOC

Background: The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor is a vital component in plant biology, with a significant impact on various aspects of plant growth, cell development, and physiological processes. Grass pea is a vital agricultural crop that plays a crucial role in food security. However, the lack of genomic information presents a major challenge to its improvement and development. This highlights the urgency for deeper investigation into the function of bHLH genes in grass pea to improve our understanding of this important crop.Results: The identification of bHLH genes in grass pea was performed on a genome-wide scale using genomic and transcriptomic screening. A total of 122 genes were identified as having conserved bHLH domains and were functionally and fully annotated. The LsbHLH proteins could be classified into 18 subfamilies. There were variations in intron-exon distribution, with some genes lacking introns. The cis-element and gene enrichment analyses showed that the LsbHLHs were involved in various plant functions, including response to phytohormones, flower and fruit development, and anthocyanin synthesis. A total of 28 LsbHLHs were found to have cis-elements associated with light response and endosperm expression biosynthesis. Ten conserved motifs were identified across the LsbHLH proteins. The protein-protein interaction analysis showed that all LsbHLH proteins interacted with each other, and nine of them displayed high levels of interaction. RNA-seq analysis of four Sequence Read Archive (SRA) experiments showed high expression levels of LsbHLHs across a range of environmental conditions. Seven highly expressed genes were selected for qPCR validation, and their expression patterns in response to salt stress showed that LsbHLHD4, LsbHLHD5, LsbHLHR6, LsbHLHD8, LsbHLHR14, LsbHLHR68, and LsbHLHR86 were all expressed in response to salt stress.Conclusion: The study provides an overview of the bHLH family in the grass pea genome and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth and evolution of this crop. The report covers the diversity in gene structure, expression patterns, and potential roles in regulating plant growth and response to environmental stress factors in grass pea. The identified candidate LsbHLHs could be utilized as a tool to enhance the resilience and adaptation of grass pea to environmental stress.</p