An Effective Wireless Sensor Network Routing Protocol Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Improving wireless communication and artificial intelligence technologies by using Internet of Things (Itoh) paradigm has been contributed in developing a wide range of different applications. However, the exponential growth of smart phones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is becoming an emerging challenge that adds some limitations on Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. End-to-end latency, energy consumption, and packet loss during transmission are the main QoS requirements that could be affected by increasing the number of IoT applications connected through WSNs. To address these limitations, an effective routing protocol needs to be designed for boosting the performance of WSNs and QoS metrics. In this paper, an optimization approach using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to develop a multipath protocol, called a Particle Swarm Optimization Routing Protocol (MPSORP). The MPSORP is used for WSN-based IoT applications with a large volume of traffic loads and unfairness in network flow. For evaluating the developed protocol, an experiment is conducted using NS-2 simulator with different configurations and parameters. Furthermore, the performance of MPSORP is compared with AODV and DSDV routing protocols. The experimental results of this comparison demonstrated that the proposed approach achieves several advantages such as saving energy, low end-to-end delay, high packet delivery ratio, high throughput, and low normalization load.publishedVersio

Artificial microRNA-mediated resistance against Oman strain of tomato yellow leaf curl virus

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is a global spreading begomovirus that is exerting a major restraint on global tomato production. In this transgenic approach, an RNA interference (RNAi)-based construct consisting of sequences of an artificial microRNA (amiRNA), a group of small RNA molecules necessary for plant cell development, signal transduction, and stimulus to biotic and abiotic disease was engineered targeting the AC1/Rep gene of the Oman strain of TYLCV-OM. The Rep-amiRNA constructs presented an effective approach in regulating the expression of the Rep gene against TYLCV as a silencing target to create transgenic Solanum lycopersicum L. plant tolerance against TYLCV infection. Molecular diagnosis by PCR followed by a Southern hybridization analysis were performed to confirm the effectiveness of agrobacterium-mediated transformation in T0/T1-transformed plants. A substantial decrease in virus replication was observed when T1 transgenic tomato plants were challenged with the TYLCV-OM infectious construct. Although natural resistance options against TYLCV infection are not accessible, the current study proposes that genetically transformed tomato plants expressing amiRNA could be a potential approach for engineering tolerance in plants against TYLCV infection and conceivably for the inhibition of viral diseases against different strains of whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses in Oman

Process optimization for enhanced production of cellulases form locally isolated fungal strain by submerged fermentation

Cellulase has myriad applications in various sectors like pharmaceuticals, textile, detergents, animal feed and bioethanol production, etc. The current study focuses on the isolation, screening and optimization of fungal strain through one factor at a time technique for enhanced cellulase production.  In current study sixteen different fungal cultures were isolated and the culture which quantitatively exhibits higher titers of cellulase activity was identified both morphologically and molecularly by 18S rDNA and designated as Aspergillus niger ABT11. Different parameters like fermentation medium, volume, temperature, pH and nutritional components were optimized. The highest CMCase and FPase activities  was achieved in 100ml of M5 medium in the presence of 1% lactose and sodium nitrate at 30 oC, pH5 after 72 hours. The result revealed A. niger can be a potential candidate for scale up studies

National guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Inhibitors of cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP17 and 17[beta]-HSD3: their role in the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate and breast cancer

Androgens play an important part in the initiation and progression of hormone-dependent prostate and breast cancer. These types of cancers can be treated by androgen ablation therapy. However, androgen ablation is associated with short (2-3 years) remission of the disease. Therefore therapies that inhibit the systemic biosynthesis of androgens, by targeting the P450 enzymes (CYP17 and 17-[beta]HSD type 3) which catalyse androgen biosynthesis, may represent a rational approach in the treatment of androgen-dependent cancer. Inhibitors of the enzyme CYP17: ketoconazole and liarozole, have been shown to decrease tumour cell adhesion to the endothelium and expression of adhesion molecules. The adhesion of cancer cells to the endothelium is an important preliminary event that underlies cancer matastasis. Within the this study, the development of assays for the enzymes; CYP17 and 17[beta]-HSD3 and the evaluation of a series of compounds which were designed to inhibit these enzymes have been considered. The preliminary screening of the compounds showed good inhibition of 17[alpha]=OHase and 17, 20 lyase components of the CYP17 enzyme in comparison to the reference drug, ketoconazole (KTZ). The IC[sub]50 of compounds 31, 34, 38, 41, 48 and 51 and KTZ was calculated as 14.40 [Mu]M, 5.82 [Mu]M, 0.18 [Mu]M, 1.35[Mu]M, 1.21[Mu]M, 0.50[Mu]M and 5.65[Mu]M respectively. However, only a few of the compounds designed to inhibit 17[beta]-HSD3 showed ap potent inhibitory activity. Compound 132 showed the highest percentage inhibition (40.51 [plus or minus] 0.14%) of 17[beta]- HSD3 activity when compared to the reference drugs, 7-hydroxy flavone (12.90 [plus or minus] 0.31%) and biacalein (13.66 [plus or minus] 0.31%). CYP17 inhibitors did not have any cytoxic effect on human cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines. The adhesion of DU145, PC3 and MCF7 to a non-stimulated HUVEC monolayers was decreased from 100 [plus or minus] 0.01% cell adhesion to 60.93 [plus or minus] 3.95%, 65.79 [plus or minus] 9.39% and 65.12 [plus or minus] 4.04% by compounds 38. 48 and 51 respectively in the absence of tumour necrosis factor alpha (THF-[alpha]). Similarly, compounds 38, 48 and 51 showed the highest anti-adhesion effect of DU145 on stimulated HUVEC monolayers (69.85 [plus or minus] 2.51%) cells respectively. Flow cytometry and immunostaining of intracellular adhesion molecules showed that CYP17 inhibitors did not have any effect on the expression of ICAM-1. In conclusion, the synthesised compounds were found to be good indicators of the CYP17 enzyme with no cytoxic and better anti-adhesion effects when compared to KTZ. Thus, these compounds can be further investigated as a therapeutic strategy against hormone-dependent prostate and breast cancer

Scope of the Heck reaction in the synthesis of of a new family of anthracene diacrylamide G-quadruplex ligands

The use of the Heck reaction in the synthesis of anthracene-9-monoacrylamide and anthracen-9,10-bisacrylamides as potential G-quadruplex ligands and preliminary biological testing is reported

Seroprevalence and Potential Risk Factors of Hepatitis E Virus Infection Among Pregnant Women in Tripoli, Libya

<p><strong>Background and aims. </strong>Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered one of the public health important zoonotic diseases and is well-documented to cause significant risk overall the pregnancy terms vary from self-limiting to life-threatening for pregnant women and their offspring. This study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with HEV infection among pregnant women in Tripoli, Libya. <strong>Methods.  </strong>A total of 180 serum samples were collected from pregnant women from March to October 2022 at Reference Medical Laboratory in Tripoli, Libya. Serum samples were screened by Enzyme Immunosorbent Assay against anti-HEV IgG using commercially available ELISA kits (DIA.PRO HEV IgG ELISA, Italy). Statistical significance associations between dependent and independent variables were evaluated using the Chi-square test. P-value < 0.05 was considered an indicator of statistical significance.<strong> Results. </strong>The overall seroprevalence rate was estimated to be 10% (18/180); CI 95%= 5.62%-14.38%). The highest seroprevalence of HEV was 60 (23.33%; 95% CI= 12.63%-34.04%) among pregnant women 35-45 years of age, the results revealed a statistically significant among age groups (P=.0001). Women in the third trimester reported the highest HEV seroprevalence (11.18%; 95% CI= 6.02%-16.36%).<strong> Conclusion. </strong>The present results highlighted a potential risk of HEV infection among pregnant women in the country and an increased risk of potential exposure to HEV infection. Further national studies should be conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence and determine the molecular epidemiological patterns, and phylogenetic analysis should be considered.<strong> </strong></p&gt

Impact of integrated application of biochar and nitrogen fertilizers on maize growth and nitrogen recovery in alkaline calcareous soil

Biochar application has been considered as a rich source of carbon which helps to improve the physico-chemical properties and fertility of the soil. In Pakistan, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer is considered a serious problem, so it is of vital importance to examine the effect of biochar on soil with varying doses of nitrogen fertilizer. We hypothesized that addition of biochar to an alkaline calcareous soil could improve not only soil quality and crop yield but also nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), reducing the loss of nitrogen (N) in the form of denitrification, ammonia volatilization, and nitrate leaching. A pot experiment was conducted under 2-factorial completely randomized design having three replications to evaluate the NUE in biochar amended calcareous soil. Biochar was applied at the rate of 0%, 1% and 2% (w/w) in pots filled with 17 kg of soil using various levels of N (0%, 50% and 100% of recommended dose) on maize (Zea mays L.). Several soil quality indicators, uptake, and yield of maize were monitored. Biochar application significantly decreased soil pH, increased water-holding capacity, total organic carbon, maize yield, stomatal conductance, and nitrogen uptake in plant. The results of the study indicated that addition of biochar could not only decrease the use of inorganic fertilizers by improving its quality and yield as in our case biochar at the rate of 1% and N at the rate of 50% provided optimum output minimizing the economic cost eventually