Secondary Metabolites from Carica papaya, and its Biological Activities: A Comprehensive Review

Carica papaya L. is the most well-known species of family Caricaceae. The edible tropical plant was widely used in traditional folk medicine worldwide and known for possessing high nutritional and medicinal values in all its parts such as fruit, leaf, seed, and latex. This review provides a comprehensive literature survey of the biological activity and the isolated phytochemical compounds reported in Carica papaya. The phytochemical research reported the isolation of several classes of phytochemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, fatty acids, sterols, triterpenes, saponins, and isothiocyanates and other miscellaneous compounds. The review also focused on the wide range of biological activities reported from crude extracts and fractions of different parts used from the Carica papaya plant that can contribute in finding alternative therapeutic approaches to combat various health problems and improve the health of the people suffering from those problems. The various biological activities feature the need for further studies to explore the bioactive compounds responsible for the biological activities and their mechanism of action

Assessing the accuracy and efficiency of kinematic analysis tools for six-DOF industrial manipulators: The KUKA robot case study

Accuracy is an important factor to consider when evaluating the performance of a manipulator. The accuracy of a manipulator is determined by its ability to accurately move and position objects in a precise manner. This research paper aims to evaluate the performance of different methods for the kinematic analysis of manipulators. The study employs four distinct techniques, namely mathematical modeling using the closed form solutions method, roboanalyzer, Peter Corke toolbox, and particle swarm optimization, to perform kinematic analysis for manipulators. The KUKA industrial manipulator is used as an illustrative case study in this research due to its widespread use in various industrial applications in addition to its high precision and stability. Its wide usage in the industry makes the results of this research highly relevant and allows for a thorough evaluation of the performance of the different methods being studied. Furthermore, understanding the kinematic analysis of the manipulator can also help in improving the performance and increasing the efficiency of the robot in different tasks. This paper conducts a comparison of the accuracy of the four methods, and the results indicate that particle swarm optimization is the most accurate method. The RoboAnalyzer approach achieved the fastest execution time

Xanthones and sesquiterpene derivatives from a marine-derived fungus Scopulariopsis sp.

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Novel therapeutic strategies for spinal osteosarcomas

At the dawn of the third millennium, cancer has become the bane of twenty-first century man, and remains a predominant public health burden, affecting welfare and life expectancy globally. Spinal osteogenic sarcoma, a primary spinal malignant tumor, is a rare and challenging neoplastic disease to treat. After the conventional therapeutic modalities of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery have been exhausted, there is currently no available alternative therapy in managing cases of spinal osteosarcoma. The defining signatures of tumor survival are characterised by cancer cell ability to stonewall immunogenic attrition and apoptosis by various means. Some of these biomarkers, namely immune-checkpoints, have recently been exploited as druggable targets in osteosarcoma and many other different cancers. These promising strides made by the use of reinvigorated immunotherapeutic approaches may lead to significant reduction in spinal osteosarcoma disease burden and corresponding reciprocity in increase of survival rates. In this review, we provide the background to spinal osteosarcoma, and proceed to elaborate on contribution of the complex ecology within tumor microenvironment giving arise to cancerous immune escape, which is currently receiving considerable attention. We follow this section on the tumor microenvironment by a brief history of cancer immunity. Also, we draw on the current knowledge of treatment gained from incidences of osteosarcoma at other locations of the skeleton (long bones of the extremities in close proximity to the metaphyseal growth plates) to make a case for application of immunity-based tools, such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines, and draw attention to adverse upshots of immune-checkpoint blockers as well. Finally, we describe the novel biotechnique of CRISPR/Cas9 that will assist in treatment approaches for personalized medication.This work is funded by a grant (MPP 320133) from the American University of Beirut to Dr. Ali H. Eid

Different Continuous Training Intensities Improve Echocardiographic Parameters, Quality of Life, and Functional Capacity in Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

BackgroundMultiple comorbidities and physiological changes play a role in a range of heart failure conditions and influence the most effective approach to exercise-based rehabilitation. This research aimed to examine and compare the outcomes of continuous training at three different intensities, focusing on left ventricular (LV) remodeling, functional capacity, and quality of life among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).MethodsIn this randomized control trial, a total of 60 male patients (average age: 54.33 ±2.35 years) with HFrEF were randomly allocated into three groups: 1) High-intensity continuous training group (HICT), 2) Moderate-intensity continuous training group (MICT), and 3) Low-intensity continuous training group (LICT). All the training was performed on a bicycle ergometer 3 times/week for 12 weeks. Echocardiographic parameters (left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), quality of life (Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire), and functional capacity (6-minute walking test) were assessed before and the end of the study.ResultsThe HICT group demonstrated the greatest improvements in all measured variables when compared to the other two groups (P ConclusionIt was determined that HICT appears to yield the most favorable outcomes in enhancing echocardiographic measures, NT-proBNP levels, quality of life, and functional capacity among HFrEF patients

Modelling and Simulation of a Three-Link Spatial Manipulator with One Flexible Link

This paper addresses a manipulator with rigid and flexible links and a payload at its tip. A model is developed that considers gravity and the coupling between the rigid body motion of the system and the bending detection of the flexible link. A simulation study is carried out where a joint proportional-derivative (PD) controller and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) are applied to the manipulator. The objective is to drive the joints of the manipulator toward a desired destination starting from arbitrary initial conditions while reducing the payload vibrations. The simulation study shows that the FLC is superior to the PD controller in handling manipulators with rigid and flexible links

Nonendoscopic predictors of large esophageal varices

Background There is a particular need for noninvasive predictors of esophageal varices (EV) that might help reduce medical, social, and economic costs. Our study aimed at studying the noninvasive predictors of EV. Patients and methods A total of 100 live cirrhotic patients with compensated liver functions were subjected to full clinical, laboratory, and imaging investigations. Results A total of 55% of the studied groups showed EV; 39% showed high-grade EV (grades III, IV, and V). Platelet count and platelet count/splenic diameter ratio have the highest accuracy and specificity for predicting EV, whereas platelet count/splenic diameter ratio has the highest predictive accuracy for the presence of large EV. Conclusion The platelet count/splenic diameter ratio can predict the presence of EV and large-sized EV

Cytotoxic and antimicrobial mycophenolic acid derivatives from an endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. MNP-HS-2 associated with Macrozamia communis

Macrozamia communis and its associated endophytic fungi are untapped sources of bioactive metabolites with great potential for medicinal exploitation. Chemical investigation of the mycelial extract derived from an endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. MNP-HS-2 associated with M. communis fruit offered four mycophenolic acid derivatives recognized as previously undescribed natural products (1-4) together with nine known metabolites (5-13). Chemical structures of isolated compounds were determined based on extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D/2D NMR and HRESIMS. The absolute stereochemistry of alternatain E (1) was unambiguously established by comparing its experimental and calculated time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism spectra (TDDFT-ECD). All isolated compounds were assessed for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, where mycophenolic acid methyl ester (7) displayed significant cytotoxic activity against seven different cell lines with IC50 values in the low micromolar to nanomolar range, whereas mycophenolene A (3) exhibited a potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 2.1 µg/mL)

Evaluation of Tribulus terrestris Extracts Relative to Metformin on Oxidative Stress and Histopathology of the Liver for Diabetic Male Rats

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a metabolic condition that induces blood glucose levels to rise due to insulin deficiency and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The purpose of this study is to assess how efficient the antioxidant extracts Tribulus terrestris (TT) and metformin (MET) are in reducing oxidative stress and histopathology produced by streptozotocin in rat hepatocytes. The 36 male rats weighing 170–190 g of this study were randomly sorted into 6 groups. The first group was considered a normal control group, and the second and third groups were normal and remedy with MET and TT extract, respectively. The fourth group was positive diabetic, and the fifth and sixth groups were diabetic rats that were treated with MET and TT extract, respectively. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione (GSH) were detected, and the histopathology of the liver was evaluated after 8 weeks of treatment. Compared to regulation, morphological changes in the liver were found in diabetic animals, with a rise in LPO and a change in GSH levels as well as CAT and GST activities. The oxidative stress and histological architecture of the hepatocytes caused by hyperglycemia were improved as a result of therapy in the rats with MET and TT extract. Because of its antioxidant activities, diabetic rats with TT extract are more effective than MET in normoglycemia and hepatocyte reconditioning. Beneficial intervention tends to benefit primarily from direct ROS scavenging and CAT, GST, and GSH regeneration