Complete Sequences of Organelle Genomes from the Medicinal Plant Rhazya Stricta (Apocynaceae) and Contrasting Patterns of Mitochondrial Genome Evolution Across Asterids

Rhazya stricta is native to arid regions in South Asia and the Middle East and is used extensively in folk medicine to treat a wide range of diseases. In addition to generating genomic resources for this medicinally important plant, analyses of the complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes and a nuclear transcriptome from Rhazya provide insights into inter-compartmental transfers between genomes and the patterns of evolution among eight asterid mitochondrial genomes. Results: The 154,841 bp plastid genome is highly conserved with gene content and order identical to the ancestral organization of angiosperms. The 548,608 bp mitochondrial genome exhibits a number of phenomena including the presence of recombinogenic repeats that generate a multipartite organization, transferred DNA from the plastid and nuclear genomes, and bidirectional DNA transfers between the mitochondrion and the nucleus. The mitochondrial genes sdh3 and rps14 have been transferred to the nucleus and have acquired targeting presequences. In the case of rps14, two copies are present in the nucleus; only one has a mitochondrial targeting presequence and may be functional. Phylogenetic analyses of both nuclear and mitochondrial copies of rps14 across angiosperms suggests Rhazya has experienced a single transfer of this gene to the nucleus, followed by a duplication event. Furthermore, the phylogenetic distribution of gene losses and the high level of sequence divergence in targeting presequences suggest multiple, independent transfers of both sdh3 and rps14 across asterids. Comparative analyses of mitochondrial genomes of eight sequenced asterids indicates a complicated evolutionary history in this large angiosperm clade with considerable diversity in genome organization and size, repeat, gene and intron content, and amount of foreign DNA from the plastid and nuclear genomes. Conclusions: Organelle genomes of Rhazya stricta provide valuable information for improving the understanding of mitochondrial genome evolution among angiosperms. The genomic data have enabled a rigorous examination of the gene transfer events. Rhazya is unique among the eight sequenced asterids in the types of events that have shaped the evolution of its mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, the organelle genomes of R. stricta provide valuable genomic resources for utilizing this important medicinal plant in biotechnology applications.King Abdulaziz UniversityIntegrative Biolog

Associations of Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides with Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer in U.S. Adults

Ba c k g r o u n d: Organochlorine (OC) pesticides are a group of environmental endocrine disruptors that may be associated with an increased risk for hormone-related cancers including cancers of the breast and prostate. However, epidemiologic evidence is limited and inconsistent. Objectives a n d m e t h o d s: We used 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to examine associations between serum concentrations of OC pesticides and prostate and breast cancers. Res u l t s: After adjustment for other covariates, serum concentrations of β-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (p for trend = 0.02), trans-nonachlor (p for trend = 0.002), and dieldrin (p for trend = 0.04) were significantly associated with the risk of prevalent prostate cancer. Adjusted odds ratios for the second and third tertiles of detectable values were 1.46 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.52–4.13] and 3.36 (95 % CI, 1.24–9.10) for β-HCH; 5.84 (95 % CI, 1.06–32.2) and 14.1 (95 % CI, 2.55–77.9) for trans-nonachlor; and 1.06 (95 % CI, 0.30–3.73) and 2.74 (95 % CI, 1.01–7.49) for dieldrin compared with concentrations in the lowest tertile or below the limit of detection. However, there was no positive association between serum concentrations of OC pesticides and breast cancer prevalence. Con c l u s i o n: Although further study is necessary to confirm these findings, these results suggest that OC pesticide exposures may have a significant effect on cancer risk. Efforts to reduce worldwide OC use are warranted. Key w o r d s: cancer, endocrine disruptors, organochlorine pesticides, pesticide, prostate cancer. Environ Health Perspect 118:60–66 (2010). doi:10.1289/ehp.0900919 available vi

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec

Alkali Activation of Oil Shale Ash Based Ceramics

Timahdit oil shale was subjected to firing transformation via ceramics processing followed by alkali activation to synthesis a materials combining the mechanical properties of ceramics and Zeolites. The mineralogical transformations during firing oil shale have been studied. The main crystalline phases found in oil shale ash (OSA) were wollastonite, gehlenite and augite. Modified oil shale ash (MOSA) was obtained with HNO3 acid-leaching in the aim to diminish Ca content. Our experimental approach required a NaOH alkaline activating solution with different concentrations (0.5; 1; 2; 4; 6 and 8M). In our study, X-ray diffraction (XDR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and SEM/EDS analysis were used to evaluate the effect of alkali activation on the structural arrangement of the starting materials (OSA and MOSA) in our study. The quantity and the type of the produced zeolites depended critically on the starting materials and on the NaOH concentration

Synthesis of Zeolites Materials Using Fly Ash and Oil Shale Ash and Their Applications in Removing Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions

Fly ash and oil shale ash generated from power plants can be transformed to suitable materials usable for removal of heavy metals. Due to their high silica content, fly ash and oil shale ash have been considered as the main stone of zeolite synthesis. In this work, we synthesized zeolites from class F fly ash (FA) and modified oil shale ash (MOSA) by alkaline fusion followed by refluxing. Our synthesis process focused on the effect of quantity of NaOH on the crystallinity of the reaction products: Na-P1 and Na-P2 type zeolites synthesized, respectively, from FA and MOSA. The effect of NaOH mass (1, 2, 4, and 8 g) was investigated with the following synthesis conditions: 2 h fusion at 650°C, 2 h agitation, and refluxing for 12 hours. The experimental results demonstrated that the crystallinity of Na-p1 and Na-P2 zeolites increased with increasing the mass of NaOH. The resulting products were characterized with X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy. The reaction products ZV4 and ZM4 synthesized, respectively, from FA and MOSA and containing main zeolite phases with a crystallinity of 92.7% of Na-P1 and 83.6% of Na-P2, respectively, were chosen as adsorbents for the adsorption experiments. Series of experiments were carried out to study the removal of lead, zinc, and chromium by ZV4 and ZM4. The results allowed us to know the optimal conditions of adsorption for the three heavy metals. Adsorption data have been interpreted in terms of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results showed that lead has a higher affinity for ZM4 than ZV4 and zinc has similar adsorption efficiency for both sorbents that was remarkably reduced for chromium. The results of the present work suggest that zeolites synthesized from MOSA may be considered as effective as those synthesized from FA for heavy metals adsorption

Recycling Jorf Lasfar fly ash as an additive to cement

Recycling fly ash is a good example of valorization of waste. It gives a solution the environmental problem by avoiding land filling, and reducing CO2 emission in the atmosphere. In this work we studied the physical-chemical characteristics of Jorf Lasfar fly ash. The parameters investigated were particle size, density, specific surface Blaine, chemical and mineralogical compositions. The techniques used are scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), X-rays fluorescence (XRF), X-rays diffraction (XRD) and atomic spectrometry emission coupled with inductive plasma ICP. We also conducted a study on the mechanical behavior of type CPJ45 cements produced from a combined grinding of clinker, limestone and gypsum. The substitution of a portion of the clinker by different percentages of fly ash was conducted. We noticed that the compression and bending resistances for these mixtures went through a maximum at 28 days with the addition of 7% (by mass) of ash. This result showed that the mineral and chemical compositions of this ash conferred a Pozzoulanic power to the cement studied

Recycling Jorf Lasfar fly ash as an additive to cement

Recycling fly ash is a good example of valorization of waste. It gives a solution the environmental problem by avoiding land filling, and reducing CO2 emission in the atmosphere. In this work we studied the physical-chemical characteristics of Jorf Lasfar fly ash. The parameters investigated were particle size, density, specific surface Blaine, chemical and mineralogical compositions. The techniques used are scanning electronic microscope (SEM), transmission electronic microscope (TEM), X-rays fluorescence (XRF), X-rays diffraction (XRD) and atomic spectrometry emission coupled with inductive plasma ICP. We also conducted a study on the mechanical behavior of type CPJ45 cements produced from a combined grinding of clinker, limestone and gypsum. The substitution of a portion of the clinker by different percentages of fly ash was conducted. We noticed that the compression and bending resistances for these mixtures went through a maximum at 28 days with the addition of 7% (by mass) of ash. This result showed that the mineral and chemical compositions of this ash conferred a Pozzoulanic power to the cement studied