Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation of Withania coagulans (Dunal) with rol A Genes and Its Antioxidant Potential

In ancient times, Withania coagulans Dunal was used as a therapeutic plant for the treatment of several diseases. This report aims to examine the effect of Agrobacterium tumefactions-mediated transformation of W. coagulans with the rolA gene to enhance secondary metabolite production, antioxidant activity, and anticancer activity of transformed tissues. Before transgenic plant production, the authors designed an efficient methodology for in vitro transformation. In this study, leaf explants were cultured on Murashage and Skoog (MS) media containing different amounts of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and benzyl adenine (BA). The best performance for inducing embryogenic callus was in MS medium containing 4 μM NAA and 6.0 μM BA, while the best results for shooting (100%) were obtained at 8 μM benzyl adenine. On the other hand, direct shooting was attained by subculturing leaves on MS medium supplemented with 8 μM benzyl adenine. Prolonged shoots showed excellent in vitro rooting results (80%) with 12 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The samples were precultivated for 3 days and were followed by 48 h infection with A. tumefaciens strain GV3101 having pCV002. Then, a vector expressed the rol A gene of strain Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Furthermore, three independent transgenic shoot lines and one callus line (T2) were produced and exhibited stable integration of transgene rol A genes, as revealed by PCR analysis. Transgenic strains showed a significant increase in antioxidant potential as compared to untransformed plants. Additionally, LC-MS analysis showed that the transformed strains have a higher withanolide content as compared to untransformed ones. Moreover, the reduced proliferation of prostate cancer cells was observed after treatment with extracts of transgenic plants. Furthermore, these transformed plants exhibited superior antioxidant capability and higher withanolide content than untransformed ones. In conclusion, the reported data can be used to select withanolide-rich germplasm from transformed cell cultures.

Electronic Properties of Zn2V(1-x)NbxN3 Alloys to Model Novel Materials for Light-Emitting Diodes

We propose the Zn2V(1-x)NbxN3 alloy as a new promising material for optoelectronic applications, in particular for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We perform accurate electronic-structure calculations of the alloy for several concentrations x using density-functional theory with meta-GGA exchange-correlation functional TB09. The band gap is found to vary between 2.2 and 2.9 eV with varying V/Nb concentration. This range is suitable for developing bright LEDs with tunable band gap as potential replacements for the more expensive Ga(1-x)In(x)N systems. Effects of configurational disorder are taken into account by explicitly considering all possible distributions of the metal ions within the metal sublattice for the chosen supercells. We have evaluated the band gap's nonlinear behavior (bowing) with variation of V/Nb concentration for two possible scenarios: (i) only the structure with the lowest total energy is present at each concentration and (ii) the structure with minimum band gap is present at each concentration, which corresponds to experimental conditions when also metastable structures are presents. We found that the bowing is about twice larger in the latter case. However, in both cases, the bowing parameter is found to be lower than 1 eV, which is about twice smaller than that in the widely used Ga(1-x)In(x)N alloy. Furthermore, we found that both crystal volume changes due to alloying and local effects (atomic relaxation and the V-N/Nb-N bonding difference) have important contributions to the band gap bowing in Zn2V(1-x)NbxN3.

Synthesis, Anticancer Activity, and In Silico Studies of 5-(3-Bromophenyl)-N-aryl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine Analogs

In the current study, we described the synthesis of ten new 5-(3-Bromophenyl)-N-aryl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine analogs (4a-j), as well as their characterization, anticancer activity, molecular docking studies, ADME, and toxicity prediction. The title compounds (4a-j) were prepared in three steps, starting from substituted anilines in a satisfactory yield, followed by their characterization via spectroscopic techniques. The National Cancer Institute (NCI US) protocol was followed to test the compounds' (4a-j) anticancer activity against nine panels of 58 cancer cell lines at a concentration of 10-5 M, and growth percent (GP) as well as percent growth inhibition (PGI) were calculated. Some of the compounds demonstrated significant anticancer activity against a few cancer cell lines. The CNS cancer cell line SNB-75, which showed a PGI of 41.25 percent, was discovered to be the most sensitive cancer cell line to the tested compound 4e. The mean GP of compound 4i was found to be the most promising among the series of compounds. The five cancer cell lines that were found to be the most susceptible to compound 4i were SNB-75, UO-31, CCRF-CEM, EKVX, and OVCAR-5; these five cell lines showed PGIs of 38.94, 30.14, 26.92, 26.61, and 23.12 percent, respectively, at 10-5 M. The inhibition of tubulin is one of the primary molecular targets of many anticancer agents; hence, the compounds (4a-j) were further subjected to molecular docking studies looking at the tubulin-combretastatin A-4 binding site (PDB ID: 5LYJ) of tubulin. The binding affinities were found to be efficient, ranging from -6.502 to -8.341 kcal/mol, with two major electrostatic interactions observed: H-bond and halogen bond. Ligand 4i had a binding affinity of -8.149 kcal/mol with the tubulin-combretastatin A-4 binding site and displayed a H-bond interaction with the residue Asn258. The ADME and toxicity prediction studies for each compound were carried out using SwissADME and ProTox-II software. None of the compounds' ADME predictions showed that they violated Lipinski's rule of five. All of the compounds were also predicted to have LD50 values between 440 and 500 mg/kg, putting them all in class IV toxicity, according to the toxicity prediction. The current discovery could potentially open up the opportunity for further developments in cancer.

Effect of Eco-Friendly Application of Bee Honey Solution on Yield, Physio-Chemical, Antioxidants, and Enzyme Gene Expressions in Excessive Nitrogen-Stressed Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Plants

Excessive use of nitrogen (N) pollutes the environment and causes greenhouse gas emissions; however, the application of eco-friendly plant biostimulators (BSs) can overcome these issues. Therefore, this paper aimed to explore the role of diluted bee honey solution (DHS) in attenuating the adverse impacts of N toxicity on Phaseolus vulgaris growth, yield quality, physio-chemical properties, and defense systems. For this purpose, the soil was fertilized with 100, 125, and 150% of the recommended N dose (RND), and the plants were sprayed with 1.5% DHS. Trials were arranged in a two-factor split-plot design (N levels occupied main plots × DH- occupied subplots). Excess N (150% RND) caused a significant decline in plant growth, yield quality, photosynthesis, and antioxidants, while significantly increasing oxidants and oxidative damage [hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide (O2•-), nitrate, electrolyte leakage (EL), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels]. However, DHS significantly improved antioxidant activities (glutathione and nitrate reductases, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, proline, ascorbate, α-tocopherol, and glutathione) and osmoregulatory levels (soluble protein, glycine betaine, and soluble sugars). Enzyme gene expressions showed the same trend as enzyme activities. Additionally, H2O2, O2•-, EL, MDA, and nitrate levels were significantly declined, reflecting enhanced growth, yield, fruit quality, and photosynthetic efficiency. The results demonstrate that DHS can be used as an eco-friendly approach to overcome the harmful impacts of N toxicity on P. vulgaris plants.

A Novel Nutrient- and Antioxidant-Based Formulation Can Sustain Tomato Production under Full Watering and Drought Stress in Saline Soil

As a result of the climate changes that are getting worse nowadays, drought stress (DS) is a major obstacle during crop life stages, which ultimately reduces tomato crop yields. So, there is a need to adopt modern approaches like a novel nutrient- and antioxidant-based formulation (NABF) for boosting tomato crop productivity. NABF consists of antioxidants (i.e., citric acid, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid, glutathione, and EDTA) and nutrients making it a fruitful growth stimulator against environmental stressors. As a first report, this study was scheduled to investigate the foliar application of NABF on growth and production traits, physio-biochemical attributes, water use efficiency (WUE), and nutritional, hormonal, and antioxidative status of tomato plants cultivated under full watering (100% of ETc) and DS (80 or 60% of ETc). Stressed tomato plants treated with NABF had higher DS tolerance through improved traits of photosynthetic efficiency, leaf integrity, various nutrients (i.e., copper, zinc, manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen), and hormonal contents. These positives were a result of lower levels of oxidative stress biomarkers as a result of enhanced osmoprotectants (soluble sugars, proline, and soluble protein), and non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activities. Growth, yield, and fruit quality traits, as well as WUE, were improved. Full watering with application of 2.5 g NABF L-1 collected 121 t tomato fruits per hectare as the best treatment. Under moderate DS (80% of ETc), NABF application increased fruit yield by 10.3%, while, under severe DS (40% of ETc), the same fruit yield was obtained compared to full irrigation without NABF. Therefore, the application of 60% ETc × NABF was explored to not only give a similar yield with higher quality compared to 100% ETc without NABF as well as increase WUE.

Iron/vanadium co-doped tungsten oxide nanostructures anchored on graphitic carbon nitride sheets (FeV-WO3@g-C3N4) as a cost-effective novel electrode material for advanced supercapacitor applications

In this work, we studied the effect of iron (Fe) and vanadium (V) co-doping (Fe/V), and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) on the performance of tungsten oxide (WO3) based electrodes for supercapacitor applications. The lone pair of electrons on nitrogen can improve the surface polarity of the g-C3N4 electrode material, which may results in multiple binding sites on the surface of electrode for interaction with electrolyte ions. As electrolyte ions interact with g-C3N4, they quickly become entangled with FeV-WO3 nanostructures, and the contact between the electrolyte and the working electrode is strengthened. Herein, FeV-WO3@g-C3N4 is fabricated by a wet chemical approach along with pure WO3 and FeV-WO3. All of the prepared samples i.e., WO3, FeV-WO3, and FeV-WO3@g-C3N4 were characterized by XRD, FTIR, EDS, FESEM, XPS, Raman, and BET techniques. Electrochemical performance is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanic charge/discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It is concluded from electrochemical studies that FeV-WO3@g-C3N4 exhibits the highest electrochemical performance with specific capacitance of 1033.68 F g-1 at scan rate 5 mV s-1 in the potential window range from -0.8 to 0.25 V, that is greater than that for WO3 (422.76 F g-1) and FeV-WO3 (669.76 F g-1). FeV-WO3@g-C3N4 has the highest discharge time (867 s) that shows it has greater storage capacity, and its coulombic efficiency is 96.7%, which is greater than that for WO3 (80.1%) and FeV-WO3 (92.1%), respectively. Furthermore, excellent stability up to 2000 cycles is observed in FeV-WO3@g-C3N4. It is revealed from EIS measurements that equivalent series resistance and charge transfer values calculated for FeV-WO3@g-C3N4 are 1.82 Ω and 0.65 Ω, respectively.

In vitro studies on the pharmacological potential, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of marine-derived Bacillus velezensis AG6 exopolysaccharide

In the current study, Bacillus velezensis AG6 was isolated from sediment samples in the Red Sea, identified by traditional microbiological techniques and phylogenetic 16S rRNA sequences. Among eight isolates screened for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, the R6 isolate was the highest producer with a significant fraction of EPS (EPSF6, 5.79 g L-1). The EPSF6 molecule was found to have a molecular weight (Mw) of 2.7 × 104 g mol-1 and a number average (Mn) of 2.6 × 104 g mol-1 when it was analyzed using GPC. The FTIR spectrum indicated no sulfate but uronic acid (43.8%). According to HPLC, the EPSF6 fraction's monosaccharides were xylose, galactose, and galacturonic acid in a molar ratio of 2.0 : 0.5 : 2.0. DPPH, H2O2, and ABTS tests assessed EPSF6's antioxidant capabilities at 100, 300, 500, 1000, and 1500 μg mL-1 for 15, 60, 45, and 60 minutes. The overall antioxidant activities were dose- and time-dependently increased, and improved by increasing concentrations from 100 to 1500 μg mL-1 after 60 minutes and found to be 91.34 ± 1.1%, 80.20 ± 1.4% and 75.28 ± 1.1% respectively. Next, EPSF6 displayed considerable inhibitory activity toward the proliferation of six cancerous cell lines. Anti-inflammatory tests were performed using lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2). An MTP turbidity assay method was applied to show the ability of EPSF6 to inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and antibiofilm formation. Together, this study sheds light on the potential pharmacological applications of a secondary metabolite produced by marine Bacillus velezensis AG6. Its expected impact on human health will increase as more research and studies are conducted globally.

Formulation of lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon citratus)-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: an in vitro assessment study

Cymbopogon citratus (DC) stapf. (Gramineae) is a herb known worldwide as lemongrass. The oil obtained, i.e., lemongrass oil has emerged as one among the most relevant natural oils in the pharmaceutical industry owing to its extensive pharmacological and therapeutic benefits including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer properties. However, its usage in novel formulations is constrained because of its instability and volatility. To address these concerns, the present study aims to formulate lemongrass-loaded SLN (LGSLN) using hot water titration technique. In the Smix, Tween 80 was selected as a surfactant component, while ethanol was taken as a co-surfactant. Different ratios of Smix (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1) were utilized to formulate LG-loaded SLN. The results indicated the fact that the LGSLN formulation (abbreviated as LGSLN1), containing lipid phase 10% w/w (i.e., LG 3.33% and SA 6.67%), Tween 80 (20% w/w), ethanol (20% w/w) and distilled water (50% w/w), revealed suitable nanometric size (142.3 ± 5.96 nm) with a high zeta potential value (- 29.12 ± 1.7 mV) and a high entrapment efficiency (77.02 ± 8.12%). A rapid drug release (71.65 ± 5.33%) was observed for LGSLN1 in a time span of 24 h. Additionally, the highest values for steady-state flux (Jss; 0.6133 ± 0.0361 mg/cm2/h), permeability coefficient (Kp; 0.4573 ± 0.0141 (cm/h) × 102) and enhancement ratio (Er; 13.50) was also conferred by LGSLN1. Based on in vitro study results, the developed SLN appeared as a potential carrier for enhanced topical administration of lemongrass oil. The observed results also indicated the fact that the phyto-cosmeceutical prospective of the nanolipidic carrier for topical administration of lemongrass oil utilizing pharmaceutically acceptable components can be explored further for widespread clinical applicability.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03726-5.

Anticorrosion Investigation of New Diazene-Based Schiff Base Derivatives as Safe Corrosion Inhibitors for API X65 Steel Pipelines in Acidic Oilfield Formation Water: Synthesis, Experimental, and Computational Studies

The current study examines the evaluation of diazene-based Schiff base derivatives, namely, 4-((E)-(3-((E)-(hexylimino)methyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)diazenyl)benzonitrile (S1) and 4-((E)-(3-((E)-(dodecylimino) methyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)diazenyl)benzonitrile (S2). The structure elucidation of prepared the Schiff base compounds was performed by FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. In addition, the corrosion inhibition capacity of these compounds was investigated for API X65 steel pipelines in 1 M HCl utilizing gravimetric and electrochemical methods. By conducting the experimental investigations at various doses, it was possible to assess the inhibition effectiveness and adsorption behavior of S1 and S2. With increasing concentration, both inhibitors became more effective at inhibiting corrosion. S1 and S2 suppressed both cathodic and anodic processes, as shown by the potentiodynamic polarization study. The charge transfer resistance (Rct) increased when S1 and S2 concentrations increased, according to the electrochemical impedance analysis (EIS) data. According to the Langmuir isotherm model, the adsorption of S1 and S2 inhibitors on carbon steel was discovered based on gravimetric measurements. The results were confirmed by theoretical data in addition to the experimental tests for the presence of S1 and S2 inhibitor films over the API X65 carbon steel surface.

Synthesis and Anticancer Evaluation of 4-Chloro-2-((5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)amino)phenol Analogues: An Insight into Experimental and Theoretical Studies

We report herein the synthesis, docking studies and biological evaluation of a series of new 4-chloro-2-((5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)amino)phenol analogues (6a-h). The new compounds were designed based on the oxadiazole-linked aryl core of tubulin inhibitors of IMC-038525 and IMC-094332, prepared in five steps and further characterized via spectral analyses. The anticancer activity of the compounds was assessed against several cancer cell lines belonging to nine different panels as per National Cancer Institute (NCI US) protocol. 4-Chloro-2-((5-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)amino)phenol (6h) demonstrated significant anticancer activity against SNB-19 (PGI = 65.12), NCI-H460 (PGI = 55.61), and SNB-75 (PGI = 54.68) at 10 µM. The compounds were subjected to molecular docking studies against the active site of the tubulin-combretastatin A4 complex (PDB ID: 5LYJ); they displayed efficient binding and ligand 4h (with docking score = -8.030 kcal/mol) lay within the hydrophobic cavity surrounded by important residues Leu252, Ala250, Leu248, Leu242, Cys241, Val238, Ile318, Ala317, and Ala316. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of some of the compounds was found to be promising. 4-Chloro-2-((5-(4-nitrophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)amino)phenol (6c) displayed the most promising antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive bacteria with MICs of 8 µg/mL and a zone of inhibition ranging from 17.0 ± 0.40 to 17.0 ± 0.15 mm at 200 µg/mL; however, the standard drug ciprofloxacin exhibited antibacterial activity with MIC values of 4 µg/mL.

Characterization of Portulaca oleracea Whole Plant: Evaluating Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antibacterial, and Antiviral Activities and Application as Quality Enhancer in Yogurt

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is rich in phenolic compounds, protein, and iron. This study aims to produce functional yogurt with enhanced antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties by including safe purslane extract in yogurt formulation; the yogurt was preserved for 30 days at 4 °C, and then biochemical fluctuations were monitored. The purslane extract (PuE) had high phenolic compounds and flavonoids of 250 and 56 mg/mL, respectively. Therefore, PuE had considerable antioxidant activity, which scavenged 93% of DPPH˙, inhibited the viability of MCF-7, HCT, and HeLa cell lines by 84, 82, and 80%, respectively, and inhibited 82% of the interaction between the binding between Spike and ACE2 compared to a SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor test kit. PuE (20-40 µg/mL) inhibited the growth of tested pathogenic bacteria and Candida strains, these strains isolated from spoild yogurt and identified at gene level by PCR. Caffeic acid glucoside and catechin were the main phenolic compounds in the HPLC profile, while the main flavor compound was carvone and limonene, representing 71% of total volatile compounds (VOCs). PuE was added to rats' diets at three levels (50, 150, and 250 µg/g) compared to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The body weight of the rats fed the PuE diet (250 µg/g) increased 13% more than the control. Dietary PuE in rats' diets lowered the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by 72% and increased the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by 36%. Additionally, liver parameters in rats fed PuE (150 µg/g) decreased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 50, 43, and 25%, respectively, while TP, TA, and GSH were increased by 20, 50, and 40%, respectively, compared to BHA. Additionally, PuE acts as a kidney protector by lowering creatinine and urea. PuE was added to yogurt at three concentrations (50, 150, and 250 µg/g) and preserved for 30 days compared to the control. The yogurt's pH reduced during storage while acidity, TSS, and fat content increased. Adding PuE increased the yogurt's water-holding capacity, so syneresis decreased and viscosity increased, which was attributed to enhancing the texture properties (firmness, consistency, and adhesiveness). MDA decreased in PuE yogurt because of the antioxidant properties gained by PuE. Additionally, color parameters L and b were enhanced by PuE additions and sensorial traits, i.e., color, flavor, sugary taste, and texture were enhanced by purslane extract compared to the control yogurt. Concerning the microbial content in the yogurt, the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count was maintained as a control. Adding PuE at concentrations of 50, 150, and 250 µg/g to the yogurt formulation can enhance the quality of yogurt.

Antioxidant and anti-apoptotic potency of allicin and lycopene against methotrexate-induced cardiac injury in rats

This study aimed to explore whether allicin (ALC) and lycopene (LP) could offer protection against the harmful effects of methotrexate (MTX), a type of chemotherapy drug known for its severe side effects, on the heart of rats. In this experiment, seven groups of rats (n = 7) were used. The first group was given saline as a control vehicle, the second group was given ALC at a dosage of 20 mg/kg orally, the third group was given LP at a dosage of 10 mg/kg orally, and the fourth group was given MTX at a dosage of 20 mg/kg intraperitoneally on the 15th day of the experiment. The remaining three groups received treatments, including ALC + MTX, LP + MTX, and ALC + LP + MTX. After the administration of MTX, the concentrations of serum cardiac biomarkers, such as Creatine kinase (CK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine kinase-myoglobin binding (CK-MB) were found to increase. Also, MTX caused a notable rise in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and significant declines in the levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in the heart tissues of rats. In addition, MTX caused alterations in the cardiac histopathology and enhanced the caspase-3 expression in the cardiac tissues, indicating the occurrence of apoptosis. The antioxidant properties of ALC and/or LP were effectively reduced cardiac toxicity and apoptosis induced by MTX. The administration of ALC and/or LP was found to alleviate these effects caused by MTX.

Anti-Inflammatory Study and Phytochemical Characterization of Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon L. Juices and Their Formulation

Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon, well known as ginger and lemon, are two vegetals widely used in traditional medicine and the culinary field. The juices of the two vegetals were evaluated based on their inflammation, both in vivo and in vitro. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to characterize different juices from Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon. After the application of the HPLC method, different compounds were identified, such as 6-gingerol and 6-gingediol from the ginger juice and isorhamnetin and hesperidin from the lemon juice. In addition, the two juices and their formulation were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activity, in vitro by utilizing the BSA denaturation test, in vivo using the carrageenan-induced inflammation test, and the vascular permeability test. Important and statistically significant anti-inflammatory activities were observed for all juices, especially the formulation. The results of our work showed clearly that the Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon juices protect in vivo the development of the rat paw edema, especially the formulation F composed of the Zingiber officinale and Citrus limon juices, which shows an anti-inflammatory activity equal to -35.95% and -44.05% using 10 and 20 mg/kg of the dose, respectively. Our work also showed that the formulation was the most effective tested extract since it inhibits the vascular permeability by -37% and -44% at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, and in vitro via the inhibition of the denaturation of BSA by giving a synergetic effect with the highest IC50 equal to 684.61 ± 7.62 μg/mL corresponding to the formulation F. This work aims to develop nutraceutical preparations in the future and furnishes the support for a new investigation into the activities of the various compounds found in Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Citrus limon.

Large-scale sonochemical fabrication of a Co3O4-CoFe2O4@MWCNT bifunctional electrocatalyst for enhanced OER/HER performances

Herein, we have prepared a mixed-phase Co₃O₄-CoFe₂O₄@MWCNT nanocomposite through a cheap, large-scale, and facile ultrasonication route followed by annealing. The structural, morphological, and functional group analyses of the synthesized catalysts were performed by employing various characterization approaches such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resultant samples were tested for bifunctional electrocatalytic activity through various electrochemical techniques: cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The prepared Co₃O₄-CoFe₂O₄@MWCNT nanocomposite achieved a very high current density of 100 mA cm^-2 at a lower (290 mV and 342 mV) overpotential (vs. RHE) and a smaller (166 mV dec^-1 and 138 mV dec^-1) Tafel slope in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), respectively, compared to Co₃O₄-CoFe₂O₄. The excellent electrochemical activity of the as-prepared electrocatalyst was attributed to the uniform incorporation of Co₃O₄-CoFe₂O₄ over MWCNTs which provides high redox active sites, a greater surface area, better conductivity, and faster charge mobility. Furthermore, the enhanced electrochemical active surface, low charge-transfer resistance (R_ct), and higher exchange current density (J₀) of the Co₃O₄-CoFe₂O₄@MWCNT ternary composite are attributed to its superior behavior as a bifunctional electrocatalyst. Conclusively, this study demonstrates a novel and large-scale synthesis approach for bifunctional electrocatalysts with a high aspect ratio and abundance of active sites for high-potential energy applications.

PEGylated Graphene Oxide as a Nanodrug Delivery Vehicle for Podophyllotoxin (GO/PEG/PTOX) and In Vitro α-Amylase/α-Glucosidase Inhibition Activities

This study aims to develop a nanodrug delivery system containing podophyllotoxin (PTOX), a known anticancer drug, loaded on graphene oxide (GO). The system's ability to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes was also investigated. PTOX was isolated from Podophyllum hexandrum roots with a yield of 2.3%. GO, prepared by Hummer's method, was converted into GO-COOH and surface-mobilized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) (1:1) in an aqueous medium to obtain GO-PEG. PTOX was loaded on GO-PEG in a facile manner with a 25% loading ratio. All the samples were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, UV/visible spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In FT-IR spectral data, GO-PEG-PTOX exhibited a reduction in acidic functionalities and there was an appearance of the ester linkage of PTOX with GO. The UV/visible measurements suggested an increase of absorbance in 290-350 nm regions for GO-PEG, suggesting the successful drug loading on its surface (25%). GO-PEG-PTOX exhibited a rough, aggregated, and scattered type of pattern in SEM with distinct edges and binding of PTOX on its surface. GO-PEG-PTOX remained potent in inhibiting both α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC₅₀ values of 7 and 5 mg/mL, closer to the IC₅₀ of pure PTOX (5 and 4.5 mg/mL), respectively. Owing to the 25% loading ratio and 50% release within 48 h, our results are much more promising. Additionally, the molecular docking studies confirmed four types of interactions between the active centers of enzymes and PTOX, thus supporting the experimental results. In conclusion, the PTOX-loaded GO nanocomposites are promising α-amylase- and α-glucosidase-inhibitory agents when applied in vitro and have been reported for the first time.

Improving the Energy Storage of Supercapattery Devices through Electrolyte Optimization for Mg(NbAgS)x(SO4)y Electrode Materials

Electrolytes are one of the most influential aspects determining the efficiency of electrochemical supercapacitors. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the effect of introducing co-solvents of ester into ethylene carbonate (EC). The use of ester co-solvents in ethylene carbonate (EC) as an electrolyte for supercapacitors improves conductivity, electrochemical properties, and stability, allowing greater energy storage capacity and increased device durability. We synthesized extremely thin nanosheets of niobium silver sulfide using a hydrothermal process and mixed them with magnesium sulfate in different wt% ratios to produce Mg(NbAgS)_x)(SO₄)_y. The synergistic effect of MgSO₄ and NbS₂ increased the storage capacity and energy density of the supercapattery. Multivalent ion storage in Mg(NbAgS)_x(SO₄)_y enables the storage of a number of ions. The Mg(NbAgS)_x)(SO₄)_y was directly deposited on a nickel foam substrate using a simple and innovative electrodeposition approach. The synthesized silver Mg(NbAgS)_x)(SO₄)_y provided a maximum specific capacity of 2087 C/g at 2.0 A/g current density because of its substantial electrochemically active surface area and linked nanosheet channels which aid in ion transportation. The supercapattery was designed with Mg(NbAgS)_x)(SO₄)_y and activated carbon (AC) achieved a high energy density of 79 Wh/kg in addition to its high power density of 420 W/kg. The supercapattery (Mg(NbAgS)_x)(SO₄)_y//AC) was subjected to 15,000 consecutive cycles. The Coulombic efficiency of the device was 81% after 15,000 consecutive cycles while retaining a 78% capacity retention. This study reveals that the use of this novel electrode material (Mg(NbAgS)_x(SO₄)_y) in ester-based electrolytes has great potential in supercapattery applications.

Comparative Analysis of Perovskite Solar Cells for Obtaining a Higher Efficiency Using a Numerical Approach

Perovskite materials have gained considerable attention in recent years for their potential to improve the efficiency of solar cells. This study focuses on optimizing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by investigating the thickness of the methylammonium-free absorber layer in the device structure. In the study we used a SCAPS-1D simulator to analyze the performance of MASnI₃ and CsPbI₃-based PSCs under AM1.5 illumination. The simulation involved using Spiro-OMeTAD as a hole transport layer (HTL) and ZnO as the electron transport layer (ETL) in the PSC structure. The results indicate that optimizing the thickness of the absorber layer can significantly increase the efficiency of PSCs. The precise bandgap values of the materials were set to 1.3 eV and 1.7 eV. In the study we also investigated the maximum thicknesses of the HTL, MASnI₃, CsPbI₃, and the ETL for the device structures, which were determined to be 100 nm, 600 nm, 800 nm, and 100 nm, respectively. The improvement techniques used in this study resulted in a high power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.86% due to a higher value of V_OC for the CsPbI₃-based PSC structure. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of perovskite materials as absorber layers in solar cells. It also provides insights into improving the efficiency of PSCs, which is crucial for advancing the development of cost-effective and efficient solar energy systems. Overall, this study provides valuable information for the future development of more efficient solar cell technologies.

Modification of the Structure and Linear/Nonlinear Optical Characteristics of PVA/Chitosan Blend through CuO Doping for Eco-Friendly Applications

The solution casting technique is utilized to fabricate blank and CuO-doped polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan (PVA/CS) blends for eco-friendly applications. The structure and surface morphologies of prepared samples were explored by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. FT-IR analysis reveals the incorporation of CuO particles within the PVA/CS structure. SEM analysis exposes the well-dispersion of CuO particles in the host medium. The linear/nonlinear optical characteristics were found on the basis of UV-visible-NIR measurements. The transmittance of the PVA/CS decreases upon CuO increasing to 20.0 wt%. The optical bandgap (E_{g dir.}/E_{g ind.}) decreases from 5.38/4.67 eV (blank PVA/CS) to 3.72/3.12 eV (20.0 wt% CuO-PVA/CS). An obvious improvement in the optical constants of the PVA/CS blend is achieved by CuO doping. The Wemple-DiDomenico (WDD) and Sellmeier oscillator models were utilized to examine the CuO role dispersion behavior of the PVA/CS blend. The optical analysis shows clear enrichment of the optical parameters of the PVA/CS host. The novel findings in the current study nominate CuO-doped PVA/CS films for applications in linear/nonlinear optical devices.

Crises information dissemination through social media in the UK and Saudi Arabia: A linguistic perspective

This study investigates health-promoting messages in British and Saudi officials' social-media discourse during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. Taking discourse as a constructivist conception, we examined the crisis-response strategies employed by these officials on social media, and the role of such strategies in promoting healthy behaviors and compliance with health regulations. The study presents a corpus-assisted discourse analysis of the tweets of a Saudi health official and a British health official that focuses on keyness, speech acts, and metaphor. We found that both officials utilized clear communication and persuasive rhetorical tactics to convey the procedures suggested by the World Health Organization. However, there were some differences in how the two officials used speech acts and metaphors to achieve their goals. The British official used empathy as the primary communication strategy, while the Saudi official emphasized health literacy. The British official also used conflict-based metaphors such as war and gaming, whereas the Saudi official used metaphors that reflected life as a journey interrupted by the pandemic. Despite these differences, both officials utilized directive speech acts to tell audiences the procedures they should follow to achieve the desired conclusion of healing patients and ending the pandemic. In addition, rhetorical questions and assertions were used to direct people to perform certain behaviors favored. Interestingly, the discourse used by both officials contained characteristics of both health communication and political discourse. War metaphors, which were utilized by the British Health official, are a common feature in political discourse as well as in health-care discourse. Overall, this study highlights the importance of effective communication strategies in promoting healthy behaviors and compliance with health regulations during a pandemic. By analyzing the discourse of health officials on social media, we can gain insights into the strategies employed to manage a crisis and effectively communicate with the public.

Improved PVC/ZnO Nanocomposite Insulation for High Voltage and High Temperature Applications

Nanosized inorganic oxides have the trends to improve many characteristics of solid polymer insulation. In this work, the characteristics of improved poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)/ZnO are evaluated using 0, 2, 4 and 6 phr of ZnO nanoparticles dispersed in polymer matrix using internal mixer and finally compressed into circular disk with 80 mm diameter using compression molding technique. Dispersion properties are studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and optical microscopy (OM). The effect of filler on the electrical, optical, thermal, and dielectric properties of the PVC are also analyzed. Hydrophobicity of nano-composites is evaluated by measuring contact angle and recording hydrophobicity class using Swedish transmission research institute (STRI) classification method. Hydrophobic behavior decreases with the increase in filler content; contact angle increases up to 86°, and STRI class of HC3 for PZ4 is observed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are employed to evaluate the thermal properties of the samples. Also, continuous decrease of optical band gap energy from 4.04 eV for PZ0 to 2.57 eV for PZ6 is observed. In the meantime, an enhancement in the melting temperature, T_m, is observed from 172 to 215 °C. To check the stability of materials against hydrothermal stresses, all the fabricated materials are then subjected to a hydrothermal aging process for 1000 h and their structural stability is analyzed using optical microscopy and FTIR analyses.

Transcriptional Analysis of TP53 Gene in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Treated with Sofosbuvir, Daclatasvir, Pegylated Interferon, and Ribavirin

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem that affects more than 170 million people globally. HCV is a principal cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) around the globe due to the high frequency of hepatitis C infection, and the high rate of HCC is seen in patients with HCV cirrhosis. TP53 is considered as a frequently altered gene in all cancer types, and it carries an interferon response element in its promoter region. In addition to that, the TP53 gene also interacts with different HCV proteins. HCV proteins especially NS3 protein and core protein induce the mutations in the TP53 gene that lower the expression of this gene in HCV patients and leads to HCC development. In this study, we examined the transcriptional analysis of the TP53 gene in HCV-infected patients administered with different combinations of antiviral therapies including sofosbuvir + daclatasvir, sofosbuvir + ribavirin, and pegylated interferon + ribavirin. This study included 107 subjects; 15 treated with sofosbuvir + daclatasvir, 58 treated with sofosbuvir + ribavirin, 11 treated with interferon + ribavirin, 8 untreated, 10 HCC patients, and 5 were healthy controls. Total RNA was extracted from the PMBCs of HCV infected patients and reverse transcribed into cDNA using a gene specific reverse primer. The expression level of TP53 mRNA was analyzed using quantitative PCR. The expression of TP53 mRNA was notably upregulated in rapid virological response (RVR), early virological response (EVR), and sustained virological response (SVR) groups as compared to non-responders and naïve groups. The expression of TP53 mRNA was seen high in HCC as compared to control groups. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that sofosbuvir + daclatasvir treatment stimulates significant elevation in TP53 gene expression as compared to (sofosbuvir + ribavirin) and (IFN + ribavirin) treatment. This study indicates that the TP53 gene expression is highly upregulated in RVR, EVR, and SVR groups as compared to control groups. Moreover, sofosbuvir + daclatasvir therapy induces significant rise in TP53 mRNA expression levels as compared to (sofosbuvir + ribavirin) and (IFN + ribavirin) treatment. According to these results, it can be concluded that sofosbuvir + daclatasvir plays a significant role in preventing HCV patients from developing severe liver complications as compared to other administered therapies. This study is novel as no such type of study has been conducted previously on the expression of TP53 in local HCV-infected population treated with different combinations of therapies. This study is helpful for the development of new therapeutic strategies and for improving existing therapies.

The phylogenetic relationship among two species of genus Nebo (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) from Saudi Arabia and Middle East

BACKGROUND

The genus Nebo has been identified as a medically important scorpion species distributed across Arabia and the Middle East. However, its taxonomic status remains unclear.

AIM

The molecular phylogeny of two Nebo species from Saudi Arabia and comparative sequences from Palestine is presented based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene.

METHODOLOGY

Scorpion specimens were collected from two different localities, mainly the Southern part of Saudi Arabia. Then, DNA was extracted, amplified using invertebrate universal primers, and sequenced to identify the COI gene. The obtained sequences were analyzed, and phylogenetic trees based on maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and Bayesian inference were constructed.

RESULTS

The inferred phylogeny indicates the monophyletic status of the family Diplocentridae and its subfamily Nebinae and Diplocentrinae. Also, the phylogenetic analyses support the existence of interspecific and intraspecific variations among/ within Nebo hierichonticus and Nebo yemenensis which may indicate distinct species.

CONCLUSION

Further morphological studies with additional specimens from the Arabian Peninsula may reveal possible undiscovered and cryptic species.

Electronic Properties of Functionalized Diamanes for Field-Emission Displays

Ultrathin diamond films, or diamanes, are promising quasi-2D materials that are characterized by high stiffness, extreme wear resistance, high thermal conductivity, and chemical stability. Surface functionalization of multilayer graphene with different stackings of layers could be an interesting opportunity to induce proper electronic properties into diamanes. Combination of these electronic properties together with extraordinary mechanical ones will lead to their applications as field-emission displays substituting original devices with light-emitting diodes or organic light-emitting diodes. In the present study, we focus on the electronic properties of fluorinated and hydrogenated diamanes with (111), (110), (0001), (101̅0), and (2̅110) crystallographic orientations of surfaces of various thicknesses by using first-principles calculations and Bader analysis of electron density. We see that fluorine induces an occupied surface electronic state, while hydrogen modifies the occupied bulk state and also induces unoccupied surface states. Furthermore, a lower number of layers is necessary for hydrogenated diamanes to achieve the convergence of the work function in comparison with fluorinated diamanes, with the exception of fluorinated (110) and (2̅110) films that achieve rapid convergence and have the same behavior as other hydrogenated surfaces. This induces a modification of the work function with an increase of the number of layers that makes hydrogenated (2̅110) diamanes the most suitable surface for field-emission displays, better than the fluorinated counterparts. In addition, a quasi-quantitative descriptor of surface dipole moment based on the Tantardini-Oganov electronegativity scale is introduced as the average of bond dipole moments between the surface atoms. This new fundamental descriptor is capable of predicting a priori the bond dipole moment and may be considered as a new useful feature for crystal structure prediction based on artificial intelligence.

Albalawi H, Darwish DBE, Sharaf EM. Inhibition Mechanism of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus by Zinc Oxide Nanorods via Suppresses Penicillin-Binding Protein 2a

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes life-threatening infections. Zinc oxide is well known as an effective antibacterial drug against many bacterial strains. We investigated the performance of zinc oxide nanorods synthesized by Albmiun as a biotemplate as an antibacterial drug in this study; the fabrication of zinc oxide nanorods was synthesized by sol-gel methods. We performed physicochemical characterization of zinc oxide nanorods by physiochemical techniques such as FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and TEM and investigation of their antimicrobial toxicity efficiency by MIC, ATPase activity assay, anti-biofilm activity, and kill time assays, as well as the mecA, mecR1, blaR1, blaZ, and biofilm genes (ica A, ica D, and fnb A) by using a quantitative RT-PCR assay and the penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) level of MRSA by using a Western blot. The data confirmed the fabrication of rod-shaped zinc oxide nanorods with a diameter in the range of 50 nm, which emphasized the formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles with regular shapes. The results show that zinc oxide nanorods inhibited methicillin-resistant S. aureus effectively. The MIC value was 23 μg/mL. The time kill of ZnO-NRs against MRSA was achieved after 2 h of incubation at 4MIC (92 μg/mL) and after 3 h of incubation at 2MIC (46 μg/mL), respectively. The lowest concentration of zinc oxide nanorods with over 75% biofilm killing in all strains tested was 32 μg/mL. Also, we examined the influence of the zinc oxide nanorods on MRSA by analyzing mecA, mecR1, blaR1, and blaZ by using a quantitative RT-PCR assay. The data obtained revealed that the presence of 2× MIC (46 μg/mL) of ZnO-NRs reduced the transcriptional levels of blaZ, blaR1, mecA, and mecR1 by 3.4-fold, 3.6-fold, 4-fold, and 3.8-fold, respectively. Furthermore, the gene expression of biofilm encoding genes (ica A, ica B, ica D, and fnb A) was tested using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR). The results showed that the presence of 2× MIC (46 μg/mL) of ZnO-NRs reduced the transcriptional levels of ica A, ica B, ica D, and fnb A. Also, the PBP2a level was markedly reduced after treatment with ZnO-NRs.

Metal-Organic Framework-Based Materials for Wastewater Treatment: Superior Adsorbent Materials for the Removal of Hazardous Pollutants

In previous years, different pollutants, for example, organic dyes, antibiotics, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural pollutants, have been of note to the water enterprise due to their insufficient reduction during standard water and wastewater processing methods. MOFs have been found to have potential toward wastewater management. This Review focused on the synthesis process (such as traditional, electrochemical, microwave, sonochemical, mechanochemical, and continuous-flow spray-drying method) of MOF materials. Moreover, the properties of the MOF materials have been discussed in detail. Further, MOF materials' applications for wastewater treatment (such as the removal of antibiotics, organic dyes, heavy metal ions, and agricultural waste) have been discussed. Additionally, we have compared the performances of some typical MOFs-based materials with those of other commonly used materials. Finally, the study's current challenges, future prospects, and outlook have been highlighted.