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Gray mold disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, causes heavy losses in strawberries. The use of chemical fungicides due to the dangers for humans and the environment has caused attention to reduce their consumption and use biological methods. In this research, the effects of zinc oxide, copper, and silver nanoparticles have been synthesized from an aqueous extract of cloves, and the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus casei by the green method was investigated on the gray mold disease of strawberries. The results showed that concentrations of 10% of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized from aqueous extract of cloves can completely control this pathogen on the culture medium and the fruit. Zinc and silver nanoparticles produced by Lactobacillus casei prevented 93.7% and 81% of fungal growth in the culture medium, respectively. Other treatments did not show a good inhibitory effect on the fungus. All treatments were able to prevent 100% to 50% of fungal growth after 96 hours on strawberries. The investigation of the storage characteristics showed the positive effect of the examined nanoparticles on reducing the rate of change of the physicochemical characteristics of the strawberry fruit tissue. Apparent decay was significantly reduced and samples treated with nanoparticles scored higher in sensory evaluation compared to control. Also, investigating the toxicity of nanoparticles in this experiment on the HepG2 cell line showed that Compared to the control, copper and zinc nanoparticles did not have significant toxicity on cells, but silver nanoparticles led to 25% cell death. This research provides promising results in the field of using nanoparticles for pre-harvest and post-harvest control of plant diseases.

The biological changes caused by oxidative stress (OS) are known to be involved in the etiology of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The brain is particularly vulnerable to OS due to its high lipid content and extensive consumption of oxygen. OS processes, particularly the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), play a critical role in how neurodegenerative disorders develop. This is evidenced by in vivo studies investigating various biomolecules related to OS, such as products of lipid and DNA oxidation. Accordingly, ROS can also cause oxidative-related damage in neurodegenerative disorders, including dopamine auto-oxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, glial cell activation, α-synuclein aggregation, excessive free iron, and changes in calcium signaling. Furthermore, excessive levels of cellular oxidants reduce antioxidant defenses, which in turn propagate the cycle of OS. As such, it is increasingly important to determine the linkage between a high intake of antioxidants through dietary interventions and a lower risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, in addition to modulating the immune system, optimal nutritional status is capable of changing various processes of neuroinflammation known to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. Accordingly, a better understanding of the role ROS plays in the etiology of neurodegeneration is needed, along with the identification of dietary interventions that may lead to improved therapeutic strategies for both the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, this review presents a comprehensive summary of the role of ROS in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, nutrients believed to be useful for mitigating and counteracting ROS are discussed. 

Background: Elite handball female players are at high risk of injury to the lower limbs. The modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) is efficient in detecting players with a risk of injury. However, performed once before the season, the mSEBT cannot determine with precision when the injury will occur. Purpose: The objective of the study was to investigate if a repeated measure of mSEBT across the season would help in identifying with precision the period at risk of injury for each player.Methods: Eleven elite female handball players took part in the study. The mSEBT was measured weekly for 25 weeks and the injuries were recorded. Composite Scores (CS) and distances on each axis were computed for both legs of each player. The 94% cut-off on the composite score and the 4 cm difference between the right and left leg on the anteroposterior axis (ANT) was investigated for each player.Results: Five players reported injury. The 94% cut-off on the CS and the 4 cm difference on ANT were not significant indicators of risk of injury in our study. However, for each injured player, a drop in the composite score was noticed the week before the injury.Conclusion: We propose the drop of CS as an indicator for the detection of the risk of injury in a follow-up of elite athletes using repeated mSEBT. This indicator allows the detection of injury a week before it occurs. Further work is needed to confirm, investigate and validate this indicator.

Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) pyramiding breeding combined with traditional breeding techniques has become an important method for molecular breeding in wheat. In recent years, with the continuous discovery of disease-resistance genes and the development of molecular markers associated with related genes in wheat, the research of MAS pyramiding disease-resistance genes has made great progress. The progress on the study of MAS pyramiding resistance genes in wheat powdery mildew, rust, and Fusarium head blight (Fhb) was reviewed. The aims of pyramiding breeding were discussed in order to promote the research on MAS pyramiding breeding in wheat.

The impact of culture on the communication of pain becomes visible in a comparative perspective when individuals with two different cultures meet.Regardless of the physiological cause, it is through lived experience, in social life, that it is decided how, where, when and for whom pain is to be communicated. Age and gender, situation and context as well as the type of pain are essential ingredients in communication. The communication is always adapted to expectations from those present, their own experiences of pain and the specific circumstances, the cause of the pain. The impact of culture on the communication of pain becomes visible in a comparative perspective when individuals with two different cultures meet.

Introduction: Coronary angioplasty is a safe therapeutic method for coronary disease. However, its major obstacles remain the occurrence of stent thrombosis (ST) and in-stent restenosis (ISR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term and medium-term results of coronary angioplasty patients in the cardiology department of Aristide Le Dantec hospital in Dakar. Methodology: It was a longitudinal, descriptive and analytical study over a period of 12 months (April 2014 to April 2015) with a follow-up at 6 months. Was included any patient who had a coronary angioplasty with stent placement. Results: Thirty-eight patients had been included with a male predominance and a sex ratio of 5.32. The average age was 57.94 years. Cardiovascular risk factors were mainly smoking (57.9%) and coronary heredity (42.1%), followed by hypertension (39.5%) and diabete (34.2%). The indications for angioplasty were acute coronary syndromes TS(+) and TS(-) respectively (50%) and (23.7%) and stable angina (26.3%). The right femoral approach was almost exclusive (97.4%). Coronary angiography revealed a predominance of anterior interventricular affection (84.2%). Type B lesions were the most frequent (68.4%). The single-truncal valve affection was predominant (76.3%). Direct stenting accounted for 63.2% of procedures. Twenty-one bare stents (55.3%) and 17 active stents (44.7%) were implanted. The results were excellent (94.7%). One case of acute stent thrombosis was noted. Echocardiography of dobutamine stress during follow-up was positive in 04 patients (12.5%). The control coronary angiography performed in two patients revealed an ISR. The predictive factors for restenosis were dominated by a deterioration in the segmental kinetics (p=0.009), in the diastolic function (p=0.002), the systolic function (p=0.003), a high post angioplasty troponin (p=0.004), the presence of calcifications (p=0.004) and a high SYNTAX score (p=0.021). Conclusion: According to these results, Angioplasty is an effective therapy for coronary disease. However, a correct intake of double platelet antiaggregants and clinical and non-invasive screening are required for follow-up to avoid stent thrombosis or restenosis.

Aim: Percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) is considered the gold standard technique for initial histological diagnosis of suspicious breast lesions seen on screening mammogram, but it is less reliable for diagnosing atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) due to significant rates of diagnosis upstaging to malignant disease after excision biopsy. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict diagnosis upstage to carcinoma in patients diagnosed with ADH on core biopsy. Methods: A retrospective database search identified 52 consecutive CNB of suspicious breast lesions revealing pure ADH. Inclusion criteria included asymptomatic women presenting for screening mammogram, who subsequently underwent surgical excision. Logistic regression analysis evaluated clinical, radiological, and histological factors. Results: A total of 52 patients with ADH on CNB were identified who met our criteria. Twenty-six of 52 patients (50%) were upstaged to ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma, based on histological interpretation of the surgically excised specimen. Lesion size was showed to be a statistically significant predictor on univariable logistic regression analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed Asian ethnicity and lesion size as independent predictors of malignancy (p = 0.050 and 0.011, respectively). Conversely, women of Middle Eastern and European origin and lesions < 15 mm on mammography were negative predictors of malignancy. Conclusion: Lesion size ≥ 15 mm on mammography and Asian ethnicity are independent risk factors for breast carcinoma in asymptomatic patients diagnosed with ADH on CNB.

Background: The electrocardiogram (ECG) is a simple and noninvasive bedside diagnostic tool with a well-established role in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to study the diagnostic value of electrocardiographic ST-T wave changes in lead aVL in prediction of site of coronary artery stenosis in patients with chronic stable angina. Patients and Methods: study was conducted on 156 patients referred for invasive coronary angiography with history of stable CAD as proved by non- invasive tests, 12 lead ECG was recorded and fully interpreted with more focus on T wave direction in aVL lead. T waves in aVL were categorized into one of three groups: upright, flat or inverted. Results: regarding T wave in lead aVL, inverted T wave was reported in 71(45.5%) patients, 58 (37.2%) patients were with upright T wave in lead aVL and 27(17.3%) patients were with flat T wave in lead aVL, and we found that inverted T wave in lead aVL was most evident in 56(73.7%) patients with mid LAD with (highest κ value equal to 0.550[moderate agreement], and p value<0.001. Conclusions: This study confirmed the diagnostic value of T wave inversion in lead aVL in prediction of mid left anterior descending artery lesions in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

The city of Santo Amaro (Bahia, Brazil) gained visibility among the scientific community due to the contamination of the Subaé River by lead and cadmium from the PLUMBUM Mineração e Metalurgia Ltda industry, on the banks of the river in 1956, which produced lead ingots The present work aimed to investigate the adsorption capacity of heavy metals (Pb and Cd) of EPS produced by bacterial species from the Subaé River, for possible future application of these biopolymers in bioremediation processes in areas impacted by the aforementioned heavy metals. Subaé river water was collected for physical-chemical analysis and bacterial isolation. It was verified that all isolated bacteria produced an expressive amount of Exopolysaccharide (EPS). Thus, the optimization of this production in different sugars (sucrose, glucose, and mannitol) and in three different pHs: 5.5; 6.5, and 7.5. All bacteria produced EPS in large quantities and the best sugar was sucrose at pH 7.5. In order to use the EPS for the bioremediation area, the adsorption test of lead and cadmium was carried out by the isolated EPS. 0.5 g of the EPS was dissolved in 50 ml of deionized water, then the solutions of metals, lead acetate, and cadmium sulfate (procedure performed separately) were incubated at 28 °C for 16 h after that period, and were centrifuged. Samples were filtered to separate the insoluble EPS and the filtrates obtained were used in the quantification of the metals by atomic absorption (FAAS- Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry). Bacillus spp., Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus spp., and Serratiamarcescens, all showed tolerance to the tested metals, due to the efficiency in the adsorption capacity of the EPS, and it was possible to distinguish seven genera, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Lysinibacillus spp. to be used in the bioremediation of environments contaminated with heavy metals.

Functional appliances used in correction of class II malocclusions are shown to modify the neuromuscular environment of dentition & associated bones. There are many studies related to the skeletal, dental and neuromuscular changes which are evaluated cephalometrically, clinically as well as with the recent diagnostic aids like MRI. The aim of this short communication was to highlight and discuss the different aspects of condylar modifications and its role in its growth. The Twin Block has higher effectiveness & comfort as compared to other removable functional appliances [1.2]. The action of Twin Block & Bionator is for 24 hours so effects are more with these appliances. Over the years, several theories have emerged attempting to shed light on condylar growth. One of the earliest theories, the genetic theory, suggests the condyle is under strong genetic control like an epiphysis that causes the entire mandible to grow downward and forward. Although this may be related more to development of the prenatal than postnatal condyle, the theory does indirectly question the effectiveness of orthopedic appliances in condylar growth as proposed by Brodie [3,4]. Several long-term investigations actually showed clinically insignificant condylar growth modification after continuous mandibular advancement with a reasonable retention period in human beings although the initial treatment results appeared encouraging. This leads to the conclusion that the general growth of the condyle appears relatively unalterable in long-term studies. A second hypothesis based on the earliest available acute and blind EMG monitoring technique, suggests that hyperactivity of the lateral pterygoid muscles (LPM) promotes condylar growth. Rees reported that other muscles and tendons, including those of the deep masseter and temporalis, also attach to the articular disk region. Attachments of the LPM to the condylar head or articular disk may be expected to cause condylar growth, but anatomic research has not found evidence that significant attachments actually exist [5,6]. The LPM tendon is observed attaching, however, to the anterior border of the fibrous capsule that in turn attaches to the fibrocartilage of the condylar head and neck anteriorly. At the same time, it is doubtful that initial hyperactivity could occur where the LPM muscle has been shortened by continuous mandibular displacement therapy. By using LPM myectomy in rats, which may have disrupted condylar blood supply, Whetten and Johnston found little evidence that LPM traction had any pronounced effect on condylar growth. More recently, permanently implanted longitudinal muscle monitoring techniques have found that the condylar growth is actually related to decrease postural and functional LPM activity. This notion was also supported in human studies by Auf der Maur, Pancherz and Anehus- Pancherz, and Ingervall and Bitsanis that reported decreased muscle activity. The LPM hyperactivity theory brought forward by Charlier et al. Petrovic, and later espoused by McNamara however, was important in prompting further investigations in muscle-bone interactions [7,8]. A third hypothesis, the functional matrix theory, postulates the principal control of bone growth is not the bone itself, but rather the growth of soft tissues directly associated with it. Although this was supported in part by investigations testing the different growth and developmental responses between the condyle and epiphysis, there has been no explanation as to exactly how condylar growth would be stimulated. Thus, this theory’s validity has been questioned. One of the reasons was that there was little explanation of the specific mechanism by which the condyle was stimulated to grow. Endow and Hans presented an excellent overall perspective suggesting that mandibular growth is a composite of regional forces and functional agents of growth control that interact in response to specific extra-condylar activating signals [9,10].