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Silicon, in its nanoscale form, has shown plant-promoting and insecticidal properties. To date, however, we lack mechanistic evidence for how nanoscale silicon influences the regulation of plant chemical defenses against herbivore attacks. To address this gap, we compared the effect of Si nanodots (NDs) and sodium silicate, a conventional silicate fertilizer, on maize (Zea mays L.) chemical defenses against the oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata, Walker) caterpillars. We found that Si NDs and sodium silicate additions, at the dose of 50 mg/L, significantly inhibited the growth of caterpillars by 53.5% and 34.2%, respectively. This increased plant resistance was associated with a 44.2% increase in the production of chlorogenic acid, as well as the expression of PAL, C4H, 4CL, C3H and HCT, core genes involved in the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid, by 1.7, 2.4, 1.9, 1.8 and 4.5 folds, respectively. Particularly, in the presence of M. separata, physiological changes in maize plants treated with 50 mg/L Si NDs, including changes in shoot biomass, leaf nutrients (e.g., K, P, Si), and chemical defense compounds (e.g., chlorogenic acid, total phenolics), were higher than those of plants added with equivalent concentrations of conventional silicate fertilizer. Taken together, our findings indicate that Si, in nanoscale form, could replace synthetic pesticides, and be implemented for a more effective and ecologically-sound management of insect pests in maize crop farming.Water, sediment and biota (two fish and one shrimp species) samples were collected from rivers, ponds, mudflat and estuaries within the Mai Po Ramsar site in Hong Kong, China, to determine the concentrations of heavy metals/loid (HMs) cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As). The mutagenicity and toxicity of water and sediment samples were evaluated using Ames test and Microtox® bioassay, respectively. Ecological risk assessments on water birds were also conducted based on HM concentrations in biota, sediment and water samples. In general, results showed that downstream of Shan Pui River and Ng Tung River had relatively higher HM concentrations (e.g. Cu 0.992-9.49 μg/L; As 0.342-5.83 μg/L) when compared with estuaries (Cu 0.400-3.69 μg/L; As 0.220-0.931 μg/L) and ponds (Cu 0.0402-2.41 μg/L; As 0.0501-2.10 μg/L), except Hg and Cd. On the other hand, sediment samples collected from Ng Tung River showed mutagenicity on Salmonella typhimurium tester strain TA100, while the mudflat samples had mutagenicity on tester strain TA98 used in the Ames tests. Microtox® bioassay indicated that only sediment of Ng Tung River showed acute toxicity with a 15 min half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 30.5%. Results of ecological risk assessments showed that grey heron (Ardea cinerea), which feeds on fish and shrimps at Shan Pui River and ponds were not at risk. However, common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), which feeds at ponds were subjected to a potential health risk due to its behavior of seeking food from the sediments, especially this bird species has a small body size. This indicates juvenile birds of other species may also be affected. Remediation should be implemented to relief the potential risk of Cu and Pb, to these water birds in the Mai Po Ramsar site.CO2-induced aquatic acidification is predicted to affect fish neuronal GABAA receptors leading to widespread behavioural alterations. However, the large variability in the magnitude and direction of behavioural responses suggests substantial species-specific CO2 threshold differences, life history and parental acclimation effects, experimental artifacts, or a combination of these factors. As an established model organism, zebrafish (Danio rerio) can be reared under stable conditions for multiple generations, which may help control for some of the variability observed in wild-caught fishes. Here, we used two standardized tests to investigate the effect of 1-week acclimatization to four pCO2 levels on zebrafish anxiety-like behaviour, exploratory behaviour, and locomotion. Fish acclimatized to 900 μatm CO2 demonstrated increased anxiety-like behaviour compared to control fish (~480 μatm), however, the behaviour of fish exposed to 2200 μatm CO2 was indistinguishable from that of controls. In addition, fish acclimatized to 4200 μatm CO2 had decreased anxiety-like behaviour; i.e. the opposite response than the 900 μatm CO2 treatment. On the other hand, exploratory behaviour did not differ among any of the pCO2 exposures that were tested. Thus, zebrafish behavioural responses to elevated pCO2 are not linear; with potential important implications for physiological, environmental, and aquatic acidification studies.

According to the latest reported data from the National Acute Stroke Israeli Survey (NASIS), around 18,000 strokes occur annually in Israel. Data regarding disparities in stroke care between the Jewish and the Arab populations in Israel are lacking.

We wished to compare demographics, comorbidities, stroke characteristics and outcomes between Jewish and Arab stroke patients in Israel that were acutely treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), in order to test if there are disparities or any ethnic-specific parameters.

The National Acute Stroke Israeli registry of patients undergoing revascularization (NASIS-REVASC) prospectively enrolled patients in six comprehensive stroke centers between 1/2014 and 3/2016. In this observational research, we compared demographics, comorbidities, time metrics, stroke characteristics and outcomes between Jewish and Arab patients enrolled.

NASIS-REVASC included 1432 patients out of which 143 (10%) were of Arab ethnicity and 1289 (90%) of Jewish ethnicity. Arab patients were significantly younger (66±14 vs. 73±29, p=0·004), exhibited higher rates of smoking and diabetes (31% vs. 18% and 57% vs. 34%, p<0·001 for both), and were less often treated with systemic thrombolysis (48% vs. 59%, p=0·012). However, the rates of any interventional treatment with either intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular thrombectomy as well as the rates of favorable outcomes and mortality were comparable between groups.

Despite several baseline differences between Arab and Jewish Israeli stroke patients, treatment allocations, survival and functional outcomes were similar indicating lack of disparity in stroke care among patients treated acutely with IVT and/or EVT in Israel.

Full data is available following a formal request to the NASIS-REVASC registry at the Israeli Health Ministry.

Full data is available following a formal request to the NASIS-REVASC registry at the Israeli Health Ministry.Centromeres are chromosomal loci where kinetochores assemble to ensure faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis. CENP-A defines the loci by serving as an epigenetic marker that recruits other centromere components for a functional structure. However, the mechanism that controls CENP-A regulation of centromeric chromatin integrity remains to be explored. Separate studies have shown that loss of CENP-A or the Cdk5 regulatory subunit associated protein 2 (Cdk5rap2), a key player in mitotic progression, triggers the occurrence of lagging chromosomes. This prompted us to investigate a potential link between CENP-A and Cdk5rap2 in the maintenance of centromeric chromatin integrity. CDK inhibitor Here, we demonstrate that loss of Cdk5rap2 causes reduced CENP-A expression while exogenous Cdk5rap2 expression in cells depleted of endogenous Cdk5rap2 restores CENP-A expression. Indeed, we show that Cdk5rap2 is a nuclear protein that acts as a positive transcriptional regulator of CENP-A. Cdk5rap2 interacts with the CENP-A promoter and upregulates CENP-A transcription. Accordingly, loss of Cdk5rap2 causes reduced level of centromeric CENP-A. Exogenous CENP-A expression partially inhibits the occurrence of lagging chromosomes in Cdk5rap2 knockdown cells, indicating that lagging chromosomes induced by loss of Cdk5rap2 is due, in part, to loss of CENP-A. Aside from manifesting lagging chromosomes, cells depleted of Cdk5rap2, and thus CENP-A, show increased micronuclei and chromatin bridge formation. Altogether, our findings indicate that Cdk5rap2 serves to maintain centromeric chromatin integrity partly through CENP-A.Encapsulation systems promote targeted delivery to the gastrointestinal tract. An oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion was covered using new delivery system composition based on zein and sodium alginate. The impact of aqueous phase (distilled water and cooked pumpkin puree), pH (2-4), and zein-alginate concentration solution (0.05-0.20% w/v) was investigated on particle size, zeta potential, incorporation efficiency (IE), stability, viscosity, and glucose release from single-layer (SLN) and double-layer nanoemulsion (DLN). DLNs showed a larger droplet size and zeta potential. The slow gradual release of glucose proved effective application of zein/alginate as delivery system for nanoemulsion. Moreover, cooked pumpkin and 0.12% of zein exhibited more delayed release of glucose than distilled water as an aqueous phase of DLN and as a delivery system respectively. Up-to-49% IE, up-to-50% stability in a period of 7-day storage, and controlled-release glucose for 240 min under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions were obtained in DLN. The results of the current study revealed that SLN covered by zein at 0.12% of concentration can be an ideal delivery system composition for patients with hypoglycemia and clinical problems.

Tonsillar microenvironment is thought to contribute to innate immune dysregulation responsible for the periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) because of beneficial effects of tonsillectomy on treatment of the syndrome. Accordingly previous studies reported altered lymphocyte frequency, cytokine level and microbial composition in PFAPA tonsils. The aim of our study is to monitor expression levels of pro-inflammatory cell surface Toll-like receptors (TLRs) which have important role in induction of inflammation and maintaining tissue haemostasis.

Seven patients with PFAPA syndrome, and eight patients with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GAβHS) recurrent tonsillitis were included in our study. Tonsillar expression levels of TLR-1, -2, -4, -5, and -6 were monitored by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Expression levels were scored using semi-quantitative analysis method and were statistically analyzed by Two-Way Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance test.

IHC analysis demonstrated expression of all TLRs in tonsillar surface epithelium (SE) and lymphoid interior (LI) except for TLR-6 which was not present in the former. There has not been any statistically significant difference in TLR expression levels between PFAPA and GAβHS tonsils, except for TLR-1 and TLR-2 which were higher on LI and lower on SE of PFAPA tonsils, respectively, than that of the GAβHS samples.

Altered TLR expression levels may be involved in PFAPA pathogenesis. Future studies with higher patient number, uninflamed tonsils and cellular markers are required to further enlighten the role of TLRs in the development of syndrome.

Altered TLR expression levels may be involved in PFAPA pathogenesis. Future studies with higher patient number, uninflamed tonsils and cellular markers are required to further enlighten the role of TLRs in the development of syndrome.