Cytotoxic activity of Thymus capitatus collected from Hail region in Saudi Arabia with mechanistic study via induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis and S-phase arrest

Thymus capitatus is a plant grows in Mediterranean area and some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia. It possesses numerous medicinal values. Its common name is Zaatar and it belongs to family Lamiaceae Thymus capitatus leaves and stem were collected from Hail region, Saudi Arabia. Then both leaves and stem were extracted with ethanol. This study was performed to evaluate cytotoxic activity of Thymus capitatus leaves and stem ethanolic extract in details. Doxorubicin was used as a standard and the relevant half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were computed for each cell line by 3-(4,5- diemthylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, further mechanistic study was carried out by using Apoptosis assay to explore cytotoxic activity of plant extract. Both leaves and stems extracts were screened against HepG2, A-549, HCT-116 and   MCF-7 cancer cell lines. It was found that leaves’ extract shows high and moderate cytotoxic activity against both A-549 and HepG2 cancer cell lines, respectively (with IC50 = 13.6 and 21.5 μg/ml, respectively), while stem’s extract exerted moderate cytotoxic activity against A-549 cancer cell lines (with IC50 = 21.38 μg/ml).  Further mechanistic study was carried out on A-549 cells by using apoptosis assay. It showed that leaves’ extract resulted in arrest of S-phase and caused apoptosis through activation of caspase-3, p53 and Bax, in addition to down regulation of Bcl-2

An experimental study exploring heat transfer enhancement in tube in tube heat exchanger with pulsating flow

Rationalizing power consumption is crucial in air conditioning and refrigeration design. This study focuses on improving the coefficient of performance (COP) by applying pulsating flow. Experimental trials compared continuous counter and counter pulsating flow to continuous parallel flow, showing a 10% reduction in fluid temperature with continuous counter flow and a 20% reduction with counter pulsating flow. Sensible water heat rejection increased by 10.03% and 19.78% with continuous counter flow and counter pulsating flow, respectively. Overall heat transfer coefficient improved by 57.5% and 75% with continuous counter flow and counter pulsating flow. Effectiveness increased by 4.55% and 10.6%, while COP increased by 4.52% and 13.4% with continuous counter flow and counter pulsating flow, respectively. This research demonstrates the potential of pulsating flow techniques to enhance air conditioning and refrigeration efficiency

Cytotoxic activity of Thymus capitatus collected from Hail region in Saudi Arabia with mechanistic study via induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis and S-phase arrest

Thymus capitatus is a plant grows in Mediterranean area and some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia. It possesses numerous medicinal values. Its common name is Zaatar and it belongs to family Lamiaceae Thymus capitatus leaves and stem were collected from Hail region, Saudi Arabia. Then both leaves and stem were extracted with ethanol. This study was performed to evaluate cytotoxic activity of Thymus capitatus leaves and stem ethanolic extract in details. Doxorubicin was used as a standard and the relevant half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were computed for each cell line by 3-(4,5- diemthylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, further mechanistic study was carried out by using Apoptosis assay to explore cytotoxic activity of plant extract. Both leaves and stems extracts were screened against HepG2, A-549, HCT-116 and   MCF-7 cancer cell lines. It was found that leaves’ extract shows high and moderate cytotoxic activity against both A-549 and HepG2 cancer cell lines, respectively (with IC50 = 13.6 and 21.5 μg/ml, respectively), while stem’s extract exerted moderate cytotoxic activity against A-549 cancer cell lines (with IC50 = 21.38 μg/ml).  Further mechanistic study was carried out on A-549 cells by using apoptosis assay. It showed that leaves’ extract resulted in arrest of S-phase and caused apoptosis through activation of caspase-3, p53 and Bax, in addition to down regulation of Bcl-2

Geographic variation in breeding system and environment predicts melanin-based plumage ornamentation of male and female Kentish plovers

Sexual selection determines the elaboration of morphological and behavioural traits and thus drives the evolution of phenotypes. Sexual selection on males and females can differ between populations, especially when populations exhibit different breeding systems. A substantial body of literature describes how breeding systems shape ornamentation across species, with a strong emphasis on male ornamentation and female preference. However, whether breeding system predicts ornamentation within species and whether similar mechanisms as in males also shape the phenotype of females remains unclear. Here, we investigate how different breeding systems are associated with male and female ornamentation in five geographically distinct populations of Kentish plovers Charadrius alexandrinus. We predicted that polygamous populations would exhibit more elaborate ornaments and stronger sexual dimorphism than monogamous populations. By estimating the size and intensity of male (n = 162) and female (n = 174) melanin-based plumage ornaments, i.e. breast bands and ear coverts, we show that plumage ornamentation is predicted by breeding system in both sexes. A difference in especially male ornamentation between polygamous (darker and smaller ornaments) and monogamous (lighter and larger) populations causes the greatest sexual dimorphism to be associated with polygamy. The non-social environment, however, may also influence the degree of ornamentation, for instance through availability of food. We found that, in addition to breeding system, a key environmental parameter, rainfall, predicted a seasonal change of ornamentation in a sex-specific manner. Our results emphasise that to understand the phenotype of animals, it is important to consider both natural and sexual selection acting on both males and females

Adherence to antidiabetic medication during the month of Ramadan among diabetes mellitus patients in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Ramadan may lead to reduced adherence to antidiabetic medications among Saudi diabetes patients due to fasting, changes in daily routine, social and cultural influences, health risks, and inadequate awareness. This study aimed to assess the Saudi population adherence to the diabetes management medication in Ramadan. Methodology: A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants for the study. Participants were sourced from social media platforms, diabetes mellitus patient groups, and healthcare providers groups. The Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS), a tool, was used to assess medication compliance. Results: A total of 384 individuals were included in this study, 20.3% were from Riyadh, 52.3% were males, 35% aged 31-50 years, and 64.1% had type 2 diabetes mellitus of participants. Age between 31-50 years was negatively associated with compliance (β = -1.06, p = 0.002), while age between 51-65 years is positively associated ((β= 1.00, p = 0.003). Being male was negatively associated with compliance (β= -0.72, p = 0.001). Different fasting behaviors like non-fasting one day or more (β = -2.92, p < 0.001) and fasting all month (β = -2.90, p < 0.001), significantly affect compliance scores with negative associations indicating lower compliance during fasting periods. Various HbA1c levels were significant predictors of compliance. Higher HbA1c levels were associated with increased compliance. Conclusions: The study reveals that age, gender, fasting behaviors and HbA1c levels significantly impact medication compliance among patients with diabetes mellitus during Ramadan

University student engagement inventory (USEI): psychometric properties

Academic engagement describes students’ investment in academic learning and achievement and is an important indicator of students’ adjustment to university life, particularly in the first year. A tridimensional conceptualization of academic engagement has been accepted (behavioral, emotional and cognitive dimensions). This paper tests the dimensionality, internal consistency reliability and invariance of the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) taking into consideration both gender and the scientific area of graduation. A sample of 908 Portuguese first-year university students was considered. Good evidence of reliability has been obtained with ordinal alpha and omega values. Confirmatory factor analysis substantiates the theoretical dimensionality proposed (second-order latent factor), internal consistency reliability evidence indicates good values and the results suggest measurement invariance across gender and the area of graduation. The present study enhances the role of the USEI regarding the lack of consensus on the dimensionality and constructs delimitation of academic engagement.Jorge Sinval received funding from the William James Center for Research, Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT UID/PSI/04810/2013). Leandro S. Almeida and Joana R. Casanova received funding from CIEd – Research Centre on Education, projects UID/CED/1661/2013 and UID/CED/1661/2016, Institute of Education, University of Minho, through national funds of FCT/MCTES-PT. Joana R. Casanova received funding from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) as a Doctoral Grant, under grant agreement number SFRH/BD/117902/2016.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Framework and Cryptography Algorithm for Protecting Sensitive Data on Cloud Service Providers

Most companies are sceptical about the security and insurance measures offered by cloud services and are reluctant to store sensitive data, such as employee records, in the cloud. Thus, more effort is needed to support the security of information in cloud computing. This paper proposes a cryptography algorithm called ―random algorithm‖ because it is built on the idea of randomising the encryption of uploaded files among four encryption algorithms. The proposed fragmentation technique helps add security and privacy to cloud storage applications. Based on earlier studies, we have created a file-level fragmentation technique that does not work at the database level, in contrast to commonly employed approaches in the case of fragmentation techniques such as horizontal fragmentation, vertical fragmentation, and hybrid fragmentation, which do work at the database level. The proposed encryption algorithm and fragmentation technique work within an integrated security framework that includes a user authentication gateway that encrypts user registration data through a cryptography algorithm called the RivestShamir-Adleman algorithm (RSA). The results of the proposed security framework were positive, as it contributed to reducing the encryption time and decoding time by approximately 99%, compared to earlier studies</jats:p

Protective Effects of Isolated Curcumin From Curcuma longa on Key Enzymes Involved in the Insulin Signaling Pathway and Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes Associated With Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and Hypertension

This study explores the potential of curcumin (CUR), extracted from Curcuma longa, in combating obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Obesity and Type 2 diabetes were induced in rats through a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD), and CUR, after purification and characterization by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, was administered for 3 months via gastric gavage. The results show that CUR supplementation activates the insulin signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner, leading to improved insulin sensitivity. Specifically, administering CUR at a daily dose of 100 mg/kg significantly reduces the activities of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) by 43% and 45%, respectively, in obese and Type 2 diabetic rats compared to untreated obese rats. Furthermore, CUR effectively inhibits lipase and α-amylase activities at both the serum and intestinal levels. In obese rats, CUR administration reduces glycogen phosphorylase (GP) activity by 35% and enhances glycogen synthase (GS) activity by 78%, leading to a substantial increase in hepatic glycogen content. Additionally, CUR also led to a 21% reduction in food intake and a 12% decrease in water consumption. These changes contributed to significant reductions in the blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, with decreases of 59% and 53%, respectively. Additionally, administering CUR at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and total oxidant status (TOS) in obese and diabetic rats, with reductions of 49%, 59%, and 58%, respectively. Furthermore, CUR demonstrates a strong regulatory effect on the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC). Overall, these results underscore the CUR potential for treating and preventing diabetes and obesity