Date palm compost versus peat and perlite: a comparative study on germination and plant development of muskmelon and tomato

This research was carried out in the experimental site of the Arid and Oasian cultures Laboratory of the Institute of Arid Regions, Medenine, Tunisia. It aims at studying the effects of compost on seed germination patterns, seedling growth, and plant development of muskmelon and tomato under greenhouse conditions. Three growth media were used: compost of date palm wastes and two reference media (peat and perlite). The results showed that compost presented a promising threshold of both maturity and stability, which is related to its neutral pH, C : N ratio, greater humic acid vs fulvic acid, and low values of chlorophyll-type compounds. Seeds of muskmelon and tomato germinated at varying liquid compost extract concentrations and muskmelon reached higher germination index values even at the pure extract solution (100%). Moreover, seeds of both species germinated relatively faster in peat than in compost and an overall delay in germination was observed, with a more pronounced reduction on tomato germination percentage. Produced seedlings have attained a similar vigour index among media (p <0.05). Compost of date palm was more suitable for muskmelon stem elongation and leaf-enlarging capacity than perlite. However, the gustative quality of fruits was not significantly affected by the medium-types. Thus, it is concluded the promoising effect of compost of date palm as potting medium and substrate in soilless culture under greenhouse conditions unless a pertinent choice of cultures.

Clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 depending on the treatment received and the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an independent risk factor for adverse clinical outcomes in patients with Covid-19. There is currently insufficient data evaluating the efficacy and safety of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19, especially in patients with T2DM.AIM. The aim of study was to identify an associative relationship between the drugs used and the clinical outcomes of patients with Covid-19 and T2DM.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective analysis of the clinical outcomes of 1753 patients with COVID-19 who were hospitalized to the redesignated departments of multidisciplinary city clinical hospital in the period from 23.03.2020 to 01.06.2020.RESULTS. The total number of patients is 1,753, of which 311 (17.7%) are patients with DM2. 92.6% of patients received treatment for COVID-19. At the same time, 91.4% of patients received antibiotics (a/b), 61.5% — bronchodilators, 56.6% — injectable anticoagulants (a/c), 45.2% — hydroxychloroquine, 6.3% — antiviral drugs, 5.4% — oral a/c, 4.6% — glucocorticosteroids (GCS), 1.9% — Tocilizumab.Decrease of risk of death among patients with COVID-19 was as the therapy of a/b (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.05–0.11, p<0.05), bronchodilators (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.08–0.18, p<0.05) and injection a/c (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.34–0.67, p<0.05). At the same time, among patients with DM2, compared with patients without DM2, there was a more pronounced reduction in the risk of death during injectable a/c therapy: among patients with DM2, the risk of death decreased by 2.6 times (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.21–0.73, p<0.05), among patients without DM2 — by 2.1 times (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.31–0.71, p<0.05). Antiviral drugs was associated with an increased chance of death among patients without DM2 (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.44–4.86, p<0.05) and among patients with DM2 (OR 4.98, 95% CI 2.11–11.75, p<0.05).CONCLUSION. A significant decrease of the risk of death among patients with COVID-19 was as the therapy of a/b, bronchodilators, and injectable a/c. An increase of the risk of death was observed during therapy with antiviral drugs.

Prospective Analysis of Lipid Variations in Hyperthyroid Subjects from Lahore, Pakistan

Perturbations in the actions of T3 and T4 influence the normal metabolic pathways. Responsiveness of lipid biomarkers like LDL-C, HDL-C, TC, TG, Apo-A, and Apo-B after rehabilitation of thyroid profile attaining euthyroid state was determined. A total of 179 age-matched subjects of both genders were recruited for this research. Sixty healthy controls, thirty-four subclinical, fifty overt hyperthyroid, and thirty-five follow-up subjects having 3 months of Carbimazole therapy were enrolled. Biochemical analysis was performed by chemistry analyzer, RIA, and ELISA. One-way ANOVA was applied for the statistical analysis, while significance ( P < 0.05 ) of means was compared by the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) test. Pronounced reduction ( P < 0.001 ) of cholesterol in overt as compared to control and subclinical was noticed, whereas marked improvement ( P < 0.001 ) was evidenced in follow-up. Prominent elevation ( P < 0.05 ) of TG in follow-up was evidenced as compared to control. Overt presented marked reduction of HDL-C as compared to subclinical and control ( P < 0.01 and P < 0.001 ), respectively. Pronounced elevation ( P < 0.001 ) of HDL-C was evidenced after treatment. Overt presented reduction of LDL-C as compared to subclinical and control ( P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 , respectively). The follow-up group demonstrated considerable ( P < 0.001 ) improvement of LDL-C after treatment and elevation ( P < 0.05 ) as compared to control. Overt presented reduction of Apo-B as compared to subclinical and control ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 , respectively). Improvement ( P < 0.05 ) of Apo-B was evidenced in follow-up. Reduction ( P < 0.05 ) of Apo-A in overt as compared to control and elevation ( P < 0.05 ) in follow-up as compared to overt was evidenced. Conclusively, improvement after treatment was evidenced in lipid profile.

Permian–Triassic phylogenetic and morphologic evolution of rhynchonellide brachiopods

The Rhynchonellida is a major group of brachiopods that survived the “big five” mass extinctions and flourished after the Permian/Triassic (P/Tr) crisis. However, phylogenetic and character evolution in the Rhynchonellida across the P/Tr transition is poorly understood. In view of the widespread homoplasy across this order, we employ a tip-dated Bayesian analysis to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for late Permian–Triassic rhynchonellides. The same data were also analyzed using three other methods: undated Bayesian, equal-weighting, and implied-weighting parsimony. Compared with trees generated by other methods, those constructed by tip-dating best account for the homoplasy in this group and are closer to previous assumptions on the evolution of this order. Based on the analyses of multiple trees, the major increase in lineage richness occurred in the Early and early Middle Triassic. Also, richness in the Anisian almost reached the highest level seen in the Triassic. According to fossil records, a pronounced reduction in shell size and in the development of ornamentation occurred after the P/Tr extinction, which is largely due to the loss of large and highly sculptured genera and the diversification of small-sized and weakly ornamented genera. Ancestral-state estimation of shell size and development of ornamentation, coupled with comparisons of other characters, indicate that the Early–Middle Triassic mature “small-sized taxa” may have characters displayed by juveniles of their ancestors. This suggests that for these genera, paedomorphosis was possibly a strategy to survive and diversify in the harsh environment after the P/Tr extinction.

Leptin Receptor Expression in GABAergic Cells is Not Sufficient to Normalize Metabolism and Reproduction in Mice

Previous studies indicate that leptin receptor (LepR) expression in GABAergic neurons is necessary for the biological effects of leptin. However, it is not clear whether LepR expression only in GABAergic neurons is sufficient to prevent the metabolic and neuroendocrine imbalances caused by LepR deficiency. In the present study, we produced mice that express the LepR exclusively in GABAergic cells (LepRVGAT mice) and compared them with wild-type (LepR+/+) and LepR-deficient (LepRNull/Null) mice. Although LepRVGAT mice showed a pronounced reduction in body weight and fat mass, as compared with LepRNull/Null mice, male and female LepRVGAT mice exhibited an obese phenotype relative to LepR+/+ mice. Food intake was normalized in LepRVGAT mice; however, LepRVGAT mice still exhibited lower energy expenditure in both sexes and reduced ambulatory activity in the females, compared with LepR+/+ mice. The acute anorexigenic effect of leptin and hedonic feeding were normalized in LepRVGAT mice despite the hyperleptinemia they present. Although LepRVGAT mice showed improved glucose homeostasis compared with LepRNull/Null mice, both male and female LepRVGAT mice exhibited insulin resistance. In contrast, LepR expression only in GABAergic cells was sufficient to normalize the density of agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and α-MSH immunoreactive fibers in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. However, LepRVGAT mice exhibited reproductive dysfunctions, including subfertility in males and alterations in the estrous cycle of females. Taken together, our findings indicate that LepR expression in GABAergic cells, although critical to the physiology of leptin, is insufficient to normalize several metabolic aspects and the reproductive function in mice.

Comparison of two highly-effective mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 during periods of Alpha and Delta variant prevalence

Although clinical trials and real-world studies have affirmed the effectiveness and safety of the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines, reports of breakthrough infections and persistent emergence of new variants highlight the need to vigilantly monitor the effectiveness of these vaccines. Here we compare the effectiveness of two full-length Spike protein-encoding mRNA vaccines from Moderna (mRNA-1273) and Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) in the Mayo Clinic Health System over time from January to July 2021, during which either the Alpha or Delta variant was highly prevalent. We defined cohorts of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals from Minnesota (n = 25,589 each) matched on age, sex, race, history of prior SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing, and date of full vaccination. Both vaccines were highly effective during this study period against SARS-CoV-2 infection (mRNA-1273: 86%, 95%CI: 81-90.6%; BNT162b2: 76%, 95%CI: 69-81%) and COVID-19 associated hospitalization (mRNA-1273: 91.6%, 95% CI: 81-97%; BNT162b2: 85%, 95% CI: 73-93%). In July, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization has remained high (mRNA-1273: 81%, 95% CI: 33-96.3%; BNT162b2: 75%, 95% CI: 24-93.9%), but effectiveness against infection was lower for both vaccines (mRNA-1273: 76%, 95% CI: 58-87%; BNT162b2: 42%, 95% CI: 13-62%), with a more pronounced reduction for BNT162b2. Notably, the Delta variant prevalence in Minnesota increased from 0.7% in May to over 70% in July whereas the Alpha variant prevalence decreased from 85% to 13% over the same time period. Comparing rates of infection between matched individuals fully vaccinated with mRNA-1273 versus BNT162b2 across Mayo Clinic Health System sites in multiple states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, and Iowa), mRNA-1273 conferred a two-fold risk reduction against breakthrough infection compared to BNT162b2 (IRR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.39-0.64). In Florida, which is currently experiencing its largest COVID-19 surge to date, the risk of infection in July after full vaccination with mRNA-1273 was about 60% lower than after full vaccination with BNT162b2 (IRR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.24-0.62). Our observational study highlights that while both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines strongly protect against infection and severe disease, further evaluation of mechanisms underlying differences in their effectiveness such as dosing regimens and vaccine composition are warranted.

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 P.1 introduction and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the epidemiological landscape of Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil

The emergence of the new Brazilian variant of concern, P.1 lineage (Gamma), raised concern about its impact on the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases due to its higher transmissibility rate and immune evasion ability. Using 272 whole-genome sequences combined with epidemiological data, we showed that P.1 introduction in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, was followed by the displacement of eight circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and a rapid increase in prevalence two months after its first detection. Our findings support that the P.1 variant is associated with an increase in mortality risk and severity of COVID-19 cases in younger aged groups, which corresponds to the unvaccinated population at the time. Moreover, our data highlight the beneficial effects of vaccination indicated by a pronounced reduction of severe cases and deaths in immunized individuals, reinforcing the need for rapid and massive vaccination.

Mars ionosphere during two consecutive solar minima

&lt;p&gt;Mars Express has been exploring Mars since late 2003 giving us fascinating views of the red planet as well as unique science insights. The long-life of Mars Express is an asset in order to understand the long-term evolution of the atmosphere of Mars, and in particular, of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. Currently, we have about 16 years of ionospheric observations at Mars, which cover near two cycles of solar activity. This is the first time that such a long time series observations can be investigated in other planet rather than Earth.&amp;#160; In particular, this work focuses on Mars&amp;#8217; ionospheric behaviour during two consecutive solar minima (23/24 and 24/25) using the same dataset. We use the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on board Mars Express to investigate the total electron content behaviour of the whole atmosphere in relation to key parameters, such as the solar flux, solar illumination, dust storms and Sun-Mars distance. The topside variability of the ionosphere is also investigated through variations in the neutral scale height, and results are supported by ionospheric modelling. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether the ionosphere during the recent solar minimum 24/25 was similar (and to which degree) to the ionosphere at solar minimum 23/24, which was characterised by a pronounced reduction of both the topside and bottomside regions.&lt;/p&gt;

The impact of hypoxia on B cells in COVID-19

Prominent early features of COVID-19 include severe, often clinically silent, hypoxia and a pronounced reduction in B cells, the latter important in defence against SARS-CoV-2. This brought to mind the phenotype of mice with VHL-deficient B cells, in which Hypoxia-Inducible Factors are constitutively active, suggesting hypoxia might drive B cell abnormalities in COVID-19. We demonstrated the breadth of early and persistent defects in B cell subsets in moderate/severe COVID-19, including reduced marginal zone-like, memory and transitional B cells, changes we also observed in B cell VHL-deficient mice. This was corroborated by hypoxia-related transcriptional changes in COVID-19 patients, and by similar B cell abnormalities in mice kept in hypoxic conditions, including reduced marginal zone and germinal center B cells. Thus hypoxia might contribute to B cell pathology in COVID-19, and in other hypoxic states. Through this mechanism it may impact on COVID-19 outcome, and be remediable through early oxygen therapy.

Post-depositional alteration of stable isotope signals by preferential degradation of algae-derived organic matter in reservoir sediments

Post-depositional degradation of organic matter (OM) in freshwater sediments is crucial for driving the biogeochemical dynamics and influencing the consequential carbon burial. This process also often causes diagenetic alterations on paleoenvironmental proxies. Yet, mechanisms behind the degradation of sedimentary OM and the depth-related variations in stable isotope ratios can only be explained in part. Degradation of sedimentary OM in two drinking water reservoirs with contrasting trophic states (eutrophic versus mesotrophic) and catchment land-use (agriculture versus forestry) were studied with a combination of typical chemical treatments to group sedimentary organic matter into four different biochemical fractions, i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, lignins and lipids. Our results show that the degradation of sedimentary OM was mainly driven by preferential degradation of aquatic proteins and carbohydrates. In a subsequent step, lipids seemed to be degraded. This process entails more pronounced reduction of sedimentary OM and associated depth variations in δ13C and δ15N in the eutrophic reservoir of agricultural catchment, when compared to the mesotrophic reservoir with a forest dominated catchment. Moreover, changes in the relative proportions of biochemical components in sedimentary OM have more pronounced impact on δ15N isotope values relative to the ones of δ13C. Our findings also suggest that algae-derived OM is primarily responsible for the post-depositional alterations of elemental and isotopic compositions of sedimentary OM. This may be of importance for estimates of carbon sinks in lakes and reservoirs.