According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is among the most common cancers worldwide. Most of the anticancer agents have been showing a variety of side effects. Recently, bacterial proteins have been investigated as promising anticancer agents. Azurin is a bacterial cupredoxin protein secreted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and has been reported as a potent multi-targeting anticancer agent, which makes it an appropriate candidate for drug delivery. Azurin may be delivered to cancer cells using different carriers like polymeric micro and nanoparticles. In the present study, azurin was extracted from the bacterial host and loaded into chitosan particles. Then its effect on MCF-7 cell line was investigated. Chitosan-azurin particles were made using the ion gelation method. Results showed that chitosan-azurin particles are about 200 nm, and the loading of the protein in particles did not affect its integrity. The MTT assay showed a significant reduction in cell viability in azurin and chitosan-azurin-treated cells. The toxicity level after 5 days was 63.78% and 82.53% for free azurin and chitosan-azurin-treated cells, respectively. It seems using an appropriate carrier system for anticancer proteins like azurin is a promising tool for developing low side effect anticancer agents.
Background: Through the development of robust techniques and their comprehensive validation, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has developed a wide range of indications in its almost 25 years of clinical use. The recording of cardiac volumes and systolic ventricular function as well as the characterization of focal myocardial scars are now part of standard CMR imaging. Recently, the introduction of accelerated image acquisition technologies, the new imaging methods of myocardial T1 and T2 mapping and 4-D flow measurements, and the new post-processing technique of myocardial feature tracking have gained relevance. Method: This overview is based on a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed database on new CMR techniques and their clinical application. Results and conclusion: This article provides an overview of the latest technical developments in the field of CMR and their possible applications based on the most important clinical questions.
The range migration algorithm (RMA) is an accurate imaging method for processing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signals. However, this algorithm requires a big amount of computation when performing Stolt mapping. In high squint and wide beamwidth imaging, this operation also requires big memory size to store the result spectrum after Stolt mapping because the spectrum will be significantly expanded. A modified Stolt mapping that does not expand the signal spectrum while still maintains the processing accuracy is proposed in this paper to improve the efficiency of the RMA when processing frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) SAR signals. The modified RMA has roughly the same computational load and required the same memory size as the range Doppler algorithm (RDA) when processing FMCW SAR data. In extreme cases when the original spectrum is significantly modified by the Stolt mapping, the modified RMA achieves better focusing quality than the traditional RMA. Simulation and real data is used to verify the performance of the proposed RMA.
A three-factor experiment was set at the Horticulture Laboratory, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, to study the effects of the controlled deterioration (CD) on the pea seeds at the constant temperature of 35 ℃. The 3 factors considered were: 3 pea seed sources (Rangpur Local/RL, Dinajpur Local/DL and Thakurgaon Local/TL); 3 ageing periods (0, 8 and 16 days); and 3 seed moisture contents (12, 16 and 20% MC). The 27 treatment combinations compared in the CRD with the 3 repetitions for the 8 arenas were: % germination, % abnormal seedlings, % dead seeds, % soil emergence and seedling evaluation test for the root and shoot lengths as well as their dry matter contents. Identical prototypes of notable (5–1% level) degradations were recorded everywhere. But the disparities were lucid under the extreme stresses. Moreover, highly noteworthy (1% level) relations were traced amid all the traits ranging from -0.9847 (soil emergence × abnormal seedling) to 0.9623 (soil emergence × normal seedling). So, the CD technique was very effectual in judging the physiological statuses of the seed sources studied. Thus, the germination test might be add-on by a vigor test, the latter of which could be assessed by quantifying the seedlings’ root and shoot lengths and/or their dry matter accumulations. Moreover, in the seed quality certification, the suitable limits of vigor for the chosen traits could also be got by this technique. But the seeds of several pea varieties should be exploited to fix-up the agreeable limits of the traits. Furthermore, to save time, the ageing period could be squeezed by raising the seed MC.
In the domains of geological study, natural resource exploitation, geological hazards, sustainable development, and environmental management, lithological mapping holds significant importance. Conventional approaches to lithological mapping sometimes entail considerable effort and difficulties, especially in geographically isolated or inaccessible regions. Incorporating geological surveys and satellite data is a powerful approach that can be effectively employed for lithological mapping. During this process, contemporary RS-enhancing methodologies demonstrate a remarkable proficiency in identifying complex patterns and attributes within the data, hence facilitating the classification of diverse lithological entities. The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the lithological units present in the western section of the Sohag region. This objective will be achieved by integrating Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery and field observations. To achieve our objectives, we employed many methodologies, including the true and false color composition (FCC&TCC), the minimal noise fraction (MNF), principal component analysis (PCA), decoration stretch (DS), and independent component analysis (ICA). Our findings from the field investigation and the data presented offer compelling evidence that the distinct lithological units can be effectively distinguished. A recently introduced geology map has been incorporated within the research area. The sequence of formations depicted in this map is as follows: Thebes, Drunka, Katkut, Abu Retag, Issawia, Armant, Qena, Abbassia, and Dandara. Implementing this integrated technique enhances our comprehension of geological units and their impacts on urban development in the area. Based on the new geologic map of the study area, geologists can improve urban development in the regions by detecting building materials “aggregates”. This underscores the significance and potential of our research in the context of urban development.
In Côte d'Ivoire, the government and its development partners have implemented a national strategy to promote agroforestry and reforestation systems as a means to combat deforestation, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, and to increase national forest cover to 20% by 2045. However, the assessment of these systems through traditional field-based methods remains labor-intensive and time-consuming, particularly for the measurement of dendrometric parameters such as tree height. This study introduces a remote sensing approach combining drone-based Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) with ground-based measurements to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of tree height estimation in agroforestry and reforestation contexts. The methodology involved two main stages: first, the collection of floristic and dendrometric data, including tree height measured with a laser rangefinder, across eight (8) agroforestry and reforestation plots; second, the acquisition of ALS data using Mavic 3E and Matrice 300 drones equipped with LiDAR sensors to generate digital canopy models for tree height estimation and associated error analysis. Floristic analysis identified 506 individual trees belonging to 27 genera and 18 families. Tree height measurements indicated that reforestation plots hosted the tallest trees (ranging from 8 to 16 m on average), while cocoa-based agroforestry plots featured shorter trees, with average heights between 4 and 7 m. A comparative analysis between ground-based and LiDAR-derived tree heights showed a strong correlation (R2 = 0.71; r = 0.84; RMSE = 2.24 m; MAE = 1.67 m; RMSE = 2.2430 m and MAE = 1.6722 m). However, a stratified analysis revealed substantial variation in estimation accuracy, with higher performance observed in agroforestry plots (R2 = 0.82; RMSE = 2.21 m and MAE = 1.43 m). These findings underscore the potential of Airborne Laser Scanning as an effective tool for the rapid and reliable estimation of tree height in heterogeneous agroforestry and reforestation systems.
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