Microbial bioremediation of heavy metals-polluted industrial effluents has been adopted as one of the most effective eco-friendly tool to cope up with the harmful effects of metals. This study was designed to investigate the biosorption potential of marine actinomycetes isolated from the Alexandrian Mediterranean Seacoast, Egypt, with their potential use in metal remediation of industrial effluents. Among the nine marine actinomycetes isolates, Streptomyces rochei ANH showed the highest versatile metal resistance capability with MIC values of 125 mg/l for Cr6+ and 60 mg/l for both Cd2+ and Pb2+. Additionally, scanning electron micrographs showed complete disintegration of Cr6+-treated biomass compared with the control ones where spores remained intact and connected in long chains. The study also aimed to improve the percentage of Cr6+ biosorption by S. rochei ANH biomass using the statistical designs of Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken where up to 85% of Cr6+ removal was recorded under the following conditions pH (5), incubation temperature (30 °C), contact time (3 h), agitation speed (90 rpm), initial Cr6+ concentration (50 mg/l) and living biomass concentration (10 mg/ml). The results also showed that the percentage of Cr6+ biosorption by S. rochei ANH decreased gradually beyond these values. Moreover, the results revealed that the use of the biomass of S. rochei ANH is an effective biotechnological agent for the biological treatment of heavy metal-contaminated tannery effluent where the percentages of metal removal were in the following order Ni2+ (100%) ≥ Cu2+  ≥ Mn2+  ≥ Fe2+  > Pb2+ (95%) ≥ Cd2+  > Cr6+ (86%). Furthermore, the treated effluent exhibited a stimulating effect on the germination process of Lepidium sativum seeds. Therefore, the present study implies that S. rochei ANH can be considered a powerful candidate to mitigate hazardous heavy metals pollution from industrial effluents and improve the water quality for agricultural purposes.Forming eye contact is important in dog-human communication. In this study we measured what factors affect dogs' propensity for forming eye contact with an experimenter. We investigated the effect of [1] cephalic index (head shape's metric, indicator of higher visual acuity at the centre of the visual field), [2] breed function (visual cooperativeness), [3] age and [4] playfulness with strangers in 125 companion dogs. Cephalic index was measured individually and analysed as a continuous variable. Results showed that [1] dogs with a higher cephalic index (shorter head) established eye contact faster. Since cephalic index is highly variable even within a breed, using artificial head shape groups or breed average cephalic index values is not recommended. [2] Breed function also affected dogs' performance cooperative breeds and mongrels established eye contact faster than dogs from non-cooperative breeds. [3] Younger dogs formed eye contact faster than older ones. [4] More playful dogs formed eye contact faster. Our results suggest that several factors affect dogs' interspecific attention, and therefore their visual communication ability.To evaluate whether the risk of bone fragility on computed tomography (CT) (scanographic bone attenuation coefficient of the first lumbar vertebra (SBAC-L1)) is associated with the severity of spine structural involvement (mSASSS) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This retrospective study included AS patients, followed from 2009 to 2017, who fulfilled the New York criteria and who underwent thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT and radiography (spine, pelvis). The structural involvement was retained for mSASSS ≥ 2. The SBAC-L1 was measured in Hounsfield units (HU). A SBAC-L1 ≤ 145 HU was used to define patients at risk of vertebral fracture (VF). A total of 73 AS patients were included (mean age 60.3 (± 10.7) years, 8 women (11%), mean disease duration 24.6 years (± 13.9)). Sixty patients (82.2%) had a mSASSS ≥ 2 (mean score 20.7 (± 21.2)). The mean SBAC-L1 was 141.1 HU (± 45), 138.1 HU (± 44.8) and 154.8 HU (± 44.9) in the total, mSASSS ≥ 2 and mSASSS  less then  2 populations, respectively. Patients with bone bridges had lower SBAC-L1 than mSASSS ≥ 2 patients without ankylosis (p = 0.02) and more often SBAC-L1 ≤ 145 HU (73% vs 41.9%, p = 0.006). A SBAC-L1 ≤ 145 HU was not associated with structural spine involvement, but patients with bone bridges had significantly decreased SBAC-L1 and an increased probability of being under the fracture threshold.Rib fractures represent a common injury type due to blunt chest trauma, affecting hospital stay and mortality especially in elderly patients. Factors promoting rib fragility, however, are little investigated. The purpose of this in vitro study was to explore potential determinants of human rib fragility in the elderly. 89 ribs from 13 human donors (55-99 years) were loaded in antero-posterior compression until fracture using a material testing machine, while surface strains were captured using a digital image correlation system. The effects of age, sex, bone mineral density, rib level and side, four global morphological factors (e.g. rib length), and seven rib cross-sectional morphological factors (e.g. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/iodoacetamide.html cortical thickness, determined by μCT), on fracture load were statistically examined using Pearson correlation coefficients, Mann-Whitney U test as well as Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc correction. Fracture load showed significant dependencies (p  less then  0.05) from bone mineral density,ib fragility with regard to the fracture load. Sex, rib cage side, and global morphology, in contrast, did not affect rib fragility in this study. When checking elderly patients for rib fractures due to blunt chest trauma, patients with low bone mineral density and the mid-thoracic area should be carefully examined.We used a nonhuman primate model of ligature-induced periodontitis to identify patterns of gingival transcriptomic after changes demarcating phases of periodontitis lesions (initiation, progression, resolution). A total of 18 adult Macaca mulatta (12-22 years) had ligatures placed (premolar, 1st molar teeth) in all 4 quadrants. Gingival tissue samples were obtained (baseline, 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months during periodontitis and at 5 months resolution). Gene expression was analyzed by microarray [Rhesus Gene 1.0 ST Array (Affymetrix)]. Compared to baseline, a large array of genes were significantly altered at initiation (n = 6049), early progression (n = 4893), and late progression (n = 5078) of disease, with the preponderance being up-regulated. Additionally, 1918 genes were altered in expression with disease resolution, skewed towards down-regulation. Assessment of the genes demonstrated specific profiles of epithelial, bone/connective tissue, apoptosis/autophagy, metabolism, regulatory, immune, and inflammatory responses that were related to health, stages of disease, and tissues with resolved lesions.