The major issue of raw materials depletion and more specifically of phosphorous (an important fertilizer) has currently become an emergent aspect, due to expected depletion problems, needing immediate handling. This was the reason for the implementation of PhoReSe project that aimed to remove and recover phosphorus from the secondary (biologically treated) effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP “AINEIA”, located near Thessaloniki, N. Greece), treating the wastewaters of the nearby touristic area. Regarding the phosphorous supplementary removal and recovery treatment options, two methods mainly examined, initially in laboratory scale (batch experiments), i.e. (1) the adsorption of phosphorous, and (2) the chemical precipitation of phosphorus. Both methods further applied in pilot-scale, by performing initially the adsorption of phosphorous onto the AquAsZero commercial sorbent, which is a mixed manganese iron oxy-hydroxide, followed by the chemical precipitation of phosphorous, implemented after the de-sorption process of previously saturated adsorbent. The final precipitate of this procedure examined as an alternative/supplementary fertilizer, returning with this way phosphorus into the natural cycle. These experiments, as applied successfully in pilot-scale, set the basis for the larger-scale relevant application for similar WWTP facilities.

Laurencia seaweed species synthesize a broad range of secondary metabolites mainly terpenes, such as the elatol exhibiting ecological roles, such as defense against fouling and herbivores. Recently, an intricate cellular machinery was evidenced concerning terpenes biosynthetic pathways, storage inside corps en cerise - CC and regulated exocytosis in these species. But for seaweeds in general, the proteins involved in transmembrane transport of secondary metabolites remains unknown. Assays with Rhodamine-123 and cyclosporine A (CSA) revealed the presence of ABC transporters in CC membrane of Laurencia dendroidea. In vivo incubation assays with CSA resulted in CC morphological changes, reduced intracellular elatol concentrations and increased biofouling cover on the seaweed surface. Cultivation assays in the presence of a marine pathogenic bacteria induced the expression of ABC proteins belonging to the subfamilies ABCB, ABCD, ABCF and ABCG. The later subfamily is known to associated in the transport terpenes in plants. Our results shed new light on the role of ABC proteins in key mechanisms of the defensive system in seaweeds against fouling and herbivory.

Multipactor is a common discharge phenomenon occurred in space microwave systems. The surface microstructure has been verified to be effective to mitigate multipactor. In this work, we design a square coaxial low-pass filter (SCLPF) with dielectric sheets loaded to check the multipactor dependence on the structure parameters of the loaded dielectric sheets, and further model groove structures on the sensitive area surface to lower the risk of multipactor. Simulation results indicate that the SCLPF loaded with alumina and PTFE exhibits good operational characteristics, and the multipactor threshold is significantly improved after introducing the surface grooves. Then we investigate the effects of three typical groove parameters, groove depth, groove number, and aspect ratio, on the multipactor threshold of the SCLPF device. The results show that the multipactor threshold raise at first as the groove number and groove depth increase, and then the threshold reaches a saturation status. For a deeper analysis of multipactor, we discuss how the grooves shelter the secondary electrons, and further mitigate the electron avalanche. Furthermore, the mechanisms of threshold saturation under the effect of groove parameters are analyzed in detail, and a contour map for the multipactor threshold of PTFE-loaded SCLPFs is given, which makes significant sense for predicting the multipactor threshold of the devices with its sensitive surface being grooved. The regularity of modulating the multipactor threshold by the groove structures obtained in this study is of engineering significance for suppressing multipactor in microwave devices in practical applications.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a devastating event with severe long-term complications. TBI and its sequelae are one of the leading causes of death and disability in those under 50 years old. The full extent of secondary brain injury is still being intensely investigated; however, it is now clear that neurotrauma can incite chronic neurodegenerative processes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson’s disease, and many other neurodegenerative syndromes have all been associated with a history of traumatic brain injury. The complex nature of these pathologies can make clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment challenging. The goal of this review is to provide a concise appraisal of the literature with focus on emerging strategies to improve clinical outcomes. First, we review the pathways involved in the pathogenesis of neurotrauma-related neurodegeneration and discuss the clinical implications of this rapidly evolving field. Next, because clinical evaluation and neuroimaging are essential to the diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative diseases, we analyze the clinical investigations that are transforming these areas of research. Finally, we briefly review some of the preclinical therapies that have shown the most promise in improving outcomes after neurotrauma.

A Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) film with a thickness of approximately 1.5 μm was fabricated on a Mo-coated glass substrate by annealing a CZTS precursor fabricated from nanoparticle ink. The chemical states of the elements in the CZTS thin film in the depth direction were studied to identify the presence of secondary phases, which are detrimental to the performance of solar cells containing CZTS. X-ray diffraction was unable to detect any secondary phases in CZTS because of their small relative amount. Instead, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which is highly sensitive to chemical state, was conducted at different depths in the CZTS film to further check the presence of secondary phases. XPS analysis revealed peaks shift consistent with the presence of secondary phases. For the CZTS film annealed in a S atmosphere at 575 °C for 3 h, the film surface consisted of a secondary-phase layer composed of CuS, ZnS, and SnSx (x=1 or 2) originating from the decomposition of CZTS. At depths below 80 nm, the film was pure CZTS. Formation of MoS2 at the CZTS–Mo interface was confirmed by XPS analysis of Mo and S.

Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress play significant roles in the development of various diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to explore the po-tential therapeutic benefits of Annona crassiflora (Araticum-do-Cerrado) leaves, specifically fo-cusing on their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-glycation properties. To achieve this, a hydroethanolic extract of the plant’s leaves (EHAC) was prepared and subjected to phytochemical analysis and in vitro tests to evaluate its effects. The tests included assessing its impact on fibro-blast cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory capabilities (phagocytosis and macrophage spreading), an-tioxidant activity (DPPH and lipid peroxidation), and anti-glycation activity. The results indicated that EHAC contains high levels of phenolic compounds, including rutin and quercetin. The ex-tract demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory activity by significantly inhibiting phagocytosis and macrophage spreading. Furthermore, it exhibited high antioxidant capacity by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and scavenging free radicals. Additionally, it showed notable anti-glycation activity by completely inhibiting the formation of AGEs at the tested concentrations. The cell viability remained above 95% at concentrations up to 800 µg/mL. In conclusion, EHAC has significant therapeutic potential, and further research is warranted for its development as a phytotherapeu-tic, with the aim of preserving the biodiversity of the Brazilian Cerrado.

Emotional competencies are a set of strategies to identify, comprehend, express and regulate emotions. They are particularly relevant in the educational context. In spite of their important, low emotional competencies have been reported in secondary students. This scoping review aims to synthesize the impact of emotional education programs on secondary students. The PRISMA Scoping method was used by using the Web Of Science, Scopus and Scielo databases. 23 studies were identified, out of which five articles were selected as they met the determined inclusion criteria. The main findings reveal significant improvement of emotional and social skills following school interventions. Specifically, progress was observed in areas such as emotional awareness, emotional regulation, interpersonal skills and emotional knowledge. The results highlight the efficacy of social-emotional learning programs in fostering social-emotional skills and psychosocial health of secondary education students. However, limitations, such as heterogeneity, were identified in the study of such research in Ibero-American countries.

Managing plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi, like anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species, is a challenge. Different methods are being sought to identify compounds with antibiotic properties. The Trichoderma strains represent a source of novel molecules with antifungal properties, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), the production of which is influenced by the medium’s nutrient content. In this study, we assessed the VOCs produced in dual confrontation systems performed in two culture media by Trichoderma strains (T. atroviride IMI206040, T. asperellum T1 and T3, and Trichoderma sp. T2) against Colletotrichum acutatum. We analyze the VOCs profiles using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The Luria Bertani medium (LB) stimulated VOCs production with antifungal properties in most systems. We determined the 2-pentyl furan, dimethyl disulfide, and α-phellandrene antifungal activity in vitro. The equimolar mixture of those VOCs (250 µM) generated 14% C. acutatum diametral growth inhibition. The infective ability and the disease severity caused by the mycelium exposed to the VOCs mixture significantly diminished on strawberry leaves. The application of those VOCs as biofumigants could contribute to managing anthracnose. The use of LB represents a feasible strategy to identify VOCs with antifungal properties even between Trichoderma strains belonging to the same species.

Phenolic compounds represent a group of secondary metabolites that serve essential functions in plants. Beyond their positive impact on plant, these phenolic metabolites, often referred to as polyphenols, possess a range of biological properties that can promote skin health. Scientific research indicates that using phenolics derived from plants topically can be advantageous, but the activity and stability highly depend on storage of the source material and the extract method. These compounds have the ability to relieve symptoms and hinder the progression of different skin diseases. Because they come from natural sources and have minimal toxicity, phenolic compounds show potential in addressing the causes and effects of skin aging, skin diseases, and various types of skin damage, such as wounds and burns. Hence, this review provides an extensive information of the particular crops from which by-product phenolic compounds can be sourced, but pointing the need investigation according to a proper storage plant material and the choice of the best extracting method, along with an examination of their specific functions and the mechanisms by which they act to protect skin.

Fungi of the genus Penicillium produce secondary metabolites used as a model for the synthesis and development of several compounds with bactericidal, fungicidal, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral activities, among others. Based on this information, a study was conducted to investigate the metabolomic profile and antimicrobial potential of Penicillium purpurogenum (CFAM – 214). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of extracts obtained from P. purpurogenum broth (CFAM - 214) in ISP2, SB, and YES against Candida albicans was 500 µg/mL, 31.25 µg/mL and 62, 5µg/mL, respectively. In the test against Candida tropicalis and Staphylococcus aureus, the MIC for extracts cultivated in SB was 250 µg/mL and 125 µg/mL, respectively. Due to the good performance of the P. purpurogenum extract in SB, large-scale cultivation was carried out that led to the isolation of two compounds, whose structures were determined by spectroscopic methods such as 1D NMR (1H NMR and 13C NMR) and 2D (HMBC and HSQC), HRMS and MS/MS. The isolated compounds were identified as two citrinin derivatives, dihydrocitrinin (1) and 1-methyl-dihydro citrinin (2).

Neurotrauma continues to contribute to significant mortality and disability. The need for better protective equipment is apparent. This review focuses on improved helmet design and the necessi-ty for continued research. We start by highlighting current innovations in helmet design for sport and subsequent utilization in the lay community for construction. The current standards by sport and organization are summarized. We then address current standards within the military envi-ronment. The pathophysiology is discussed with emphasis on how helmets provide protection. As innovative designs emerge, protection against secondary injury becomes apparent. Much research is needed, but this focused paper is intended to serve as a catalyst for improvement in helmet de-sign and implementation to provide more efficient and reliable neuroprotection across broad arenas.

Untranslated regions (UTRs) of flaviviruses contain a large number of RNA structural elements involved in mediating the viral life cycle, including cyclisation, replication, and encapsidation. Here we report on a comparative genomics approach to characterize evolutionarily conserved RNAs in the 3'UTR of tick-borne, insect-specific and no-known-vector flaviviruses in silico. Our data support the wide distribution of previously experimentally characterized exoribonuclease resistant RNAs xrRNAs within tick-borne and no-known-vector flaviviruses and provide evidence for the existence of a cascade of duplicated RNA structures within insect-specific flaviviruses. On a broader scale, our findings indicate that viral 3'UTRs represent a flexible scaffold for evolution to come up with novel xrRNAs

Super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) is used for manufacturing large valves and pipes in offshore plants because of its excellent strength and corrosion resistance. Large valves and pipes are manufactured by forging after casting, and the outside and inside microstructures are different owing to the difference in the cooling rate caused by the thermal conductivity. This microstructural variation causes cracks during solution annealing, which breaks the materials. To study toe corrosion resistance of the SDSS forged material, the microstructure was conducted based on the difference in the cooling rate between the inside and outside of the cast SDSS. To analyze the effects of the secondary phase fraction before solution annealing on the solution and corrosion resistance, the corrosion resistance with and without solution annealing was measured using the potentiodynamic polarization test and critical temperature test after the precipitation of the secondary phase. In the potentiodynamic polarization test, the secondary phase decreased the activation polarization and increased the corrosion rate. The critical pitting temperature exhibited the effect of the secondary phase.

Increasingly frequent weather extremes induce changes in the quantity and quality of surface waters, which significantly complicates their use and management of their resources. The above problems concern in particular dam reservoirs, created to ensure good quality water for numerous recipients. Impact of extreme drought in lowland eutrophic reservoir-river system is still poorly understood. Our studies were focused on average and high water levels in the reservoir and outflowing river. These studies conducted during three extreme drought periods showed the dominance of toxic cyanobacteria in the phytoplankton of the reservoir and its outflow. During the drought periods, a change in the dominant cyanobacteria was observed from Planktothrix agardhii to Microcystis spp., which resulted in a change in oligopeptides profile, including toxic microcystins. The negative pressure of the strongly eutrophic reservoir on downstream river, due to release of a large biomass of cyanobacteria, was positively correlated with reservoir outflow.

With the ongoing amendment of the EU legislation on the treatment of urban wastewater, stricter requirements for the removal of pollutants are expected, which calls for the need for innovative wastewater treatment technologies. Biological systems are still the first choice. The survey of typical bioreactors applied in wastewater treatment is presented. Wastewater treatment objective, bio-chemical environment and microbial growth are selected as a main criterion for classification of these bioreactors. Hydraulic and kinetic aspects are considered, advantages and drawbacks of these bioreactors regarding the selection of appropriate type of the reactor as well as regarding operation of reactors are mentioned. The aim of this paper is to provide operators and designers with a brief overview of selected traditional and advanced processes, reactors, and technologies for nutrient removal from municipal wastewater. Another goal is to discuss the possibilities and limitations to comply with more strict effluent standards. From the evaluation of the published papers, it follows that the currently applied traditional methods of nutrients removal have the potential to convey also with the expected stricter limits.

Natural alkaloids of actinomycetes origin and synthetic derivatives have always been among the important suppliers of small-molecule drugs. Among their biological sources, Streptomyces is the highest and most extensively researched genus. Marine-derived Streptomyces strains harbor unconventional metabolic pathways and have been demonstrated to be efficient producers of biologically active alkaloids since more than 60% of these compounds exhibit valuable activity such as antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory activity, etc. This review comprehensively summarizes novel alkaloids produced by marine Streptomyces discovered in the past decade, focusing on their structural features, biological activity and pharmacological mechanisms. Future perspectives on the discovery and development of novel alkaloids from marine Streptomyces are also provided.

Apple snails of the genus Pomacea (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Ampullariidae) are native to the Neotropics and exhibit high species diversity. They hold cultural and ecological significance, serving as an important protein source in Peru. However, this genus has also received broad interest worldwide due to its invasive capacity, especially in Southeast Asia, where some species such as Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1822) and P. maculata Perry, 1810 are considered significant pests. Consequently, most genetic studies have focused almost exclusively on these invasive species. In contrast, few efforts have been made to understand the evolutionary relationships of the South American native species, especially at the genomic level. In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitochondrial genome of two Pomacea species native to the Peruvian Amazon: Pomacea reevei Ampuero & Ramírez, 2023 and P. aulanieri (Deville & Huppé, 1850). Through a comprehensive comparison with available mitogenomes on NCBI, we found that the length and organization of these mitogenomes fall within the range of what is currently known in Pomacea. Comparisons between these mitogenomes with those previously published revealed differences in the overlapping of adjacent genes, the size of certain protein-coding genes (PCGs) and the secondary structure of some tRNAs which are consistent with the phylogenetic relationships between these species. These findings provide valuable insights into the systematics and genomics of the genus Pomacea.

Caregiving thinking is the ability to make connections between thought and emotion and encourages man to build a system of reflective value to judge matters compassionately and lovingly. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the components of caring thinking in Persian books in the first year of secondary education. This research is a descriptive and content analysis using the Shannon Entropy method. The sources analyzed are three volumes of the textbook of the first year of high school in 2021-2022. The research tool is a content analysis checklist according to the components of caring thinking, the validity of which was verified by Five experts in education. According to the analysis of the content of the book under study, it can be stated that in the Persian textbooks of the first year of high school, the critical factor of the component of normative thinking (0.2051), the component of appreciative thinking (0.2043), the component of active thinking (0.2020), Was the component of empathetic thinking (0.1957) and the component of affective thinking (0.1929). Therefore, the coefficient of the importance of the components of caring thinking in the Persian books of the first year of high school is not the same, and balance is not observed in regulating the content of these books. Considering the vital role of caring thinking in students' lives, it is suggested that the authors of textbooks pay attention to this crucial issue while reviewing the content of Persian books in the first year of high school.

Myxobacteria generate natural products with unique chemical structures, which not only feature remarkable biological functions but also demonstrate unprecedented biosynthetic assembly strategies. The stigmatellins have been previously described as potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial and photosynthetic respiratory chain and originate from an unusual polyketide synthase assembly line. While previous biosynthetic investigations were focused on the formation of the 5,7-dimethoxy-8-hydroxychromone ring, side chain decoration of the hydrophobic alkenyl chain in position 2 was investigated less thoroughly. We report here the full structure elucidation as well as cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of three new stigmatellins isolated from the myxobacterium Vitiosangium cumulatum MCy10943T with side chain decorations distinct from previously characterized members of this compound family. These findings provide further implications considering the side chain decoration of these aromatic myxobacterial polyketides and their underlying biosynthesis.

Fever and rash as manifestations of infection by microorganisms are collectively known as febrile exanthem. Viruses are more frequently associated with febrile exanthema, and often these symptoms are thus impetuously termed viral exanthem. However, bacteria represent a frequently overlooked infectious etiology causing rash in humans. In addition, certain microbes may exhibit pathognomonic features that erupt during illness and facilitate clinical diagnosis. Conversely, coinfections often obscure the clinical characteristics of the primary disease and further challenge clinicians attempting to reach a diagnosis. We retrospectively looked at de-identified clinical data of a patient who presented to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Bangkok in July 2019 with complaints of fever and rash. The case involved a 35-year-old who presented with a 3-day history of fever, respiratory symptoms, myalgia, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and a generalized maculopapular rash. On examination, the patient was febrile, tachycardic, and tachypneic, with a mean arterial pressure of 95 mmHg. A differential white blood cell count showed: leukocytes, 5800/µL; neutrophils, 4408/µL; lymphocytes, 406/µL; and platelets, 155,000/µL. Striking findings involving the integumentary system included Koplik’s spots and generalized maculopapular rash. Further serology revealed positive immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG for both measles and rubella virus, including reactive serology for Treponema pallidum. Here we describe the clinical course and management of this patient.

The scarcely investigated myxobacterium Corallococcus coralloides holds a large genome containing many uncharacterized biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that potentially encode the synthesis of entirely new natural products. Despite its promising genomic potential, suitable cultivation conditions have not yet been found to activate the synthesis of new secondary metabolites (SMs). Finding the right cultivation conditions to activate BGCs in the genome remained a major bottleneck and its full biosynthetic potential was so far not retrieved. Here, we therefore applied a bivariate OSMAC approach, using a combination of two elicitor changes at once for activation of BGCs and concomitant SM production by C. coralloides. The bivariate OSMAC screening was carried out in 24-well System Duetz-plates, applying univariate and bivariate OSMAC conditions. We combined biotic additives and organic solvents with minimal media and complex growth medium. The success of the method was evaluated by the number of new mass features detected in the respective extracts. We found synergistic effects in bivariate OSMAC designs. The number of new mass features detected in bivariate OSMAC exceeded the sum of new mass features found in the respective univariate OSMAC with only one elicitor. Overall, the bivariate OSMAC screening led to 26 new mass features, which were not detected in the univariate OSMAC design. Hence, the presence of multiple elicitors in the bivariate OSMAC designs successfully activated the biosynthetic potential in C. coralloides. We propose the bivariate OSMAC designs with a complex combination of elicitors as a straightforward strategy to robustly expand the SM space of microorganisms with large genomes.

Preparation of students for adult life also includes the area of health care. Health education is part of the core curriculum of Polish schools. The leading role of the health educator is assumed by the physical education teacher, but many other educational tasks are carried out by all school staff. The present study attempts to answer the question: How is health education implemented at school? The research project was carried out among students of various colleges in the city of Szczecin in Poland. At the same time, similar studies were conducted among students from other university in other cities. The research method was a diagnostic survey, with the main assessment tool being the ‘Questionnaire for Assessment of Implementation of Physical Education at Secondary School’ by Krystyna Górna-Łukasik from the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice. On the basis of the study results, an attempt was made to determine the forms and methods of work and the involvement of various types of teachers in health education. The statistical analysis sought correlations between the students' opinions about the ways in which the curriculum content was implemented, university majors, and PE teachers’ sex.

The beautiful structures of single and multi-domain proteins are clearly ordered in some fashion but cannot be readily classified using group theory methods that are successfully used to describe periodic crystals. For this reason, protein structures are considered to be aperiodic, and may have evolved this way for functional purposes, especially in instances that require a combination of softness and rigidity within the same molecule. By analyzing the solved protein structures, we show that orientational symmetry is broken in the aperiodic arrangement of the secondary structural elements (SSEs), which we deduce by calculating the nematic order parameter, $P_2$. We find that the folded structures are nematic droplets with a broad distribution of $P_2$. We argue that non-zero values of $P_2$, leads to an arrangement of the SSEs that can resist mechanical forces, which is a requirement for allosteric proteins. Such proteins, which resist mechanical forces in some regions while being flexible in others, transmit signals from one region of the protein to another (action at a distance) in response to binding of ligands (oxygen, ATP or other small molecules).

Transition from primary to secondary school is more successful when students’ learning is consistent. Students are also more likely to enjoy the school, engage with learning, and have a high academic achievement in the secondary school when they feel motivated. This is a critical aspect especially in cases when global pandemics situations allow only the online schooling opportunity. Students that are away from school lack the traditional sources of motivation and self-regulated learning skills, thus research is needed to identify other important factors that can be developed in remote settings. The aim of this study was to find out how students perceive their experience with the transition from primary to secondary school and how such a transition influences students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) and motivation. Self-reported data were collected during the COVID-19 breakout from a total of N=80, 6th and 7th grade students aged 12-14 years old. Results showed that students had a successful transition, especially when they are supported by their parents and teachers. Next, Bivariate Pearson Correlation analysis indicated that students’ perceptions about their experience with the transition from primary to secondary school and their self-regulated learning and motivation are significantly correlated. No gender differences were found among all main study variables.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a mosquito-borne alphavirus of the family Togaviridae, has recently emerged in the Americas from lineages from two continents, Asia and Africa. Historically, CHIKV circulated as at least four lineages worldwide with both enzootic and epidemic transmission cycles. To understand the recent patterns of emergence and the current status of the CHIKV spread, updated analyses of the viral genetic data and metadata are needed. Here, we performed phylogenetic and comparative genomics screens of CHIKV genomes, taking advantage of the public availability of many recently sequenced isolates. Based on these new data and analyses, we derive a revised phylogeny from nucleotide sequences in coding regions. Using this phylogeny, we uncover the presence of several distinct lineages in Africa that were previously considered a single one. In parallel, we performed thermodynamic modeling of CHIKV untranslated regions (UTRs), which revealed evolutionarily conserved structured and unstructured RNA elements in the 3'UTR. We provide evidence for duplication events in recently emerged American isolates of the Asian CHIKV lineage and propose the existence of a flexible 3'UTR architecture among different CHIKV lineages.

Cyanobacteria are an ancient lineage of slow-growing photosynthetic bacteria and a prolific source of natural products with diverse chemical structures and potent biological activities and toxicities. The chemical identification of these compounds remains a major bottleneck. Strategies that can prioritize the most prolific strains and novel compounds are of great interest. Here, we combine chemical analysis and genomics to investigate the chemodiversity of secondary metabolites based on their pattern of distribution within some cyanobacteria. Planktothrix being a cyanobacterial genus known to form blooms worldwide and to produce a broad spectrum of toxins and other bioactive compounds, we applied this combined approach on four closely related strains of Planktothrix. The chemical diversity of the metabolites produced by the four strains was evaluated using an untargeted metabolomics strategy with high-resolution LC-MS. Metabolite profiles were correlated with the potential of metabolite production identified by genomics for the different strains. Although, the Planktothrix strains present a global similarity in term biosynthetic cluster gene for microcystin, aeruginosin and prenylagaramide for example, we found remarkable strain-specific chemo-diversity. Only few of the chemical features were common to the four studied strains. Additionally, the MS/MS data were analyzed using Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) to identify molecular families of the same biosynthetic origin. In conclusion, we present an efficient integrative strategy for elucidating the chemical diversity of a given genus and link the data obtained from analytical chemistry to biosynthetic genes of cyanobacteria.

Polyketides are large group of secondary metabolites that have notable variety in their structure and function. Polyketides exhibit a wide range of bioactivities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, immune-suppressing, anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory activity. Naturally, they are found in bacteria, fungi, plants, protists, insects, mollusks and sponges. Streptomyces is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria that has a filamentous form like fungi. This genus is best known as one of polyketides producers. Some examples of polyketides produced by Streptomyces are rapamycin, oleandomycin, actinorhodin, daunorubicin and caprazamycin. Biosynthesis of polyketides involves a group of enzyme activities called polyketide synthases (PKSs). There are three types of PKSs (type I, type II, and type III) in Streptomyces that responsible for producing polyketides. This paper focuses on biosynthesis of polyketides in Streptomyces with three structurally different types of PKSs.

Organisms from the genus Streptomyces feature actinobacteria with complex developmental cycle and great ability to produce a variety of natural products, which is possible due to complicated crosstalk between primary and secondary metabolism. These soil bacteria produce more than 2/3 of antibiotics used in medicine, and a large variety of bioactive compounds for industry and agricultural use. Although Streptomyces spp. have been studied for decades, the engineering of these bacteria remains challenging, and available genetic tools rather limited. Recent advancements in genetic manipulation of Streptomyces involving proposal of CRISPR/Cas9-based workflows as well as synthetic components (e.g. promoters, ribosome-binding sites, terminators, reporter genes) allowed to facilitate the turnaround time of strain engineering, but still has strain-specific limitations. However, a new perspective offered by synthetic biology to exploit the potential of existing and novel pathways in primary and secondary metabolism allows combining of different biosynthetic steps originating from diverse bacteria using a limited toolbox. Manipulation of interplay between primary and secondary metabolism proposes strategies to overcome strain-specific difficulties in engineering, leveraging insights in Streptomyces-specific physiological features. In this review, developments of these approaches for Streptomyces engineering are discussed and an overview of the synthetic biology developments is provided.

The first treatments with dental implants had low success rates (75%). Nowadays, oral rehabilitation with titanium dental implants has a high success rate (95-98%). The success rate significantly increases due to increased scientific knowledge about osseointegration, changes in surgical techniques, and the development of implant surface treatments. Despite the high success rate of implants, no protocol defines the time for the prosthesis to be installed and loaded after surgery. This work compares a new dental implant's primary (mechanical) and secondary (osseointegration) stability. Dental implant with micro- and nano-roughness surface was placed in 24 patients with a minimum of 35 N.cm and a maximum of 60 N.cm. Primary stability was quantified with a torque wrench and Ostell Mentor. The secondary stability 45 and 60 days after surgery was measured with Ostell. The results showed no statistical difference in secondary stability at 45 and 60 days postoperatively among implants. The success rate of dental implants can be associated with the surface morphology with micro and nano-roughness and the shape of the fillets of the implant threads. When the manufacturer's guidelines are followed, it is possible to prosthetically rehabilitate the patient with an implant 45 days after surgery.

Suspended and deposited sediments in streams can interfere with filter-feeding caddisfly larvae by reducing feeding sites and feeding efficiency, potentially lowering densities, growth rates, and secondary production of an important trout prey. We conducted field studies at multiple stream sites with differing suspended sediment loads, and a laboratory study conducted under controlled conditions, together designed to examine the role of suspended sediments in the population dynamics and behavior of Brachycentrus occidentalis (Trichoptera: Brachycentridae) larvae in a Minnesota, USA, trout stream. Stream sites that had elevated turbidities and suspended sediments also had significantly more fine bottom substrates and higher substrate embeddedness. In addition, Brachycentrus densities were reduced, growth rates were slower, secondary production was reduced, and overall benthic macroinvertebrate taxa richness was lowest at the site with the highest suspended sediment loading. Colder water temperatures at one site also influenced Brachycentrus production. In 24-hour laboratory studies conducted in recirculating aquaria, the feeding activities of Brachycentrus larvae were reduced and positioning altered under high turbidities (500 nephelometric turbidity units, NTU) relative to low turbidities (50 NTU or lower). High suspended sediment loads have adversely affected filter-feeding caddisfly larvae by embedding and burying preferred coarse feeding substrates, altering their feeding positions and movements during highest flows, and ultimately impacting densities, growth rates, and secondary production.

Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) is a cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase enzyme that catalyzes a key step in phenylpropanoid metabolism in plants. However, there is very limited information on the function of C4H in medicinal plants. In the present study, the C4H gene from the Ferula pseudalliacea genome (named FpC4H) was cloned and characterized. In addition, the expression levels of FpC4H in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds were investigated via real-time PCR. FpC4H showed the most similarity with C4H proteins from Daucus carota. The results predicted that FpC4H, as well as its orthologs, is an unstable and hydrophilic protein. A high genetic distance was observed between FpC4H and C4H from monocots based on evolutionary analysis. Moreover, a variable region related to the variable function of C4H was detected in conserved domain region of C4H proteins. Protein structure analysis revealed that isoleucine and leucine residues are frequently present in the binding region of FpC4H, and two ion binding regions, cysteine258 and asparagine217, were identified in the 3D structure of FpC4H. Expression analysis revealed that the FpC4H gene is expressed in all organs of F. pseudallicea. A low expression level of FpC4H was recorded in leaves, and a high expression level was observed in flower tissues. Based on the expression profile, FpC4H seems to be linked to a high content of phenolic compounds in flowers.

Purpose To investigate secondary glaucoma resulting from uveitis in a patient infected with Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) pathologically and discuss the management of glaucoma with recurrent uveitis. Clinical course An octogenarian woman diagnosed as a carrier of HTLV-1 experienced recurrent uveitis and a sudden rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) in both eyes. Due to the uncontrolled IOP and severely damaged visual field in her left eye, a combined procedure of trabeculectomy and DGIS (Glaucoma drainage implant surgery, Baerveldt 350) was performed. The presence of HTLV-1 provirus was detected in the aqueous humor. Her trabeculectomy sample was processed for light microscopic observation. Following an irregular follow-up, she presented with a sudden decrease in vision and pain in her fellow eye, four years after the glaucoma surgeries. Her right eye exhibited a significant accumulation of mutton-fat-like keratic precipitates. Results Clinical manifestations revealed the presence of granulomatous uveitis. The combined glaucoma surgery, along with continuous topical corticosteroid medication post-surgery in her left eye, effectively suppressed the high IOP spikes and the recurrence of uveitis for 4 years. The pathological examination of the outflow pathways showed a range of damages in Schlemm's canal (SC), including SC endothelial loss, narrowing, and occlusion, as well as loss of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and fused TM beams. Conclusion Combined GDIS and trabeculectomy represents a promising approach for managing such refractory cases of secondary glaucoma. The continuous topical corticosteroid medication is strongly recommended to prevent irreversible changes in SC and TM associated with granulomatous uveitis.

Oxidative stress is increasingly implicated in male secondary infertility, where the seminal plasma altered proteome composition plays a critical role. This study aims to explore proteomic changes in the seminal plasma of fertile individuals with oxidative stress and secondary infertility patients, hypothesizing oxidative stress as a key factor in secondary infertility. Pooled semen samples from both groups underwent quantitative proteomics analysis using advanced mass spectrometry, with subsequent bioinformatic analysis using tools like DAVID, STRING, and IPA for identifying differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The study identified 377 DEPs in the secondary infertile group and 523 DEPs in healthy controls, revealing seven mutual pathways including acute phase response signaling and free radical scavenging. Significant alterations were noted in proteins like C3 and SERPINA3, associated with sperm function and fertility. The findings suggest that oxidative stress-induced proteomic alterations in seminal plasma are linked to secondary infertility, highlighting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This research underscores the importance of understanding the interplay between oxidative stress and seminal plasma proteins, potentially guiding personalized treatment strategies to improve fertility outcomes in affected individuals.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all ages; despite the advances, understanding pathophysiological responses after TBI is still complex, involving multiple mechanisms. Previous reviews have focused on potential targets; however, the research on potential targets has continuously grown in the last five years, bringing even more alternatives and elucidating previous mechanisms. Knowing the key and updated pathophysiology concepts is vital for adequate management and better outcomes. This article reviews the underlying molecular mechanisms, the latest updates, and future directions for pathophysiology-based TBI management.

The aim of this work is the study of genome organization and metabolic potential of Streptomyces carpaticus strain SCPM-O-B-9993, promising plant-protecting and plant-stimulating strain isolated from brown semi-desert soils with a very high degree of salinity. The genome of the strain contains of a linear chromosome of 5,968,715 bp and has no plasmids. Gene clusters of production of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties (ohmyungsamycin, pellasoren, naringenin, ansamycin) were identified in the genome. The strain SCPM-O-B-9993 has antiviral activity against cucumber mosaic virus on tomatoes under laboratory conditions.

Marine soft corals are prolific sources of various natural products that have served as a wealthy reservoir of diverse chemical scaffolds for new drug leads. The genus Litophyton contains almost 100 species but only a small part of them had been classified and chemically investigated, which calls for more attentions from the global researchers. In the current work, 109 secondary metabolites have been discussed based on published data from 1975 to July, 2023, covering a period of near five decades. The studied species of the genus Litophyton inhabited various tropical and temperate regions and afforded a variety of biologically active natural products such as terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, and lipids. A wide spectrum of pharmacological effects of these compounds had been evaluated, including cytotoxic, anti-HIV, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-malarial, antifeedant, molluscicidal, PTP1B inhibitory, and insect growth inhibitory activities. This review aims to provide an up-to-date literature survey and comprehensive insight into chemical structures, taxonomical distributions, and biological activities of the reported metabolites from the title genus whenever available.

Several observations have shown that patients with polycythemia have iron deficiency. Our objectives were to report the prevalence of iron deficiency, to evaluate the diagnostic performance of serum ferritin in polycythemia vera and to describe the mechanisms of this association. This is a retrospective descriptive and analytical study carried out in the internal medicine department of the Henri Mondor Hospital, Aurillac, France. The study involved 114 patients with polycythemia, followed in the department from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2021. To evaluate the diagnostic performance, the JAK2 mutation was considered as the gold standard of diagnosis. Thirty-three patients had polycythemia vera and 76 patients had secondary polycythemia. The mean age of the patients was 61.79 years (±15.44) with a sex ratio of 4.43. The overall prevalence of iron deficiency was 21.05%. The prevalence was 53% in polycythemia vera group and 1.32% in secondary polycythemia group. The risk of iron deficiency was high in polycythemia vera (OR=115; 95% CI [14.4-918.2], p<0.000). The sensitivity and specificity of serum ferritin were 52.63% and 100% respectively. Assessment of iron deficiency should be part of the initial evaluation of polycythemia. The presence of iron deficiency is specific for polycythemia vera.

Since the mid-20th century, tourism has become a strategic activity for the economy of the Balearic Islands, causing profound social, territorial and environmental transformations. This fact challenges local society, which must be aware of its environment in order to better face the future challenges posed by this economic activity. With this goal, the official curriculum has been analyzed, making it possible to ascertain the approach with which this subject is taught by the administration and what objectives are set. Furthermore, a review was carried out of the contents of geography textbooks in the third year of ESO and the second year of Baccalaureate, which correspond to the educational stages in which tourism aspects appear. The results obtained represent a fundamental strategic diagnosis in order to improve the teaching and learning of this key activity for the Balearic Islands, giving it more importance and adapting its approach to the current times.

This study evaluated the efficacy of experimental TEGDMA-functionalized dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (T-DCPD) filler-based resin-based composites (RBC) in preventing caries lesions around the restoration margins (secondary caries”, SC). Standardized Class-II cavities were made in sound molars having the cervical margin in dentin. Cavities were filled with a commercial resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC) or experimental RBCs containing a BisGMA-TEGDMA resin blend and one of the following inorganic fractions: 60 wt.% Ba glass (RBC-0); 40 wt.% Ba glass, 20 wt.% T-DCPD (RBC-20); 20 wt.% Ba glass, 40 wt.% T-DCPD (RBC-40). An open-system bioreactor produced S. mutans biofilm-driven SC. Specimens were scanned using micro-CT to evaluate demineralization depths. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy characterized the specimens’ surfaces, while antimicrobial activity, buffering effect, and ion uptake by the biofilms were also evaluated. ANOVA and Tukey’s test were applied at p<0.05. RBC-0 and RBC-20 showed SC development in dentin, while RBC-40 and RMGIC significantly reduced the lesion depth at the restoration margin (p<0.0001). Initial enamel demineralization could be observed only around RBC-0 and RBC-20 restorations. A direct antibiofilm activity could explain SC reduction by RMGIC, while a buffering effect on biofilm’s acidogenicity explained the behavior of RBC-40. Experimental RBC with CaP-releasing functionalized T-DCPD filler could prevent SC with the same efficacy as F-releasing materials.

Artocarpus camansi Blanco or breadnut (Family: Moraceae) is primarily found in tropical regions of the world. Different parts of the plant provide potential use in medicine, nutraceutical development, and livelihood. The present review attempts to document literature on the traditional use, nutritional value, phytochemistry, and pharmacological investigation carried out with breadnuts. The included literatures of the plant were collected from various sources and databases like Google scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Crossref, and Scopus. Breadnuts are rich in secondary metabolites. Studies have reported the isolation of several triterpenoid compounds and the broad spectrum of its pharmacological activities such as antidiabetic, antimalarial, antioxidant, anti-tumor, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory properties. The approximate composition of the seed and the fruit also highlights the nutritional importance of this plant. A. camansi Blanco is an underutilized tree that holds significant potential if further research and sustainable conservation is applied. Efforts to mainstream its use as functional food and increase awareness among the locals should also be given attention.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) can be diagnosed pathologically, and cryptogenic OP (COP) and secondary OP (SOP) have been classified by cause and underlying context. Because it is clinically difficult to differentiate between COP and SOP, this study investigated characteristics that could distinguish between COP and SOP. The medical records of patients who underwent lung biopsy from 2016 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-five patients had pathologically proven OP, including 16 diagnosed with COP and 69 diagnosed with SOP. The most common cause of SOP was infectious pneumonia, observed in 57 (82.6%) of the 69 patients. Median time from symptom onset to hospital admission is shorter (P=0.006) and fever was more common (P=0.021) in the SOP. Some laboratory results differed significantly between the two groups. Lymphocyte in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were higher in the COP (P=0.012). Radiologic findings showed that effusion was more common in the SOP (P=0.043). There were no between-group differences in steroid use, 30 day and in-hospital mortality rates, and rates of OP outcomes and recurrences. Infection is the main cause of SOP. Symptom onset is more rapid in patients with SOP. Pleural effusion was more common in the SOP but there were no differences in clinical course.

Abstract: Abstract: The objective of this article is to analyze the dimensions of creativity concerning students with high abilities. Firstly a review of the most relevant scientific contributions on creativity is carried out. Next the dimensions of creativity in secondary school students who have been previously identified as high- ability students are analyzed. Those abilities associated to di-vergent thinking were assessed by means of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking [19]. The flu-ency, flexibility and originality dimensions were assessed with the Scientific-Creative Thinking Test (TPCC, [7]). The results obtained evidence that high-ability students achieve greater scores in both the figurative creativity and scientific-creativity dimensions. A significant relationship between creativity and high ability can therefore be established. This study is of an exploratory nature and the results obtained contribute to develop future studies in application of its findings in the teaching-learning process..

Synthesis of zeolite T with a variety of desired characteristics necessitate extensive work in the formulation and practical experiments either by conventional hydrothermal methods or aided with different approaches and synthesis techniques such as secondary growth or microwave irradiation. The objectives of this review are to adduce the potential work in zeolite T (Offretite-Erionite) synthesis evaluating determining factors affecting the synthesis and quality of the zeolite T crystals. Attention is given to the extensive studies that interconnect with other significant findings.

In Vietnam, general education includes primary education, lower secondary education (the period of basic education) and upper secondary education (the period of vocational orientation education). In particular, primary education is compulsory for all children from 6 to 14 years old, is implemented in 5 school years, from first grade to fifth grade. The age of students entering first grade is six years old. Primary education aims to help students form the initial foundations for proper and long-term development of morality, intelligence, physicality, aesthetics and basic skills for students to continue high school. Secondary education is conducted in four school years, from grade six to grade nine. Students entering sixth grade must have an elementary school diploma. Secondary education aims to help students consolidate and develop the results of primary education; have basic secondary education and initial knowledge about technology and career to continue high school, vocational high school, vocational training or enter a working life. High school education is conducted in 3 school years, from grade ten to grade twelve. Students entering tenth grade must have a junior high school diploma. High school education is aimed at helping students consolidate and develop the outcomes of lower secondary education, complete high school education and common knowledge about technology and career guidance for further college education, college, professional secondary school, apprenticeship or enter the working life. Thus, the term general education is a term with broad connotation including primary education, lower secondary education (basic education period) and upper secondary education (education period) career orientation. Within the scope of this research, we use the term school governance used to mean a mode of action, which is directed toward the goal of being accomplished effectively, by and through others. Governance activities are indispensable activities that arise when people work together to accomplish goals.

The dorsal column nuclei complex (DCN-complex) includes the dorsal column nuclei (DCN, referring to the gracile and cuneate nuclei collectively), external cuneate, X, and Z nuclei, and the median accessory nucleus. The DCN are organised by both somatotopy and modality, and have a diverse range of afferent inputs and projection targets. The functional organisation and connectivity of the DCN implicate them in a variety of sensorimotor functions, beyond their commonly accepted role in processing and transmitting somatosensory information to the thalamus, yet this is largely underappreciated in the literature. To consolidate insights into their sensorimotor functions, this review examines the morphology, organisation, and connectivity of the DCN and their associated nuclei. First, we briefly discuss the receptors, afferent fibres, and pathways involved in conveying tactile and proprioceptive information to the DCN. Next, we review the modality and somatotopic arrangements of the remaining constituents of the DCN-complex. Finally, we examine and discuss the functional implications of the myriad of DCN-complex projection targets throughout the diencephalon, midbrain, and hindbrain, in addition to their modulatory inputs from the cortex. The organisation and connectivity of the DCN-complex suggest that these nuclei should be considered a complex integration and distribution hub for sensorimotor information.

Nigella sativa (NS) is an effective medicinal plant possessing noteworthy antioxidant property. In NS, there are more than hundred phyto-chemicals reported, out of which thymoquinone is the utmost active phyto-constituent having sturdy antioxidative property. Thymoquinone is a cyclicdione, when reacts with sodium azide, converts into α-azido ketones i.e its analogs which are handy with extensive range of reactions. Sodium azide induces stress in plants thereby, modulating the antioxidant system. The present investigation was planned to elucidate the effect of sodium azide at different concentrations (5µM, 10µM, 20µM, 50µM, 100µM and 200µM) on its secondary metabolites (mainly thymoquinone) in NS callus culture extract (NSE). The results showed sodium azide effect on thymoquinone content and a concentration dependent boost in antioxidant property. It was also observed that thymoquinone content and percent yield (analyzed by RP-HPLC; Reverse Phase- High Performance Liquid Chromatography) were minimum (0.033±0.006% and 0.420±0.045%, respectively) at 200 µM sodium azide used. Whereas, antioxidant activity (analyzed by DPPH; 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) was found to be maximum (3.873±0.402%) at same dose. Further, analysis was done for inhibition of oxidative DNA damage at different concentrations of sodium azide on NSE, maximum inhibition of DNA damage (0.243±0.017%) was found at 200 µM concentration of sodium azide. When correlated, strong positive correlation was observed between percent yield and percent thymoquinone, antioxidant property and inhibition of DNA damage. Whereas, strong negative correlation was observed between percent yield and antioxidant property, percent thymoquinone and antioxidant property, percent thymoquinone and inhibition of DNA damage. The findings evidently point out that the content of thymoquinone, antioxidant property and inhibition of DNA damage was affected by sodium azide.

Chemical processing of organic material in aqueous atmospheric aerosols and cloudwater is known to form secondary organic aerosols (SOA), although the extent to which each of these processes contributes to total aerosol mass is unclear. In this study, we use GAMMA 5.0, a photochemical box model with coupled gas and aqueous-phase chemistry, to consider the impact of aqueous organic reactions in both aqueous aerosols and clouds on isoprene epoxydiol (IEPOX) SOA over a range of pH for both aqueous phases, including cycling between cloud and aerosol within a single simulation. Low-pH aqueous aerosol, in the absence of organic coatings or other morphology which may limit uptake of IEPOX, is found to be an efficient source of IEPOX SOA, consistent with previous work. Cloudwater at pH 4 or lower is also found to be a potentially significant source of IEPOX SOA. This phenomenon is primarily attributed to the relatively high uptake of IEPOX to clouds as a result of higher water content in clouds as compared to aerosol. For more acidic cloudwater, the aqueous organic material is comprised primarily of IEPOX SOA and lower-volatility organic acids. For both cloudwater and aqueous aerosol, pH is the most significant factor considered in this study in determining the mass of aqueous phase organic acids and IEPOX SOA. Other factors, such as the time of day or sequence of aerosol-to-cloud or cloud-to-aerosol transitions, contribute to less than 15% difference in the final aqSOA fractional composition. The potential significance of cloud processing as a contributor to IEPOX SOA production could account for discrepancies between predicted IEPOX SOA mass from atmospheric models and measured ambient IEPOX SOA mass, or observations of IEPOX SOA in locations where mass transfer limitations are expected in aerosol particles.

To close the nutrient-related yield gaps in maize, balanced nutrition using primary and secondary macronutrients as well as micronutrients is recommended. Multi-nutrient diagnostic field trials were conducted in Guinea Savanna of Nigeria to assess the interactive effects of macronutrients and micronutrients on maize grain yields, nutrient uptake as well as N, P and K use efficiencies. The treatments consisted of a control (zero fertilizer applied), an NPK treatment and 10 other treatments in which macronutrient (Mg, S) and/or micronutrients (B, and Zn) were added to the NPK. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications. Data collected were subjected to mixed model with nutrient management strategy as fixed effects while replication nested in location and interaction between location and nutrient management strategy as random effects. The results revealed significant effects (P < 0.05) of nutrient management strategy on maize yield, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiencies of N, P and K. The study revealed that yield advantage over the recommended NPK fertilizer as a result of application macronutrients and micronutrients were highest with Mg in Lere (2.4 t ha⁻¹), S + B + Zn in Faskari (2.8 t ha⁻¹), S + B in Doguwa (1.5 t ha⁻¹) and S + Zn in Toro (2.4 t ha⁻¹). Addition of Mg, S and B significantly increases macronutrient uptakes over the recommended NPK only. Agronomic use efficiency, internal utilization efficiency, apparent recovery efficiency and partial factor productivity were significantly increased with the addition of S, Mg, and B but were not improved with Zn application. It was concluded that nutrient limitations to maize in the Guinea Savanna go beyond N, P and K. This study recommends that S, Mg, and B are needed to improve maize productivity and engender improve the use efficiency of NPK fertilizers.

Obesity is a universal health concern that can lead to serious diseases. The side effects of synthetic anti-obesity drugs necessitate the finding of suitable natural/herbal alternatives. Mother nature offers a wide range of plants with medicinal properties that include crude extracts and isolated compounds which are effective for controlling and reducing weight gain. Obesity was induced in 60, 3-week-old male ICR mice, using high-fat diet (60% dietary energy from fat) for 16-week. The mice were divided at random into six groups with 10 mice: mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD) only, mice fed normal diet only (NC), and orlistat at 15.9 mg/kg (HFD+Orlistat), and mice in three other high-fat diet groups treated with methanolic leaf extract of Clinacanthus nutans (MECN) at 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg. After 21-day of the treatment, MECN significantly reduced (P<0.05) the body weight, visceral fat and muscle saturated fatty acid compositions. There was also significant downregulation of HSL, PPAR α and PPAR γ and SCD genes expressions in the obese mice treated with 1500 mg/kg MECN compared to the HFD group. Therefore, MECN is a potentially useful natural supplement for alleviating obesity and obesity-mediated metabolic diseases.

Ambient dose rate surveying has the objective, in most cases, to quantify terrestrial radiation levels. This is true in particular for Citizen Monitoring projects. Readings of detectors, which do not provide spectrally resolved information, such as G-M counters, are the sum of contributions from different sources, including cosmic radiation. To estimate the terrestrial component, one has to subtract the remaining ones. In this paper, we investigate the cosmic response of two particular monitors, the bGeigie Nano which has been used extensively in the Safecast Citizen Monitoring project and its upgraded version, the new CzechRad which uses the same G-M detector, and show how the local contribution of cosmic radiation can be estimated.

Plant extracts are widely used in sustainable agriculture practices to enhance crop production and reduce chemical usage in agriculture. Using various extraction solutions of different plant extracts, this study synthesized planting and spraying techniques and extracted the persistence efficacy of rice. The influence of four water extracts on rice plant secondary compounds applied at various planting times. Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa extracts with concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5% produced better growth promotion rates than urea 0.6%. Water extracts were more effective than foliar extracts in promoting rice growth when applied as soil. When direct seeding and transplanting methods were used, plants treated with these four selected extracts showed increases in shoot fresh weight of 48 and 68%, respectively. Thus, transplanted plants were more suitable for determining the influence of plant extracts on rice growth. The highest shoot fresh weight of two rice varieties was obtained seven days after treatment (DAT), followed by 14, 21, and 28 DAT. This study suggests that photosynthesis and antioxidant activities may play crucial roles in plant growth. These extracts can be used to promote plant growth in organic farming.

Pullulan is a kind of natural polymer, which is widely used in medicine and food because of its solubility, plasticity, edible, non-toxicity and good biocompatibility. It is of great significance to improve the yield of pullulan by genetic modification of microorganisms. It was previously reported that Aureobasidium melanogenum TN3-1 isolated from honey-comb could produce high-yield of pullulan, but the molecular mechanisms of its production of pullulan had not been completely solved. In this study, the reported strains of Aureobasidium spp. were further compared and analyzed at genome level. It was found that genome duplication and genome genetic variations might be the crucial factors for the high yield of pullulan and stress resistance. This particular phenotype may be the result of adaptive evolution, which can adapt to its environment through genetic variation and adaptive selection. In addition, the TN3-1 strain has a large genome, and the special regulatory sequences of its specific genes and promoters may ensure a unique characteristics. This study is a supplement of the previous studies, and provides basic data for the research of microbial genome modification in food and healthcare applications.

Natural products are considered an essential source of chemical compounds with relevant biological activities. Important antibiotics, anti-virals, and anticancer agents within healthcare facilities have been isolated from them. In recent decades, the study of alkaloids and the modulation of the immune response has aroused interest. The survey of SAR alkaloids with immunomodulatory effects is of great importance since structural modifications impact the effectiveness of the immunomodulatory activity, thus promoting the rational design of more effective and specific drugs. This review exhibits the main alkaloids with an immunomodulatory effect and their relationship with SAR studies, particularly in activating leukocytes and secretion of molecules with critical inflammatory activities such as cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide. These studies optimize the properties of alkaloids and allow a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of action at a molecular level, which is fundamental for the innovation of immunological therapies.

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of global patent trends in battery recycling, focusing on secondary batteries and related technologies across Korea, China, and the United States. The data, collected from various patent databases, was quantitatively analyzed to identify technology trends and direct future development. The analysis reveals distinct emphases on technologies such as lithium-ion and waste battery recycling, highlighting notable differences in patent activities among key companies and countries. China's large number of patents in battery manufacturing processes contrasts with the USA's focus on electrochemical cell construction and storage systems, while Korea shows significant activity in waste battery technology. The study underscores the competitive landscape and innovation efforts in the battery recycling sector, providing insights into the technological focuses and priorities of each country. It also identifies key challenges, such as the need for consistent innovation and broader geographic coverage in Korea, enhancing patent influence and international presence in China, and ensuring high patent quality and fostering innovation in lagging sectors in the United States. Addressing these challenges through enhanced collaboration, increased R&D investments, and supportive policies is crucial for strengthening the global position and driving further innovation in the battery recycling sector.

High-density olive groves, despite their interesting production potential, have several limitations, also due to the high fruit load and the irrigation requirements.The study aimed to evaluate the effects of fruit load and deficit irrigation on oil yield and fruit quality, and on olive chemical composition in a high-density olive grove (cv Sikitita). Our main hypothesis was that the primary metabolism, as influenced by crop load and stress, could modify the accumulation of different phenolic classes.Different fruit loads were generated through flower thinning (66%, 50%, 33%, 0%) and two deficit irrigation treatments (-60%, -75%) were compared to the well-watered control (920 m3/ha).Thinning treatments had a limited effect on oil yield, on the other hand, deficit irrigation caused considerably less oil accumulation in the fruit on all sampling dates.Thinning 66% and deficit irrigation 75% were considered with the control for untargeted metabolomic analysis, considering three sampling dates. 233 different phenolic compounds were annotated. Multivariate HCA results indicated the impact of harvest time on the phenolic profile of olive fruits, yielding two separate clusters grouping t1 and t2 together and apart from t3. Regarding agronomic techniques, they played a differential role in the phenolic profile (supervised OPLS – DA). Fruit load mostly affected flavonoid glycosides. In contrast, the phenolic response to deficit irrigation is more heterogeneous, with phenolic acids (35%), flavonoids (25%), LMW, and other phenols (25%).

Background. Cervical esophageal reconstruction is vital for improving the quality of life in cancer surgery patients. Microsurgery is crucial, providing vascularized tissue for defect repair, particularly in secondary cases with a higher risk of failure due to larger defects and damage from previous surgery and radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of a series of patients who underwent secondary repair of esophageal defects and provide practical information for the management and treatment of such cases based on the authors' experience and the literature review. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of the Plastic Surgery Clinic at the University of Trieste to identify cases of patients who underwent secondary esophageal microsurgical reconstructions following oncological surgery. Patient demographics, etiology of esophageal defects, previous surgical history, and preoperative assessments were collected from medical records. Surgical techniques employed for reconstruction, such as pedicled flaps or free tissue transfers, were documented along with intraoperative details. Postoperative outcomes, including complications, graft viability, and functional outcomes, were evaluated during follow-up. Results. We treated 13 cases of secondary esophageal reconstructions from 2011 to 2022. Most commonly, Antero-Lateral Thigh (ALT) flaps were used in 10 cases, while 2 cases employed Radial Forearm Flap (RFF), and 1 a chimeric parascapular flap. No flap failures occurred during a median 50-month follow-up. One ALT flap patient experienced post-op stricture but maintained swallowing ability. A single tracheoesophageal fistula occurred in a RFF patient with a history of radiotherapy and completion lymph node dissection. Conclusions. Cervical esophageal reconstruction significantly impacts patients' quality of life by restoring oral feeding and phonation. When local flaps fall short, microsurgical reconstruction with intestinal flaps is valuable, but burdened by limitations. For challenging secondary cases, ALT or RFF flaps emerge as safer options due to their robust pedicles, yielding low complication rates and positive functional outcomes.

Our aim was to determine the secondary antibody deficiency profiles of patients in a mesoregion of São Paulo state, Brazil, focusing on infectious diseases. Demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic files; infections were classified as organ-specific and graded as mild, moderate, life-threatening, and fatal. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 30% of patients, nephrotic syndrome (NS) 25%; chronic lymphocyte leukemia 20%, and multiple myeloma 15%. Patients with NS were younger than those in other groups, and hypo-γ-globulinemia was detected in 94.1%, IgG <400 mg/dL in 60.0%, IgA <40 mg/dL in 55.0%, and CD19 <20 cells/mm³ in 30.0%. One hundred and one infections were found; 82.1% were classified as mild or moderate, 7.9% as life-threatening, and 1.9% as fatal. Respiratory tract infections were more prevalent (41.5%), and pneumonia accounted for 19.8%. Lower levels of infections were found in patients with NS compared with NHL (P=0.0001). Most patients progressed to hypo-γ-globulinemia and secondary antibody deficiency after treatment with immunosuppressants, and mild and moderate infections were predominant. These therapies are increasing in patients with different diseases, therefore monitoring hypo-γ-globulinemia and infections may help to identify patients at high risk for severe complications, antibiotic prophylaxis or treatment, and immunoglobulin replacement

Background: In South Africa, a relatively small number of children and adolescents belong to sports clubs, and adolescent participation in organised sport has steadily declined, especially in recent years. Participation levels in organised sport has decreased during late childhood and, more increasingly, as adolescents grow older. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the participation of secondary school learners aged 14 to 16 years in organised sport. Methods: The study was a quantitative and descriptive, cross-sectional design. The study sample was 329 conveniently sampled secondary school learners, males, and females, aged 14 to 16 years from three state schools in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. A researcher-generated, self-administered questionnaire on organised sport participation was developed, piloted, and validated among 44 learners of similar background, who did not participate in the main study. The statistical software, SPSS version 27, was used to capture and analyse the research data. The level of statistical significance for the study was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 66.9% of participants in the study sample participated in organised sport. Low but significant correlations were reported between gender and participation in organised sport (r = 0.22; p < 0.001), gender and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.24; p < 0.001), participants participation and sibling participation in organised sport (r = 0.23; p < 0.001), participants participation and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.36; p < 0.001), and between participant participation and parental participation in organised sport (r = 0.17; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Adolescent participation in organised sport was lower in the present circumstances compared to participation in the past three years. Adolescent males had higher participation levels in organised sport compared to adolescent females. There is an urgent need for solutions to counteract the low levels of adolescent participation in organised sport, especially in adolescent females.

We used the Taylor-Ulitovsky Technique to prepare nanocrystalline Co2MnGe Heusler alloy glass-coated microwires with a metallic nucleus diameter of 18 ± 0.1 µm and a total diameter of 27.2 ± 0.1 µm. Magnetic and structural studies were carried out to determine the fundamental magneto-structural characteristics of Co2MnGe glass-coated microwires. XRD revealed a well-defined nanocrystalline structure with average grain size about 63 nm, lattice parameter a = 5.62 and a unique mixture of L21 and B2 phases. The magnetization curves for field cooling and field heating (FC-FH) demonstrate a considerable dependence on the applied magnetic field, ranging from 50 Oe to 20 kOe. Internal stresses, originated by the production process, resulted in various magnetic phases, which were responsible for the notable difference of field cooling (FC) and field heating (FH) curves on magnetization dependence versus temperature. Furthermore, the ferromagnetic behavior and expected high Curie temperature together with high degree of L21 ordered makes it a promising candidate for many applications.

Water contamination has intensified over the year as the world's population and industrial activities have grown. Heavy metals (HMs) are amongst the environmental contaminants commonly found in water and wastewater. These include Lead, Manganese, Chromium, Mercury, etc. Various techniques have been used to remediate this environmental challenge and adsorption has proven to be more effective because it is simple to use, excellent efficiency, low cost, possibility to operate in several experimental conditions. Regrettably, this method yields waste materials, which represents a scaling restriction. Furthermore, after the HM has been removed and loaded onto the adsorbent, there is still a question of the fate of the metal-loaded adsorbent. Most of the time these metal loaded adsorbents are discarded in the environment and constitute a secondary pollution. New applications for heavy metals laden have been investigated. This review article presents the various applications that had been investigated to reuse the loaded metal adsorbent. A case study on developing tools for combatting gender-based violence (GBV) has also been discussed.

Plant secondary metabolites are organic compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, anthraquinones, saponins, steroids, lignins, terpenes) produced by plant for self-defense during growth and development in order to protect them from harmful agents. As population is increasing and quality of life is reducing couple with outbreak of some diseases that are posing threat on the economy, a lot of medicinal plants have attracted interest of researchers because of the usefulness of these metabolites in pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetic industries. In this review, the pharmacological activities of some medicinal plants that are rich in secondary metabolites were studied, means of identifying and quantifying using spectrophotometry and chromatography techniques were also discussed. However, this will assist to reduce the uses and dependent on the synthetic drug and the onset of the age related diseases.

Key genes needed for maintenance and growth for the two pathogens, Fusarium graminearum and Magnaporthe oryzae, were identified. These are genes that are induced in response to maintenance requirements (stress) and growth requirements. The processes involved are synthesizing arginine, synthesis of DNA-bases, nitric oxide synthesis needing arginine, autophagy, DNA synthesis, and DNA repair. A simplified regulatory network for these key genes for both organisms was constructed as a hypothesis for the work, and procedures previously developed to use sets of downloaded transcriptomic data were used to test hypotheses concerning what time under the course of infection of plants the key genes are expressed. The analysis shows that the transcription efforts (costs) to maintain the fungal cells (maintenance) are high before infection and during early infection. During the following biotrophic stage, maintenance activities drop, followed by a dramatic increase in the necrotrophic stage transition. Finally, in the necrotrophic stage, maintenance is again lower despite the high growth rate that can also cause stress. All identified genes' expressions behaved almost similar with an increased expression in the biotrophy-necrotrophy transition for both fungi except the DNA repair genes PARP/PARG that was not responding or absent (PARG) in the mainly clonal M. oryzae. This PARG expression pattern might indicate that M. oryzae is more subject to evolution by point mutations than F. graminearum, where sexual reproduction is frequent. The potential consequences of this in the development and the accelerated breakage of host species resistance in a Red Queen dynamics scenario are discussed. The analysis demonstrates the possibility of using large transcriptome datasets and co-regulations between key genes to test hypotheses. This technique's advantages complement molecular techniques that employ knockouts and over-expression of target genes to suggest that genes' roles are discussed.

Sparkling wine producing and consumption are in constant increase in the last decade and show no sign of slowing. Prior consumption, origin, grape variety, occasion, price and sensorial perception are factors that typically influence wine consumers’ purchasing and consumption behavior. The presence of volatile compounds in sparkling wines, with direct impact on their organoleptic characteristics, is influenced by several factors, such as the base-wine characteristics, grapes cultivar conditions, the used yeasts, the aging stage or wine-making practices. For this study, five sparkling wines variants from Muscat Ottonel grape variety were obtained. For the experimental samples, the grapes were processed by applying secondary fermentation in bottles. The base-wine was obtained through reverse osmosis and had a predetermined alcoholic concentration (10.5 % vol.). This study aimed to analyze the influence of different commercial yeasts (IOC FIZZ™, IOC DIVINE™, LEVULIA CRISTAL™, IOC 18-2007™) on the volatile composition of experimental sparkling wines. The obtained sparkling wines were characterized by the physical-chemical parameters (according to OIV methods of analysis) and volatile fraction (using gas-chromatography). Data showed an important impact on the concentration of the volatile compounds (p &lt; 0.05), depending on the type of inoculated yeast for the second fermentation and only a minor influence on the physical-chemical parameters was registered.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the interactive impact of two soil-borne pathogens, Phytophthora cactorum (as the primary pathogen) and Armillaria gallica (as secondary), on two-year-old seedlings of silver birch (Betula pendula) subjected to stress caused by mechanical defoliation simulating primary insect feeding. One year after treatments, the chlorophyll fluorescence measurement and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to analyze the photosynthetic activity in leaves, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by birch leaves and chemical compounds from roots. Only the infection of roots by P. cactorum increased photosynthetic rates in the leaves, which may suggest its cryptic development in contrast to fungi. The birch leaves in seedlings exposed to 50% defoliation, inoculation with P. cactorum and A. gallica emitted more aromatic carbonyls and alcohols, as well as half as much aliphatic esters, compared to untreated controls. In infected birch roots, the production of phenols, triterpenes and fatty alcohols increased, but fatty acids decreased. This was the first experimental confirmation of the pathogenicity of P. cactorum on silver birch seedlings in Poland. The most severe damage to roots took place only in the case of two-way or three-way interactions. Higher levels of aromatic carbonyls and alcohols in leaves, as well as phenolic compounds in roots of stressed birches (compared to control) suggest an activation of plant systemic acquired resistance (SAR).

Introduction: Studies of the socio-economic function of entrepreneurship have emphasized the critical role that entrepreneurial competence and its implementation play at different stages of the education system. In this paper, we seek to determine the entrepreneurial interest of Spanish youth aged between 15 to 18 years of age, who find themselves in the state-regulated education system, at an initial stage in the development of entrepreneurship. A previously validated ad hoc questionnaire was applied through simple random sampling to 1,764 students at a secondary school in Spain. The analysis is done with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), a technique that reduces the high dimensionality of data through Cooperative Maximum Likelihood Hebbian Learning (CMLHL), applying neurocomputational methods to the educational sciences. Spanish youth expressed a medium level of interest in entrepreneurship. Analysis with ANN shows that education in entrepreneurial competence is an influential aspect of interest in entrepreneurship. As conclusion, educational and curricular reforms must be undertaken to promote the development of entrepreneurial competence at various stages of compulsory education to increase interest in entrepreneurship.

Plants, including Cannabis (Cannabis sativa subsp. sativa) host distinct beneficial microbial communities on and inside their tissues, designated the plant microbiota from the moment that they are planted into the soil as seed. They contribute to plant growth promotion, facilitating mineral nutrient uptake, inducing defense resistance against pathogens, higher yield and modulating plant secondary metabolites. Understanding the microbial partnerships with Cannabis has the potential to affect agricultural practices by improving plant fitness and the production yield of cannabinoids. Much less is known about this beneficial Cannabis-microbe partnership, and the complex relationship between the endogenous microbes associated with various tissues of the plant, particularly, the role that cannabis may play in supporting or enhancing them. This review will focus on Cannabis microbiota studies and the effect of endophytes on the elicitation of secondary metabolites production in Cannabis plants. The aim of this review is to shed light on the importance of Cannabis microbiome and how cannabinoid compounds concentration can be stimulated through symbiotic and or mutualistic relationships with endophytes.

Rocas Atoll is a unique environment in the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean, hosting a large number of endemic species and studies on the chemical diversity emerging from this biota are rather scarce. Therefore, the present work aims to assess the metabolomic diversity and pharmacological potential of the microbiota from Rocas Atoll. A total of 76 bacteria were isolated and cultured in liquid culture media to obtain crude extracts. About one third (34%) of these extracts were considered cytotoxic against human colon adenocarcinoma HCT-116 cell line. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that the bacteria producing cytotoxic extracts are mainly from the Actinobacteria phylum, including Streptomyces, Salinispora, Nocardiopsis and Brevibacterium genera, and in a smaller proportion from Firmicutes phylum (Bacillus). The search in the GNPS spectral library unveiled a high chemodiversity being produced by these bacteria, including rifamycins, antimycins, desferrioxamines, ferrioxamines, surfactins, surugamides, staurosporine and saliniketals, along with several unidentified compounds. Using an original approach, molecular network successfully highlighted groups of compounds responsible for the cytotoxicity of crude extracts. DEREPLICATOR+, a recently developed in silico tool (GNPS), allowed the identification of derivatives of the macrolide novonestimycin, as the cytotoxic compounds into the extracts produced by Streptomyces BRB-298 and BRB-302. Overall, these results highlighted the pharmacological potential of bacteria from this singular Atoll.

The highly dangerous trend of escalating bacterial resistance to modern antibiotics has evolved in recent decades, with increasingly more drug-resistant strains of pathogens emerging and spreading each year. This poses a threat to not only public health, but also to entire mankind. Marine bioresources, considered as a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics and a valuable source of biologically active compounds with high pharmacological potential, now attract increasing attention of researchers. Modern biotechnology combines the genetic engineering methods and the unusual biosynthetic pathways utilized by marine microorganisms to produce natural antibiotics. The goal of this review is to summarize the latest trends in searching for new natural antimicrobial agents based on secondary metabolites of marine bacteria. The targeted control of biosynthesis mechanisms using the metabolic engineering methods in order to create hybrid peptide synthetases or to obtain hybrid peptides by disrupting the target gene of nonribosomal synthesis becomes a noteworthy trend in modern biotechnology. This pathway is not only one of the most promising approaches to the development of new antibiotics, but also a potential target for controlling the exocrine activity of pathogenic bacteria and, consequently, their viability.

We investigate the flow structure and dynamics of moderate-Rayleigh-number ($Ra$) thermal convection in a two-dimensional inclined porous layer. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) confirm the emergence of $\mathit{O}(1)$ aspect-ratio large-scale convective rolls, with one `natural' roll rotating in the counterclockwise direction and one `antinatural' roll rotating in the clockwise direction. As the inclination angle $\phi$ is increased, the background mean shear flow intensifies the natural-roll motion, while suppressing the antinatural-roll motion. Moreover, our DNS reveal---for the first time in single-species porous medium convection---the existence of \emph{spatially-localized} convective states at large $\phi$, which we suggest are enabled by subcritical instability of the base state at sufficiently large inclination angles. To better understand the physics of inclined porous medium convection at different $\phi$, we numerically compute steady convective solutions using Newton iteration and then perform secondary stability analysis of these nonlinear states using Floquet theory. Our analysis indicates that the inclination of the porous layer stabilizes the boundary layers of the natural roll, but intensifies the boundary-layer instability of the antinatural roll. These results facilitate physical understanding of the large-scale cellular flows observed in the DNS at different values of $\phi$.

Background: Despite the abundant scientific literature on entrepreneurship, there is still only limited information on young students’ entrepreneurial intentions. The reasons may be generally found in the different conceptual approaches to entrepreneurial intention and particularly in the variables that regulate and act as antecedents to such intentions. This bias has generated different lines of investigation into the factors relating to entrepreneurial intention among students: one is centered on the variables that influence entrepreneurial intention, in particular, relational, educational, and psychological variables; and the other is centered on the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention, among which is entrepreneurial interest. Methods: In the present paper, we seek to analyze the relationship between the entrepreneurial interest of Spanish youth and a set of socio-educational, psychological, and health-related variables using principal component analysis. A previously validated ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 1764 students (15–18 years old). Results: Notably, few Spanish youth expressed significantly high entrepreneurial interest; those who did were mostly men with a family tradition of entrepreneurial parents, who held high perceptions of their health and quality of life and considered it important in business to detect opportunities beforehand and to create employment. Conclusions: Their principal motives were to improve their professional development, to put their ideas into practice, and to achieve economic independence. This paper proposes the early detection of entrepreneurial interests in young people in order to reinforce these interests as potential long-term initiatives.

Understanding the role of invasive species in ecosystem functioning represents one of the main challenges in ecology. Pteridium aquilinum is a successful cosmopolitan invasive species with negative effects on the ecological mechanisms that allow secondary succession. In this study we evaluated whether P. aquilinum favours the establishment of alternative states, as well as the effect of recovery strategies on the secondary succession. A random stratified sampling was established with three treatments, each one with at least 50 year of fern invasion and with variations on the periodicity of fires and cuttings (chapeos) vs one control without fern bracken We determined the species richness and composition, as well as the relative importance value (IVI) in each treatment. We found that P. aquilinum decreases the action of the mechanisms that allow secondary succession, particularly facilitation. The recovery strategies consist in monthly cuttings and control fires allow to recover the secondary succession and eventually, the regeneration of areas invaded by P. aquilinum. Our study has relevant implications on the ecology of alternative state, and in practical strategies to maintain tropical forests, as well as for the maintenance of environmental services and sustainability.

Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), also called Host Defence Peptides have established antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Conjugation of an AMP to a bioactive molecule with complementary activity can address some of the clinical limitations of the peptide candidate. This approach has been particularly applied in antimicrobial applications of AMPs, but remains relatively less explored in the generation of anticancer candidates. Herein, two usnic acid derivatives, based on hydrazinothiazole and benzylidenefuranone pharmacophore moieties, respectively, have been conjugated to L-K6, a lysine/leucine rich AMP, through a new pyrazole ligation intrinsically driven by the cargo molecule. Both components, the usnic acid derivative and the peptide, are selectively active against cancer cells, by targeting the human DNA repair enzyme tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) and through DNA damage, respectively. The two conjugates, based on a hydrazone linkage, exhibited pleiotropic effects, ranging from, overall, reduction of the activity from the parent drugs to their conservation or even enhancement. Notably, the conjugates retain some anti-TDP1 activity and display intermediate, or even higher, cytotoxicities against glioblastoma cells, compared to their individual components.

Recognizing the critical impact of environmental factors on individuals, this study explores the relationship between environmental indoor pollutants (PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and CO₂) and students' basic emotional responses based on Ekman’s categorization. Conducted in a secondary school in Spain, it integrates IoT and image processing technologies to monitor air quality and emotions in real-time. Participants included 76 secondary school students and three teachers, with data collected over two months. The results showed significant correlations between PM levels and negative emotions such as anger and disgust, while CO₂ levels were associated with both negative and positive emotions, including happiness. Regression models demonstrated that environmental variables significantly predict basic emotions, highlighting the influence of indoor air quality. These findings emphasize the need for proactive air quality management in educational settings to enhance learning environments and support students' emotional well-being.

Jerusalem artichoke juice is valued for its nutritional content and health benefits. Spontaneous fermentation enhances its flavor, quality, and functional components through microbial metabolic activities. This study used high-throughput sequencing to analyze microbial community changes and LC-MS and GC-MS to detect secondary metabolites and flavor compounds during fermentation. During the natural fermentation, beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Pediococcus increased, promoting lactic acid production and inhibiting harmful bacteria, while environmental bacteria decreased. Similarly, fungi shifted from environmental types like Geosmithia and Alternaria to fermentation-associated Pichia and Penicillium. A total of 1, 666 secondary metabolites were identified, with 595 upregulated and 497 downregulated. Key metabolic pathways included phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, with significant increases in phenylalanine, tryptophan, and related metabolites. Lipid and nucleotide metabolism also showed significant changes. Flavor compounds, including 134 identified alcohols, esters, acids, and ketones, mostly increased in content after fermentation. Notable increases were seen in Phenylethyl Alcohol, Ethyl Benzenepropanoate, 3-Methylbutyl Butanoate, Ethyl 4-Methylpentanoate, 5-Ethyl-3-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2(5H)-Furanone, Ethyl Decanoate, Hexanoic Acid, 1-Octanol. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and other functional components enhanced the health value of the juice. This study provides insights into microbial and metabolic changes during fermentation, aiding in optimizing processes and improving the quality of fermented Jerusalem artichoke juice for functional food development.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito borne RNA virus that poses an emerging threat to humans. As other RNA viruses, CHIKV encodes an error-prone RNA polymerase which, in addition to full-length genomes, gives rise to truncated, non-functional genomes coined defective viral genomes (DVGs). DVGs have been intensively studied in the context of therapy, as they can inhibit viral replication and dissemination in their hosts. In this work, we interrogate the influence of viral RNA secondary structures on the production of CHIKV DVGs. We experimentally map RNA secondary structures of CHIKV genome using selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP), which couples chemical labelling with next-generation sequencing. We correlate the inferred secondary structure with preferred deletion sites of CHIKV DVGs. We document an increased probability of DVG generation with truncations at unpaired nucleotides within the secondary structure. We then generated a CHIKV mutant bearing synonymous changes at the nucleotide level to disrupt existing RNA secondary structure (CHIKV-D2S). We show that CHIKV-D2S presents altered DVG generation compared to wild-type virus, correlating with its change in RNA secondary structure obtained by SHAPE-MaP. Our work thus demonstrates that RNA secondary structure impacts CHIKV DVG production during replication.

Objective: Evaluation of patients with prosthetic valves who developed infective endocarditis by comparing treatment outcomes in both early- and late-onset IE episodes following prosthetic valve replacement surgery. This study sought to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the efficacy of these methodologies. The insights derived from this assessment will be utilized to enhance the quality of care for individuals with infective endocarditis who have received prosthetic valve replacement surgery. Results: During the period of investigation (January 2018 - December 2022), 78 patients diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) on prosthetic valve were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Department of the "Dr. Carol Davila" Central Military Emergency University Hospital in Bucharest. In 28 cases (35.8%), the onset of PVE occurred within 12 months of surgery (early onset), whereas in 50 patients (64.2%), the onset occurred more than 12 months after surgery (late onset). The mortality rate was 35.9% (53.6% among the early onset patients and 26% among the late-onset patients). Among patients who received surgical and medical therapy, the mortality rate was 29.6%, whereas among those who underwent only medical therapy, a 39.2% mortality rate was reported. According to the extracted data, antibiotic therapy was successful in 72.6% of patients. In contrast, a combination of surgical and drug-based approaches resulted in a cure in 76.1% of the patients. The most common etiological agent was Staphylococcus aureus (38.5%), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (26.9%), and Streptococcus mitis (10.3%). The mortality rate of patients with S. aureus was 29.2%, indicating the severity of this infectious agent. Conclusions: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a serious condition associated with a high mortality rate both in the short and long term. Regardless of the therapy used, the risk of death remains high. All patients with PVE who survived received effective early treatment, highlighting the need for prophylactic measures.

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling deregulation is associated with the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including hypertension and heart disease. The aim of the study was to immunohisto-chemically evaluate and compare the expression of Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3ß and β-catenin genes in the hearts of rats with spontaneous hypertension (SHR) and DOCA-salt- induced hypertension. The myocardial expression Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3ß and β-catenin was detected by immunohisto-chemistry and the gene expression was assessed with real-time PCR method. In SHR immunore-activity of Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3β and β-catenin was attenuated in comparison to normotensive animals. In DOCA-salt immunoreactivity of Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3β and β-catenin was enhanced. In SHR, decrease in the expression of genes encoding Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3ß and β-catenin was observed compared to the control group. Increased expression of genes encoding Fzd8, WNT1, GSK-3ß and β-catenin was demonstrated in the hearts of rats DOCA-salt. Wnt signaling may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension and the accompanying heart damage. Obtained results may constitute the basis for further research aimed at better under-standing the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the functioning of the heart.

The objective of this study was to investigate age-related changes in cashmere production and the population of active secondary hair follicles in cashmere goats across different age groups, as well as to explore the association between secondary hair follicle activity and oxidative stress. A total of 104 adult Inner Mongolian ewe goats, aged between 2 and 7 years old, were randomly selected as experimental subjects. Skin samples were collected in August 2020 and cashmere samples were collected in April 2021. The cashmere fiber yield, staple length, and diameter showed age-related variations in cashmere goats aged 2 to 7 years (P < 0.05). Cashmere production was higher in goats aged 2-4 years compared to those aged 5-7 years (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the population of primary and secondary hair follicles among goats aged 2 to 7 years. However, the population of active secondary hair follicles varied significantly with age, with the younger group (aged 2-4 years) having a higher population than those aged 5 – 7 years (P < 0.05). A moderate negative correlation was observed between cashmere fiber diameter and the population of active secondary hair follicles (P < 0.05). Age-related variations in skin antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage were observed among cashmere goats aged 2 to 7 years old (P < 0.05). Goats aged 2 to 4 years exhibited higher antioxidant capacity and lower oxidative damage (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the skin antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage exhibited significant positive and negative correlations, respectively, with the population of active secondary hair follicles (P < 0.05). This study presents a novel approach to enhance the activity of secondary hair follicles and improve cashmere production performance through the regulation of oxidative stress.

Recently, interest in STEM education has grown among researchers and educators, also considering the skills required to address the challenges of the 21st century. Supporting learning in STEM subjects is an open challenge, especially during secondary education, which is reflected in the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices, including approaches focused on Game-Based Learning (GBL). This study analyzed the main issues addressed by research on game-based educational approaches applied to STEM teaching and learning in secondary school and their evolving trends. A text analysis of abstracts published in the past decade was conducted using T-lab software. The “Word Analysis” function was used for preliminary visual mapping; then the “Specificity Analysis” and “Thematic Analysis of Elementary Contexts” functions were applied to explore changes in research directions and to map the themes covered by the most recent studies. The results showed that the implementation of games in STEM disciplines is a promising area of inquiry. A shift in research directions also emerged, currently more focused on studying how GBL can foster engagement and the emotional component of learning. Adapting to rapidly changing technology and integrating essential skills such as coding and computational thinking are additional challenges that the research community is facing.

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua. is an important medicinal and edible food in China and the traditional processing method of nine-steaming and nine-drying has been used to process its rhizome. However, the global dynamic changes in secondary metabolites during the processing and whether this method could enhance the accumulation of functional components remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the processing-induced mechanisms involved in the accumulation of secondary metabolites and provide theoretical support for the pharmacological study on P. cyrtonema. Results showed the first 6 processing cycles induced drastic changes in the accumulation of secondary metabolites, while the last 3 did not induce further changes. The accumulation of most secondary metabolites significantly increased after the first 3 cycles and stabilized after 6 cycles. The first 3 cycles led to numerous newly added metabolites while the last 6–9 cycles led to a small number of disappeared metabolites. Processing enhanced the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites and significantly affected the metabolisms of amino acids. Together, a short period of processing was helpful for enhancing the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. However, the enhancing effects will be reversed or weakened under continuous processing. The processing cycles should be reduced to 3–6 to maintain the enhancing effects.

Eurotium is the teleomorph genus associated with section Aspergillus. Eurotium comprises approximately 20 species, which are widely distributed in nature and human environments. Eurotium is usually the key microorganism for the ferment ation of traditional food, such as Fuzhuan brick tea, Liupao tea, Meju, and Karebushi, thus Eurotium is an important fungus in food industry. Eurotium has been extensively studied because they contain a series of interesting, structurally diverse, and biologically important secondary metabolites, including anthraquinones, benzaldehyde derivatives, and indol diketopiperazine alkaloids. These secondary metabolites have shown multiple biological activities, including antioxidative, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antitumor, insecticidal, antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study presents an up-to-date review of the phytochemistry and biological activities of all Eurotium species. This review will provide the recent advances on the secondary metabolites and their bioactivities in genus Eurotium for the first time and serve as a database for future research and drug development from the genus Eurotium.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially serious acute respiratory infection caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the virus has spread to more than 200 countries with more than 500 million cases and more than 6 million deaths reported globally. It has long been known that viral respiratory tract infections predispose patients to bacterial infections and that these co-infections often have an unfavourable clinical outcome. Moreover, nosocomial infections, also known as health care-associated infections (HAIs), are those infections that are absent at the time of admission and acquired after hospitalization. However, the impact of coinfections or secondary infections on the progression of COVID-19 disease and its lethal outcome is still debated. The aim of this review was to assess the literature on the incidence of bacterial co-infections and superinfections in patients with COVID-19. The review also highlights the importance of the rational use of antibiotics in patients with COVID-19 and the need to implement antimicrobial stewardship principles to prevent the transmission of drug-resistant organisms in healthcare settings. Finally, alternative antimicrobial agents to counter the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections in COVID-19 patients will also be discussed.

This experimental study investigates the effect of scarf geometry in restoring the impact response of scarf patched 3 mm thick glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) matrix composite laminates. Traditional circular along with rounded rectangular scarf patch configurations considered as repair patches. Experimental measurements revealed that the temporal variations of force and energy response of the pristine specimen are close to that of circular repaired specimens. The predominant failure modes were witnessed only in repair patch which include the matrix cracking, fibre fracture, delamination and no discontinuity in adhesive interface was witnessed. When compared with the pristine samples, the top ply damage size of the of the circular repaired specimens is larger by 9.91 %, while that of the rounded rectangular repaired specimens is larger by 434.23 %. The results show that circular scarf repair is more suitable choice of repair approach under the condition of 37J low-velocity impact event even though the global force-time response is similar.

Egg white lysozyme was modified by chemical methods using organic acids. Caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid in organic acids were used as modifiers, and 1-Ethyl-3- (3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxy succinimide were used as dehydration condensation agents during modification. A certain degree of modified lysozyme was obtained through appropriate modification conditions. The antibacterial properties and structure of the obtained two organic acid modified lysozymes were compared with natural enzymes. The results showed that compared with the natural enzyme, the activity of modified lysozyme decreased, but the inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacteria was enhanced. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of caffeic acid modified enzyme and p-coumaric acid modified enzyme on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 0.5 mg/mL and 0.75 mg/mL, respectively. However, the antibacterial ability of modified lysozyme to Gram-positive bacteria was lower than that of natural enzyme. The minimum inhibitory concentration of caffeic acid modified enzyme and p-coumaric acid modified enzyme to Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis was 1.25 mg/mL. The peak fitting results of the amide-I band (1600 cm-1-1700 cm-1) absorption peak in the infrared spectroscopy showed that the content of the secondary structure of the two modified enzymes obtained after modification was different from that of natural enzymes.

Primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention is less effective than expected due to the concern about polymedication by professionals and the lack of patient adherence to medications prescribed in the medium and long term. Polypills have been presented as a possible solution. A comprehensive bibliographic review is presented about polypills as mechanisms for facilitating adherence and a proposed guide for the use of polypills for the prevention of cardiovascular risk. 41 articles were included, showing options for the polypill as a method of primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention.The polypill increases therapeutic adherence in the medium and long term, also increasing the therapeutic results compared to the administration of the various drugs separately. Based on the evidence, a flow diagram is proposed for the prescription of a polypill.Polypills increase the effectiveness and adherence of patients to primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention programs, without increasing the cost of the intervention. The use of a polypill in cardiovascular prevention can be effective as a prescription tool.

Understanding extremophiles and their usefulness in biotechnology involves studying their habitat, physiology and biochemical adaptations , as well as their ability to produce biocatalysts, in environments that are still poorly explored. In northwestern Peru, which saline lagoons of marine origin Pacific Ocean, the other site from the coast of Brazil of the Atlantic Ocean. Both environments are considered extreme. The objective of the present work was to compare two different strains isolated from these extreme environments at the metabolic level using molecular network methodology through the Global Natural Products Molecular Social Network (GNPS). In our study, the MS/MS spectra from the network were compared with GNPS spectral libraries, where the metabolites were annotated. Differences were observed in the molecular network presented in the two strains of Streptomyces spp. coming from these two different environments. Within the annotated compounds from marine bacteria, the metabolites characterized for Streptomyces sp. B-81 from Peruvian marshes were lobophorins A (1) and H (2), as well as divergolides A (3), B (4) and C (5). Streptomyces sp. 796.1 produced different compounds, such as glucopiericidin A (6) and dehydro-piericidin A1a (7). The search for new metabolites in underexplored environments may therefore reveal new metabolites with potential application in different areas of biotechnology.

Enteric methane (CH4) emitted by ruminant species is known as one of the main greenhouse gases produced by the agricultural sector. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, in vitro gas production, dry matter degradation (DMD), digestibility, CO2 production and CH4 mitigation potential of five tropical tree species with novel forage potential including: Spondias mombin, Acacia pennatula, Parmentiera aculeata, Brosimum alicastrum and Bursera simaruba mixed at two levels of inclusion (15 and 30%) with a tropical grass (Pennisetum purpureum). Crude protein content was similar across treatments (135 g kg-1 DM), while P. purpureum was characterized by a high content of acid detergent fiber (335.9 g kg-1 DM) and B. simaruba by a high concentration of condensed tannins (20 g kg-1 DM). Likewise, A. pennatula and P. aculeata were characterized by a high content of cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids respectively. Treatments SM30-PP70 (30% S. mombin + 70% P. purpureum) and BA30-PP70 (30% B. alicastrum + 70% P. purpureum) resulted in superior digestibility than P. purpureum, while in the AP30-PP70 (30% A. pennatula + 70% P. purpureum) was lower than the control treatment (P≤0.05). At 24 and 48 h, treatments that contained P. aculeata and B. alicastrum produced higher CH4 ml g-1 DOM than P. purpureum (P≤0.05). The inclusion of B. simaruba at 30% reduced CH4 at 25% compared to P. purpureum. Tropical tree species can improve the nutritional quality of ruminant rations and reduce CH4 emissions to consequently contribute to the development of sustainable ruminant production systems that generate diverse ecosystem services.

In this paper we establish a topological framework of τ-structures to quantify the evolutionary transitions between two RNA sequence-structure pairs. τ-structures developed here consist of a pair of RNA secondary structures together with a non-crossing partial matching between the two backbones. The loop complex of a τ-structure captures the intersections of loops in both secondary structures. We compute the loop homology of τ-structures. We show that only the zeroth, first and second homology groups are free. In particular, we prove that the rank of the second homology group equals the number γ of certain arc-components in a τ-structure, and the rank of the first homology is given by γ−χ+1, where χ is the Euler characteristic of the loop complex.

On the primitive Earth, both L- and D-amino acids would have been present. However, only L-amino acids are essential blocks to construct proteins in modern life. To study the relative stability of D-amino acid substituted peptides, a variety of computational methods were applied. Ten prebiotic amino acids (Gly, Ala, Asp, Glu, Ile, Leu, Pro, Ser, Thr, and Val) were previously determined by multiple meteorite, spark discharge, and hydrothermal vent studies. Some previously reported early Earth polypeptide analogs were focused on in this study. Tripeptides composed of only Asp, Ser, and Val exemplified that different positions (i.e., N-terminus, C-terminus, and middle) made a difference in the minimal folding energy of peptides, while the chemical classification of amino acid (hydrophobic, acidic, or hydroxylic) did not show a significant difference. Hierarchical cluster analysis for dipeptides with all possible combinations of the proposed ten prebiotic amino acids and their D-amino acid substituted derivatives generated five clusters. Primordial simple polypeptides were modeled to test the significance of molecular fluctuations, secondary structure occupancies, and folding energy differences based on these clusters. We found peptides with α-helices, long β-sheets, and long loops are usually less sensitive to D-amino acid replacements in comparison to short β-sheets. Intriguingly, amongst 129 D-amino acid residues, mutation sensitivity profiles presented that the ratio of more to less stable residues was about 1. In conclusion, some combinations of a mixture of L- and D-amino acids can potentially act as essential building blocks of life.

The prevalence of back pain (BP) among children and adolescents has increased over recent years. Some authors advocate promoting back-health education in the school setting. It is therefore important to adopt a uniform suite of assessment instruments to measure the various constructs. The present study aimed to perform a cultural adaptation of a validated measurement instrument (BackPEI), beginning with a translation and cultural adaptation phase, followed by a second phase to test reliability using a test-retest design. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were performed based on the guidelines. Reliability was tested by applying the questionnaire to 224 secondary school students, at two different times with a 7-day interval between the tests. In general, the Spanish version presented adequate agreement for questions 1–20, with only question 9 achieving a low Kappa range of .312 [-.152- .189]. The question about pain intensity did not show differences between the averages for the test (4.72 ± 2.33) and re-test (4.58 ± 2.37) (p = .333), and the responses for these two tests were highly correlated (ICC= .951 [.928- .966]; p= .0001). Psychometric testing indicated that the Spanish version of the BackPEI is well-adapted and reliable, based on the test-retest design, providing similar results to the original Brazilian version.

The Cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa L.) produces an estimated 545 chemical compounds of different biogenetic classes. In addition to economic value, many of these phytochemicals have medicinal and physiological activity. The plant is most popularly known for its two most prominent and most studied secondary metabolites— Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). Both Δ9-THC and CBD have a wide therapeutic window across many ailments and form part of a class of secondary metabolites called cannabinoids—of which approximately over 104 exist. This review will focus on non-cannabinoid metabolites of Cannabis sativa that also have therapeutic potential, some of which share medicinal properties similar to those of cannabinoids. The most notable of these non-cannabinoid phytochemicals are flavonoids and terpenes. We will also discuss future directions in cannabis research and development of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals. Caflanone, a flavonoid molecule with selective activity against the human viruses including the coronavirus SARS-COV2, and certain cancers, is one of the most promising non-cannabinoid molecules that is being advanced into clinical trials. As validated by thousands of years of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, vast anecdotal evidence abounds on the medicinal benefits of the plant. These benefits are attributed to the many phytochemicals in this plant, including non-cannabinoids. The most promising non-cannabinoids with potential to alleviate global disease burdens are discussed.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has claimed nearly 180,000 lives and continues to spread. There are currently no approved medications or vaccines for this new coronavirus. Studies have shown that the positive RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 contains unique features, including a 12-base sequence inserted between the two subunits of viral receptor protein Spike. This inserted sequence facilitates the cleavage of Spike by the cellular proteases Furin and TMPRSS2, leading to the fusion of virus and host cell membranes. Current studies are mostly focused on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and its interacting cellular proteins ACE2, Furin, and TMPRSS2. RNA structural studies are limited and little is known about the potential impact of the 12-base sequence insert on the secondary structure of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA and/or its transcripts. Here, by using local and global RNA secondary structure predictions, we show that the novel 12-base insert of SARS-CoV-2 genome likely induces a major RNA secondary structure change.

Shanghai is experiencing water supply problems caused by heavy pollution of its raw water supply, deficiencies in its treatment processes and water quality deteoriation in the distribution system. However, little attention has been paid these problems of water quality in raw water, water treatment and household drinking water. Based on water quality data we show that the raw water sources of the Huangpu River and the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary are polluted by microbes (TBC), eutrophication (TP, TN and NH3-N), heavy metals (Fe, Mn and Hg) and organic contamination (chemical oxygen demand [COD], detergent and volatile phenols [VP]). The average concentrations of these contaminants in the Huangpu River are almost double that of the Changjiang estuary forcing a rapid shift to the Changjiang estuary for raw water. In spite of filtering and treatment, TN, NH3-N, Fe, COD and chlorine maxima of the treated water and drinking water still exceed the Chinese National Standard (GB5749). We determine that the relevant threats from water source to household water in Shanghai are: 1) eutrophication arising from highly concentrated TN, TP, COD and algal density in the raw water; 2) increasing salinity in the river estuary, especially at the Qingcaosha Reservoir (currently the major freshwater source for Shanghai); 3) more than 50% of organic constituents and by-products remain in treated water; 4) bacteria and turbidity increase in the course of water delivery to users. The analysis presents an holistic assessment of the water quality threats to metropolitan Shanghai in relation to the city’s rapid development.

A conventional 2D numerical model is improved by incorporating three submodels to consider different effects of secondary flow and a module for cohesive sediment transport. The model is applied to a meandering reach of Yangtze River to investigate secondary flow effects on cohesive sediment deposition, and a preferable submodel is selected based on the flow simulation results. Sediment simulation results indicate that the improved model predictions are in better agreement with the measurements in planar distribution of deposition as the increased sediment deposits caused by secondary current on the convex bank have been well predicted. Secondary flow effects on predicted amount of deposition become more obvious during the period when the sediment load is low and velocity redistribution induced by the bed topography is evident. Such effects vary with the settling velocity and critical shear stress for deposition of cohesive sediment. The bed topography effects can be reflected by the secondary flow submodels.

The main objective of this paper was description of seasonal and interannual trends in secondary production and mortality rates of the three most important Copepoda taxa in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). Samples were collected monthly from 6 stations located in the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk during three research periods: 1998-2000, 2006-2007 and 2010-2012. Production was computed basing on copepod biomass and mortality rates estimated according to vertical life table approach. Redundancy analysis was used to investigate relationship between secondary production and environmental conditions. Considering the entire research period there was significant interannual and seasonal variability of secondary production, mortality rate as well as abundance and biomass anomalies. Conducted analysis revealed correlation between increasing temperature and production of Acartia spp. and T.longicornis developmental stages, while older copepodites of P.acuspes showed almost negative correlation with temperature. The mortality rate estimations obtained for Acartia spp. Were highest in summer, while for T.longicornis peak was usually noted in spring-summer period. Lowest mortality rate estimations were noted in autumn and winter for almost all stages of investigated taxa.

The organic extract of the Caribbean sponge Smenospongia aurea has been shown to contain an array of novel chlorinated secondary metabolites derived from a mixed PKS-NRPS biogenetic route, such as the smenamides. Here we report the presence of a biogenetically different compound, smenopyrone (1), a polypropionate containing two -pyrone rings. The structure of smenopyrone, including its relative and absolute stereochemistry, was determined by spectroscopic analysis (NMR, MS, ECD) supported by comparison with model compounds from the literature. Pyrone polypropionates are unprecedented in marine sponges, but are commonly found in marine mollusks, where their biosynthesis by symbiotic bacteria has been hypothesized and at least in one case demonstrated. As pyrones have recently been recognized as bacterial signaling molecules, we speculate that smenopyrone could mediate inter-kingdom chemical communication between S. aurea and its symbiotic bacteria.

Presence and identity of secondary metabolites are two of the main components of lichen taxonomy. Aromatic compounds formed via the acetyl-polymalonate pathway are the most studied lichen substances. In addition, compounds derived from the mevalonic acid pathway (e.g., terpenes and steroids) are sometimes detected in the medulla. However, their identity and value as diagnostic characters in the genus Usnea are yet poorly understood despite the fact that they were mentioned in several taxonomical papers. We conclude that i) aside from the previously recognized polyphenolic compounds, carbohydrates and steroids are also detected in the medulla of some Usnea species; ii) the use of sulfuric anisaldehyde reagent greatly improves the detection of terpenes, carbohydrates and steroids compared with the sulfuric acid reagent routinely used in thin layer chromatography; iii) among carbohydrates, we detected arabitol and sucrose in the medulla; iv) steroids and terpenes remain unidentified and deserve further investigations.

Introduction – Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (Covid-19) is arguably the greatest global health threat of our time. Immediately the pandemic was declared by WHO, countries around the world took broad public health and social measures (PHSM), including closure of schools, to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. [1] The COVID-19 pandemic posed an enormous risk to the health and safety of learners, teachers, parents, school administrators, education practitioners, and the wider community. Schools provide not just learning and social support for students but also, crucially, childcare, without which many parents cannot return to work. However, reopening schools carried the public health risk of viral resurgence. Parents and teachers are understandably wary as the students and staff are affected by the disease and the false information surrounding the disease. As the COVID-19 crisis becomes more protracted, there is a growing need to ensure that concerned stakeholders have appropriate mechanisms and capabilities to cope with their evolving local situations. Aim – It assessed the compliance to COVID-19 preventive measures among secondary schools in Nnewi North LGA of Anambra state, Nigeria using WHO checklist. Setting and design – This was a facility-based cross-sectional observational survey. It involved day schools, boarding schools, all boys schools, all girls schools, mixed schools, government schools, private schools, missionary schools, urban schools, and rural schools. A total area population study was done and involved all thirty-one (31) secondary schools within Nnewi North local government area of Anambra state. Data was collected through school surveys and observations of compliance measures, both done during the same school visit. Informed consent was obtained from the principal of each school or their representative before carrying out the study in their facilities. Observations and NCDC guidelines based on WHO guidelines was used to measure compliance in secondary schools. The assessment was based on the concept of indications (i.e. moments in a staff-student / student-student/ staff-staff interaction) that present an infection. Results – Out of the schools sampled, 12 schools (38.71%) had good compliance, 9 schools (29.03%) had moderate compliance, and 10 schools (32.26%) had poor compliance. The finding of this study thus revealed that the overall compliance level toward COVID-19 preventive and control measures among secondary schools in Nnewi-North LGA of Anambra state was 38.71%. This is a very poor compliance level because strict high-level compliance is required to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic. The possible reason for this low compliance level may be due to fatigue and reluctance from the establishments’ side and inadequate enforcement of the COVID-19 preventive and control measures from the concerned government authorities’ side. Conclusions – The common restraining factors against compliance to standard COVID-19 preventive measures included the fact that the students are children and thus wouldn’t always wear their masks at all times, school ownership, attitude towards, and risk perception of COVID-19 and these factors significantly influenced the adherence of each school towards COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Pseudomonas donghuensis P482 exhibits broad antibacterial and antifungal activity, primarily related to the production of 7-hydroxytropolone (7-HT). However, the restricted nutritional conditions (viz. mineral medium with single carbon source) diminished the antagonistic activity of P482. In this study, we unveil profiles of the secondary metabolites from P482 and its selected mutants, using nutrient-diluted (10% tryptone soy broth, TSB) and nutrient-restricted (M9 with either 0.4% glucose or 0.4% glycerol as a sole carbon source) media to explore differences in the quantity and quality of the secondary metabolites produced. No 7-HT was found to be synthetized by P482 under restricted nutritional conditions. However, both the wild-type and the tested mutants of P482 still did express some antagonistic activity towards the plant pathogenic bacteria tested. Based on these results, we postulate that 7-HT is not the sole antimicrobial compound produced by P. donghuensis P482 and that other antimicrobials may be involved in P482 antagonistic activity under limiting-nutrient conditions.

The prevention of destruction caused by red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), using essential oils derived from certain herbal plants presents an interesting alternative to synthetic insecticides, known for their harm to both consumers and the environment. The research aimed to investigate the chemical compositions and fumigating effects of essential oils derived from cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) and galangal (Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd) against T. castaneum. Chemical compositions were analyzed using GC-MS, while fumigation bioassay was conducted via a vapor-phase test. Experimental setup followed factorial design in CRD with 5 replications. Factor A encompassed 4 types of essential oils: the manually extracted essential oils from cardamom leaves (MCL) and galangal leaves (MGL), the commercially produced essential oils from cardamom seeds (CCS) and galangal rhizomes (CGR). Factor B consisted of 7 concentrations: 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 µL/L air. Results indicated that MCL contained eucalyptol, trans-calamenene, and isospathulenol as its main compounds. Similarly, CCS was characterized by camphene and eucalyptol. MGL exhibited caryophyllene, aciphyllene, and α-bisanolene. Lastly, CGR was composed of methyl cis-cinnamate, safrole, and p-vinylphenyl isothiocyanate. Study noted that 250 µL/L air over 168 hours of CGR, demonstrated 94% fumigation efficiency against adult T. castaneum. These results suggest the potential of galangal rhizome derived essential oil as an insecticide for managing T. castaneum populations in agricultural product storage.