Requirements elicitation from multiple human sources involves information validation and conflicts resolution to deal with uncertainty inherent in the process. Most requirements analysis methods focus on expressing the requirements and ignore the uncertainty inherent in the process of requirements elicitation. This paper build on the work presented by the author in [1,10], where a method for requirements elicitation from multiple sources was presented. This paper gives an overview of the method and presents detailed case studies. The cases studies were designed to illustrate different aspects of the Source Control Method and to determine its feasibility and its practical utility as a problem investigation and information validation technique.

Objectives: Cardiogenic shock [CS] is associated with a high-mortality. Suitable patients maybe successfully bridged using newer intravascular micro-axial left-ventricular assist devices [M-LVAD] for recovery or determination of definitive therapy. Methods: Between January-2020 and July-2024, 107 patients underwent placement of M-LVAD for CS. The cohort was divided into 4 groups based on their destination; group-1: 34 patients [32%] receiving transplant; group-2: 25 patients [23%] receiving durable LVAD; group-3: 42 patients [39%] bridging from post-cardiotomy CS [PCCS]; and group-4: 6 patients [5.6%] bridging decision/recovery [these were excluded from analysis]. Multivariable logistic-regression [MLR] and Cox-regression [MCR] models identified predictors of early-hospital and late mortality, with data reported as odds ratios [ORs], and hazard ratios [HRs], respectively. P<0.05 was statistically significant. Results: Complications included device-malfunction [n=6, 6%], gastrointestinal bleed [n=9, 9%], stroke [n=11, 11%]; long-term hemodialysis [n=21, 21%]. Early-hospital mortality included 13 patients [13%]: 2 in group-1, 1 in group-2 and 10 in group-3 [p=0.02]. In the MLR model, the category of cardiogenic shock requiring M-LVAD placement was statistically significant [OR=4.7 (0.9-24), P=0.05]. Patients were followed for up to 4.5-years, and 23 deaths occurred; group-1: 3 patients, group-2: 5 patients, and group-3: 15 patients [p=0.019]. At 4.5-years, actuarial survival was 90.7±5.1% in group-1, 79.2±8.3% in group-2, and 62.8%±7.7% in group-3 [P=0.01]. In the MCR model, M-LVAD category [HR=3.63 (1.03-12.9) P=0.04], and long-term postoperative dialysis [HR=3.9 (1.6-9) P=0.002], emerged as statistically significant predictors of long-term mortality. Conclusions: In cardiogenic shock, our mid-term outcomes demonstrate good survival with M-LVADs as bridge to transplant and durable LVAD, and reasonable survival as bridge to recovery following cardiotomy, reduced ECMO usage and early ambulation/rehabilitation.

Background: Codonopsis pilosula (CP) is one of the most popular Qi-invigorating herbal medicines and has been extensively used to promote health and vitality in China for a long time. C. pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) is the principal active components of CP, which is considered as the reason for CP widespread application. However, there are not revealed that CPP exert a Qi-invigoration effect by protecting mitochondria and/or improving mitochondrial function in the existing traditional Chinese medicine theories. Methods: Herein, we extracted CPP from C. pilosula and investigated the effects of CPP on energy metabolism and mitochondrial protection. Based on the mice chronic hypoxia model for imitating the “Qi” deficiency state of the human body in traditional Chinese medicine, which was administered with CPP by oral gavage daily for 10 days, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain, mitochondrial respiratory function, the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in liver cells were assayed. Adenylate energy charge (AEC), total adenylate pool (TAP), ATP/ADP, and ATP/AMP ratios were calculated. Results: CPP could inhibit the formation of MDA in mice brains, decrease oxygen consuming rate and respiratory control ratio (RCR) of liver mitochondria, increase levels of ATP, TAP and AEC in liver cells under chronic hypoxia condition. Conclusion: Overall, CPP can invigorate “Qi” by improving mitochondrial energy metabolism and bioenergetic levels.

The serious impact of Alternaria alternata on jujube black spot disease has seriously affected the quality and yield of jujube, constraining the sustainable development of the jujube industry. The purpose of this study was to isolate and screen highly effective biocontrol strains of jujube black spot disease from jujube rhizosphere soil. Thirty-three soil samples were collected from 4 regions in southern Xinjiang. The strains with antagonistic effects were isolated and screened by the dilution spread method and plate confrontation method and identified by morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA, gyrB, and rpoB gene sequences. Indoor and field efficacy experiments were conducted to determine their biocontrol effect. A total of 110 strains with antibacterial activity were selected, and one strain, Bacillus velezensis 26-8, with a stable antagonistic effect was further tested. Biological characteristic experiments showed that strain 26-8 could grow at NaCl concentrations of 0.5%-10% and pH 4.0-9.0. The biocontrol experiment results showed that Bacillus velezensis 26-8 could achieve an 89.83% control effect against black spot disease. In conclusion, strain 26-8 has good salt and alkali tolerance, exerts a good control effect on jujube black spot disease, and is worthy of further study.

Apple proliferation is among the most important diseases in European fruit production. Early and reliable detection enables farmers to respond appropriately and to prevent further spreading of the disease. Traditional phenotyping approaches by human observers consider multiple symptoms, but these are difficult to measure automatically in the field. Therefore, we investigated the potential of hyperspectral imaging in combination with data analysis by machine learning algorithms to detect the symptoms solely based on the spectral signature of collected leaf samples. In the growing seasons 2019 and 2020, we collected a total of 1,160 leaf samples. Hyperspectral imaging with a dual camera setup in spectral bands from 400 nm to 2500 nm was accompanied with subsequent PCR analysis of the samples to provide reference data for the machine learning approaches. Data processing consists of preprocessing for segmentation of the leaf area, feature extraction, classification and subsequent analysis of relevance of spectral bands. Results show, that imaging multiple leaves of a tree enhances detection results, that spectral indices are a robust means to detect the diseased trees, and that the potentials of the full spectral range can be exploited using machine learning approaches.

Probiotics, known for regulating gut microbiota, may aid those with overweight or obesity, but their mechanisms require more research. This study involved 75 overweight or obese young adults, randomly assigned to either a Bifidobacterium brevis BBr60 group or a placebo group. Both groups received diet guidance and took either BBr60 (1×1010 CFU/day) or a placebo for 12 weeks. Re-searchers analyzed body composition, serum glucose, lipids, liver and kidney function, comprehensive metabolome, and intestinal homeostasis before and after the intervention. After 12 weeks, BBr60 significantly reduced weight and BMI compared to pre-treatment levels and outperformed the placebo. The BBr60 group also showed improved blood biochemistry, with notably lower fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels than the placebo group (p < 0.05). Additionally, BBr60 influenced vital serum and fecal metabolites related to three amino acid metabolic pathways and regulated the bacteria Dialister, Klebsiella, and Bacteroides, which correlated strongly with serum metabolites. These findings indicate that BBr60 can safely and effectively regulating BMI, body weight, serum glucose, lipids, and liver function markers, which may involve BBr60's impact on key gut bacteria, which influence metabolites related to the valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism.

Bacterial infection poses a serious threat to human life due to its rapidly growing resistance to antibacterial drugs, which is a significant public health issue. This study was focused on the design and synthesis of a new series of 25 analogues bearing 5-cyano-6-oxo-4-substituted phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine scaffold hybridized with different substituted benzene-sulfonamides through thioacetamide linker M1-25 via the treatment of the key intermediates 2-mercapto-6-oxo-4-phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine-5-carbonitriles 1a-c with different 2-chloro-N-substituted benzene-sulfonamide derivatives 4a-e overnight at room temperature. The spectroscopic data of all the new compounds (IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and Mass) was studied in detail to confirm their molecular structures. The antimicrobial activity of the new molecules was studied against various Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains. All the tested compounds showed promising broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, especially against K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, with ZOI values ranging from 15 to 30 mm. Furthermore, the most promising compounds M6, M19,M 20, and M25 were subjected to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. In addition, the anti-virulence activity of the compounds was also examined using multiple biofilm assays. The new compounds revealed promising suppressing activity of microbial biofilm formation in the examined K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa microbial isolates. Additional in silico ADMET studies were conducted to represent their oral bioavailability, drug-likeness characteristics, and human toxicity risks. The obtained data suggest the newly prepared pyrimidine-benzene-sulfonamide derivatives may serve as model compounds amenable for further optimization and development of new antimicrobial and antisepsis candidates.

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucosal disease, and an apparent cause has not been identified. OLP is refractory to treatment, and malignant transformation has been reported. Therefore, discovering effective drugs with few adverse effects over long-term administration is crucial. In this study, we established an in vitro OLP model to investigate the effects of Cepharanthin®, an alkaloid mixture derived from Stephania cephalantha Hayata. Four alkaloids from Cepharanthin® suppressed the expression of cytokine genes at various degrees in activated T cells. However, the effect of Cepharanthin® was limited. On the other hand, Cepharanthin® and four alkaloids suppressed the expression of various cytokine genes in human oral epithelial cells when stimulated with IL-β. In the OLP model, activated T cells increased the inflammatory gene expression in the epithelial cells, while Cepharanthin® suppressed their gene expression. Anti-inflammatory effect of Cepharanthin® was observed by protein dot blot. The effects of Cepharanthin®️ might be expressed through two aspects: its effect of mildly suppressing the activation of T lymphocytes and strongly suppressing the response of epithelial cells to inflammatory stimuli. The in vitro model established in this study could be a tool for elucidating the mechanisms of OLP pathogenesis and disease persistence.

Bagaza virus (BAGV) is a flavivirus that affects avian species. In Europe, it was detected for the first time in Spain in 2010, exhibiting high genetic relatedness to Israel turkey meningoencephalomyelitis virus (ITMV) isolates from Israel. After a period of epidemiological silence, BAGV re-emerged causing important outbreaks in 2019 and 2021. This study aims to characterize the newly detected strains and to elucidate if these recent outbreaks were caused by single or different virus introductions into the country. Hence, Spanish BAGV isolates from 2019 (n=3) and 2021 (n=1) outbreaks, obtained from red-legged partridges in Cádiz, were sequenced and further characterized. The phylogenetic analyses showed that they belong to two different genotypes: BAGV Genotype 1 and 2. Isolates from 2019 belong to BAGV-Genotype 1, closely related to isolates from Senegal, where BAGV has been circulating since decades. In turn, the 2021 isolate belong to BAGV-Genotype 2, closely related to those detected in Spain in 2010. Additionally, the comparison of the viral polyproteins of several BAGV isolates from both genotypes support and confirm the phylogenetic findings. To conclude, BAGV has been introduced into Spain in at least three independent occasions, with alternating genetic clades, thus confirming that BAGV is able to occasionally reach southern Europe.

Abstract: Transcription factors are crucial pre-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that can modulate the expression of downstream genes by binding to their promoter regions. DOF (DNA binding with One Finger) proteins are a unique class of transcription factors with extensive roles in plant growth and development. Our previous research indicated a decrease in iron content in chlorotic bamboo leaves. However, to our knowledge, genes related to iron metabolism pathways in bamboo species have not yet been studied. Therefore, in the current study, we identified iron metabolism-related (IMR) genes in bamboo and determined the transcription factors that significantly influence them. Among these, DOFs were found to have widespread effects and potentially significant impacts on their expression. We identified specific DOF members in Dendrocalamus latiflorus with binding abilities through homology with Arabidopsis DOF proteins, and established connections between some of these members and IMR genes using RNA-seq data. Additionally, molecular docking confirmed the binding interactions between these DlDOFs and the DOF binding sites in the promoter regions of IMR genes. The co-expression relationship between the two gene sets was further validated using q-PCR experiments. This study paves the way for research into iron metabolism pathways in bamboo and lays the foundation for understanding the role of DOF transcription factors in D. latiflorus.

Aimed to obtain purple garlic varieties, 360 bolting bulbs from the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) “Las Pedroñeras” were selected for their size, and the presence of abundant external scales. After a further selection, 243 out of the 360 bulbs were discarded due to undesired characteristics, as light purple color, high number of small cloves, cloves affected by Fusarium spp. and mites, among other. It was stablished that each bulb would give rise to a family. Thus, 117 families were planted under a random design during season 2021-2022. Either physiological, morphological and phenological traits were assessed for each family, and the affectations by pest and pathogens were also controlled. After the assessment of this trial, 103 out 117 families remained in the program, and were used for the establishment of a second trial the next season. Unlike the first trial, after the evaluations only 23 families remained in the program. There was observed a high variability for most of traits, with a great influence of families. The phenotypic behavior of families was significative influenced by environment, highlighting the need of their assessment under different environmental conditions. The high variability registered for the target sample, opens the possibility to select new garlic varieties from this PGI.

Landraces are considered a crucial component of biodiversity conservation, serving as a reservoir of genetic diversity. Consequently, the collection, cultivation and detailed characterization of such landraces constitute an inherent aspect of the world’s natural resource heritage. This effort holds promise for the development of elite varieties capable of thriving amidst continuous global climate fluctuations. In this context, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the main agronomic attributes, physico-chemical properties, and functional quality traits of the major hot pepper landraces adapted to diverse climatic conditions in Tunisia. These landraces include ‘Dhirat’, ‘Semmane’, ‘Beldi’, ‘Nabeul’, ‘Jerid’, ‘Mahdia’, ‘Cayenne’, ‘Kairouan’ and ‘Baklouti’. Most of the pepper landraces exhibited satisfactory yields, ranging from 1163.25 to 1841.67 g plant-1 in ‘Jerid’ and ‘Kairouan’, respectively, indicating robust productivity, especially under prevailing climatic changes and high temperatures. Landraces such as ‘Baklouti’, ‘Beldi’, ‘Nabeul’, ‘Semmane’, ‘Kairouan’ and ‘Mahdia’ appear suitable for both fresh consumption and processing, owing to their favorable average fruit weight and soluble solids content. Functional quality and the levels of antioxidants, as well as radical scavenging activity, emerged as key discriminating factors among pepper landraces. Irrespective of genotype, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin constituted the major capsaicinoids, accounting for at least 87% of the total. Total capsaicinoids ranged from 1.81 µg g−1 to 193.71 µg g−1, with ‘Baklouti’ and ‘Jerid’ identified as the most pungent landraces. Total carotenoids ranged from 45.94 µg g−1 to 174.52 µg g−1 with ‘Semmane and ‘Jerid’ exhibiting the highest levels. Considerable variation was observed in β-carotene content, spanning from 3% to 24% of the total carotenoids. α-Tocopherol content ranged from 19.03 µg g-1 fw in ‘Kair-ouan’ to 30.93 µg g-1 fw in ‘Beldi’, exerting a notable influence on the overall tocopherol content. Conversely, the other isomers were detected at very low concentrations. The total vitamin C content ranged from 132 mg 100g-1 fw in ‘Mahdia’ to 200 mg 100 g-1 fw in ‘Nabeul’, indicating relatively low genetic variability. However, large variability was detected in total phenolics content, ranging from 168.58 mg GAE kg-1 fw in ‘Beldi ‘to 302.98 mg GAE kg-1 fw in ‘Cayenne’. Among the pepper landraces tested, ‘Cayenne’ achieved the highest value of radical scavenging activity in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions (RSAHF and RSALF), with variations rang-ing from 59% to 120% for RSAHF and from 4% to 64% for RSALF. This study aims to: 1) preserve and enhance the value of local genetic resources, 2) identify desiderable traits for incorporation into breeding programs, and 3) develop high-quality, high-yielding cultivars capable of with-standing climate variations.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) continues to rise globally, posing significant health challenges and burdens. This metabolic disorder, characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, contributes to various complications including cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, and stroke. While conventional diabetic drugs exist, they often come with adverse side effects, necessitating the exploration of safer and more cost-effective alternatives, particularly from natural sources like medicinal plants. This study investigates the potential of Neocarya macrophylla (Nm) Ethyl acetate leaf fraction in managing DM. Utilizing a high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, the study explores several key aspects including effective dose determination, biological activity, impact on body mass index (BMI), and complete blood count. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad Prism version 9.1. The determination of the minimum effective dose reveals that 120mg/kg of Ethyl acetate fraction of Nm reduced the blood glucose by 28.9% after 4 hours. In addition, ethyl acetate fraction (120 mg/kg) possessed the most hypoglycemic activity compared to the other fractions of Nm. The Ethyl acetate fraction of Nm at 120mg/kg significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels compared to the diabetic control(p=0.001) and slightly decreased BMI. Furthermore, the fraction demonstrated significant improvement in the parameters of some of the blood count indices such as red blood cells (p<0.001), total white cells (p<0.01) and platelet (p<0.001) compared to the diabetic control. These findings underscore the potential of Nm as a holistic therapeutic option for managing DM and its haematological complications. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the hypoglycemic potential of Nm Ethyl acetate leaf fraction, offering valuable insights into its effectiveness, safety, and broader physiological impacts. Further research into the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects is warranted to fully harness its therapeutic potential in diabetes management.

Serine peptidases (SPs) of the chymotrypsin S1A subfamily are an extensive group of enzymes found in all animal organisms, including insects. Here we provide analysis of SPs in the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor transcriptomes and genomes datasets and profile their expression pattern at various stages of ontogeny. A total of 269 SPs were identified, including 137 with con-served catalytic triad residues, while others 125 lacking conservation were proposed as non-active serine peptidase homologs (SPHs). Seven deduced sequences exhibit a complex do-main organization with two or three peptidase units (domains), predicted both as active or non-active. The largest group of 84 SP and 102 SPH had no regulatory domains in the propep-tide, and the majority of them were expressed only in the feeding life stages, larvae and adults, presumably playing an important role in digestion. The remaining 53 SP and 23 SPH had differ-ent regulatory domains, showed constitutive or upregulated expression at eggs or/and pupae stages, participating in regulation of various physiological processes. The majority of polypep-tidases was mainly expressed at the pupal and adult stages. The data obtained expand our knowledge on SPs/SPHs and provide a foundation for further research on the functions of this gene family in T. molitor.

Due to bacterial contamination, natural medicinal preservatives may be an alternative to enhance the quality of milk. Besides, thorough biocompatibility testing is deemed essential before integrating natural extracts into food products. To address this matter, our research focused on evaluating the antimicrobial potential of Plectranthus amboinicus, Flueggea leucopyrus, Cymbopogon citratus, and Bacopa monnieri against prevalent foodborne pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigating the efficacy of plant extracts as natural preservatives along with biocompatibility and toxicity assessments. The methanolic extracts of plant materials were used for measuring antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. The preservative activity was tested by isolating pathogenic organisms in a sterilized milk medium and toxicity and biocompatibility was assessed using zebrafish embryo and brine shrimp lethality assays. At a concentration of 400 mg/ml, all plant extracts demonstrated notable activity against bacterial strains. B. monnieri at 400 mg/ml exhibited particularly significant effects on S. aureus (30.3 mm ± 0.6), surpassing the positive control, gentamicin (28.3 mm ± 0.6), while also displaying pronounced activity against E. coli. F. leucopyrus, at the same concentration, showed antimicrobial activity comparable to the positive control against both S. aureus (28.0 mm ± 1.0) and E. coli (27.0 mm ± 1.0). However, as there’s weak-mild toxicity in these herbs, prior to consumption, careful consideration of their toxicity and biocompatibility is imperative for ensuring their safe use.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. This study employed molecular docking simulations to investigate potential interactions between natural molecules and the Fe(3+) ions import ATP-binding protein fbpC in Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA 1090. Among the screened molecules, Hypericin exhibited a remarkable binding energy of approximately -13.2 kcal/mol, indicating a robust and favorable binding affinity with the target protein. This promising outcome suggests that Hypericin could serve as a potential candidate for further exploration as a therapeutic agent against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections. However, it is imperative to emphasize that these in silico findings necessitate experimental validation through in vitro and in vivo studies to ascertain the actual efficacy and safety of Hypericin as a treatment option.

The low-temperature environment significantly inhibits the growth and metabolism of denitrifying bacteria, leading to an excessive concentration of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen in sewage treatment plants during the cold season. In this study, an efficient denitrifying strain of heterotrophic nitrification–aerobic denitrification(HN-AD) bacteria named HS2 was isolated and screened from industrial sewage of a chemical factory in Inner Mongolia at 8°C. The strain was confirmed to be Achromobacter spiritinus, a colorless rod-shaped bacterium. When cultured with sodium succinate as the carbon source, a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 20-30, a shaking rate of 150-180 r/min, and the initial pH of 6-10, the Strain HS2 exhibited excellent nitrogen removal at 8°C. Through the results of whole-genome sequencing, gene amplification, and gas product detection, the Strain HS2 was determined to possess key enzyme genes in both nitrification and denitrification pathways, suggesting a HN-AD pathway of NH4+-N→NH2OH→NO2--N→NO→N2O→N2. At 8°C, the Strain HS2 could completely remove ammonia nitrogen from industrial sewage with an initial concentration of 127.23 mg/L. Microbial species diversity analysis of the final sewage confirmed Achromobacter sp. as the dominant genus, this indicated that the low-temperature denitrifying strain HS2 plays an important role in nitrogen removal of actual low-temperature sewage.

This study investigated the presence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of extend-ed-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a dairy herd located in Northern Italy. A questionnaire was administered, and the feces of clinically healthy pre-weaned dairy calves, their mothers, and the cows treated for mastitis, waste milk, water, and environmental samples, were collected and inoculated on Chromagar ESBL™ medium. The questionnaire identi-fied several risk factors including administration of waste milk to male calves, lack of routine cleaning of calf feeding and housing equipment, and blanket dry cow therapy. Escherichia coli was identified by MALDI-TOF MS in the feces of 28 of 37 (75.67%) calves, 2 of 3 (66.67%) treated cows, 8 of 14 (57.15%) environmental samples, and the waste milk. Six of 14 (42.85%) environmental samples were also positive for ESBL Acinetobacter baumannii, while all fecal samples were negative. ESBL production was confirmed for all E. coli isolates based on the double disk susceptibility test (DDST), while none were carbapenemase producers. Upon minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis, all of them showed multiple resistances and were categorized as multi-drug resistant (MDR). This study confirms the widespread presence of MDR, ESBL-E. coli in dairy calves and highlights their diffusion in the farm environment.

The antimicrobial quantitative structure–activity relationship of plant flavonoids against Gram-positive bacteria was established in our previous works, and the cell membrane was confirmed as a major site of action. To investigate whether plant flavonoids have similar antibacterial effects and mechanisms against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, here, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 37 plant flavonoids against Escherichia coli were determined using the microdilution broth method, and then the correlation between their lipophilic parameter ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and their MIC was analyzed. Simultaneously, the correlation between the ACD/LogP or LogD_7.40 value and the MIC of 46 plant flavonoids reported in literature against E. coli was also analyzed. Both sets of results showed that there is a significant correlation between the LogP value and the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria. However, it is difficult to effectively predict the MIC of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria from their lipophilic parameters. By comparing two regression curves derived from plant flavonoids against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, it was further discovered that the antibacterial activities of most plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria are stronger than those against Gram-positive bacteria when their LogP values are less than about 3.0, but the opposite is true when their LogP values are more than about 3.6. Moreover, this comparison also suggests that unlike mainly acting on the cell membrane of Gram-positive bacteria, plant flavonoids have multiple mechanisms against Gram-negative species, while the cell membrane is also an important action site among them. Combined with the correlation analyses between the enzyme inhibitory activity and the LogP value of the reported flavonoids, it was further suggested that DNA gyrase is another important target of plant flavonoids against Gram-negative bacteria.

Salmonella causes various type of disease worldwide with a remarkable pace. Salmonella enteric serotype typhi (S. typhi), a gram-negative bacterium (only cause disease in man) is the mainly causative agent of Typhoid fever. Typhoid fever is most common in poor and unprivileged developing countries of Asia and Africa. One of the major components of virulence factors produced during salmonella infection is Lipid A, which acts as a potent human immuno-modulator bacterial endotoxin. Regulation of Lipid A biosynthetic pathway occurs at second step, catalyzed by LpxC, a Zn2+ dependent metalloamidase. Systematic Screening of a pool of drug datasets like natural products library from Zinc database, Asinex database, Thiophene analogues fruitfully provided us 3 potent lead molecules s1_dl_mseq2, s1_ll_mseq2, and s2_ll_mseq8 which actively binds with LpxC enzyme and could be developed into sound inhibitors of LpxC enzyme after the application of drug development and processing strategies. Wet lab experimentation is required to validate these results for further use.

Diesel contamination of farming soils is of great concern because hydrocarbons are toxic to all forms of life and can potentially enter the food web through crops or plants used for remediation. Data on plant ability to uptake, translocate and accumulate diesel-derived compounds are controversial not only due to the probable diverse attitude of plant species but also because of the lack of a reliable method to distinguish petrogenic from biogenic compounds in plant tissues. The purpose of this study was to set up a GC-MS-based protocol enabling the determination of diesel-derived hydrocarbons in plants grown in contaminated soil for assessing human and ecological risks, predicting phytoremediation effectiveness and biomass disposal. To this aim two plant species Vicia sativa L. and Secale cereale L., belonging to two diverse vascular plant families, were used as plant models. They were grown in soil spiked with increasing concentrations of diesel fuel and the produced biomass was used to set up the hydrocarbon extraction and GC-MSD analysis. The developed protocol was also applied to the analysis of Typha latifolia L. plants, belonging to a different botanical family and grown in a long-time and highly contaminated natural soil. Results showed the possibility of distinguishing diesel-derived compounds from biogenic hydrocarbons in most terrestrial vascular plants, just considering the total diesel compounds in the n-alkanes carbon range C10-C26, where the interference of biogenic compounds is negligible. Diesel hydrocarbons quantification in plant tissues was strongly correlated (0.92<r2<0.99) to the concentration of diesel in spiked soils, suggesting a general ability of the considered plant species to adsorb and translocate relative low amounts of diesel hydrocarbons and the reliability of the developed protocol.

The goal of the current study was to discover a novel potential probiotic strain of Lactobacillus spp. with anti-Escherichia coli activity from locally produced yogurt in Tongi, Gazipur, Bangladesh, compare its antagonistic activity with a commercial probiotic mixture of several strains, and approve a novel method for confirming the viability and relative abundance of the microbial community in a probiotic mixer. We carried out 16S sequencing, 16S metagenomics, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis, and other in vitro laboratory experiments to reach this objective. The strain TY-11 was identified as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. indicus (16S sequence accession number OQ652026). It was gram-positive, anaerobic, lactose fermenting, and round-ended rod that typically measured 0.7 to 1.3 µm by 2.2 to 9 µm. In addition to having seven probiotic characteristics, it also showed an antagonistic impact on six different pathogens, but what's more noteworthy is that E. coli was the pathogen it inhibited most strongly (inhibition zone diameter was 18.88±0.18 mm). The most important and ground-breaking finding of this work was determining the probiotic features of a new probiotic strain, TY-11, whose antibacterial activity was virtually as effective as that of the probiotic combination with three different strains. Furthermore, the results of 16S high throughput sequencing and the conventional plate count method demonstrated a strong correlation (0.999) at the genus level, indicating that the use of both of these approaches in combination may be a practical way to assess the relative abundance of the microbial community and their viability in commercially available probiotic blends.

Anorectal malformations (ARMs) represent a wide spectrum of congenital anomalies of the anus and rectum, of which more than half are syndromic. Their etiology is highly heterogeneous and still poorly understood. We report a 4-year-old girl who initially presented with an isolated ARM, and subsequently developed a global developmental delay as part of an ARID1B-related Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS). The co-occurrence of ARMs and CSS in an individual is unexpected since both diseases are very rare. A review of the literature enabled us to identify 12 individuals with both CSS and ARMs. Among these 12 individuals, 9 had a variant in ARID1A, 2 in ARID1B, and 1 in SMARCA4. This more frequent than expected association between CSS and ARM indicates that some ARMs are likely a rare consequence of CSS, especially for ARID1A-related CSS.

This study aims to explore methods for automating the replication of correlated portfolios across shares using various algorithms. The goal is to select one algorithm for implementation in a visualization tool that will facilitate portfolio building. The dynamics of the stock market provide a comprehensive view of the global economy, acting as a catalyst for stakeholders to participate and benefit various sectors financially, primarily through investments in companies that yield returns and contribute to the economy. The evaluation and comparison of these algorithms are crucial for making well-informed decisions regarding the core objectives of the study. Ultimately, a determination will be made as to whether the program can effectively analyse data from Yahoo finance to provide a quick overview of the financial market state of companies in the S&P 500 US stock prices.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity and low phosphorus availability (LP) are the top two co-existing edaphic constraints limiting agriculture productivity in acid soils. Plants have evolved versatile mechanisms to cope with the two stresses alone or simultaneously. However, the specific and common molecular mechanisms, especially those on flavonoids and carbohydrate metabolism, are still unclear. Laboratory studies were conducted on two wheat genotypes, Fielder (Al-tolerant and P-efficient) and Ardito (Al-sensitive and P-inefficient), exposed to 50 μM Al and 2 μM Pi (LP) in hydroponic solutions. After 4 days of stress, wheat roots were analyzed via transcriptomic and targeted metabolomic techniques. A total of 2296 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 1535 up and 761 down) under Al and 3029 DEGs (1591 up and 1438 down) under LP were identified in Fielder. Similarly, 4404 DEGs (3191 up and 1213 down) under Al and 1430 DEGs (1176 up and 254 down) under LP were identified in Ardito. The GO annotation analysis results that 4079 DEGs annotated to the metabolic processes term. These DEGs were significantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid, flavonoid, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways by performing the KEGG enrichment analysis. The targeted metabolome analysis detected 19 flavonoids and 15 carbohydrate components in Fielder and Ardito under Al and LP. More responsive genes and metabolites were involved in flavonoid metabolism under LP than Al in the Fielder, while an opposite trend in the Ardito. In the carbohydrate metabolism pathway, the genes and metabolites were higher in Fielder than in Ardito. The combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed that the flavonoid and carbohydrate genes and metabolites differed between Fielder and Ardito under Al and LP, which may be an important reason for Fielder’s high Al and LP resistance. The results of this study lay a foundation for pyramiding genes and breeding multi-resistance varieties.

Flexible capacity applications demands to large energy storage density and high breakdown electric field strength of flexible films. Here, P(VDF-HFP) with ultra-thin Al2O3 nanosheets composite films were designed and fabricated through an electrospinning process followed by hot-pressing in sandwich structured. The results show that the insulating ultra-thin Al2O3 nanosheets and the sandwich structure can enhance the composites' breakdown field (by 24.8%) and energy density (by 30.6%) remarkedly to P(VDF-HFP) polymer matrix. An energy density of 23.5 J/cm3 at the ultrahigh breakdown field of 740kV/mm can be therefore realized. Insulating test and phase-field simulation results reveal that ultra-thin nanosheets insulating buffer layers can reduce the leakage current in composites, thus it effects the electric field spatial distribution to enhance breakdown strength. Our research provides a feasible method to increase the breakdown strength of ferroelectric polymers, which is comparable to those of non-ferroelectric polymers.

The role of biomarkers in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease is not fully characterized. C-reactive protein has a short half-life and elevates quickly after the onset of an inflammatory process, the performance is better in Crohn’s disease than in ulcerative colitis. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is easy to determine, widely available, and cheap but the long half-life the influence of age, anemia, smoking, and drugs limit its usefulness. Fecal markers have good specificity, but suboptimal accuracy. Microbial antibodies and novel immunological markers show promise but need further evidence before entering clinical practice. Proteomic methods could represent the dawn of a new era of stool protein/peptide biomarker panels able to select patients at risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Hypovitaminosis D is a public health problem due to its implications for various diseases. Vitamin D has numerous functions, such as modulating the metabolism of some cellular tissues, and is expressed through the VDR gene that may influence gene expression modulation, which plays an important role in vitamin D metabolism. Objective: To evaluate the effect of the genotypes of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) BsmI of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene on VDR, SOD2, and CYP24A1 gene expression in individuals with low serum vitamin D levels. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Individuals were invited to participate and, after signing the informed consent form, answered a structured questionnaire with identification data. Blood was collected for biochemical analysis, and vitamin D was measured by chemiluminescence; BsmI polymorphism was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays with TaqMan allelic discrimination, and gene expression was conducted by qRT-PCR using QuantiFast SYBR® Green PCR Master Mix. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software, and differences were considered significant at p&lt;0.05. Results: 98 individuals with vitamin D ≤20 ng/dL were evaluated, and the SNP BsmI of the VDR gene showed CYP24A1 overexpression and low SOD2 expression. Conclusion: SNP Bsm I of the VDR gene can modulate the expression of the genes evaluated without interfering with serum levels.

The multidrug efflux transporter ABCB1 is clinically important for drug absorption and distribution and can be a determinant of chemotherapy failure. Recent structure data shows that three glutamines donate hydrogen bonds to co-ordinate taxol in the drug binding pocket. This is consistent with earlier drug structure-activity relationships that implicated the importance of hydrogen bonds in drug recognition by ABCB1. By replacing the glutamines with alanines we have tested whether any or all of Q347, Q725 and Q990 are important for the transport of three different drug classes. Flow cytometric transport assays show that Q347A and Q990A act synergistically to reduce transport of Calcein-AM, BODIPY-verapamil and OREGON GREEN-taxol bisacetate but the magnitude of the effect was dependent on the test drug and no combination of mutations completely abrogated function. Surprisingly, Q725A mutants generally improved transport of Calcein-AM and BODIPY-verapamil, suggesting that engagement of the wild-type Q725 in a hydrogen bond is inhibitory for the transport mechanism. To test transport of unmodified taxol, stable expression of Q347/725A and the triple mutant was engineered and shown to confer equivalent resistance to the drug as the wild-type transporter, further indicating that none of these potential hydrogen bonds between transporter and transport substrate are critical for function of ABCB1. The implications of the data for plasticity of the drug binding pocket are discussed.

During their complex life cycles, the Apicomplexan parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii employ several genetic switches to regulate their gene expression. One such switch is mediated at the level of translation through upstream Open Reading Frames (uORFs). As uORFs are found in the upstream regions of a majority of genes in both the parasites, it is essential that their roles in translational regulation be appreciated to a greater extent. This review provides a comprehensive summary of studies that show uORF-mediated gene regulation in these parasites and highlights examples of clinically and physiologically relevant proteins that exhibit uORF-mediated regulation. In addition to these examples, several studies that use bioinformatics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and ribosome profiling also indicate the possibility of widespread translational regulation by uORFs. Further analysis of genome-wide datasets will reveal novel genes involved in key biological pathways such as cell-cycle progression, stress-response, and pathogenicity. The cumulative evidence from studies presented in this review suggests that uORFs will play crucial roles in regulating gene expression during clinical disease caused by these important human pathogens.

It was once thought that high QoS (Quality of Service) performance solves recurrent problems of low-quality multimedia services. Since then, solutions have been proposed to ensure a high level of QoE (Quality of Experience). In this document, the authors attempt to outline their understanding of an accurate meaning of quality of multimedia services. Starting from QoS and passing through generalised QoE, the authors focus on aspects of subjective and objective quality modelling and optimisation of visual performance for TRV (Target Recognition Video) applications (such as video surveillance), outlining the path of ITU-T standardisation in this area. The authors revised the ITU-T Recommendation P.912 to reflect improved subjective test techniques developed since this Recommendation was approved. The authors also attempt to predict at least some existing errors of reasoning, which are likely to become evident for the industry in the next decade.

Prediction and early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) remain a permanent challenge in everyday practice. Timely identification of an increased risk for AF episodes (which are frequently asymptomatic) is essential in the primary and secondary prevention of cardioembolic events. One of the noninvasive modalities of AF prediction is represented by the electrocardiographic P-wave analysis. This includes the study and diagnosis of interatrial conduction block (Bachmann`s bundle block). Bayés’ Syndrome (named after its first descriptor) denotes the association between interatrial conduction defect and supraventricular arrhythmias (mainly AF) predisposing to cardioembolic events. Our short review presents an update of the most important data concerning this syndrome: brief history, main ECG features, pathophysiological background and clinical implications.

SARS-CoV-2 infections underlie the current Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and are causative for a high death toll particularly among elderly subjects and those with comorbidities. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element of high importance for human health and particularly for a well-balanced immune response. Mortality risk from severe disease like sepsis or polytrauma is inversely related to Se status. We hypothesized that this relation also applies to COVID-19. Serum samples (n=166) from COVID-19 patients (n=33) were collected consecutively and analysed for total Se by X-ray fluorescence and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) by a validated ELISA. Both biomarkers showed the expected strong correlation (r=0.7758, p<0.001), pointing to an insufficient Se status for optimal selenoprotein expression. In comparison to reference data from a European cross sectional analysis (EPIC, n=1915), the patients showed a pronounced deficit in total serum Se (mean±SD, 50.8±15.7 vs. 84.4±23.4 µg/L) and SELENOP (3.0±1.4 vs. 4.3±1.0 mg/L). A Se status below the 2.5th percentile of the reference population, i.e., [Se] < 45.7 µg/L and [SELENOP] < 2.56 mg/L was present in 43.4% and 39.2% of COVID samples, respectively. The Se status was significantly higher in samples from surviving COVID patients as compared to non-survivors (Se; 53.3±16.2 vs. 40.8±8.1 µg/L, SELENOP; 3.3±1.3 vs. 2.1±0.9 mg/L). We conclude that Se status analysis in COVID patients provides diagnostic information. However, causality remains unknown due to the observational nature of this study. Nevertheless, the findings strengthen the notion on a relevant role of Se for COVID convalescence, and support the discussion on adjuvant Se supplementation in severely diseased and Se-deficient patients.

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) determines resistance to a broad spectrum of drugs in glioblastoma multiforme (GB) because it is highly expressed in GB stem cells and in brain-blood barrier (BBB), the peculiar endothelium surrounding brain. Inhibiting Pgp activity in BBB and GB is still an open challenge. Here, we tested the efficacy of a small library of tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives with an EC₅₀ for Pgp < 50 nM, in primary human BBB cells and in patients-derived GB, from which we isolated differentiated/adherent cells (AC, i.e. Pgp-negative/doxorubicin-sensitive cells) and stem cells (neurospheres, NS, i.e. Pgp-positive/doxorubicin-resistant cells). At 1 nM, 3 compounds increased the delivery of doxorubicin, a typical substrate of Pgp, across BBB monolayer, without altering expression and activity of other transporters. The compounds increased the drug accumulation within NS, restoring necrosis, apoptosis and reduction in cell viability induced by doxorubicin. In co-culture systems, the compounds added to the luminal face of BBB increased the delivery of doxorubicin to NS growing under BBB and rescued the drug’s cytotoxicity. Our work identified new ligands of Pgp active at low nanomolar concentrations, that effectively reduce Pgp activity in BBB and GB, and can improve chemotherapy efficacy in this tumor.

Possibilities of utilization of two frequencies synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operating simultaneously in P-band and S or L-band are considered. Advantages of such system are shown. They are caused by improvement of data interpretation and by decrease of ionosphere influence. Tasks of surface and subsurface sensing by the complex SAR were under investigation for vegetation, soil covers are given. As an example, the investigation results of coniferous forest areas backscattering by the spaceborne P-band SAR together with L-band SAR in the September-February period are presented. Studies have shown that the joint use of the results in L and P bands offer unique opportunities to explore the effects of changes in the backscattering properties of forest surfaces.

In winter 2008-2009, Lake Occhito, a strategic multiple-uses reservoir in South Italy, was affected by an extraordinary Planktothrix rubescens bloom. P. rubescens is a filamentous potentially toxic cyanobacterium which has recently colonized many environments in Europe. A number of studies is currently available on the use of remote sensing techniques to monitor different fresh water cyanobacteria species. By contrast no specific applications are available on the remote sensing monitoring of P. rubescens. In this paper we present a specific algorithm, based on Water Leaving Reflectances (WLR) from MERIS data, atmospherically corrected using the Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) retrieved by MODIS data, to detect P. rubescens blooms. The high accuracy in AOT data, provided by MOD09 surface reflectance product, at 1km spatial resolution, allowed obtaining a good correlation between the WLR and the P. rubescens chlorophyll-a concentrations measured in the field, through multiple stations fluorometric profiles. A modified Normalized Difference Chlorophyll index (NDCI) algorithm is presented. The performance of the proposed algorithm has been successfully compared with other specific algorithms for turbid productive waters. We demonstrated how important is to verify the spectral behaviour of bio-optical parameters in order to develop an ad hoc algorithm that better performs with respect to standard algorithms.

In this paper, we establish some inequalities bounding the ratio Г_p,k(x)/Г_p,k(y), where Г_p,k(.) is the (p,k)-analogue of the Gamma function. Consequently, some previous results are recovered from the obtained results.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

Outlier detection is a critical technique across various domains, including statistics, data science, machine learning, and finance. Outliers, data points that differ significantly from the majority, can indicate errors, anomalies, or even new insights. This article provides an in-depth exploration of the primary techniques used to detect outliers, categorized into statistical methods, machine learning-based approaches, and proximity-based methods. We discuss the advantages, limitations, and specific use cases of each technique, highlighting their applicability to different types of datasets. The goal is to equip practitioners with a better understanding of how to identify and handle outliers effectively in real-world data analysis.

Introduction: Lumbar radiculopathy, frequently triggered by disc herniation, affects around one in 50 young adults (30-55 ages), leading to significant impacts on quality of life. When conservative treatments fail to alleviate symptoms, surgical intervention such as discectomy is often pursued. Technological advancements have led to various minimally invasive techniques, promising improved outcomes. Our aim was to compare clinical outcomes of different techniques. Methods: We conducted a systematic search in PubMed using "lumbar disc hernia" and the meta-analysis filter. Inclusion criteria comprised meta-analyses focusing on lumbar disc herniation treatments, published in English. A rigorous selection process adhering to PRISMA guidelines ensured high-quality evidence extraction. Results: From 28,171 initial records, 31 meta-analyses involving 87,852 patients were included. Heterogeneity across the literature presented challenges, notably in study populations, surgical techniques, and research designs. Among the techniques evaluated, full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) emerged as superior in various perioperative parameters, including Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), operation time, and complications. Conversely, automated percutaneous discectomy (AUTD) consistently exhibited poorer outcomes, suggesting limited effectiveness compared to other techniques. Conclusion: Despite advancements, the heterogeneity observed in the literature underscores the need for standardized approaches in minimally invasive spinal surgery research. FELD stands out as a preferred technique, offering favorable outcomes across multiple parameters. Conversely, techniques like AUTD raise concerns regarding efficacy. Future research should aim for uniformity in methodologies to facilitate accurate comparisons and guide clinical decision-making.

This study presents a novel approach to automatic generation of cultural and context-specific science assessments for K-12 education using generative AI (GenAI). We first developed a GenAI Culturally Responsive Science Assessment (GenAI-CRSciA) framework that establishes the relationship between CRSciA and GenAI, by incorporating key cultural tenets such as indigenous language, Indigenous knowledge, ethnicity/race, and religion. The CRSciA framework along with dynamic prompt strategies were used to develop the CRSciA-Generator model within the OpenAI platform. The CRSciA-Generator allows users to automatically generate assessments tailored to students’ cultural and contextual needs. In a pilot comparison test between the CRSciA-Generator and the base GPT 4o (with standard prompt), the models were tasked with generating CRSciAs that aligned with the Next Generation Science Standard on predator and prey relationship for students from Ghana, the USA, and China. The results showed that the CRSciA-Generator output assessments incorporated more tailored culturally and context assessment items for each specific group with examples, such as traditional stories of lions and antelopes in Ghana, Native American views on wolves in the USA, and Taoist or Buddhist teachings on the Amur tiger in China than the standard prompt out within the base GPT 4o. However, due to the background information provided, the CRSciA-Generator overgeneralized its output focusing on broad national contexts, treating entire countries as culturally homogenous and neglecting the subcultures. Therefore, we recommend that teachers provide detailed background information about their students when using the CRSciA-Generator. Additionally, we believe the pilot test did not fully validate the model’s efficacy, and future studies involving human experts’ review are recommended to evaluate the cultural and contextual validity of the generated assessments. We also suggest empirical studies in diverse contexts to further test and validate the model’s overall effectiveness.

In the present study, we introduce the two dimensional Chlodovsky type Bernstein operators based on (p, q)−integer. We examine approximation properties of our new operator by the help of Korovkin-type theorem. Further, we present the local approximation properties and establish the rates of convergence by means of the modulus of continuity and the Lipschitz type maximal function. Also, we give a Voronovskaja type theorem for this operators. And, we investigate weighted approximation properties of these operators and estimate rate of convergence in the same space. Finally, with the help of Maple, illustrative graphics show the rate of convergence of these operators to certain functions . The optimization of approximation speeds by operators during system control provides significant improvements in stability and performance. As a result, the control and modeling of dynamic systems become more efficient and effective through innovative methods. These advancements in the fields of modeling fractional differential equations and control theory offer substantial benefits to both modeling and optimization processes, expanding the range of applications in these areas.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with a generally poor prognosis due to its highly aggressive and metastatic nature, lack of targetable receptors, as well as the frequent development of resistance to chemotherapy. We previously reported that AU1, a small molecule developed as an inhibitor of BPTF (bromodomain PHD finger containing transcription factor), was capable of sensitizing preclinical models of triple negative breast cancer to chemotherapy, in part via the promotion of autophagy. In studies reported here, we identify an additional property of this compound, specifically that sensitization is associated with inhibition of the P-glycoprotein efflux pump. In silico molecular docking studies indicate that AU1 binds to active regions of the efflux pump, in a manner consistent with inhibition of pump function. This work identifies a novel chemical structure that can influence multidrug efflux, an established mechanism of drug resistance in triple negative breast cancer, that has not yet been successfully addressed by clinical efforts.

We prove the continuous non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Banach space and Hilbert space versions of non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Welch bounds proved by M. Krishna. We formulate continuous non-Archimedean and p-adic functional Zauner conjectures.

We prove the non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Banach space version of non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Welch bounds recently obtained by M. Krishna. More precisely, we prove following results. \begin{enumerate}[\upshape(i)] \item Let $\mathbb{K}$ be a non-Archimedean (complete) valued field satisfying $\left|\sum_{j=1}^{n}\lambda_j^2\right|=\max_{1\leq j \leq n}|\lambda_j|^2$ for all $ \lambda_j \in \mathbb{K}, 1\leq j \leq n$, for all $n \in \mathbb{N}.$ Let $\mathcal{X}$ be a $d$-dimensional non-Archimedean Banach space over $\mathbb{K}$. If $\{\tau_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}$ and $\{f_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}^*$ (dual of $\mathcal{X}$) satisfying $f_j(\tau_j) =1$ for all $1\leq j \leq n$ and the operator $S_{f, \tau} : \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X})\ni x \mapsto \sum_{j=1}^nf_j^{\otimes m}(x)\tau_j^{\otimes m} \in \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X})$, is diagonalizable, then \begin{align}\label{NONFUNCTIONALWELCH} \max_{1\leq j,k \leq n, j \neq k}\{|n|, |f_j(\tau_k)f_k(\tau_j)|^{m} \}\geq \frac{|n|^2}{\left|{d+m-1 \choose m}\right| }. \end{align} We call Inequality (\ref{NONFUNCTIONALWELCH}) as non-Archimedean functional Welch bounds. \item For a prime $p$, let $\mathbb{Q}_p$ be the p-adic number field. Let $\mathcal{X}$ be a $d$-dimensional p-adic Banach space over $\mathbb{Q}_p$. If $\{\tau_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}$ and $\{f_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}^*$ (dual of $\mathcal{X}$) satisfying $f_j(\tau_j) =1$ for all $1\leq j \leq n$ and there exists $b \in \mathbb{Q}_p$ such that $ \sum_{j=1}^{n}f_j^{\otimes m}(x) \tau_j^{\otimes m} =bx$ for all $ x \in \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X}),$ then \begin{align}\label{PADICFUNCTIONALWELCH} \max_{1\leq j,k \leq n, j \neq k}\{|n|, |f_j(\tau_k)f_k(\tau_j)|^{m} \}\geq \frac{|n|^2}{\left|{d+m-1 \choose m}\right| }. \end{align} We call Inequality (\ref{PADICFUNCTIONALWELCH}) as p-adic functional Welch bounds. \end{enumerate} We formulate non-Archimedean functional and p-adic functional Zauner conjectures.

The use of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) for probiotic enrichment of minimally processed fruit is a well-established practice in literature. In addition, several LAB demonstrated a strain-specific ability to control harmful microorganisms and decay agents, improving shelf-life, maintaining quality and promoting the safety of fruits and vegetables. Edible coatings can help modulate phenomena of gas exchange and water loss by fruits, representing protection from physical damage and spoilage phenomena linked to oxidation and the development of undesired microorganisms. At the same time, the coating can represent an innovative delivery matrix for the LAB strains of potential interest to improve safety and quality in the postharvest management of fruits. In this work, five Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains, previously characterized for their probiotic and antifungal activity, have been incorporated into a sodium alginate coating to develop edible probiotic coatings with antifungal properties for table grapes cv. Italia. The transfer of probiotics and their survival were evaluated by comparing coated and uncoated table grapes during 14 days of cold storage at 4 °C. The alginate edible coating increased the number of probiotics transferred to the surface of the berries from about 5 to more than 7 Log CFU/g, with a crucial impact on the potential functional attributes of the final product. The ability of the functionalised coatings to counteract the decay development was evaluated on table grapes berries artificially contaminated with Aspergillus niger CECT 2805. A significant reduction of lesion diameter was observed in alginate coating with L. plantarum 11-A. The lesion diameter reduction was also accompanied by the reduction of the symptoms of infection, such as browning around the wound. These results suggest the application of selected strains of L. plantarum as promising bio-resources to enhance the overall value of ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, particularly in combination with edible coating as a carrier matrix. While a strain-dependent effect was not detected with respect to the improvement of the number of cells in the edible coating, a variability depending on the biotype used was detected for the properties linked to biocontrol, suggesting that the inclusion in edible packaging may represent an innovative criterion in the selection of lactobacilli to be applied postharvest.

Myo-inositol (MYO) and D-chiro-inositol (DCI) are the two most significant isomeric forms of inositol, playing a critical role in intracellular signaling. MYO is the most abundant form of inositol in nature; DCI is produced from MYO through epimerization by an insulin-dependent enzyme. Recently, it has been demonstrated that inositols may influence oocyte maturation, improve intracellular Ca2⁺ oscillation in the oocytes and have been proposed as potential interventions for restoring spontaneous ovulation. MYO concentration in human follicular fluid is considered a bioindicator of oocyte quality. In the ovary, DCI modulates the activity of aromatase thus regulating androgen synthesis. Under physiological conditions, MYO/DCI ratio is maintained at 40:1 in the plasma. In women with PCOS, MYO/DCI ratio lowers to 0:2:1, contributing to elevated androgen production. By regulating FSH signaling, MYO administration increases the number of high-quality embryos available for transfer in poor responder patients. Finally, by acting downstream to insulin signaling inositol administration during pregnancy may represent a novel strategy for counteracting gestational diabetes. These findings show that diet supplementation with inositols may be a promising strategy to address female infertility and sustain healthy pregnancy.

The genus Ajuga (Lamiaceae family) comprises approximately 300 species. Species within this genus are widely used in traditional medicine and are known for their diaphoretic, antiseptic, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, they are scarcely used in official medicine. Therefore, the study of one of the most common species, Ajuga reptans L., holds promise for developing new medicinal products for clinical and pharmaceutical applications. In aqueous and aqueous-alcoholic extracts of A. reptans herb, 8 organic acids, 16 amino acids, 20 phenolic compounds, 10 volatile substances, and 9 phytosterols were identified. The assay of the main groups of biologically active substances in the obtained extracts was determined. Experimental results demonstrated that A. reptans herb extracts are practically non-toxic, exhibit hepatoprotective activity in experimental carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatitis, moderate anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced oedema models, and possess significant local hemostatic and wound-healing properties. The most significant reduction in bleeding was caused by applying the aqueous extract, reducing bleeding time by 40.6%. The aqueous-ethanolic A. reptans extract (50% ethanol) demonstrated complete wound healing after 9 days of its local administration. This extract also has the most pronounced hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. A. reptans extracts are capable of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms and showing higher activity against gram-positive bacteria. Notably, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts increases in direct correlation with the ethanol concentration as an extracting agent. A. reptans herb extracts are promising agents for implementation in official medicine as wound healing and hepatoprotective remedies.

We recently identified that cerebral mRNA expression for inducible costimulator (ICOS) and its ligans, ICOSL, both significantly increases during elimination of Toxoplasma gondii cysts from the brains of infected mice by perforin-mediated cytotoxic activity of CD8⁺ T cells. In the present study, we examined the role of ICOS in activating the effector activity of CD8⁺ T cells in response to the cysts in infected mice. Following adoptive transfer of splenic CD8⁺ T cells from chronically infected ICOS-deficient (ICOS^-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice to infected SCID mice, fewer CD8⁺ T cells were detected in the brains of the recipients of ICOS^-/- than WT CD8⁺ T cells. However, such lower numbers of ICOS^-/- CD8⁺ T cells, which migrated into the brains of the recipients, eliminated T. gondii cysts more efficiently than WT CD8⁺ T cells did. Consistently, the ICOS^-/- CD8⁺ T cells secreted greater amounts of granzyme B in response to T. gondii antigens in vitro than did WT CD8⁺T cells. We identified that ICOS^-/- CD8⁺ T cells express significantly greater levels of CD28 on their surface than WT CD8⁺ T cells, and relative expression levels of CD28 mRNA in ratios to CD8b mRNA levels in the brains of the recipients of those CD8⁺ T cells strongly correlated with their relative expression levels of mRNA for T-bet transcription factor and perforin. Furthermore, blocking of CD28 signaling by a combination of anti-CD80 and anti-CD86 antibodies abolished the increased cytotoxic activity of the ICOS^-/- CD8⁺ T cells in vitro. The present study uncovered notable compensatory interactions between ICOS and CD28 to secure the cytotoxic effector activity of CD8⁺ T cells against a microbial infection in a murine model of chronic infection with T. gondii.

This study investigated the effects of dietary garlic powder and fermented garlic powder supplementation at 1% and 2% levels on growth performance, digestive tract efficacy, blood biochemistry, immunity, and antioxidant status of Liza ramada (n=225 fish; 86.00±0.42 g) over a 60-day period. Fish fed diets supplemented with both forms of garlic at both levels exhibited significantly improved final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio compared to the control group. Digestive enzyme activities (amylase, lipase, and protease) were significantly enhanced in all supplemented groups. Blood biochemical analysis revealed reduced glucose levels and increased total protein in garlic-supplemented groups, with no adverse effects on liver or kidney function markers. Immune parameters, including lysozyme activity, bactericidal activity against Streptococcus agalactiae, alternative complement pathway (ACP), and, respiratory burst (NBT) were significantly enhanced in garlic-supplemented groups, with fermented garlic showing more pronounced effects. Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, and GPx) were also significantly increased in all supplemented groups, particularly in those fed fermented garlic. No significant differences in survival rates were observed among treatments. The results suggest that both garlic powder and fermented garlic powder supplementation, especially at the 2% level, can effectively improve growth, feed utilization, immune function, and antioxidant status in L. ramada. Fermented garlic generally demonstrated superior effects, indicating its potential as a beneficial feed additive in aquaculture. Based on these findings, it is recommended to incorporate fermented garlic powder at a 2% level in L. ramada diets to optimize growth performance and health status. Further research is warranted to investigate the long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of this supplementation strategy in commercial aquaculture settings.

Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) is a bacterial pathogen native to warm and brackish water ecosystems that can cause fatal septicemia (Vv-vibriosis) in humans and various farmed fish species. From a One Health perspective, controlling Vv-vibriosis outbreaks on farms is essential not only for animal but also for human health, as it reduces the risk of Vv transmission to humans. Electrolyzed water (EW) is a sustainable control method, exhibiting transient disinfectant properties due to the formation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). We hypothesized that EW could effectively reduce Vv populations in aquaculture facilities, preventing outbreak emergence. To test this hypothesis, survival assays in EW were conducted under varying conditions of salinity, pH, and free available chlorine (FAC). The results indicated that an intermediate concentration of FAC had a significant bactericidal effect on Vv populations regardless of the condition and tested strain. Consequently, the strategic use of EW could serve as an eco-friendly preventive and control measure against Vv-vibriosis by significantly decreasing the bacterial load in farm water.

This study explores the critical role of DNA methylation in shaping phenotypic diversity and driving evolutionary adaptation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum). By employing whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and advanced genomic techniques, we analyzed DNA methylation patterns across various chickpea cultivars, focusing on key adaptive traits such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, seed size, and flowering time. Our results revealed significant methylation changes associated with these traits, providing novel insights into the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and its impact on phenotypic variation. Additionally, we investigated the dynamic responses of DNA methylation under different environmental stresses, highlighting the plasticity of the chickpea epigenome. This research not only enhances our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms underlying plant evolution but also opens up new avenues for developing epigenetic-based strategies for crop improvement.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GL18 has been proven to have good resistance ability and can promote the growth of Avena sativa cultivar ‘Qingyan 1’. Herein, Illumina high-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology was used to analyze the differential expression of genes between the interaction group (LB) and the control group (LCK) when ‘Qingyan 1’ roots interacted with GL18 bacterial suspension or sterile water for 12 h under 4 °C low-temperature stress. The gene function annotation information was obtained using Gene Ontology (GO) functional classification and enrichment analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and annotation of differentially expressed genes was used to explore the related signal transduction pathway of ‘Qingyan 1’ response to cold stress induced by Bacillus GL18. The results showed that after ‘Qingyan 1’ seedlings interacted with GL18 bacterial suspension or sterile water for 12 h, comparing the LB with the LCK or CK (the control group at 26 °C), there were 12,061 and 25,489 differentially expressed genes, respectively. Their functions were mainly related to metabolic process, cellular process, catalytic activity, binding, and cellular parts, and they were significantly enriched in plant tissue growth and development, cell wall, organelle membrane synthesis, thiamine and its compounds, biosynthesis, polyamine decomposition, and other metabolic processes. Signal transduction was detected through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and corresponding genes, such as AUXI, PP2C, SNRK2, ABF, BRI1, and PIF4, were expressed. The expression of genes directly involved in plant growth was upregulated in the presence of GL18, as shown by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. It was speculated that the normal growth and development of ‘Qingyan 1’ under low-temperature stress promoted by GL18 is a result of the integration of multiple pathways in terms of regulating endogenous hormone metabolism, secondary metabolite synthesis, and photosynthesis.

This study investigates the impact of DNA methylation on phenotypic diversity in chickpeas (Cicer arietinum). By analyzing DNA methylation landscapes across various chickpea cultivars, we aim to decipher the evolutionary processes underlying phenotypic variation. Using bisulfite sequencing and advanced genomic techniques, we identified significant methylation patterns associated with key adaptive traits. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of epigenetic modifications in plant evolution and offer potential applications in crop improvement.

This study investigates the impact of DNA methylation on phenotypic diversity in chickpeas (Cicer arietinum). By analyzing DNA methylation landscapes across various chickpea cultivars, we aim to decipher the evolutionary processes underlying phenotypic variation. Using bisulfite sequencing and advanced genomic techniques, we identified significant methylation patterns associated with key adaptive traits. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of epigenetic modifications in plant evolution and offer potential applications in crop improvement.

The search for natural product-based biopesticides from endophytic fungi is an effective tool to find new solutions. In this study, we studied a pre-selected fungal endophyte, isolate YCC4, from the paleoendemism Persea indica, along with compounds present in the extract and the identification of the insect antifeedant and nematicidal ones. The endophyte YCC4 was identified as Phyllosticta capitalensis by molecular analysis. The insect antifeedant activity was tested by choice bioassays against Spodoptera littoralis, Myzus persicae and Rhopalosiphum padi and the in vitro and in vivo mortality was tested against the root-knot nematode Meloiydogyne javanica. Since the extract resulted an effective insect antifeedant, a strong nematicidal and lacked phytotoxicity on tomato plants, a comprehensive phytochemical study was carried out. The chemical study resulted in the identification of two new metabolites, metguignardic acid (4) and (-)-epi-guignardone I (14), along the known dioxolanones guignardic acid (1), ethyl guignardate (3), guignardianones A (5), C (2), D (7) and E (6), phenguignardic acid methyl ester (8), and the meroterpenes guignardone A (9) and B (10) and guignarenone C (12), (-)-guignardone I (13) and the phyllomeroterpenoid B (15). Among these compounds, 1 and 4 were effective antifeedants against both insect species, while 2 was only active on the aphid M. persicae. The nematicidal compounds were 4, 7 and 8. This is the first report on the insect antifeedant or nematicidal effects of these dioxolanone-type compounds. Since the insect antifeedant and nematicidal activity of the P. capitalensis extract depends on the presence of dioxolanone components, future fermentation optimizations are needed to promote the biosynthesis of these compounds instead of the meroterpenes.

A 70-year-old female with a significant medical history of hypertension, hypothyroidism, chronic back pain, and a left hip prosthetic joint infection experienced complications following a total hip replacement. After multiple revisions and eventual discharge to a rehabilitation facility, she developed surgical site bleeding and a femoral head dislocation extending into the pelvis. At our hospital, imaging revealed a failed hip arthroplasty with extensive damage and infection, necessitating complex revision surgery and an antibiotic regimen. During her treatment, she developed a diffuse rash diagnosed as vancomycin-induced hypersensitivity reaction (DRESS), prompting a switch to oral linezolid and systemic corticosteroids. Despite transient eosinophilia and elevated inflammatory markers, her condition stabilized, and she was discharged with instructions for follow-up. This case underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring and timely intervention in managing complex postoperative infections and drug reactions.

Graphene was synthesized through a two-step pyrolysis method using waste candlenut (Aleurites moluccanus) shells as the precursor. Cerium (Ce)/graphene composites were prepared via an impregnation technique. The resulting graphene and Ce/graphene were characterized using various analytical methods, including Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV). The bio-carbon produced predominantly exhibited a graphene structure with flat carbon morphology and an interlayer distance of 0.33 nm. This structural information is supported by XRD data, which shows a broad and weak peak at 2θ = 26° corresponding to the C (002) plane, indicative of graphene presence. FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy further confirmed the presence of graphene through the detection of Csp2 aromatic bonds and the characteristic D, G, and 2D peaks. Notably, the performance of cerium can be enhanced by the incorporation of graphene, attributed to the large surface area and chemical interactions between Ce and graphene. Consequently, candlenut-derived graphene shows potential as a supportive material for modifying the properties of cerium, thereby opening avenues for various advanced applications, such as sustainable and high-performance energy storage systems.

Onions are known not only for their culinary importance but also for their nutritional and health-promoting properties. Both properties are closely linked to its content of organosulfur compounds, which account for up to 5% of the dry weight of an onion. Given the importance of these compounds, suitable analytical methods are required for their study. Two techniques should be highlighted in this context: gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In this study, eight different onion varieties were analyzed using two distinct analytical techniques: direct thermal desorption–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DTD-GC-MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) on an LC-ESI-QqTOF instrument. Each method identified 18 different organosulfur compounds, with LC-HRMS targeting non-volatile compounds, such as cysteine sulfoxides, and GC-MS targeting volatiles, such as disulfides and trisulfides. The results obtained were studied using Pearson correlations and principal component analysis. No precise correlation was found between the initial organosulfur compounds in onions and their hydrolysates. Consequently, although GC is one of the most employed techniques in the scientific literature, the use of LC-HRMS or a combination of both techniques may offer a more comprehensive and accurate description of the metabolomic profile of onions.

Predictive studies are essential to establish fundamental data for monitoring and controlling Xylella fastidiosa infections in our country. Limited knowledge exists about how Xylella fastidiosa interacts with the plant host's immune system, leaving numerous unanswered questions regarding Xylella fastidiosa biology and its interactions with national plant hosts. Key inquiries include understanding of how the plant immune system interfaces with Xylella fastidiosa in the xylem and identifying the specific or shared mechanisms underlying the susceptibility of different hosts. Factors such as the presence of insect vectors, abundance of host plants, and climate suitability play pivotal roles in Xylella fastidiosa dispersal. We recommend that countries identified with relatively high risk, like Portugal, undertake thorough individual risk analyses. The implementation of preventive measures and, if necessary, the enhancement of surveillance systems for early detection of Xylella fastidiosa in plants and insect vectors are crucial steps. Additionally, raising awareness is of equal importance to mitigate socioeconomic and ecological impacts on their ecosystems.

Citrus species essential oils (EOs) are significant sources of bioactive compounds and demonstrate diverse therapeutic effects. However, limited documentation exists regarding the phytochemicals associated with their biological activities. This study aims to assess the antioxidant activity, plant inhibitory properties, and brine shrimp cytotoxic effects of EOs derived from three Citrus species: C. sinensis, C. limon, and C. hystrix. Utilizing chemometric analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fingerprints, the volatile components contributing to antioxidant activity were elucidated. The peels of the Citrus samples were hydro-distillated to obtain EOs, and subsequently subjected to antioxidant, plant inhibitory, and brine shrimp cytotoxic assays. The results indicated that C. limon EO exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, while C. hystrix and C. sinensis EOs demonstrated pronounced inhibitory effects against Aetrmia salina and Lactuca sativa, respectively. GC-MS analysis facilitated the identification of key compounds in each EO. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchy cluster analysis (HCA) effectively categorized Citrus EOs based on their antioxidant properties, highlighting the proximity of C. limon and C. sinensis. Among the identified compounds, D-limonene, α-Terpineol, Caryophyllene, (+)-3-Carene, β-Pinene, (-)-Spathulenol, trans-p-Mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol, and trans-Verbenol were the most discriminating compounds affected the antioxidant activity of C.limon and C. sinensis EOs.

Our study explores the genetic mechanisms underlying the spotted leaf phenotype in rice, focusing on the rpt5a mutant characterized by persistent reddish-brown leaf spots from seedling stage to maturity, leading to extensive leaf necrosis. Through map-based cloning, we localized the responsible locus to a 330Kb region on chromosome 2 and identified LOC_Os02g56000 (named OsRPT5A) as the causative gene. A point mutation in OsRPT5A, substituting valine for glutamic acid, was identified as the critical factor for the phenotype. Functional complementation and generation of knockout lines in the IR64 background confirmed the central role of OsRPT5A in controlling this trait. Our study also revealed that OsRPT5A is constitutively expressed across various tissues, with its subcellular localization unaffected by mutations. Notably, we observed an abnormal accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rpt5a mutants, suggesting a disruption in the ROS system. Complementation studies indicated OsRPT5A's involvement in ROS homeostasis and catalase activity regulation. Moreover, the rpt5a mutant exhibited enhanced resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), highlighting OsRPT5A's role in rice's pathogen resistance mechanisms. These findings elucidate the genetic basis of the spotted leaf phenotype and emphasize the intricate interplay between plant defense responses and developmental pathways.

This study aimed to identify whether gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GACR) heterozygous individuals have possible clinical manifestations and to explore the potential pathogenic mechanism. In this retrospective study, we surveyed a two-generation pedigree of an individual diagnosed with GACR. Two family members underwent ophthalmological, hematologic, and genetic tests. An arginine-restricted diet with vitamin B6 supplementation was implemented; clinical assessments were repeated every 3 months during follow-up. Relative OAT mRNA expression was determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The 19-year-old compound heterozygous daughter (OAT: c.1186C&gt;T; c.748C&gt;T), had bilateral high myopia, posterior staphyloma, chorioretinal atrophy, macular abnormalities, and elevated hematologic ornithine. The 54-year-old heterozygous mother (OAT: c.1186C&gt;T), presented with bilateral severe myopia, asymmetric posterior staphyloma, retina and choroidal capillary layer atrophy, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities, and mildly elevated hematologic ornithine. Compared to normal individuals, the daughter and mother had 29% and 46% relative OAT mRNA expression, respectively (P&lt;0.001). We believe that this is the first report of a carrier of one OAT variant allele with mild phenotypes, suggesting that family members should be aware of the possible involvement of autosomal recessive conditions. Additional data suggests nonsense mediated decay-initiated mRNA degradation may cause GACR.

The importance of conflict analysis and safety considerations during work zone intervals at signalized intersections cannot be overstated, as these periods pose unique challenges and safety risks for both motorists and pedestrians. Work zones introduce temporary changes to traffic patterns, lane configurations, and signal timings, which can disrupt the flow of traffic and increase the likelihood of conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. By conducting comprehensive conflict analysis, it is possible to identify potential conflict points, such as merging areas, pedestrian crossings, and lane transitions, and implement targeted safety measures to mitigate risks. Additionally, considering safety considerations during work zone intervals is paramount to safeguarding the well-being of road users and minimizing the occurrence of conflicts or collisions. Measures such as enhanced signage, temporary traffic control devices, and increased enforcement efforts can help promote compliance with traffic regulations and ensure the safe passage of vehicles and pedestrians through work zones. This study investigates the dynamics of traffic behavior and safety implications within work zones at signalized intersections, aiming to address key challenges and enhance intersection management strategies. Through comprehensive analysis, varying frequencies of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) conflicts were observed across different movement directions, with significant occurrences identified in specific phases of the traffic signal cycle. Specifically, 69 V2V conflicts in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8 were recorded. Furthermore, the examination of Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) conflicts underscored the importance of prioritizing pedestrian safety, with notable occurrences observed in phases associated with pedestrian crossing movements. Meanwhile, despite the closure of left-turn movements, instances of red light running persisted, with 69 red light running events in phase #1, 181 in phase #2, 31 in phase #3, 207 in phase #4, 1 in phase #5, 274 in phase #6, 93 in phase #7, and 186 in phase #8.To mitigate these safety concerns during work zone intervals, proactive measures are essential. Strategies include improving communication through clear signage and advanced warning systems, enhancing enforcement efforts with red light cameras and increased police presence, and investing in infrastructure improvements such as temporary pedestrian facilities. Integration of real-time data from sensors, particularly LiDAR technology, offers significant advantages in detecting conflicts and red light runners during work zone intervals. LiDAR's precise, real-time data on vehicle and pedestrian movements, combined with its 360-degree coverage and high spatial resolution, facilitates accurate detection and tracking of potential conflict scenarios, contributing to enhanced intersection safety and traffic management efficiency. This study endeavored to conduct a traffic safety analysis during work zone intervals at a signalized intersection in Baltimore City, known for its high rate of traffic crashes, utilizing LiDAR sensor technology.

Corrugated board is a composite material characterized by strong orthotropy in both the elastic and plastic phases. Additionally, due to its layered structure, which consists of alternately arranged flat and wavy layers of paper, its mechanics becomes complicated. Therefore, a precisely selected set of laboratory tests is needed to correctly identify all the necessary material parameters of cardboard. The work attempts to define a full set of laboratory tests in order to determine material parameters describing the linear-elastic, orthotropic behavior of cardboard and the basic parameters defining popular plasticity criteria, such as the asymmetric orthotropic Hoffman criterion. For this purpose, sensitivity analysis and numerical models of several selected basic laboratory tests were used. Since the aim of the work is to choose appropriate laboratory tests necessary to correctly determine the material parameters of corrugated board (not its individual layers), the numerical models do not contain detailed cardboard geometry, but only its homogenized representation in the form of the flat shell models. All numerical models are based on the nonlinear finite element method and constitutive modelling in the form of UMAT subroutines implemented in the ABAQUS software. Based on the analyses, appropriate measurements and laboratory tests were indicated that are most sensitive to the material parameters sought.

Sorghum grain processing can improve the nutritional content by promoting dietary properties that contribute to food security and economic development. The quality, nutritional content, and processing properties of sorghum bicolor grain can greatly affected by the inbred line races and variance in pericarp colour.The current study assessed the influence of the Husking Fraction Time Units (HFTU) process, which employed set time units per second (S), on the variation in the nutritional profile of fifty-one inbred line sorghum varieties based on distinct pericarp colours. When the assessment of the nutritional profile was involved: dry matter, total protein besides, namely mineral (P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, and Mn). The variety groups showed a significance value of (P < 0.05), indicating the study hypothesis's truth.The results demonstrated substantial impacts implied by the Husking Fraction Time Unit (HFTU) technique. This occurrence was noted when the dry matter percentage was increased in the husked products, specifically the endosperm (grits) and bran. The protein percentage redistributed by 19.2% compared to the whole grain and bran content. In comparison, the ratio of N/S was 14:1 in the S. bicolor and 12:1 in the kafirin in the bran part. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed among the examined minerals of S.bicolor and kafirin, such as the correlation between Ca: P, K: Na, and Fe: Zn attributed 80 (S) time unit, with correlation coefficients of R = 0.784 and R = 0.586, R= 517, R= 0.884, R= 0.745, and R = 0.893, respectively. At the same time, the 80 (S) time unit showed a significant effect on the colour property profile.The study results could benefit breeders and nutrition specialists in developing genotypes and processing sorghum grains, promoting research, and aiding several industrial sectors owing to the grain's adaptability and nutritional properties.

The microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum (PT) is distinguished by its rich nutrient profile, characterized by well-documented neuroprotective activities, including fucoxanthin (FX), a major carotenoid, and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). The current study aims to evaluate the protective effects of a standardized extract of PT (Mi136) containing 2% FX on cognitive function, oxidative stress, and inflammation parameters in a mouse model of accelerated aging. Seventy-two (72) male mice were randomly assigned to the blank control group (BC), negative control group (NC), and four similar microalgae extract of PT groups (branded as BrainPhytTM) with different human equivalent doses. From day 01 to day 51, mice in the BC group were injected with a 0.9% normal saline solution, while mice in all other groups were subcutaneously injected with D-galactose (D-Gal) at a dose of 150 mg/kg once per day, five days per week. Results indicated that, for the three higher microalgae extract of PT dose groups, spatial cognitive function, swim latency, and step-through latency impairments induced by chronic D-Gal intoxication were significantly and fully inhibited, with mean values similar to those in the BC group during each day of testing. Similar benefits were observed in biochemical analysis, specifically regarding brain and plasma levels of lipid peroxidation, TNF-α, and IL-6 markers. These data underscore the positive effects of a standardized extract of PT containing 2% FX on cognitive function parameters such as spatial working memory, long-term memory, and short-term memory through the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation pathways.

Small-scale fisheries are significant sources of nutrition and livelihood globally. However, increasing anthropogenic activities in coastal areas of developing countries have threatened the sustainability of artisanal fisheries and species. Fisheries of Sardinella maderensis (Lowe, 1838), to which Nigeria contributes 9% of the global stock and is a significant livelihood source in the coastal communities of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, face sustainability threats. This research investigated the effects of anthropogenic activities on S. maderensis fishery in the coastal areas of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed-method approach involving qualitative and quantitative research methods. These include species identification, water quality analysis, land use change analysis, field surveys, focus group discussions and interviews. Results show genetic analysis of the fish samples from six stations revealed that the species had a mean of 98% similarity to Sardinella maderensis in NCBI. Multiple linear regression indicates that anthropogenic variables explained approximately 4.62% of the variance in the fish catch (p &lt; .001, R2 = .05). Water samples showed heavy metal levels were above international limits, high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) pollution in all stations (27.56 mg/L- 3985.40 mg/L). Physiochemical analysis of water samples indicated TDS higher than acceptable limits (Mean = 24971.1 mg/L) and inadequate chlorophyll-a level (Mean = 0.01 µg/L). Hence, urgent strategies are required to mitigate anthropogenic threats through inclusive coastal management policies supporting resilient artisanal fisheries and marine spatial planning.

Data privacy is a critical concern in health informatics, where the management of sensitive patient information requires robust and secure database systems. This study aims to explore the data privacy challenges faced in health informatics and conduct a comparative analysis of popular Database Management Systems (DBMS), including MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and Oracle, with a focus on their effectiveness in safeguarding patient data. Through a review of existing literature, case studies, and interviews with database administrators, the research identifies common privacy threats such as data breaches and unauthorized access. It examines the security features of each DBMS, such as encryption methods, access controls, and user authentication mechanisms. The findings reveal variations in the privacy protection capabilities of different DBMS, highlighting the trade-offs between security, performance, and usability. The study provides recommendations for healthcare organizations in selecting a DBMS that balances privacy with operational needs and offers insights for policymakers to improve regulatory frameworks in health data security. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on enhancing data privacy in health informatics and suggests directions for future studies to integrate emerging technologies for more secure health data management.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is regarded as a silent assassin due to its delayed signs. It is a progressive illness that can appear in various ways, from mild to severe. The severity of DKD must be determined in order to make educated treatment decisions and understand the hazards that the patient may encounter. DKD is one of the primary causes for death and morbidity among noncommunicable illnesses, affecting 10% to 15% of the global population. Timely prediction of DKD is expected to improve patients' health and reduce mortality. This study aims to predict DKD using machine learning models like Decision Trees, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, Bagging Tree Model and Support Vector Machine, to help in timely detection and cure of this deadly disease. Clinical data required for model training were taken from Kaggle's public repository and additional samples of 50 individuals were collected from local hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Meta-heuristic algorithms based on Swarm Intelligence, such as Particle Swarm Optimization, Ant Colony Optimization, and Firefly Optimization, were employed to optimize the selected models. The main aim of this study is to compare the predictions of different models and identify models that best agree with the given scenario.

The main objective of the present study is to demonstrate the possibility of actively influencing the position of the bow shock wave and the main parameters of supersonic flow over a blunt body by organizing a gas discharge near the front surface, in the region between the body and the bow shock wave. The research is carried out using both experimental and numerical methods. The working gas was xenon. It is shown that the steady bow shock wave stand-off distance along with the current and power of the discharge, is associated with the change in the adiabatic index of the plasma created by the discharge, which, in turn, is determined by the plasma parameters, such as the degrees of nonequilibrium and the degree of ionization. It is shown that the adiabatic index with the power supplied to the impact zone in the range of 30-120 kW can both increase and de-crease in the range of 1.25-1.288. The study of the discharge created plasma zone was conducted and the correspondence between the discharge current and power, and the average parameters in the plasma zone created by the discharge is presented. A good agreement between the numerical and experimental data was shown. The results may be useful in developing control systems for high-speed civil aircrafts.

The paper provides analysis that the generation of the gyroscopic torque described by the vector multiplication is one-way inertial phenomenon. Respectively, vector multiplication is one-way equation from the type: If B times C is equal A, A is not equal B times C. Presumably, it affects the Conservation Laws.

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a nutritious legume crop well-adapted to fragile agro-ecosystems that can survive under challenging climatic conditions. The cultivation of grass pea faces stigma primarily due to the presence of β-N-Oxalyl-l-α, β-diaminopropionic Acid (β-ODAP), which is associated with a risk of inducing neurolathyrism upon prolonged consumption of its grains as a staple diet. The grass pea improvement program of International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) aims to reduce β-ODAP content to a safe level along with improving yield potential and nutritional quality of grass pea. In this study, 183 germplasm accessions representing 13 different Lathyrus species and 11 L. sativus breeding lines were evaluated for β-ODAP content based on Rao protocol and mineral concentration using ICP-OES. Significant variability was observed among the accessions for the studied traits. The results showed low β-ODAP content and high mineral concentration in 25 accessions of crop wild relatives (CWR) which included L. cicera, L. ochrus and L. cassius with one accession IG65277 of L. cassius, in addition to two lines IG117034 and ACC1335 of L. sativus having very low ODAP content. Furthermore, some accessions of L. pseudocicera, L. aphaca, L. cicera, L. marmoratus, L. gorgoni and L. tingitanus also showed low β-ODAP content. The results showed significant positive correlations between different trait combinations viz., K and P (r =0.193***), K and Fe (r =0.177***), Mn and Fe (r = 0.210***), Mn and Se (r = 0.137***), ODAP and Mg (r = 0.158**), and ODAP and Ca (r = 0.140**). L. cicera, L. ochrus, and L. cassius were identified as a great source for improving the mineral concentration and reducing ODAP content in the cultivated grass pea.

Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental challenge, necessitating the development of biodegradable alternatives like polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). This study focuses on optimizing PHB production by Neobacillus niacinii GS1, a bacterium isolated from a municipal dumping site. By utilizing agricultural residues such as corn flour, wheat bran, and peptone as substrates, we aimed to establish an eco-friendly method for biopolymer production, contributing to sustainable waste management and bioplastic innovation. The bacterium was identified using morphological, biochemical, and molecular techniques. The optimization process involved adjusting variables such as inoculum age, inoculum size, incubation time, agitation rate, incubation temperature, pH of the medium, carbon sources and nitrogen sources. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to identify optimal conditions, with the highest PHB yield of 61.1% achieved under specific conditions: 37°C, pH 7, and an agitation rate of 150 rpm. These findings underscore the potential of Neobacillus niacinii GS1 in converting agro-industrial residues into valuable biopolymers, promoting sustainable bioplastic production, and advancing waste valorization efforts through the use of eco-friendly materials.

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is key to the success of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Clostridium sp. often occurs in MFC anode communities, but its ability to perform EET remains controversial. We have employed Clostridium pasteurianum DSM 525 as biocatalyst in a glycerol-fed MFC, designated MFC_DSM. We have also followed the EET of this biocatalyst in the presence of a mediator, namely soluble neutral red (NR), soluble methyl viologen (MV), neutral red film (FNR), or methyl viologen film (FMV). MFC_DSM provided power and current densities (j) of 0.39 mW.cm^-2 and 2.47 mA.cm^-2, respectively, which evidenced that the biocatalyst performs direct electron transfer (DET). Introducing 150.0 µM NR or MV into the MFC_DSM improved the current density by 7.0- and 3.7-fold (17.05 and 8.45 mA.cm^-2), respectively. After 20 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles, the presence of FNR in the MFC_DSM anodic chamber provided almost twofold higher current density (30.76 µA.cm^-2) compared the presence of NR in the MFC_DSM. Introducing MV or FMV into the MFC_DSM anodic chamber gave practically the same current density after 10 CV cycles. The MFC_DSM anodic electrode might interact with FMV weakly than with FNR, so FNR is more promising to enhance C. pasteurianum DSM 525 EET within MFC_DSM.

Poland suffered an epidemic of louse-borne typhus from 1916-1923, with 400,000 cases and more than 130,000 deaths. The causative factors were depressed economic conditions and a refugee crisis that engulfed Poland after World War I. The recognition of the epidemic in 1919 stimulated the creation of the League of Red Cross Societies (LRCS). However, the LCRS had limited resources and the Poles requested help from other governments and the League of Nations (LoN). The United States sent the American-Polish Relief Expedition to conduct delousing. However, the Polish-Soviet War of 1920 disrupted typhus control and exacerbated the refugee situation. The LoN belatedly organized an underfunded Epidemic Commission. The LCRS sent a research team that did ground-breaking work on the pathology of typhus. Into 1921, the epidemic continued, driven by refugees from typhus-stricken Russia. By 1924, typhus cases were finally approaching pre-World War I levels. Multiple factors lead to the amelioration of the epidemic. The repatriation of prisoners of war and displaced civilians had concluded by 1923. Also, there had been a steady influx of sanitary, food, economic, and medical aid from various organizations into Poland since 1919. Administratively, within Poland, the anti-typhus campaign was also conducted more effectively by the Extraordinary Epidemic Commissariat.

Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa) is a globally recognized forage legume that has recently gained attention for its high protein content, making it suitable for both human and animal consumption. However, due to its perennial nature and autotetraploid genetics, conventional plant breeding requires a longer timeframe compared to other crops. Therefore, genetic engineering offers a faster route for trait modification and improvement. Here, we describe a protocol for achieving efficient transient gene expression in alfalfa through genetic transformation with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens pCAMBIA1304 vector. This vector contains the reporter genes β-glucuronidase (GUS) and green fluorescent protein (GFP), along with a selectable hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene, all driven by the CaMV 35s promoter. Various transformation parameters—such as different explant types, leaf ages, leaf sizes, wounding types, bacterial concentrations (OD600nm), tissue preculture periods, incubation periods, co-cultivation periods, and different concentrations of acetosyringone, silver nitrate, and calcium chloride—were optimized using 3-week-old plantlets raised in vitro. Results were attained from data based on the semi-quantitative observation of the percentage and number of GUS spots on different days of agro-infection in alfalfa explants. The highest percentage (76.2%) of GUS-positive alfalfa leaf explants was observed after 3 days of agroinfection at a bacterial concentration of 0.6, 2 days of preculture, 30 min of infection time, 150 µM acetosyringone, 4 mM calcium chloride, and 75 µM silver nitrate. The transient expression of genes of interest was confirmed via histochemical GUS and GFP assays. The results based on transient reporter gene expression suggest that various factors influence T-DNA delivery in the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of alfalfa.

Ground level ozone is an abiotic stress estimated to reduce mean global annual wheat yields by nearly 10%. This study in solardomes exposed an elite cultivar, and multiple lines of synthetic wheat (primary and F2) to four levels of ozone (30 ppb, 55 ppb, 80 ppb, 110 ppb) for three months, with two lines (cv Paragon and an F2 line, BC1) selected for X-ray microcomputed tomography. The uCT imaging revealed ozone’s effect on individual grain formation, both spatially within the spike and on grain shape. Reductions in grain number occurred primarily across the middle of the spike. Grain volume reductions were driven more by reduced width and depth than reduced length. Based on yield data, both lines demonstrated relative tolerance to ozone. Links between ozone’s effects on grain morphology and grain quality are also explored. These data provide information that could be utilised in wheat breeding programmes to increase tolerance to ozone of this staple food crop.

Cleomella serrulata is a native flowering plant found in North America. Even though this plant is of ecological and native medicinal importance, very little is known about the genomic makeup of Cleomella and the Cleomaceae family at large. Here we report the complete chloroplast genome of Cleomella serrulata and provide an evolutionary comparison to other chloroplast genomes from Cleomaceae and closely related families. This study confirms the taxonomic placement of Cleomella as a distinct genus, but also provides phylogenetic insights that imply potential adaptive strategies and evolutionary mechanisms driving genomic diversity of the Cleomella genus. Whole genome-based and ANI comparisons indicate that the Cleomella species form a distinct clade that is about equidistant from the other Cleomaceae genera as it is from the genera from the nearby Capparaceae and Brassicaceae. This is the first complete chloroplast-based phylogenetic comparison of Cleomella species to other related genera and helps refine the complex taxonomic distinctions of the Cleomaceae.

Phelipanche ramosa is a root parasitic plant fully dependent on host plants for nutrition and development. Once germinated, the parasitic seedling develops inside of the infected roots a specific organ, the haustorium, thanks to notably cell wall degrading enzymes of haustorial intrusive cells and induced modifications in host’s cell walls. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is susceptible to P. ramosa, thus mutants in cell wall metabolism, notably in pectin remodeling like Atpme3-1, are of interest in studying the involvement of cell wall degrading host’s enzymes in establishment of the plant-plant interaction. Host-parasite co-cultures in mini-rhizotrons systems revealed that parasite attachments are twice more numerous and tubercle growth is quicker on Atpme3-1 roots than on WT roots. When compared to the WT, increase in susceptibility in the mutant is associated to reduction in PME activity in roots and to lowering in the degree of pectin methylation at the host-parasite interface, as detected immunohistochemically in infected roots. In addition, both WT and Atpme3-1 responded to infestation by modulations in expression of PAE and PME encoding genes and in global related enzymes activities in roots, before and after parasite attachment. However, modulations differ in WT and Atpme3-1 and this may contribute to different pectin remodeling in roots and contrasted susceptibility to P. ramosa. By this integrative study, we could define a model of the cell wall response to this particular biotic stress and indicate for the first time the role of PME3 in this parasitic plant-plant interaction.

High-power output and high conversion efficiency are crucial in the study of microfluidic microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In our previous work, we attempted various methods to increase the power density of the MFCs, but nutrient consumption was limited to the bottom (electrode) layer of the microfluidic channel due to the diffusion limitations. In this work, long-term experiments were conducted on a new 4-electrode microfluidic MFC design, which grew Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on upward- and downward-facing electrodes in the microchannel. It was discovered that inoculation and growth of the electroactive biofilm did not proceed as fast as the downward facing anode, which we hypothesize is due to gravity effects that negatively impacted bacterial settling on that surface. Rotating the device during the growth phase resulted in uniform and strong outputs from both sides, yielding individual power densities of 4.03 and 4.13 W m-2, which was increased to nearly double when the top- and bottom-side electrodes were operated in parallel as a single 4-electrode MFC. Similarly, acetate consumption could be doubled with the 4-electrodes operated in parallel.

Phosphite (Phi) has gained attention in agriculture due to its biostimulant effect on crops. This molecule has been found to benefit plant performance by providing protection against pathogens, improving yield and fruit quality, and improving nutrient and water use efficiency. It is still unclear how Phi enhances plant growth and protects against multiple stresses. It has been hypothesized that Phi acts by directly affecting the pathogens and interacting with the plant cellular components and molecular machinery to elicit defense responses. This study delves into elucidating the mechanisms underlying Phi’s beneficial effects on plants, revealing a complex interplay with fundamental signaling pathways. A RNA-seq study of Arabidopsis seedlings under optimal and limiting phosphate conditions helped us unveil Phi’s role in promoting plant growth by activating the expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis and signaling pathways associated with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA). Expression of ABA-related genes, known for their involvement in stress response and development regulation, is triggered by Phi treatment, contributing to enhanced resilience and growth. Simultaneously, the activation of the SA pathway, associated with defense responses, suggests Phi’s potential in bolstering plant immunity. Moreover, Phi influences JA biosynthesis and signaling, which are crucial for defense against herbivores and pathogens, thereby strengthening plants’ defenses. Our findings reveal a multifaceted mechanism through which Phi benefits Arabidopsis development. Understanding its intricate interplay with key signaling pathways opens avenues for leveraging Phi as a strategic tool to enhance plant resilience, immunity, and growth in agricultural and ecological contexts.

Understanding the genotype x environment (GE) interaction for traget trait is valuable for growers, agronomists, breeders and the seed industry. The objective of this study was to see and explore the genotype x environment interaction for grain yield of wheat to better guide genotype selection and breeding. The genotype main effect and GE interaction effect (GGE) biplots resolved the following three genotypes: 85 (ETW17-377), 82 (ETW17-374) and 13 (ETW17-281) for being the best yielding and stable. The Kulumsa site planted on 4^th of July 2017 (environment 7=E7) and the DebreZeit site on 20^th of July 2017 (E3) were the most effective environments in distinguishing the test genotypes and are thus suitable environments for future evaluation and selection with specific adaptation. Melkasa site planted on 4^th July (E9) was a representative environment where genotypes can be evaluated for wide adpaptation. The genetic covariate biplot indicated that thousand kernel weight (TKW) and plant height (PH) had significant positive associations with grain yield implying the possible concurrent indirect selection of both traits for exploiting GE interaction for grain yield of wheat.

Solventogenic Clostridium species are important for establishing sustainable industrial bioproduction of fuels and important chemicals. The inherent versatility of these species in substrate utilization and the range of solvents produced during acetone butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation make solventogenic Clostridium an attractive choice for biotechnological applications such as production of fuels and chemicals. The functional qualities of these microbes have thus been identified to be due to complex regulatory networks that play essential roles in modulating the metabolism of this group of bacteria. Genomes of solventogenic Clostridium species have relatively greater prevalence of genes that are intricately controlled by various regulatory molecules than most other species. Consequently, the use of genetic or metabolic engineering strategies that do not consider the underlying regulatory mechanisms will not be effective. Several regulatory factors involved in substrate uptake/utilization, sporulation, solvent production, and stress responses (Carbon Catabolite Protein A, Spo0A, AbrB, Rex, CsrA) have been identified and characterized. In this review, the focus is on newly identified regulatory factors in solventogenic Clostridium species, the interaction of these factors with previously identified molecules, and potential implications on substrate utilization, solvent production, and resistance/tolerance to lignocellulose-derived microbial inhibitory compounds.

Cinnamomum tamala leaf (CTL), also known as tejpat and Indian bay leaf, is used all over the world for seasoning, flavouring, and medicinal purposes. Numerous researchers are interested in exploring the nutritional and medicinal benefits of CTL due to their potential as nutraceuticals. These characteristics could be explained by the presence of several essential bioactive substances and lipid derivatives. There are no reports available on this species about its metabolites profile. In this work, rapid screen and identify chemical compounds in supercritical (SC)-CO2 extracts of CTL by use of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with multivariate statistical analysis approach was established in both negative and positive mode. As a results, a total of 166 compounds, including 66 monocarboxylic fatty acids, 52 dicarboxylic fatty acids, 27 fatty acid amides, and 21 others were tentatively identified based on accurate mass, and the mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern, out of which 142 compounds are common and found in all five CTL extracts. They displayed robust [M+H]+ and/or [M-H]- ions in both low- and high-energy collision-induced dissociations (CIDs). Based on chemical profiling and chemometric analysis, CTL4 (300bar/55°C) extract was found significantly more potent in other CTL’s extracts. A new mono- and di-carboxylic fatty acids, fatty acid amides and other essential bioactive compounds were separated within 20 min runtime and identified in CTL for the first time. The combination of UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE and chemometric analysis is a powerful method to rapidly screen the metabolites profile for the quality control of C. tamala leaf.

Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) is a common pathogen with high prevalence of infection in human populations. Diagnosis of H. Pylori infection is critical for its treatment, eradication, and prognosis. Biosensors have been demonstrated to be powerful for rapid onsite detection of pathogens, particularly for point-of-care test (POCT) scenarios. In this work, we propose a novel optical biosensor, based on nanomaterial porous silicon (PSi) and photonic surface state Tamm Plasmon Polariton (TPP), for detection of cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA) antigen of H. Pylori bacterium. We fabricated the PSi TPP biosensor, analysed its optical characteristics and demonstrated through experiments towards sensing of CagA antigen, that TPP biosensor has sensitivity of 100 pm/(ng/ml), limit of detection of 0.01 ng/ml, and specificity in terms of positive-to-negative ratio of more than six. From these performance factors, it can be concluded that TPP biosensor can serve as an effective tool for diagnosis of H. Pylori infection, either in analytical labs or in POCT applications.

To date, various chimeric lysins have been developed as efficacious antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria, but direct comparisons of their antibacterial activities have been difficult due to the preparation of multiple recombinant chimeric lysins. Previously, we reported an E. coli cell-free expression method to screen better chimeric lysins against Staphylococcus aureus, but we still needed to increase the amounts of expressed proteins enough to be able to detect them non-isotopically for quantity comparisons. In this study, we improved the previous cell-free expression system by adding a previously reported artificial T7 terminator and reversing the different nucleotides between the T7 promoter and start codon to those of the T7 phage. The new method increased the expressed amount of chimeric lysins enough for us to detect them using Western blotting. Therefore, the qualitative comparison of activity between different chimeric lysins has become possible via the adjustment of the amount variables between samples without protein purification. We applied it to select more active chimeric lysins derived from our previously reported chimeric lysin (ALS2). Finally, we compared the antibacterial activities of our selected chimeric lysins with reported chimeric lysins (ClyC and ClyO) and lysostaphin, and determined the rank orders of antibacterial activities on different S. aureus strains in our experimental conditions.

Information geometry (IG) is a fascinating combination of differential geometry and statistics where a Riemannian manifold's structure is applied to a statistical model. It may find numerous fascinating uses in the domains of theoretical neurology, machine learning, complexity, and (quantum) information theory, among others. (IG) aims to provide a differential-geometric perspective on statistical geodesic models' structure. In this case, IG, KD, and J-divergence (JD) are used to define the manifold of the Generalised Brownian Motion (GBM). Consequently, the geodesic equations (GEs) are devised, and GB information matrix exponential (IME) is presented. Moreover, for first time ever, the necessary and sufficient mathematical requirement that characterizes the developability of Generalized Brownian Motion(GBM) manifold is devised. Also, a novel sufficient and necessary conditions which characterizes the regions where the surface describing GBM is minimal is determined. Also, it is shown that GBM has a non-zero 0-Gaussian and Ricci curvatures. Consequently, this advances the establishment of a unified GBM- Relativistic Info-Geometric based analysis.

Objectives: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a fungal lung infection characterized by slowly progressive destruction of the lung parenchyma and has four main subtypes. The objective of this work was to evaluate the epidemiology of CPA in our area and evaluate the involvement of the different subtypes in mortality. Methods: This was a descriptive longitudinal retrospective study developed in three tertiary hospitals in Spain. Among all patients admitted with a pulmonary aspergillosis diagnosis, we selected those who fulfilled the criteria for chronic aspergillosis according to the criteria of Denning, excluding those with a haematological disorder. Results: Among 409 inpatients recorded as having pulmonary aspergillosis infection, only 76 (18.5%) fulfilled the criteria for CPA, with an estimated incidence of 0.67 cases/100,000 inhabitants/year. The subtypes detected were subacute invasive aspergillosis (SAIA) in 33 (43.4%) patients, simple aspergilloma (SA) in 25 (32.9%) patients, cavitary chronic aspergillosis (CCPA) in 13 (17.1%) patients and chronic fibrosant (CFAP) in 5 (6.5%) patients. The overall three-month mortality was 23%, which was higher in SAIA patients. The predictors of early mortality were age >65 years (OR 3.0 CI 95 1.0–9.5 0.043) and SAIA subtype vs. other subtypes (OR 3.1 CI 95 1.0–9.5 p 0.042). Conclusions: The incidence rate estimated was inferior to that previously reported. Three-month mortality in patients with CPA was high, with older age and SAIA subtype being the variable independent predictors of a worse prognosis.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium spp., are endemic in similar geographical locations. As a result, there is high potential for HIV/Plasmodium co-infection, which increases the pathology of both diseases. However, the immunological mechanisms underlying the exacerbated disease pathology observed in co-infected individuals are poorly understood. Here, we used the rhesus macaque (RM) model to characterize the immunopathogenic impact of Plasmodium fragile co-infection during antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infection. We observed that P. fragile co-infection resulted in parasitemia and anemia, as well as persistently detectable viral loads (VL) and decreased absolute CD4+ T-cell counts despite daily ART treatment. Notably, P. fragile co-infection was associated with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines linked with neutrophil function, including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). P. fragile co-infection was associated with increased levels of neutrophil elastase, a plasma marker of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, but significant decreases in markers of neutrophil degranulation, potentially indicating a shift in neutrophil functionality during co-infection. Finally, we characterized levels of plasma markers of gastrointestinal (GI) barrier permeability and microbial translocation and observed significant correlations between indicators of GI dysfunction, clinical markers of SIV and Plasmodium infection, and neutrophil frequency and function. Taken together, these data indicate that neutrophil-driven inflammation and GI dysfunction may underlie heightened SIV/P. fragile co-infection pathogenesis.

Opuntia ficus-indica has always interacted with many phytophagous insects at its center of origin; two of them are Dactylopius coccus and D. opuntiae. D. coccus, or true cochineal, is produced to extract carminic acid, and D. opuntiae or wild cochineal is a key invasive pest of O. ficus-indica in more than 20 countries around the world. Despite the economic and environmental relevance of this cactus and, D. opuntiae and D. coccus, there are few studies that have explored volatile organic compounds (VOCs) derived from the plant-insect interaction. The aim of this work was to determine VOCs of D. coccus and D. opuntiae feeding on cultivars suitable for their development and to identify different VOCs in cladodes infested by each Dactylopius species. Volatiles were identified through their essential oils, which were obtained by hydrodistillation. A total of 66 VOCs from both Dactylopius species were identified, and 125 from the Esmeralda and Rojo Pelón cultivars infested by D. coccus and D. opuntiae, respectively, were determined. Differential VOCs production due to infestation by each Dactylopius species was also found. Some changes in methyl salicylate, terpenes such as linalool or the alcohol p-vinylguaiacol were related to Dactylopius feeding on cladodes of their respective cultivars. Changes in these VOCs and their probable role in plant defense mechanisms should receive more attention because this knowledge could improve D. coccus rearing, or to its inclusion in breeding programs for D. opuntiae control in regions where it is a key pest of O. ficus-indica.

In the recent past, the number of invasive species around the world has increased significantly due to increased globalization and climate change. Understanding biological invasions under climate change is crucial for sustainable conservation of biodiversity. The insect pest Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) can cause damages to plants, resulting in leaf yellowing, leaf defoliation, and reduced plant growth. A serious attack by this insect post can even lead to the entire plant withering and dying, bringing huge economic and ecological losses. Despite these damages, the potential distribution range and management strategies for this insect pest are poorly understood. Based on historical distribution data and environmental factors, the present study predicted the potentially suitable areas for P. viburni spread under different climate change scenarios using MaxEnt (maximum entropy). The results showed that precipitation of the coldest quarter (Bio19), precipitation seasonality (Bio15), and mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio8) were the most important environmental factors determining the distribution of P. viburni. Under the current climate conditions, its potential suitable areas are southern China, the whole of Japan, North America (especially the eastern part of the United States), the southwestern part of South America, the Mediterranean coast and most of Europe, the central part of Africa i.e., the south of the Sahara Desert and most of the southern coast of Australia. The total area of habitats suitable for this insect pest is predicted to be increased in the future. In order to prevent P. viburni transmission and spread, there is a need to strengthen the monitoring and quarantine measures against this pest at the Southern ports.

Lignin, and its by-products in the effluent of most agrochemical-based industries like pulp and paper, increase environmental pollution. There is, therefore, an increasing demand to degrade lignin and its derivatives using bacteria-produced ligninolytic enzymes. This study focused on optimizing growth and lignin peroxidase production of ligninolytic potential bacterial strains (E. coli accession no: LR0250096.1 and P. aeruginosa accession no: CP031449.2) for the first time. A submerged fermentation process was used to simultaneously optimize growth and crude lignin peroxidase production using kraft lignin as the substrate. The E. coli and P. aeruginosa were separately cultured under different pH, temperature, lignin (substrate) concentration and incubation periods. It was observed that the enzyme production was growth dependent. The optimum conditions for E. coli were pH 7.5, temperature 30 °C and lignin concentration 1 g/L. For P. aeruginosa the best conditions were pH 6.5, temperature 40 °C and lignin concentration 1 g/L. The enzyme production peaked after 7 days of incubation for both organisms were 21.53 ± 3.11 mg/ml and 18.13 ± 2.1 mg/ml respectively. It is apparent that both E. coli (LR0250096.1) and P. aeruginosa (CP031449.2) are mesophiles bacteria. E. coli function best in alkaline pH while P. aeruginosa prefers a slightly acidic environment. Hence, they are promising candidates in the reduction of lignocellulosic wastes.

The development of good conductivity p-type β-Ga2O3 is critical to realize its devices and applications. The nitrogen-doped p-type β-Ga2O3 films with enhanced conductivity characteristics were prepared through the thermal oxidation of GaN in the N2O atmosphere. Further measurements were performed on the oxidized films at 1000, 1050, and 1100 °C to have insight into the underlying mechanism of the thermally activated transformation process. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra demonstrated a moderate ultraviolet emission peak at 246 nm, confirming the generation of gallium oxide with a band gap of ~5.0 eV. The normalized X-ray diffraction (XRD), the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns were used to confirm the characteristic of polycrystalline and anisotropic growth. Then, the effects of the oxidation temperature on the amount of incorporated nitrogen were analyzed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Moreover, the ionization energy of the acceptor of films oxidized at 1000, 1050, and 1100 °C was calculated and analyzed using the temperature-dependent Hall test results. The results showed that nitrogen doping was the main contributor to p-type electrical properties. The activation energy of the polycrystalline β-Ga2O3 prepared through thermal oxidation of GaN in the N2O atmosphere was estimated to be 147.175 kJ·mol-1 using the Arrhenius plot, which was considerably lower than that of both dry and wet oxidations of GaN in O2 ambient, thus confirming the efficiency of thermal oxidation of GaN in N2O.

The Mediterranean region offers good weather conditions for outdoor pig production (OPP), which is considered more environmentally friendly than intensive indoor production. However, the continuous input of food and pigs' excreta increases the soil organic matter (SOM) and phosphorus (P), increasing the risk of waterbodies eutrophication. This work aimed at evaluating in OPP areas soil P dynamics and the role of SOM on P sorption and P release. The experiment was done for two years, at an area of 2.8 ha with an animal charge of 9 adults ha-1. Georeferenced soil samples were taken at 0.20 m depth, and a soil P sorption experiment was carried out. At the end of the experiment, for the background value, the levels of SOM increased between 85–376%, and Olsen P values ranged between -82–884%. SOM levels above 2% caused a decrease in the binding energy of P sorption according to the linear model b=-15.541SOM+115.20 (p <0.01) as well as a decrease of the soil P sorption capacity Qmax=-41.272SOM+298.37 (p <0.01). To avoid the accumulation of SOM and P preventing hotspots for waterbodies eutrophication, an adequate animal charge together with soil cultivation for pig grazing can be a cost-effective practice.

Antisense technologies consist of the utilization of oligonucleotides or oligonucleotide analogs to interfere with undesirable biological processes, commonly through inhibition of expression of selected genes. This field holds a lot of promise for the treatment of a very diverse group of diseases including viral and bacterial infections, genetic disorders, and cancer. To date, drugs approved for utilization in clinics or in clinical trials target diseases other than bacterial infections. Although several groups and companies are working on different strategies, the application of antisense technologies to prokaryotes still lags with respect to those that target other human diseases. In those cases where the focus is on bacterial pathogens, a subset of the research is dedicated to produce antisense compounds that silence or reduce expression of antibiotic resistance genes. Therefore, these compounds will be adjuvants administered with the antibiotic to which they reduce resistance levels. A varied group of oligonucleotide analogs like phosphorothioate or phosphorodiamidate morpholino residues, as well as peptide nucleic acids, locked nucleic acids and bridge nucleic acids, the latter two in gapmer configuration, have been utilized to reduce resistance levels. The major mechanisms of inhibition include eliciting cleavage of the target mRNA by the host’s RNase H or RNase P, and steric hindrance. The different approaches targeted resistance to β-lactams including carbapenems, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones.

Adsorption is an effective strategy for the removal of pollutants from the wastewater. Herein, a 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTC) modified hypercrosslinked polymer (HTC-HCP) is successfully synthesized via Friedel-Crafts reactions, and used as an adsorbent for the different types of pollutants including organic contaminants and heavy metal ions from wastewater. Excellent adsorption capacities are observed for amines (aniline, p-methylaniline (p-MA), p-chloroaniline (p-CA), and p-aminobenzoic acid (p-ABA)), phenols (phenol, p-chlorophenol (4-CP) Bisphenol A (BPA), 1-Naphthol (1-NP)), dyes (rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO)), and metal ions (Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cd2+). The resulting polymers exhibited excellent adsorption performance towards these pollutants. Especially, the removal rate of aniline is above 95% in the concentration of 2.5 mg/L in 40 min at 25 °C. The interaction mechanism has been investigated, and confirmed by FTIR and the theoretical calculation results. It is due to surface complexation and chemisorption between adsorbent and adsorbate. The polymer exhibits good performance such as high adsorption capacity, high separation efficiency, biodegradable properties, and easy regeneration, suggesting that its potential technological applications for the removal of organic compounds and heavy metal ions from actual industrial effluent.

In these times electricity is big trouble of problem facing by the world. Therefore, there is necessitating for the property basis of energy that is employed for as bio-electricity. Many of the scientists and researchers are trying to find out the sustainable energy generates with the help of plant microbial fuel cell. Plant microbial fuel cell (P-MFCs) could be feasibility technology approach of bio-electricity generation which is mutualism interaction of the plants along with their rhizospheric bacteria. In the present study, Plant-microbial fuel cell was observed in grass e-table evaluated in term of bioelectricity generation from Cynodon dactylon (Dooba Ghas). This e-table was connected with electrode and different condition (physical and chemical) to detect the change in bioelectric potential. It was found that maximum voltage generated among all the conditions was 4.24 ±2V at 15 days by using Cynodon dactylon through P-MFCs. The potential difference generated through P-MFCs was measured using a multimeter. The generation of bioelectricity was observed under different conditions like exposure to light and shade condition measured for voltage was found to be significantly different parameters. The maximum recorded under light and shade conditions were 3.82 ±2 V and 4.25 ±2 V respectively at 15 days of incubation.

Alterations in root morphology and physiology are important strategies in plants to adapt to low-phosphorus (P) environments. Maize genotypes differed in nitrogen (N) efficiency may also respond differently to low P stress. This study aimed to investigate the responses of root morphological and physiological traits of these two maize cultivars to P deficit and how these traits were linked with the acquisition of soil P. Two maize cultivars, XY335 (N efficient) and ZD958 (N inefficient), were cultivated for 40 days in a calcareous loamy soil amended with (high P) or without (low P) P. Functional root traits were used to evaluate the morphological and physiological responses to low P supply. Two separate short-term experiments determined the correlation between P uptake rate and P supply intensity (hydroponic) or root hair length under two P treatments (rhizobox). Low P status significantly simulated biomass allocation to roots, specific root length and exudations of carboxylates, while decreased root diameter and rhizosphere pH in both maize cultivars. Two cultivars had different total root length and root surface area under low P stress: increased in ZD958 and decreased in XY335. Both genotypes developed longer root hair under P deficit. ZD958 (greater biomass and shoot P content) has a greater capability at accessing soil P than XY335. Rhizosphere exudation of citric acid was significantly higher in ZD958 than in XY335, while there was not significant genotypic difference in rhizosphere pH and exudation of malic acid and acid phosphatase activity. ZD958 had higher P uptake rate than XY335 when solution P was between 12.5 and 250 µM. This study identified ZD958 as a P-efficient genotype, which better adapted to low P stress by altering root physiological traits (exudation of citric acid and P uptake rate), rather than root morphological traits (total root length, root surface area, root hair length). Our results highlight the importance of analyzing root morphological and physiological traits to enhance our understanding of the physiological mechanisms of P acquisition.

Recently, Shehata et al. [37] introduced the r+1Rs(B;C; z) matrix function and established some properties. The aim of this study established to devote and derive certain basic properties including analytic properties, recurrence matrix relations, dierential properties, new integral representations, k- Beta transform, Laplace transform, fractional k-Fourier transform, fractional integral properties, the k-Riemann{Liouville and k-Weyl fractional integral and derivative operators an extended version of r+1Rs;k matrix function. We establish its relationships with other well known special matrix functions which have some particular cases in the context of three parametric Mittag-Leer matrix function, k- Konhauser and k-Laguerre matrix polynomials. Finally, some special cases of the established formulas are also discussed.