Date palm trees generate large amounts of various types of waste, including leaf sheath fibers which can be used as a low-cost, precursor for production of biochar including activated carbon (AC) that can be employed for adsorption of contaminants. In the current study, activated carbon was made from leaf sheath fibers of date palm (LSDPFAC) by use of chemical activation with K2CO3, combined with microwave irradiation, characterized and evaluated for its adsorptive capacity of lead ions (Pb2+). The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, Langmuir surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter of LSDPFAC were 560.20 m2/g, 744.31 m2/g, 0.29 cm3/g and 2.47 nm respectively. When the initial concentrations of Pb2+ were increased from 1 to 10 mg/L, Pb2+ adsorption increased from 0.97 to 8.76 mg/g, dry mass (dm) while the percent of Pb2+ removed decreased from 96.70 to 87.60%. The greatest removal of Pb2+ occurred at pH 13 with adsorption capacity of 9.15 mg/g, dm. Results of isotherm and kinetic studies demonstrated that adsorption of Pb2+ onto LSDPFAC was best described by the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order (PSO) models. Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacity, Qm was 14.10 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters of H°, S°, G° and Ea were 6.39 kJ/mol, 0.12 kJ/mol.K, -31.28 kJ/mol and 15.90 kJ/mol, respectively, which demonstrated that adsorption of Pb2+ by LSDPFAC was endothermic, spontaneous and governed by physisorption.

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) plays a very important role in the annual national vegetable supply and export trade. In recent years, the cadmium content of agricultural soils has increased. As a result, cabbage yields and quality have declined significantly. Studies have shown that selenium can counteract the harmful effects of cadmium on plants and can alleviate the stress caused by cadmium during the growth of plants. However, the mechanism of exogenous selenium application in the alleviation of cadmium stress in cabbage seedlings has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, exogenous selenium (10μMol/L) was applied under cadmium (25μMol/L) stress and the physiological mechanisms such as biomass, photosynthetic pigment, leaf stomata parameters, selenium and cadmium content, chloroplast ultrastructure, active oxygen accumulation, leaf membrane esterification and antioxidant enzyme activity were determined. The protective mechanism of exogenous selenium on cabbage seedlings under cadmium stress was investigated. The re-sults showed that exogenous application of selenium could effectively alleviate the decrease in growth, photosynthetic pigment and gas exchange characteristics of cabbage seedlings under cadmium stress, im-prove cabbage root vitality, reduce root leaf cadmium content and alleviate cadmium stress-induced damage. Ultrastructural observation showed that cadmium stress caused the disruption of the internal structure of chloroplasts of cabbage leaves, while exogenous selenium treatment alleviated the chloroplast damage to some extent, improved the stability of the inner capsule membrane and alleviated the cadmium stress-induced damage to photosynthetic organs. Cadmium stress also caused oxidative damage and ex-cessive accumulation of ROS in the leaves of cabbage seedlings as evidenced by significant accumulation of O2-, H2O2, MDA and electrolyte leakage. On the other hand, after exogenous selenium treatment, cadmium stress- induced oxidative damage could be reduced by up-regulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD, POD and APX. At the same time, cadmium stress significantly increased GSH levels, and exogenous selenium treatment further increased GSH levels, thereby increasing the tolerance of cabbage to cadmium stress. In conclusion, by protecting the photosynthetic system, eliminating excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species in cadmium-stressed cabbage seedlings, alleviating oxidative stress and reducing cadmium levels in the plant, exogenous selenium can further improve cadmium tolerance in cabbage seedlings.

Low nasal nitric oxide (nNO) is a typical feature in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). nNO is part of the PCD diagnostic algorithm due to its discriminative power against other lung diseases such cystic fibrosis (CF). However, the underlying pathomechanisms are elusive. To better understand NO dysregulation in PCD, the L-arginine/NO (Arg/NO) pathway in patients with PCD (pwPCD) and CF (pwCF) and in healthy control (HC) subjects was investigated. In a prospective, controlled study, we measured in 24 pwPCD, 25 age-matched pwCF, and 14 HC the concentrations of the NO precursors Arg and homoarginine (hArg), the arginase metabolite ornithine (Orn), the NO inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and the major NO metabolites (nitrate, nitrite) in sputum, plasma and urine by validated methods. In comparison to HC, the sputum contents (in µmol/mg) of L-Arg (PCD 18.43 vs. CF 329.46 vs. HC 9.86, p < 0.001) and of ADMA (PCD 0.055 vs. CF 0.015 vs. HC 0.010, p < 0.001) were higher. In contrast, the sputum contents (in µmol/mg) of nitrate and nitrite were lower in PCD compared to HC (nitrite 4.54 vs. 9.26, p = 0.023; nitrate 12.86 vs. 40.33, p = 0.008), but higher in CF (nitrite 16.28, p <0.001; nitrate 56.83, p = 0.002). The metabolite concentrations in urine and plasma were similar in all groups. The results of our study indicate that PCD, unlike CF, is associated with impaired NO synthesis in the lung, presumably due to mechano-chemical uncoupling.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) to exhibit defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of aggressive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior is recently important though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting aggressive and less-aggressive bred lines. Field evaluation of aggressiveness among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil), physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate aggressiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees but the time of recruitment was significantly lower for alarm pheromone. Honeybees’ response to both assays culminated to stings which differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee aggression varied among bred lines and was higher in more aggressive bred lines compared to less-aggressive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation aggressiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.

In this work, we explore the extreme searching of multidimensional functions by natural gradient descent based on Dirichlet and generalized Dirichlet distributions. The natural gradient is based on describing multidimensional surface with probability distributions, which allows us to reduce changing the accuracy of gradient and step-size. In this article, we propose an algorithm of natural gradient descent based on Dirichlet and generalized Dirichlet distributions. We demonstrate that the natural gradient descent with step-size adaptation with Dirichlet and generalized Dirichlet distributions has higher accuracy and does not take a large number of iterations for minimizing test functions than gradient descent and Adam.

Owing to their extraordinary properties, carbon-based nanomaterials are gaining traction in biomedicine. Green synthesis is the cost-effective method for fabricating carbon-based nanomaterials due to its rapidity, renewable nature, and sustainability. This study emphasis on the graphene oxide (GO) reduction using a simple one-pot technique that does not require the use of toxic reducing agents. This article reports the green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyxes extract as the natural reducing agent. Additionally, this article also provides analysis RGO using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Raman spectroscopy. XRD result showed that the GO peak at 11o diminished, and a new hump appear at 22o indicating that the GO is fully reduced when it is refluxed for 6 hours, at 100oC with 1:3 ratio of GO:PE. The UV-Vis data indicated absorption peak of GO (237 nm) and RGO (265 nm) at distinct locations. This finding shed new light on the enormous potential of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. calyxes extract for green GO reduction. As a result, this environmentally friendly method can help reduce dependence on chemical materials.

Arbutus unedo L. is a small Ericaceae tree with a circum-Mediterranean distribution. It has a huge ecological impact on southern Europe forests and a great economic importance, as a source of phytochemicals with bioactive properties and for fruit production. On the foreseen climate change context, breeding towards drought tolerance is necessary in order to ameliorate plant performance. The aim of this work was therefore to study the reproduction mechanisms of strawberry tree, obtain new genetic combinations by hybridization and select genotypes more tolerant to drought stress. A morphological analysis of flowers and pollen was carried out, and controlled pollinations performed both in vitro and ex vitro. The very first approach on strawberry tree breeding by means of hybridization is also presented. Several physiological parameters were evaluated on 26 genotypes submitted to a water deficit regime. Plant behavior under drought greatly varied among genotypes, which showed a high phenotype plasticity. Three genotypes that were able to cope with water restriction without compromising net CO2 assimilation were identified as highly tolerant to drought stress. The results obtained elucidate the reproduction mechanisms of strawberry tree and open the way for a long-term breeding program based on the selection of drought tolerant plants.

Financial system is essentially chaotic and unstable if there is not any external inputs. By means of Lyapunov function method, design of switching law, novel fuzzy assumption, $L^p$ estimation technique and Laplace semigroup theory, the author presents the boundedness and LMI-based (globally) asymptotical input-to-state stability criteria of financial systems. Particularly, the globally asymptotical stability in the meaning of switching implies that when the time $t$ is big enough, the dynamic of any subsystem must approach its unique equilibrium point. Besides, the global financial crisis often erupts periodically, which illuminates that the global stability in the classical sense is actually meaningless. So the stability in the meaning of switching proposed in this paper is suitable and appropriate. Numerical examples illuminate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

An outbreak of a virus-like disease has caused severe damage to noni plants (Morinda citrifolia L.) in Xishuangbanna area of China's southwestern Yunnan province since 2015. The diseased plants displayed typical mosaic symptom with light and dark green patches on leaves. Flexuous filamentous virus particles of about 800 nm in length were observed from the leaf saps by transmission electron microscope. Illumina transcriptomic sequencing further revealed the presence of a potyvirus and its near complete genome was obtained from de novo assembly. The complete genome of 9,659 nts was obtained by Sanger sequencing of eight amplicons generate by RT-PCR and 5’ and 3’ RACE. BLASTp analysis of the polyprotein sequence showed that the virus was most closely related to Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV), but these two viruses only shared 50.7% amino acid sequence similarity. Both phylogenetic analyses of the polyprotein and CP amino acid sequences indicated that this virus is a member of genus Potyvirus. However, the low sequence homology with all known potyviruses established this virus as a new species in the genus, tentatively named as Noni mosaic virus (NoMV). Our field surveys showed that 100% of the symptomatic samples and 28.57% of the asymptomatic samples were infected with this novel potyvirus. Aphids collected from diseased leaves were also detected carrying the virus. In summary, our data indicated that a novel species of potyvirus, NoMV, is prevalent in Yunnan, China and is associated with an emerging mosaic disease on M. citrifolia.

There is a large body of research on determining the impact of field variability of soil on crop yields. In contrast, site-specific information about crop responses to agronomic treatments is less frequent. On-Farm Precision Experimentation (OFPE) brings important information to understand the spatial variation of crop response to agronomic practices and thus to improve agronomic decisions. The objective of this work was to investigate the spatial variability of corn yield responses to nitrogen and seed rates using OFPE in four fields in the US Midwest. Geographically weighted regression was applied to generate local regression coefficients, which were used to delineate response zones in each field. The results showed the existence of great potential to adjust the rates of these inputs according to the response of each zone identified by the proposed method. The results of this study can be applied to reevaluate expectations on variable rate prescriptions guided largely by soil and variability.

This paper aims to provide an adaptation of the TL-moments method to censored data. The present study concentrates on Type-I censored data. The idea of using TL-moments with censored data may seem conflicting. But our perspective in that, we may use data censored from one side and trimmed from the other side. This study is applied to estimate the two unknown parameters of the Weibull distribution. The suggested point is compared with Direct L-moments and ML methods. A Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out to compare these method in terms of estimate average, root of mean square error (RMSE) and relative absolute biases (RAB).

Abstract Background: Hypochlorous acid (HA) is a potent disinfectant with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence the stability of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and their impact on its disinfectant properties Methods: This study explored the stability of hypochlorous acid, emphasizing factors that affect its disinfectant efficiency, such as pH level, temperature, and the presence of organic materials. Findings: Our investigation revealed that HOCl is the most stable and effective disinfectant under weakly acidic conditions, where the undissociated form of hypochlorous acid is predominant. Although it is stable under various conditions, its efficacy is compromised by the presence of heavy metals, organic matter, and UV radiation. Conclusions: This comprehensive analysis concludes that, while hypochlorous acid is a highly effective disinfectant, understanding and maintaining the optimal conditions for its stability is crucial for maximizing its disinfection potential. Implications: The findings can be used to formulate new guidelines and regulations to guide the proper formulation, storage, and use of stable HOCL as disinfectants.

It is currently believed that the cause of superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS) is compression of the duodenum in the angle between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). It is recognized that a decrease in aortomesenteric angle (AMA) <25° and intervascular distance < 8 mm, caused by fat loss, is characteristic of SMAS. Based on these statements, surgeons operate on patients with symptoms of dyspepsia only based on a reduction of AMA. This study is devoted to the analysis of the literature, including four own studies on this issue. Results: Measurement of the length of the constriction in the third part of the duodenum on radiograms from available sources showed that its true length ranged from 2.5 to 4.2 (3.30±0.15) cm and began a few centimeters cranial to the AMA. Therefore, it could not have been caused by compression in the AMA. In terms of length (3.20±0.15 cm) and location, this constriction corresponded to Ochsner’s sphincter, which normally short-term contracts to prevent the penetration of an acid bolus into the jejunum. Conscientious studies have shown that AMA is proportional to BMI, i.e., a decrease in AMA is observed in all thin people. An analysis of 211 cases of SMAS made it possible to differentiate two types of diseases. In 101 patients, the disease occurred acutely 1–53 (8.2 ± 1.9) days after stressful situations, accompanied by a catabolic reaction and hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid. In 110 patients, SMAS developed 3-72 (17.2±3.2) months after the diagnosis of acid-dependent diseases. Conclusion: The analysis of the literature led to the conclusion that hypersecretion of hydrochloric acid causes damage to the upper level of the digestive system, including duodenal dyskinesia. One of the manifestations of duodenal dyskinesia is an increase in tone and hypertrophy of the Ochsner’s sphincter. The clinic of the disease depends on the varying degree of Ochsner’s sphincter dyskinesia. In severe cases, partial or complete intestinal obstruction. New ideas about the etiology and pathogenesis of the so-called SMAS have made it possible to propose a tactic for the diagnosis and treatment of Ochsner’s sphincter dyskinesia, where there is no place for surgical treatment.

This study investigated the potential of electrospun collagen/Hyaluronic Acid nanofibers in biomedicine and skincare. Needleless electrospinning technology employed in the production process resulted in nanofibers with consistent fiber diameters and improved mechanical properties. The composite nanofibers demonstrated impressive tensile strength and elongation capabilities, indicating a favorable interaction between collagen and HA. Cellular assays revealed that the collagen/HA scaffolds facilitated superior cell adhesion and proliferation compared to the control scaffolds, indicating their biocompatibility and potential for tissue engineering. This biomaterial offers an environment-friendly alternative to conventional skincare products by eliminating the need for preservatives and reducing waste. Although the initial costs are high, the long-term benefits of material durability and active ingredient efficacy provide a compelling case for industrial adoption. Our findings suggest that collagen/HA nanofibers have the potential to be next-generation materials for regenerative medicine and skincare, and further research is needed to optimize their production and assess the economic feasibility of skincare and tissue engineering applications.

A key response to glucose stress is an increased production of unsaturated fatty acids to balance the increase of saturated fatty acids in the membrane. The C. elegans homolog of stearoyl-CoA desaturase, FAT-7, introduces the first double bond into saturated C18 fatty acids yielding oleic acid and is a critical regulatory point for surviving cold and glucose stress. Here, we incorporated 13C stable isotopes into the diet of nematodes and quantified the 13C-labelled fatty acid by GC-MS and HPLC/MS-MS to track the metabolic response to various concentrations of glucose. Previous work has analyzed membrane composition of C. elegans when responding to mild glucose stress and showed few alterations in overall fatty acid composition in the membrane. Here, in nematodes exposed to higher concentrations of glucose, a specific reduction of oleic acid and linoleic acid was observed. Using time courses and stable isotope tracing, the response of fatty acid me-tabolism to increasing levels of glucose stress has been characterized, revealing a funneling of monounsaturated fatty acids to preserve polyunsaturated fatty acid abundance. Taken together, higher levels of glucose unveil a specific reduction of oleic and linolenic acid in the metabolic re-wiring required to survive glucose stress.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) constitute a superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors with a paramount role in ubiquitous physiological functions such as metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Owing to their physiological role and druggability, NRs are deemed attractive and valid targets for medicinal chemists. Pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) represent one of the most important phytochemical classes present in higher plants, where oleanolic acid (OA) is the most studied PTs representative owing to its multitude of biological activities against cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and liver injury. PTs possess a lipophilic skeleton that imitates the NRs endogenous ligands. Herein, we report a literature overview on the modulation of metabolic NRs by OA and its semi-synthetic derivatives, highlighting their health benefits and potential therapeutic applications. Indeed, OA exhibited varying pharmacological effects on FXR, PPAR, LXR, RXR, PXR, and ROR in a tissue-specific manner. Owing to those NRs modulation, OA exhibited prominent hepatoprotective properties comparable to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in a bile duct ligation mice model and antiatherosclerosis effect as simvastatin in a model of New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits. It also demonstrated a great promise in alleviating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis, attenuated alpha-naphthol isothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestatic liver injury, and controlled blood glucose levels, making it a key player in the therapy of metabolic diseases. We also compiled OA semi-synthetic derivatives and explored their synthetic pathways and pharmacological effects on NRs, showcasing their structure-activity relationship (SAR). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review article to highlight OA activity in terms of NRs modulation.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are used in catalysis due to their high specific surface area and porous structure. The dispersed active sites and limited reaction space render MOFs have the potential for highly selective electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR). Meanwhile, formic acid (HCOOH) is attracting attention as a liquid product with high economic benefits. This review summarizes the MOFs and their derivatives applied for ECO2RR into HCOOH products. The preparation methods of MOFs as electrocatalysts and their unique advantages are discussed. A series of MOFs, and MOFs derivatives obtained by electrochemical reduction or carbonization processes are highlighted, including metal nanomaterials, carbon-based nanocomposites, single-atom catalysts, and bimetallic nanocomposites. Depending on the MOFs building units (metal ions and organic linkers) and the reaction conditions of derivatization, MOFs-based catalysts exhibit rich diversity and controllable modulation of catalytic performance. Finally, the challenges encountered at this stage and the future research directions of MOFs-based catalysts are proposed.

Molecular diagnostics in healthcare relies increasingly on genomic and transcriptomic method-ologies and requires appropriate tissue specimens from which nucleic acids (NA) of sufficiently high quality can be obtained. Besides suration of ischemia and fixation type, NA quality depends on a variety of other pre-analytical parameters, like storage conditions and duration. It has been discussed that improper dehydration of tissue during processing influences quality of NAs and shelf-life of fixed tissue. Here we report on establishing a method to determine the amount of residual water in fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (fixed by neutral buffered formalin, or a non-crosslinking fixative) and its correlation to the performance of NAs in qRT-PCR analyses. The amount of residual water depended primarily on the fixative type and the dehydration pro-tocol and, to a lesser extent on storage conditions and time. Moreover, we found that these pa-rameters were associated with the qRT-PCR performance of extracted NAs. Besides cross-linking of NAs and modification of nucleobases by formalin, hydrolysis of NAs by residual water was found to contribute to reduced qRT-PCR performance. The negative effects of residual water on NA stability are not only important for the design and interpretation of research, but must also be taken into account in clinical diagnostics where reanalysis of archived tissue from a primary tumour may be required, e.g., after disease recurrence. We conclude that improving shelf-life of fixed tissue requires meticulous dehydration and dry storage to minimize the degradative in-fluence of residual water on NAs.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques have received considerable focus in the area of bone engineering due to its precise control in the fabrication of complex structures with customizable shapes, internal and external architectures, mechanical strength, and bioactivity. In this study, we design a new composition biomaterial consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) loaded with zinc nanoparticles (PLA+H+Zn). The hydrophobic surface of the 3D printed scaffold was coated with two layers of fetal bovine serum (FBS) on the sides and one layer of NaOH in the middle. Additionally, a layer of gentamicin was coated on the outermost layer against bacterial infection. Scaffolds were cultured in standard cell culture medium without the addition of osteogenic medium. This surface modification strategy improved material hydrophilicity and enhanced cell adhesion. Pre-osteoblasts cultured on these scaffolds differentiated into osteoblasts and proceeded to produce a type I collagen matrix and subsequent calcium deposition. 3D printed scaffolds formed from this composition possessed high mechanical strength and showed an osteoinductive potential. Furthermore, the external coating of antibiotics not only preserved the previous osteogenic properties of the 3D scaffold but also significantly reduced bacterial growth. Our surface modification model enabled the fabrication of a material surface that was hydrophilic and antibacterial, simultaneously, with an osteogenic property. The designed PLA+H+Zn may be a viable candidate for the fabrication of customized bone implants.

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a by-product from the refining of crude palm oil. It comprises mainly of free fatty acids, having around 45% of palmitic and 33% oleic acids as the major components. Ultra-violet (UV) curable urethane acrylate (UA) oligomers could be synthesized from PFAD by the following procedure. A hydroxyl terminated macromer was first prepared by reacting PFAD with a mixture of isophthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, neopentagylcol (NPG) and pentaerythritol. The macromer is then reacted with 2-hydroxylethylacrylate (2HEA) and toluene diisocynate (TDI) to generate a resin containing acrylate side chains for UV curable application. A series of UA resins were prepared by using 15, 25, 45, 55 and 70% of PFAD respectively. The UA resin has Mw in the range of 3200 to 27,000. They could be cured by UV irradiation at intensity of 225mW/cm². Glass transition temperature (T_g) of the cured film was measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and hardness of the film was determined by pendulum hardness tester according to ASTM4366. The resins were used in wood coating application. All of the cured films showed good adhesion, hardness and chemical resistant for resins using up to 55% PFAD; however the resin at 70% did not cure properly.

Encapsulation of antioxidant polyphenols leads to increase solubility and bioavailability of these micronutrients in solution. The encapsulation of antioxidant resveratrol, genistein and curcumin by folic acid-chitosan nanocapsules was studied in aqueous solution, using multiple spectroscopic methods, TEM images. Structural analysis showed that polyphenol bindings are via hydrophilic, hydrophobic and H-bonding contacts with resveratrol forming more stable conjugates. As chitosan size increased, the binding efficacy and stability of polyphenol-polymer adducts were increased. Polyphenol binding induced major alterations of chitosan morphology. Chitosan nanoparticles are capable of delivery of polyphenols in vitro.

Diseases in articular cartilages have affected millions of people globally. Although the biochemical and cellular composition of articular cartilages is relatively simple, there is the limitation in self-repair ability of cartilage. Therefore, developing the strategies for cartilage repair is very important. Here, we reported a new manufacturing process of water-based polyurethane based photosensitive materials with hyaluronic acid and applied the materials for 3D printed customized cartilage scaffolds. The scaffold has high cytocompatibility and is one that closely mimics the mechanical properties of articular cartilages. It is suitable for culturing human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSCs) and the cells showed an excellent chondrogenic differentiation capacity. We consider that the 3D printing hybrid scaffolds may have potential in customized tissue engineering and facilitate the development of cartilage tissue engineering.

Herein, we investigated hydrogels composed of boronic Acid functionalized alginate and blended with polyvinyl alcohol of different molecular weights to control the release of metoclopramide hydrochloride (MTC) as a function of pH and shear stress. The functionalization of alginate introduced dynamic covalent bonding and pH-responsive properties that can modulate network connectivity. The study investigated the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogels, their drug release profiles, and their responsiveness to changes in pH and shear forces. The results showed higher PVA molecular weight and alkaline pH conditions increased hydrogel viscosity and stiffness due to a more stable and interconnected network structure than acidic pH. Metoclopramide release revealed that the hydrogels exhibited pH-responsive drug release behavior. The drug was more readily released under acidic conditions due to the instability of sp2-hybridized boronate ester bonds. The influence of shear forces on the release of metoclopramide was also investigated at shear rates of 1, 10, and 100 s-1, revealing their effect on matrix stiffening. The research shows that AlgBA/PVA hydrogels have unique properties, such as dynamic covalent bonding, that make them sensitive to external mechanical forces. This sensitivity makes them ideal for applications where physiological conditions trigger drug release

With the advancement of Additive Manufacturing and its applications in various industrial segments, it becomes increasingly important to investigate the processability parameters associated with nano-reinforcement. This study examines the influence of infill parameters, such as patterns (hexagonal, triangular and concentric), shape (solid and honeycomb) and concentrations by mass of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) at 1.0 wt% and 2.0 wt% on the mechanical compression properties of the 3D printed material. In this sense, nanocomposites based on Polylactic Acid (PLA) matrix nano-reinforced by CNTs were characterized using the Scanning Electron Microscopy -SEM, X-ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy techniques and mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of both the matrix and the nanocomposites were determined through mechanical compression tests, in accordance with [1]. SEM revealed compacted regions, voids, and detachment in the structures. XRD characterization indicated PLA predominantly amorphous nature, while CNTs exhibited characteristic diffractions of carbon nanotubes. Raman characterization showcased bands and characteristic vibrations of CNTs and PLA, nanocomposites' vibrational modes combine those of CNTs and PLA. Mechanical compression analysis indicates a direct influence of infill pattern, shape, and nano-reinforcement. The triangle pattern outperformed other patterns, exhibiting a 15.03% increase compared to concentric and 8.8% compared to hexagon infill. In nanocomposites, all showed higher compressive strength than the matrix. For PLA/1.0%CNTs, strength was 16.8%, and for PLA/2.0%CNTs, it reached 39.2%. In honeycomb shapes with infill variations, the triangular pattern excelled with a 0.97% increase over concentric and 6.12% over hexagon patterns. Honeycomb results indicate a 59.6% increase for (PLA/1.0%CNTs) and a 0.48% increase for (PLA/2.0%CNTs) compared to the matrix. This study highlights 3D printing parameters, emphasizing the effectiveness of the triangular pattern and the enhanced strength with the addition of CNTs, providing insights to enhance products manufactured through Additive Manufacturing.

This research investigates the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of a polylactic acid (PLA)-iron (PLI) composite designed to enable magnetic actuation. Tensile specimens of PLI are produced through Fused Filament Fabrication, incorporating diverse printing angles ranging from 0° to 90°, thereby facilitating the creation of a variety of layups. The microstructure of these 3D-printed composites is analysed using X-ray micro-tomography. Furthermore, the tensile mechanical properties of all composites are evaluated, and the findings are deliberated in relation to the conditions of the printing angle. Additionally, the fractography of broken specimens is examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The findings indicate that the printing angle plays a significant role in influencing the tensile properties of the 3D-printed PLI composites, particularly in adjusting mechanical anisotropy. Moreover, an optimal layup of 45°/45° is attained, resulting in an enhanced ranking of the tensile performance. These findings related to 3D-printed PLI composites present a cost-efficient option for manufacturing bio-sourced light-adaptive composites through 3D printing, enabling the generation of intricate magnetic actuation performance.

In order to study the effects of dietary folic acid (FA) supplementation on growth performance and immune status in weanling piglets, a single factorial randomized block design trial with 6 dietary FA levels at 0.35, 0.66, 2.19, 5.18, 7.51 or 10.81 mg/kg was conducted. A total of 108 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire) castrated weanling piglets (at 21 d of age) were allocated by body weight into 36 feeding cages (3 piglets/cage), which were allotted randomly into 6 dietary groups (6 cages/group). Piglets were fed ad libitum for 24 days. Blood samples were collected on the 24th day. The growth performance and the immune parameters were measured. Results showed that FA supplementation increased the serum FA level of weaned piglets (p < 0.01), and tended to increase the body weight (BW) at 45 d of age (p < 0.1) and the average daily gain (ADG) from 29 d to 45 d of age (p < 0.1). FA addition improved the feed efficiency (G/F) from 21 d to 45 d of age (p < 0.01), and with significant effects at 21 d to 45 d of age with FA 2.19 or 7.51 mg/kg (p < 0.05). Dietary FA at 0.66 or 2.19 mg/kg increased the serum CD3+CD8+ subset (p < 0.05), decreased the CD3+CD4+ / CD3+CD8+ ratio (p < 0.05); Moreover, FA addition increased the serum IFN-γ level (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the adequate dietary FA is necessary to improve the immunity and growth performance of weaned piglets at 21 d of age. The suitable dietary FA level for immune function from 21 d to 45 d of age was 0.66 mg/kg, while were 6.82 mg/kg from 21 d to 28 d of age and 5.42 mg/kg from 29 d to 45 d of age respectively for feed efficiency.

De novo regeneration of Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis) using tissue culture techniques remains unreliable and infrequent. Conventional methods for the regeneration and transformation of cannabis have not achieved the reliability and replicability needed to be integrated into research and breeding programs. Protoplast systems are effective for gene expression studies, transformation and genome editing technologies, and opens the possibility of somatic hybridization to create interspecific hybrids. To date, leaf-derived protoplast have been isolated for transient gene expression studies, but attempts at protoplast-to-plant regeneration have not been reported. The present study aims to test the efficacy of using a callus culture system, as an abundant source for protoplast isolation and lays the groundwork for a protoplast-to-plant regeneration system. Using hypocotyl-derived callus cultures, which are known to have relatively greater regenerative potential, the efficacy of protoplast isolation and initial cell division were assessed. In this study, the effect of 2-aminoindane-2-phosphonic acid (AIP) in callus culture media and the effect of subculture frequency on protoplast yield were assessed. This study found that inclusion of AIP at 1 mM resulted in a 334% increase in protoplast yield compared with AIP-free medium, representing the first known use of AIP in cannabis tissue culture. Inclusion of AIP led to a 28% decrease in total soluble phenolics and 52% decrease in tissue browning compared to the control medium. Lastly, a two-phase culture system for protoplast regeneration was tested. At a concentration of 2.0×10^5 protoplasts per mL, division was observed, providing the first know report of cell division from cannabis protoplasts and setting the stage for future development of a protoplast-to-plant regeneration system.

Abstract: A multitude of biotic and abiotic stress factors do harm to plants by bringing about diseases and inhibiting normal growth and development. As an omnipotent signaling molecule, salicylic acid (SA) plays crucial roles in plants' tolerance responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses, thereby maintaining plants’ normal growth and improving yields under stresses. In view of this, this paper mainly discusses the role of SA in both biotic stresses, and abiotic stresses of plants. SA regulates the expression of genes involved in defense signaling pathways, thus enhancing plants’ immunity. In addition, SA mitigates the negative effects of abiotic stresses, and acts as a signaling molecule to induce the expression of stress-responsive genes and the synthesis of stress-related proteins. In addition, SA also improves certain yield-related photosynthetic indexes, thereby enhancing crop yield under stresses. On the other hand, SA acts with other signaling molecules in regulating plants’ growth and improving tolerances under stresses. This paper reviews recent advances in SA’s roles in plant stress tolerances, so as to provide theoretical references for further studies concerning the decryption of molecular mechanisms for SA’s roles and the improvement of crop management under stresses.

Bioactive lipids are involved in cellular signalling events with links to human disease. Many of these are involved in inflammation under normal and pathological conditions. Despite being attractive molecules from a pharmacological point of view, detection and quantification of lipids has been a major challenge. Here, we have optimised a liquid chromatography dynamic multiple reaction monitoring targeted mass spectrometry (LC-dMRM-MS) approach to profile eicosanoids and fatty acids in biological samples. In particular, by applying this analytic workflow to study a cellular model of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), we found that intra- and extra-cellular 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), intracellular Arachidonic Acid (AA), and extracellular Prostaglandin F_2α (PGF_2α), 5-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), Palmitic acid (PA, C16:0) and Stearic acid (SA, C18:0) were altered in response to immunomodulation by type I Interferon (IFN-I), a currently approved treatment for CML. Our observations indicate changes in eicosanoid and fatty acid metabolism with potential relevance in the context of cancer inflammation and CML.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of added cultures of probiotic lactic acid bacteria on physicochemical, textural, and sensory characteristics of fresh cheese as well as their viability. Probiotic strains Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. rhamnosus were evaluated at two inoculation times (before the renneting and salting processes) following a factorial treatment arrangement. The bacterial count (log CFU g-1), acidity determination (% lactic acid), pH and percentage of syneresis were evaluated at 0, 1, 7, 14 and 21 days of refrigerated storage (4–5 °C). The texture profile analysis and an extended preference test were carried out at 21 days of storage. At the end of storage, fresh cheeses containing L. rhamnosus, added prior to the renneting process, had similar acidity values (0.18% lactic acid), pH (5.36) and percentage of syneresis (4.71%) compared to those for the cheeses without probiotics or control. Excluding adhesiveness, no differences were observed in texture profile parameters among the assessed cheeses. The fresh cheese supplemented with L. rhamnosus before the renneting process had a microorganism count greater than 6 logarithmic cycle/g, and the highest preference among treatments. The results from this study suggest that fresh cheese can be an excellent matrix for probiotic microorganisms, in particular L. rhamnosus.

In the current study nanocellulose was isolated from walnut shell using mechanical and chemical methods. This study highlights the particle size, morphology and these methods’ efficiency in nano structure extraction. The difference between morphology and size of the particles (of the both extracted methods) were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Walnut shell is an agro-waste material with source of lignin and cellulose. Ball mill-ing with different times, in the presence and absence of additive and acid hydrolysis were used as mechanical and chemical methods, respectively. The result showed mechanical method is unable to extract nanoparticle and just reshape the walnut shell. Milling time were also found important in morphology of fiber extracted. FE-SEM images represented that structure mean diameter of using ball mill was 1± 5 μm while hydrolysis acid method extract nano particle with mean diameter of 40± 20 nm.

Rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population explosion in sub-Saharan Africa escalate environmental Lead levels with subsequent elevation of blood Lead levels in children. Nutrition status, age, and genetics govern one’s susceptibility to Lead toxicity. This study expounded this susceptibility by relating blood Lead levels, d-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase enzyme activity (ALAD), and genetic variations of proteins that code for ALAD enzyme in urban children of Uganda. Spectrophotometric analysis for blood Lead (BL), hemoglobin levels, and determination d-levels aminolevulinic acid dehydratase enzyme activity of the blood samples from 198 children were performed prior to a polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length digestion for ALAD polymorphism was done. Up to 99.5% of samples coded for the ALAD1 allele whereas 0.05% coded for ALAD2. Genotypes ALAD2-2 members had elevated BLL (mean 14.1 µg/dL) and reduced ALAD enzyme activity compared to others. This, therefore, implies that the majority of children hoard BL which may affect them later in life.

The most effective method of treating allergic diseases, aimed not at relieving symptoms, but at eliminating the cause of the disease, is allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT). To reduce the risk of side effects and improve the delivery of allergens to the mucosa, various delivery systems, such as liposomes, dendrimers, nanoparticles, etc., can be used. To date, there are data on the creation of delivery systems based on glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and its derivatives, but such a delivery system has not been used for allergen-specific therapy until now. At the same time, it is known that GA has an anti-inflammatory effect, shifts the balance towards Th1, and increases the number of Treg cells, which means that in the future it can enhance the anti-allergic effect of AIT and reduce the risk of unwanted side effects. Thus, the study of the immunomodulatory effect of supramolecular complexes (micelles) of GA with extracts of allergens seems to be very promising for the development of new drugs for AIT.

Airborne transmission of seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses is responsible for their epidemiological success and public health burden in humans. Efficient airborne transmission of H1N1 influenza virus relies on receptor specificity and pH of fusion of the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA). In this study, we examine the role of HA pH of fusion on transmissibility of a cell culture-adapted H3N2 virus. Mutations in the HA head at positions 78 and 212 of A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2), which were selected after cell culture adaptation, decrease the acid stability of the virus from a pH of 5.5 (WT) to 5.8 (mutant). In addition, we observed that this mutant H3N2 virus replicated to higher titers in cell culture but had reduced airborne transmission in the ferret model. These data demonstrate that, like H1N1 HA, the pH of fusion for H3N2 HA is a determinant of efficient airborne transmission. Surprisingly, we demonstrate that the NA segment noncoding regions can impact the pH of fusion of reassortant viruses. Taken together, our data confirm that HA acid stability is an important characteristic of epidemiologically successful human influenza viruses and is influenced by HA/NA balance.

A New monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), a known monogalactosylmonoacylglycerol (MGMG) and a known polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl ester (PUFAME) were isolated from the marine dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi. The planar structure of the glycolipids was elucidated using MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses and comparisons to the known glycolipid to confirm its structure. The isolation of PUFAME strongly supports the polyunsaturated fatty acid fragment of these glycolipids. The relative configuration of the sugar was deduced by comparisons of 3JHH values and proton chemical shifts with those of known glycolipids. All isolated compounds MGDG, MGMG and PUFAME (1-3) were evaluated for their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. All compounds modulated macrophage responses, with compound 3 exhibiting the greatest anti-inflammatory activity.

Plants are immobile, and, to overcome harsh environmental conditions, such as drought, salt, and cold, they have evolved complex signaling pathways. Abscisic acid (ABA), an isoprenoid phytohormone, is a critical signaling mediator that regulates diverse biological processes in various organisms. Significant progress has been made in the determination and characterization of key ABA-mediated molecular factors involved in different stress responses, including stomatal closure and developmental processes, such as seed germination and bud dormancy. Since ABA-signaling is a complex signaling network that integrates with other signaling pathways, the dissection of its intricate regulatory network is necessary to understand the function of essential regulatory genes involved in ABA signaling. In the present review, we focus on two aspects of ABA signaling. First, the perception of the stress signal (abiotic and biotic) and the response network of ABA-signaling components that transduce the signal to the downstream pathway to respond to stress tolerance, regulation of stomata, and ABA signaling component ubiquitination. Second, ABA-signaling in plant development processes, such as lateral root growth regulation, seed germination, and flowering time regulation. Examining such diverse signal integration dynamics could enhance our understanding of the underlying genetic, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of ABA signaling networks in plants.

This paper aims to analyse the mechanical properties response of polylactic acid (PLA) parts manufactured through fused filament fabrication. The influence of six manufacturing factors (layer height, filament width, fill density, layer orientation, printing velocity, and infill pattern) on the flexural resistance of PLA specimens is studied through an L27 Taguchi experimental array. Different geometries have been tested on a four-point bending machine and on a rotating bending machine. From the first experimental phase, an optimal set of parameters deriving in the highest flexural resistance have been determined. Results show that layer orientation is the most influential parameter, followed by layer height, filament width, and printing velocity, whereas the fill density and infill pattern show no significant influence. Finally, the fatigue fracture behaviour is evaluated and compared with previous studies results, to present a comprehensive study of the mechanical properties of the material under different kind of solicitations.

The onset of leaf senescence is triggered by external cues and internal factors such as phytohormones and signaling pathways involving transcription factors (TFs). Abscisic acid (ABA) strongly induces senescence and endogenous ABA levels are finely tuned by many senescence-associated TFs. Here, we report on the regulatory function of the senescence-induced TF OsWRKY5 TF in rice (Oryza sativa). OsWRKY5 expression was rapidly upregulated in senescing leaves, especially in yellowing sectors initiated by aging or dark treatment. A T-DNA insertion activation-tagged OsWRKY5-overexpressing mutant (termed oswrky5-D) promoted leaf senescence under natural and dark-induced senescence (DIS) conditions. By contrast, a T-DNA insertion oswrky5-knockdown mutant (termed oswrky5) retained leaf greenness during DIS. Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that OsWRKY5 upregulates the expression of genes controlling chlorophyll degradation and leaf senescence. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and yeast one-hybrid analysis demonstrated that OsWRKY5 indirectly upregulates the expression of senescence-associated NAC genes including OsNAP and OsNAC2. Precocious leaf yellowing in the oswrky5-D mutant might be caused by elevated endogenous ABA concentrations resulting from upregulated expression of ABA biosynthesis genes OsNCED3, OsNCED4, and OsNCED5, indicating that OsWRKY is a positive regulator of ABA biosynthesis during leaf senescence. Furthermore, OsWRKY5 expression was significantly suppressed by ABA treatment, indicating negative feedback regulation of OsWRKY5 expression by ABA. OsWRKY5 is a positive regulator of leaf senescence that upregulates senescence-induced NAC genes leading to expression of ABA biosynthesis and chlorophyll degradation genes.

In the present work, a novel and the robust computational investigation is carried out to estimate solubility of different acids in supercritical carbon dioxide. Four different algorithms such as radial basis function artificial neural network, Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network (ANN), Least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) are developed to predict the solubility of different acids in carbon dioxide based on the temperature, pressure, hydrogen number, carbon number, molecular weight, and acid dissociation constant of acid. In the purpose of best evaluation of proposed models, different graphical and statistical analyses and also a novel sensitivity analysis are carried out. The present study proposed the great manners for best acid solubility estimation in supercritical carbon dioxide, which can be helpful for engineers and chemists to predict operational conditions in industries.

Zinc is mostly extracted from zinc oxide and sulfide minerals, and this process involves flotation as a key step. While it is easier to float the sulfide mineral, its consumption and depletion has led to an increased reliance on zinc oxide minerals, including smithsonite; hence the development of efficient ways of collecting smithsonite by flotation is an important objective. Herein, we describe the use of 2-(hexadecanoylamino)acetic acid (HAA), a novel surfactant, as a collector during smithsonite flotation. The mechanism and flotation performance of HAA during smithsonite flotation were investigated by total organic carbon (TOC) content studies, zeta potential measurements, FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS analyses, combined with micro-flotation experiments. The flotation results revealed that HAA is an excellent collector in pulp over a wide pH range (9–12) and at a relatively low concentration (2 × 10^‒4 mol/L), at which a recovery of close to 90% of the smithsonite mineral was obtained. TOC-content studies reveal that the good flotation recovery is ascribable to large amounts of collector molecule adsorbed on the smithsonite surface, while zeta potential measurements show that the HAA is chemically adsorbed onto the smithsonite. FTIR and XPS analyses reveal that the HAA-collector molecules adsorb onto the smithsonite surface as zinc-HAA complexes involving carboxylate moieties and Zn sites on the smithsonite surface in alkaline solution.

Lead Acid Batteries (LABs) are used for starting, lighting, and igniting, as well as in air conditioning systems and to supply power to electric engines in transport vehicles (TVs). However, the application of LABs for TVs has faced a number of market challenges, mounted by the upcoming high energy density and long lifespan batteries, such as lithium ion. LABs, on the other hand, are inexpensive. The key research question is, how can the lifespan of LABs used in automotive industries be increased, while still ensuring a low cost solution? Thus, integrating LABs with the supercapacitor (known as an electric double layer capacitor—EDLC) is likely to outperform the competing alternative batteries for TVs. This paper proposes a multiple stage approach to hybrid lead acid batteries and a supercapacitor system for TVs that is capable of maintaining the battery state-of-charge (SOC) at statistically high limits, ranging between 90% and 95%. This SOC target will likely ensure that the lifespan of the hybrid battery system can be elongated (extended) more than its competitors. In this study, the multiple stage approach of concatenated converters has been designed in order to satisfy all energy storage requirements for different characteristics of LABs and the supercapacitor. The designed hybrid system has been simulated using Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB/Simulink (version R2016a, MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA)). The simulated results show that high transient currents from the direct current (DC) bus of LABs, caused by the regenerative braking or deceleration of the TVs, reduce the battery lifespan and induce mechanical stress. The supercapacitor reduces the stress on the LAB by absorbing high transient currents. This, in turn, keeps the LABs’ SOC between 90% and 96% and the voltage at 12 V. As indicated by the simulated results, the hybrid battery SOC is maintained at 90–96% and the terminal voltage is approximately 12 V.

Accurate and efficient battery modeling is essential to maximize the performance of isolated energy systems and to extend battery lifetime. This paper proposes a battery model that represents the charging and discharging process of a lead-acid battery bank. This model is validated over real measures taken from a battery bank installed in a research center placed at “El Chocó”, Colombia. In order to fit the model, three optimization algorithms (Particle Swarm Optimization, Cuckoo Search, and Particle Swarm Optimization+Perturbation) are implemented and compared, being the last one a new proposal. This research shows that the model with the proposed algorithm is able to estimate and manage the real battery characteristics as SOC and charging/discharging voltage. The comparison between simulations and real measures shows that the model is able to absorb reading problems, signal delays, and scaling errors. The approach we present can be implemented in other types of batteries especially those used in stand-alone systems.

The annual construction and demolition waste (CDW) generated from EU construction sector was 850 million tons, which represented 31% of the total waste generation and about 28% of CDW was ceramics (bricks and tiles). In this study, the feasibility of using CDW brick powder as the precursor of alkali activated mortar (AAM) and extruded polystyrene (XPS) as the lightweight aggregates to form lightweight brick powder AAM (LW-BP-AAM) for non-structural applications was investigated. The thermal conductivity of LP-BPAAM was 0.112 W/m·K with density of about 1,135 kg/m³ which was lower than the counterparts with similar density in literature. The acid resistance of LW-BP-AAM is comparable to conventional fly ash based AAM and superior than ordinary Portland cement. From the scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, there was no severe damage on the surface of LW-BP-AAM but aluminate was removed from the matrix which was further verified in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mass and strength loss of LP-BP-AAM was 1.5% and 33%, respectively. Although the compressive strength of the LP-BP-AAM was low (about 1.8 MPa), it can be improved by optimising the particle size of the XPS aggregates.

Polylactic Acid (PLA) is an organic polymer commonly used in fused deposition (FDM) printing and biomedical scaffolding that is biocompatible and immunologically inert. However, variations in source material quality and chemistry make it necessary to characterize the filament and determine potential changes in chemistry occurring as a result of the FDM process. We used several spectroscopic techniques, including laser confocal microscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and photoacousitc FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) in order to characterize both the bulk and surface chemistry of the source material and printed samples. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize morphology, crystallinity, and the glass transition temperature following printing. Analysis revealed calcium carbonate-based additives which were reacted with organic ligands and potentially trace metal impurities, both before and following printing. These additives became concentrated in voids in the printed structure. This finding is important for biomedical applications as carbonate will impact subsequent cell growth on printed tissue scaffolds. Results of chemical analysis also provided evidence of the hygroscopic nature of the source material and oxidation of the printed surface, and SEM imaging revealed micro and sub-micron scale roughness that will also impact potential applications.

This paper is devoted to an accurate determination of the London dispersive and polar free energy of adsorption, the two Lewis acid γs+ and base γs- components of polar surface energy γsAB of 2D single-crystalline and polycrystalline covalent organic frameworks such as TAPPy-TPA-COFs. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution was used to quantify the different surface parameters of the different materials. From IGC measurements, one determined the net retention time of the adsorption of n-alkanes and several polar solvents on single-crystalline and polycrystalline covalent organic frameworks. The free surface Gibbs energy of adsorption was obtained for the various organic molecules at different temperatures from their net retention volume values. The separation between the London dispersive energy and the polar energy of adsorbed molecules was carried out by using a new thermodynamic parameter PSX chosen as new indicator variable and taken into account the deformation polarizability and the harmonic mean of the ionization energies of solvents and solid materials, derived from London dispersion equation. The obtained results are very promising for the accurate determination of the surface thermodynamic parameters of adsorption of organic solvents on solid surfaces.

In this paper, a polyacrylic elastomer latex with butyl acrylate (BA) as the core and methyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymerized with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the shell, named poly(BA-MMA-GMA) (PBMG), was synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was dispersed in the polyacrylic latex to prepare PBMG/CNC dispersions with different CNC contents. The dried product was mixed with polylactic acid (PLA) to fabricate PLA/PBMG/CNC blends. The addition of PBMG and PBMG/CNC improved the mechanical properties of the PLA matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics. The Avrami equation modified by Jeziorny, and the Ozawa, and Mo’s equations were used to analyze the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA and its blends. Analysis of crystallization halftime of nonisothermal conditions indicated that the overall rate of crystallization increased significantly at 1 wt% content of CNC. This seemed to result from the increase of nucleation density and the acceleration of segment movement in the presence of CNC component. This phenomenon was verified by polarizing microscope observation.

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by a progressive process of degeneration and neuronal death, where oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are key factors that contribute to the progression of these diseases. Therefore, two major pathways involved in these pathologies have been proposed as relevant therapeutic targets: The nuclear transcription factor erythroid 2 (Nrf2), which responds to oxidative stress with cytoprotecting activity and the nuclear factor NF-κB pathway, which is highly related to the neuroinflammatory process by promoting cytokine expression. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a phenylpropanoid naturally found in propolis that shows important biological activities, including neuroprotective activity by modulating the Nrf2 and NF-kB pathways, promoting antioxidant enzyme expression and inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine expression. Its simple chemical structure has inspired the synthesis of many derivatives, with aliphatic and/or aromatic moieties, some of which have improved the biological properties. Moreover, new drug delivery systems increase the bioavailability of these compounds in vivo, allowing its transcytosis through the blood-brain barrier, thus protecting brain cells from the increased inflammatory status associated to neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and chemical synthesis of CAPE derivatives, their miscellaneous activities, and relevant studies (from 2010 to 2023) addressing their neuroprotective activity in vitro and in vivo.

Four naturally occurring zeolites AZLB-Ca and AZLB-Na (Bowie, Arizona), NM-Ca (Winston, New Mexico), and NV-Na (Ash Meadows, Nevada) were studied to evaluate structural modifications after treatment with HCl acid. AZLB-Ca and AZLB-Na are chabazite-like species and become amorphous when boiled in concentrated HCl acid as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. In contrast, NM-Ca and NV-Na which are clinoptilolite-like species withstood boiling in concentrated HCl acid. This treatment removes calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, aluminum, and iron atoms or ions from the framework while leaving the silicon framework intact as confirmed via X-ray fluorescence and diffraction. SEM images on calcined and HCl treated NV-Na were obtained. BET surface area analysis confirmed an increase in surface area for the two zeolites after treatment, NM-Ca (20.0(1) to 111(4) m2/g) and NV-Na (19.0(4) to 158(7) m2/g). 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR were performed on the natural and treated NV-Na zeolite and the data for the natural NV-Na zeolite suggested a Si:Al ratio of 4.33 similar to that determined by X-Ray fluorescence of 4.55. Removal of lead ions from solution decreased from the native (NM-Ca, 0.27(14), NV-Na, 1.50(17) meq/g) compared to the modified zeolites (30 min HCl treated NM-Ca 0.06(9) and NV-Na, 0.41(23) meq/g) and also decreased upon K+ ion pretreatment in the HCl modified zeolites.

One new La (III) based coordination polymer , namely, [La(1,4-bdc)(H2O)].(H2O) (1) (tpa = terephthalic acid) has been synthesized through the solvothermal synthesis using terephthalic acid. Structural analysis reveals that compound 1 has a 3-D network with a cube topology. The solid state photolumienescence study shows that compound 1 has a strong emission peak at 680 nm upon excitation at 220 nm . The emission peak is characteristic of the red light emission in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Cocrystallizaiton could improve most physicochemical properties of specific active pharmaceutical ingredients, which has great potential in pharmaceutical development. In this study, the cocrystal of nitrofurantoin and 4-aminobenzoic acid was prepared with solid-state (solvent-free or green-chemistry) grinding approach, and the above cocrystal has been characterized by Raman and terahertz vibrational spectroscopic techniques. Spectral results show that the vibrational modes of the cocrystal within the whole spectral region are different from those of the corresponding parent materials. The dynamic process of such pharmaceutical cocrystal formation has also been monitored directly with Raman spectra. These results offer us unique means for characterizing the cocrystal conformation from molecule-level and also provide us rich information about the reaction dynamic of cocrystal formation within pharmaceutical fields.

Food authorities aim to safeguard our food. This requires sensitive analyses to guarantee detection of both banned and regulated substances at low concentrations. At the same time, broad screening methods are needed to identify new emerging risks. For this purpose effect-based bioassays combined with mass spectrometric analyses offer an advantage. During the regular monitoring of dioxins in agricultural products, a discrepancy was observed between the results of the DR CALUX (Dioxin-Responsive Chemical Activated Luciferase gene Expression) bioassay and the confirmatory gas chromatographic high resolution mass spectrometric (GC-HRMS) analysis in egg and broiler fat samples. The response in the bioassay was high, suggesting a clear exceedance of the maximum limits of dioxins in these samples, yet regulated dioxins or dl-PCBs were not detected by GC/HRMS analysis . Ultimately, a broad screening analysis using GC-HRMS resulted in the identification of 2,3,7,8-tetrabromo-dibenzofuran (2,3,7,8-TBDF) in both egg and broiler fat. To investigate the potential; source of this brominated furan contaminant, different samples were analysed: bedding material, poultry feed, feed additives (choline chloride and L-lysine) and seaweed. The poultry feed and feed additives all contained 2,3,7,8-TBDF. Using a feed to food converter, it became clear that the poultry feed was probably the source of 2,3,7,8-TBDF in broilers and eggs through a feed additive like L-lysine or choline chloride. This study underlines the importance of using a combination of effect based screening assays with sensitive analytical methods to detect potential new and emerging risks.

The effect of Amaranthus cruentus L. seed oil (AmO) on collagen biosynthesis and wound healing was studied in cultured human dermal fibroblasts exposed to UVA radiation. It has been found that UVA radiation inhibited collagen biosynthesis, prolidase activity, expression of β1-integrin receptor, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and TGF-β, while increased the expression of p38 kinase. The AmO at 0.05-0.15% counteracted the above effects induced by UVA radiation in fibroblasts. UVA radiation also induced the expression and nuclear translocation of pro-inflammatory NF-κB fac-tor and enhanced the COX-2 expression. AmO effectively suppressed the expression of these pro-inflammatory factors induced by UVA radiation. Expressions of β1 integrin and IGF-I re-ceptors were decreased in the fibroblasts exposed to UVA radiation, while AmO counteracted the effects. Furthermore, AmO stimulated fibroblast’s migration in a wound healing model, thus facilitating the repair process following exposure of fibroblasts to UVA radiation. This data suggest the potential of AmO to counteract UVA-induced skin damage.

In the last decades, cultivation of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) has expanded around the world and the seeds have become well known due to their rich composition in nutrients and bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physical, chemical and nutritional profile of eight chia seeds grown in different Latin-American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru). The results showed that several nutritional parameters such as the protein content and amino acid profile, dietary fiber content, lipid content, mineral composition and phytate present in the seeds depend on the location they were grown in. Other parameters such as ash content, fatty acid profile or physical parameters were uniform across locations (except for color parameters). The results support the notion that nutritional characteristics of seeds are determined by the seed's origin, further analysis is needed to define the exact mechanisms that control the changes in the seeds nutritional properties.

Heavy Ion Beam Probing (HIBP) diagnostic is a powerful tool for electric field studies in hot dense plasma of modern day toroidal magnetic confinement devices. On the TUMAN-3M to-kamak, the HIBP have been used in regimes with improved plasma confinement to clear up the role of radial electric field in the transition to good confinement regimes. Recently, a moderni-zation of the TUMAN-3M HIBP diagnostics was performed aiming to reconfigure it for a work with a reversed plasma current direction and improvement of overall stability of the diagnostic. The results of first measurements of plasma potential in co-NBI scenario are reported and dis-cussed.

We describe the development and validation of a HPLC-MS/MS method to assess the pharmacokinetics and tumour distribution of ZST316, an arginine analogue with inhibitory activity towards dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) and vasculogenic mimicry, and its active metabolite L-257 in a xenograft model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The method proved to be reproducible, precise, and highly accurate for the measurement of both compounds in plasma and tumour tissue following acute and chronic (five days) intraperitoneal administration of ZST316 (30mg/Kg daily) in six-week-old SCID mice inoculated with MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. ZST316 was detected in tumour tissue and plasma after 1 hour (6.47 and 9.01M, respectively) and 24 hours (0.13 and 0.16M, respectively) following acute administration, without accumulation during chronic treatment. Similarly, the metabolite L-257 was found in tumour tissue and plasma after 1 hour (15.06 and 8.72M, respectively) and 24 hours (0.17 and 0.17M, respectively) following acute administration of ZST316, without accumulation during chronic treatment. The half-live after acute and chronic treatment ranged between 4.4-7.1hrs (plasma) and 4.5-5.0hrs (tumour) for ZST316, and 4.2-5.3hrs (plasma) and 3.6-4.9hrs (tumour) for L-257. The results of our study demonstrate the a) capacity to accurately measure ZST316 and L-257 concentrations in plasma and tumour tissue in mice using the newly developed HPLC-MS/MS method, b) rapid conversion of ZST316 into L-257, c) good intra-tumour penetration of both compounds, and d) lack of accumulation of both ZST316 and L-257 in plasma and tumour tissue during chronic administration. The new HPLC-MS/MS method is useful to investigate the in vivo effects of ZST316 and L-257 on vasculogenic mimicry, tumour mass, and metastatic burden in xenograft models of TNBC.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Olea europaea L. extract on the animal welfare and milk quality of lactating Italian Holstein-Friesian dairy cows at different calving orders. Cows in mid lactation phase received, for 60 days, the natural olive extract Phenofeed Dry® (500 mg/cow/day) with high antioxidant power. Hormonal and metabolic parameters were determined through ELISA assays, the milk fatty acid profile through gas chromatography, chemical-nutritional and hygienic-sanitary parameters through ultrasonic analyses. The milk lysozyme content was measured through a specific ELISA assay. The administration of the enriched feed did not alter the hormonal balance. Primiparous cows were more sensitive to the treatment and showed a better general health status compared to other calving orders. The enriched feed resulted in a reduction of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and an increase of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), ensuring an adequate nutritional content and, above all, a significantly higher content of the antibacterial protein, lysozyme. Overall, our study demonstrate that the inclusion of natural bioactive molecules such as Olea europaea L. polyphenols contributes to improving the welfare status of dairy cows and ensuring high nutritional and functional quality of animal productions.

The Rényi entropy functional was optimised for the novel findings of this investigation under various conditions. Their research's findings suggest that the complete spectrum of Lévy stable distributions is covered by generalised t-distributions. Additionally, an exposition was undertaken to prove that the Lévy distribution generalizes Tsallisian distribution, rather than the reverse. The current study is a strong generalization of an existing research work in the literature.

To develop peptide drugs targeting integrin receptors, synthetic peptide ligands endowed with well-defined selective binding motifs are necessary. The snake venom KTS-containing disintegrins, that selectively block collagen α1β1 integrin, were used as lead compounds for the synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a series of linear peptides containing the KTS-pharmacophore and alternating natural amino acids and 3-aminobenzoic acid (MABA). To ensure a better stiffness and metabolic stability, one, two and three MABA residues, were introduced around the KTS pharmacophore motif. Molecular dynamics simulations have determined that the solution conformation of MABA peptide 4 is more compact, underwent larger conformational changes until convergence, and spent most of the time in a single cluster. The peptides’ binding affinity has been characterized by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in which the most potent peptide 4 inhibited with IC50 of 324±8 µM and 550±45 µM the binding of GST-α1-A domain to collagen IV fragment CB3, and the cell adhesion to collagen IV using α1-overexpressor cells, respectively. Docking studies and MM-GBSA calculations confirmed that peptide 4 binds a smaller region of the integrin near the collagen- binding site and penetrated deeper into the binding site near Trp1. Peptide 4, inhibited tube formation by endothelial cell migration in the Matrigel angiogenesis in vitro assay. Peptide 4 was acutely tolerated by mice, showed stability in human serum, decreased tumor volume and angiogenesis, and significantly increased the survival of mice injected with B16 melanoma cells. These findings propose that MABA-peptide 4 can further serve as an α1β1-integrin antagonist lead compound for further drug-optimization in angiogenesis and cancer therapy.

Textile industry is one of the major industries responsible for environmental pollution globally. This is mainly due to the use of synthetic dyes, toxic ingredients and solvents for dy-ing/treatments/protocols of textiles. Replacement of those non ecofriendly ingredients would be a very challenging target to develop novel sustainable textile dying strategies. Using biobased and bioactive pigments, antibacterial ingredients and especially natural solvents are recently pointed out as substances to included in the related formulations. In this study the dyeing ability of the crude gel prodigiosin produced by non-pathogenic bacteria Serratia plymuthica as a natural pigment was investigated on various multifiber fabrics at different condition (temperature and pH) and by using salts (NaOH and Na2S2O4) and alternative mordants (a conventional: FeSO4 and a new bio-mordant: L-Cysteine (L-Cys)) in the recipes with different compositions and especially replacing of organic solvent with a new type of gel-based Choline chloride (ChCl) : Lactic acid (LA) (1 : 2) deep eutectic solvents (DES) as a dyeing medium. For determination of the dying process performances, the color strength (K/S value) of dyed fabric and the dyeing equalization (dE) parameters were evaluated. The fastness properties of the dyed fabrics which displayed as a higher K/S value and good dE were evaluated. The nylon fabrics dyed with 3.0% owf L-Cys at pH = 8.3 improved the color fastness to washing, while the gel-based ChCl : LA (1 : 2) DES dyebath provided a better color fastness to light. Moreover, the nylon fabrics under these conditions exhibited remarkable anti-microbial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). As conclusion, the use of the crude gel prodigiosin pigment revealed an advantageous ability to dye the textile materials, responding to consumers' demand for more ecological and sustainable products. Furthermore, the natural reducing agent L-Cys, never tested before as a bio-mordant, and the use of gel-based DES as a dyeing medium demonstrated enhanced colorimetric and antibacterial properties on dyed nylon with crude gel prodigiosin pigment.

While L-PBF offers advantages in terms of geometrical freedom or lightweight construction, its use is often limited by economic constraints or currently achievable part costs. With an anticipated increase of L-PBF machine productivity during the next years, an increase of the share of material costs and the share of non-productive time for powder layer application process is to be expected. This results in a demand for less expensive powder materials and advanced processing strategies for the short-and medium-term advancement of L-PBF. As one possible approach, the processing of gas- and water atomized stainless steel (316L) powders with different morphology and particle size distribution as well as their impact on L-PBF productivity is investigated. The actual powder applicability in L-PBF systems and the L-PBF processability determines the minimum necessary powder quality. The main focus of the presented work is put on the interaction between powder quality, powder layer properties, part quality and cost-effectiveness of the L-PBF process. To this end, the influence of the gas and water-atomized powder properties (particle size and morphology) during the powder layer application process at highest possible powder recoater speeds and the resulting powder bed properties (powder layer density, powder bed density, powder demixing) and part properties (part density and tensile strength) is investigated.

Nymphaea lotus L. is the medicinal plant that has long been used as food, cosmetic and traditional medicines in Africa and Asia since the ancient time. Its flavonoids and other interesting phytochemical compounds from rhizome, leaf, and the whole flowers have been reported in the previous published researches. However, stamens, which are essential for reproductive functions, may also represent new alternative sources of potential antioxidant flavonoids as investigated in this study. The innovative green chemistry method i.e. ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) as well as macroporous resin (MPR) purification procedure were employed in this current research. The optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction condition is 90 % (v/v) aqEtOH with 34.65 khz ultrasonic frequency and 46 minutes of extraction time. Comparing with heat reflux extraction (HRE) conventional method, the significant gain of 1.35 total flavonoids content was obtained using optimized USAE conditions, jumping to 2.80 when this USAE associated with MPR purification. Not only in vitro cell free antioxidant activity of N. lotus stamen extracts, but also in cellulo antioxidant investigation using yeast model showed the same trend to indicate that the best antioxidant flavonoid can be found in USAE coupled with MPR purification. Moreover, the key antioxidant genes expression in yeast model such as SIR2 and SOD2 were also expressed at the highest level in yeast cell treated with the extract from USAE together with MPR purification. Consequently, it can be seen that the USAE combined with MPR purification can help to enhance the flavonoids antioxidant potential of the stamens extract from this medicinal species.

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is well known in the cosmetic industry for its hydrating properties linked to its interaction with keratin in the stratum corneum. Hair is also mainly composed of keratin, but no evidence of penetration and interaction of HA in hair had yet been established. Herein, we examined, with appropriate methods, this penetration and interaction. Methods: Confocal Raman Spectroscopy was used to track HA penetration in hair fibers. Human hair was UV-irradiated, or not, before washing with a number of different shampoo formulations. Low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, high-molecular weight HA, and an optimized blend of low- and high-molecular weight HA, were used. The benefits of HA for cosmetic application were then evaluated at the ex vivo level. Results: Raman analysis of non-irradiated samples revealed that the HA blend penetrated the hair cortex 5.9 times more than the placebo and with irradiated samples, a 1.8-fold increase in penetration was observed. Whatever the irradiation status, penetration of this optimal HA blend was significantly greater than that of the other two active substances. Compared to the placebo, the HA blend significantly decreased spontaneous frizzing by 11%, repaired the hair by increasing the elastic modulus and the break force, and increased the water content in the hair shafts. Conclusion: Confocal Raman Spectroscopy can be considered as a powerful, non-invasive technique to investigate the penetration of active ingredients into the hair.

Formaldehyde, sulfuric acid and salicylic acid were combined to create 3,3’-methylenebis[2-hydroxybenzoic acid] (MHB) ligand, which was subsequently permitted to bind with zinc ions. The ligand and its zinc (II) complex (Zn-MHB) have been described by a combination of elemental analyses, spectral (UV-Vis, IR, MS, NMR), XRD, TEM as well as TGA measurement. The ligand has been suggested to coordinate to the zinc center in tetradentate manner forming binuclear tetrahedral complex. An X-ray analysis indicated a considerable difference between MHB (crystalline) and Zn-MHB (amorphous). UV-Vis spectra were used to determine the optical properties such as bandgap, refractive index, optical conductivity and penetration depth. Possibility of employing the samples for optoelectronic applications was indicated from the band gap values which underlie the range of semiconductors. TEM revealed spherical shapes and mutation of ligand particles into nano-scale by complexation. The antimicrobial potential of the MHB towards gram-positive and negative bacterial growths has been investigated. The results suggested that it would be possible to employ MHB to stop bacterial development, particularly salmonella typhimurium. Cytotoxicity of the MHB was assessed against two types of mammalian cells: VERO (the kidney of an African green monkey) and HFB4 (human skin melanocytes). Lower sensitivity was observed in VERO cells.

There is an increasing interest in biomarkers of nitric oxide dysregulation and oxidative stress to guide management and identify new therapeutic targets in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between circulating metabolites within the arginine (arginine, citrulline, ornithine, asymmetric, ADMA, and symmetric, SDMA dimethylarginine), transsulfuration (methionine, homocysteine, and cysteine) and folic acid (folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) metabolic pathways and COPD. We searched electronic databases from inception to 30 June 2023 and assessed the risk of bias and the certainty of evidence. In 21 eligible studies, compared to healthy controls, patients with stable COPD had significantly lower methionine (standardized mean difference, SMD=-0.50, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.05, p=0.029) and folic acid (SMD=-0.37, 95% CI -0.65 to -0.09, p=0.009), and higher homocysteine (SMD=0.78, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.07, p˂0.001) and cysteine concentrations (SMD=0.34, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.66, p=0.038). Additionally, COPD was associated with significantly higher ADMA (SMD=1.27, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.46, p=0.037), SDMA (SMD=3.94, 95% CI 0.79 to 7.08, p=0.014), and ornithine concentrations (SMD=0.67, 95% CI 0.13 to 1.22, p=0.015). In subgroup analysis, the SMD of homocysteine was significantly associated with the biological matrix assessed and the forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity ratio, but not with age, study location, or analytical method used. Our study suggests the presence of significant alterations in metabolites within the arginine, transsulfuration, and folic acid pathways which can be useful for assessing nitric oxide dysregulation and oxidative stress and identifying novel treatment targets in COPD. (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023448036)

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological cancer. It is preceded by monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS), an asymptomatic phase. It has been demonstrated that early detection increases the 5-year survival rate. However, blood-based biomarkers that enable early disease detection are lacking. Metabolomic and lipoprotein subfraction variable profiling is gaining traction to expand our understanding of disease states and, more specifically, for identifying diagnostic markers in patients with hematological cancers. This study aims to enhance our understanding of multiple myeloma (MM) and identify candidate metabolites, allowing for more effective preventative treatment. Serum was collected from 25 healthy controls, 20 patients with MGUS, and 30 patients with MM. 1H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy was utilized to evaluate serum samples. The metabolite concentrations were examined using multivariate, univariate, and pathway analysis. Metabolic profiles of the MGUS patients revealed lower levels of alanine (F.C. = 0.8, p = 0.002), lysine (FC = 0.8, p &lt; 0.001), leucine (FC=0.7, p &lt; 0.001) but higher levels of formic acid (FC=1.6, p ≤ 0.001) when compared to controls. However, metabolic profiling of MM patients compared to controls exhibited decreased levels of total Apolipoprotein-A1 (FC =0.6, p&lt;0.001), HDL-4 Apolipoprotein-A1 (FC = 0.5, p ≤ 0.001), HDL-4 Apolipoprotein-A2 (FC = 0.6, p &lt; 0.001), HDL Free Cholesterol (FC = 0.7, p &lt; 0.001), HDL-3 Cholesterol (FC = 0.5, p ≤ 0.001) and HDL-4 Cholesterol (FC = 0.5, p ≤ 0.001). Lastly, metabolic comparison between MGUS to MM patients primarily indicated alterations in lipoproteins levels: Total Cholesterol (FC = 0.6, p ≤ 0.001), HDL Cholesterol (FC = 0.7, p ≤ 0.001), HDL Free Cholesterol (FC = 0.4, p ≤ 0.001), Total Apolipoprotein-A1 (FC = 0.7, p ≤ 0.001), HDL Apolipoprotein-A1 (FC = 0.7, p ≤ 0.001), HDL-4 Apolipoprotein-A1 (FC = 0.6, p ≤ 0.001) and HDL-4 Phospholipids (FC = 0.6, p ≤ 0.001). This study provides novel insights into the serum metabolic and lipoprotein subfraction changes in patients as they progress from a healthy state to MGUS to MM, which may allow for earlier clinical detection and treatment.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating linseed oil and fish oil in the diet on intake, ruminal fermentation milk yield and milk fatty acid profile in dairy goats. Four crossbred Saanen lactating goats in mid-lactation and milking 1.30±0.28 g/day were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The basal diet consisted of concentrate and Para grass (C:F 40:60). Treatments included the basal diet without oil supplement (Ctrl) or with 2.5% linseed oil (LO2.5), 2.5% linseed oil and fish oil (3:2, w/w, LFO2.5), and 4.16% linseed oil and fish oil (3:2, w/w, LFO4.16). Diets had no effect on intake, milk yield, milk composition and ruminal fermentation patterns (P > 0.05). The lower (P < 0.05) proportions of C10:0-C14:0 in milk fat were observed with LFO4.16 compared with Ctrl. Compared with the Ctrl and linseed oil added alone, feeding LFO4.16 resulted in a 589% and 303% increase in C18:1 t11, respectively. Milk c9,t11 CLA was markedly increased with the LFO4.16 diet, accounting for 4.53 and 2.94 times greater concentrations than those in Ctrl and LO2.5 diets, respectively (P < 0.01). Goats fed LFO2.5 and LFO4.16 had greater levels of C22:6n-3 (0.63% and 0.87%; P < 0.001) compared with those fed Ctrl and LO2.5 diets (0.06% and 0.08%). Overall, the combined data suggested that including 4.16% linseed oil and fish oil in the diet of dairy goats is effective for improving the concentrations of healthy fatty acids in milk, without affecting milk production.

In the recent years, Cannabis and hemp-based products have become increasingly popular for various applications ranging from recreational use, edibles, beverages to health care products and medicines. The rapid detection and differentiation of phytocannabinoids is, therefore, essential to assess the potency, therapeutic and nutritional values of cannabis cultivars. Here, we implemented the SpiderMass technology for the in vivo detection of cannabidiol acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinol acid (THCA) and other endogenous organic plant compounds to access distribution gradients within the plants and differentiate cultivars. The SpiderMass system is composed of an IR- laser handheld microsampling probe connected to the mass spectrometer through a transfer tube. The analysis was performed in situ on different plant organs from freshly cultivated Cannabis plants in only a few seconds. SpiderMass analysis easily discriminated the two acid phytocannabinoid isomers by MS/MS and the built statistical models differentiated between four Cannabis cultivars. Different abundancies of acid phytocannabinoids were also found along the plant as well as between different cultivars. All together, these results introduce the direct analysis by SpiderMass as a compelling analytical alternative for forensic and hemp industrial analysis.

The food additive sorbic acid is considered as an effective preservative for certain cereal products, and propionic acid is commonly added in bakery wares, e.g. bread and fine bakery wares. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR) method for routine screening and quantification of sorbic and propionic acids in bread and several bakery products for quality control purposes. Results showed that none of the screened samples contained higher concentrations than regulatory maximum limits. However, for some samples, labelling of preservatives was lacking or they were used in food categories, for which the use is not approved. It can be concluded that the developed NMR method can be used for routine screening of bakery products.

The jalapeño pepper is a vegetable of great economic importance worldwide. However, low germination efficiency, weak seedlings, and a high mortality rate during transplant compromise the viability and sustainability of the crop. An innovative solution is the nanopriming tech-nique, an emerging and novel technology, which involves the imbibition of seeds for a specific period using mineral nanoparticles. The addition of micronutrients such as Zinc and Molyb-denum has been used in seed germination and early seedling development due to their crucial roles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using Zinc-Molybdenum nano-priming in Jalapeño Pepper on germination and early growth. The results showed that applying nanopriming 124-10 mg L−1 of Zinc-Molybdenum promotes effectiveness on the imbibition and germination of jalapeño pepper seeds, resulting in heavier seeds with better initial absorption. This method not only improves germination rates and seedling vigor but also points towards more sustainable and efficient agriculture. Building on these findings, the Zinc-Molybdenum nanopriming method could potentially transform jalapeño pepper cultivation by enhancing seed quality and resilience. This could lead to more robust crop yields and reduce the need for chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, thus lowering production costs and environ-mental impact.

Three neutral Pt(II) complexes with diphenylamino-modified 2-phenylpyridine derivatives as cy- clometalating ligands and acetylacetone as the ancillary ligand exhibit aggregation-induced phosphorescent emission (AIPE) properties in THF/H2O. The crystal structures of the complexes highlight the contributions of non-covalent Pt···Pt interactions and hydrogen bonds to the AIPE properties. These AIPE-active Pt(II) complexes 1-3 have been successfully applied to detect picric acid (PA) in aqueous media, affording the lowest limit of detection at 70 nM. Furthermore, three Pt(II) complexes are able to detect PA in common water samples. The quenching of luminescence in the detection can be attributed to photo-induced electron transfer.

: Protease-producing yeasts were isolated from potato wastes and screened for protease production on skim milk agar plates The best producer of protease isolate was identified as Clavispora lusitaniae. The strain showed better enzyme production using tomato pomace and bread waste mix as a solid fermentation substrate. The optimized conditions improved enzyme activity and showed a maximal production of 33450±503 IU/g compared with the initial activity of 11205,78 ±360 without medium optimization. A threefold increase in protease activity after medium optimization proved the reliability of using the PBD and CCD design. A 19.76-fold purified enzyme and a yield of 32.94% were obtained after purification. The protease showed maximum activity at pH 4 and 60 °C and was resistant to Tween 20, Tween 40, SDS, and β-mercaptoethanol, Ca2+, and Mg2+ stimulated it. The protease activity was strongly inhibited in the presence of urea, and EDTA. The results revealed Clavispora lusitaniae protease's ability to degrade wheat seeds and flour gluten by 98.7% and 97% respectively under pH 4 for 24 hours at 40 °C. According to this study, this enzyme could be a potential candidate for the food industry, particularly for treating wheat seed and flour to reduce the immunogenicity of gluten.

The carotid body is a major peripheral chemoreceptor that senses changes in arterial blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH, what is important for regulation of breathing and cardiovascular function. The mechanisms by which the carotid body senses O2 and CO2 are well known; conversely, the mechanisms by which it senses pH variations are almost unknown. Here we used immunohistochemistry to investigate how the human carotid body contributes to the detection acidosis analyzing whether it expresses acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC) ion channels, and to know if these channels are in the cells chemosensory glomic cells or in the afferent nerves. ASIC1, ASIC2 and ASIC3, and to a much lesser extent ASIC4, immunoreactivity was detected in subpopulations of type I glomus cells, as well as in the nerves of the carotid body. In addition, immunoreactivity was found for all ASIC subunits in neurons of the petrosal and superior cervical sympathetic ganglia, where afferent and efferent neurons are located, respectively, innervating the carotid body. This study reports for the fist time the occurrence of ASIC proteins in the human carotid body, demonstrating that they are present in glomus chemosensory cells (ASIC1 &lt; ASIC2 &gt; ASIC3 &gt; ASIC4) and nerves, presumably both afferent an efferent supplying the organ. These results suggest that the detection of acidosis by the carotid body can be mediated by ASIC ion channels present in the type I glomus cells or directly by sensory nerve fibers.

The (benzylthio)acetic acid (HBTA) and some aminopyrimidines, namely 2-aminopyrimidine (2-AP), 5-aminopyrimidine (5-AP), 2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine (2-A-4,6-DMP) and 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (2,4,6-TAP), were successfully embodied as structural units into the construction of a total of four novel supramolecular organic frameworks. The received crystalline solids were inspected by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC XRD) in order to obtain insight into the structural and supramolecular facets. The SOFs deriving from 2-AP, 5-AP as well as 2-A-4,6-DMP crystallize in the form of true co-crystals (1-3), while the one originating from 2,4,6-TAP crystallizes as salt solvate (4). The SC XRD results indicated the different contents of structural residues present in the asymmetric units of the crystals 1-4 despite the using the same molar ratio of molecular co-formers in each case. The molecular structures of co-crystals 1-3 consist of either one neutral residue of each starting components (1 and 3) or a half nonionized residue of aminopyrimidine ingredient and one neutral residue of acidic specie (2). The asymmetric unit of salt solvate 4 is composed of two ionized residues of each co-former (two 2,4,6-TAP+ cations and two BTA- anions) and one MeOH solvent molecule. The most extensive H-bonding network is observed in the crystal structure of salt solvate 4. The relevant molecular ingredients in co-crystals 1-3 are mainly hold together by the neutral Ocarboxylic–H···Npyrimidine and Namine–H···Ocarboxylic H-bonds. In the case of aggregate 4, the corresponding ionic residues are predominantly sustained by the charged-assisted Npyrimidinium–H···Ocarboxylate and Namine–H···Ocarboxylate hydrogen interactions. The MeOH solvent incorporated into the crystal lattice of adduct 4 is also involved in H-bonding by simultaneously serving as the single donor in OMeOH–H···S and the single acceptor in Namine–H···OMeOH H-bonds afforded the structural diversity within the 2,4,6-TAP+ cations and BTA- anions. Other weaker sets of additional non-covalent contacts existing in the crystal structures of analyzed conglomerates are involved in the self-assembly, stabilization and expansion of total supramolecular organic frameworks. The fact of the formation of non-covalent bonded supramolecular organic frameworks in question is also reflected in corresponding results obtained through elemental analysis (EA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT−IR) and thermal analysis (TG/DSC).

Oral cancer ranks sixth among Taiwan's top 10 cancers, and most patients with poor prognosis acquire metastases. The essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been found to diminish many cancer properties. However, the anti-cancer activity of ALA in oral cancer has yet to be determined. Migration and invasion assays confirmed OSCC cells' EMT capabilities, whereas flow cytometry and Western blotting identified the molecular pathways. ALA dramatically reduced cell growth in a concentration dependent manner, according to the findings. Low concentrations of ALA (100 or 200 μM) inhibit colony formation, expression of Twist and EMT-related proteins, expression of MMP2/-9 proteins and enzyme activity, as well as cell migration and invasion. Treatment with high concentrations of ALA (200 or 400 μM) greatly increases JNK phosphorylation and c-jun nuclear accumulation, then upregulates the FasL/caspase8/caspase3 and Bid/cytochrome c/caspase9/caspase3 pathways, leading to cell death. Low concentrations of ALA inhibit SAS and GNM cell migration and invasion by suppressing Twist and downregulating EMT-related proteins, or by decreasing the protein expression and enzyme activity of MMP-2/-9, whereas high concentrations of ALA promote apoptosis by activating the JNK/FasL/caspase 8/caspase 3-extrinsic pathway and the Bid/cytochrome c/caspase 9 pathway. ALA demonstrates potential as a treatment for OSCC patients.

Over the last decades, the increased incidence of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity has motivated researchers to investigate new enzyme inhibitors. In this study, the inhibitory effects of synthetic amino acid derivatives (PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101) on the activity of digestive enzymes was assessed by in vitro assays. The inhibitory effect was determined by the inhibition percentage and the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50), and the mechanism of action was investigated by Lineweaver–Burk plots. PPC80, PPC82, and PPC84 inhibited pancreatic lipase (IC50 of 1.67–10.23 x 10-1 mmol/L). The activity of pancreatic α-amylase was suppressed by PPC80, PPC82, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 (IC50 of 1.62–5.19 x 10-1 mmol/L). Finally, PPC84, PPC89, and PPC101 also showed a potent inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase (IC50 of 0.51–3.53 x 10-1 mmol/L). PPC80 and PPC82 followed a non-competitive inhibition mechanism against pancreatic lipase, while PPC84 acted through competitive inhibition. The inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase by the derivatives was non-competitive, as well as for PPC84, PPC89 and PPC101 against α-glucosidase. The results suggest that these synthetic amino acid derivatives have inhibitory potential against digestive enzymes and may be used as therapeutic agents to control metabolic disorders.

Traditional grain vinegar is fermented using multiple acetic acid bacteria (AAB) at various temperatures. A single AAB showed high acid–producing ability at 30 °C with a 5% alcohol concentration and an initial pH adjusted to 4.0. Multiple AAB were similar to single AAB, but the optimal initial pH was 3.0. Acid production ability according to the type of AAB was higher in multiple AAB than that for single AAB. That is, using multiple AAB helped to increase the titratable acidity of traditional grain vinegar. In addition, increasing the titratable acidity and content of volatile flavor compounds was advantageous when two, rather than four, AAB types were mixed and used. Titratable acidity was high at medium temperatures (30 °C), but volatile flavor compounds increased at low temperatures (20 °C) under multiple AAB. A 16S rDNA–based microbiome taxonomic profiling analysis identified differences in beta diversity due to multiple AAB and fermentation temperatures. In particular, beta diversity analysis revealed a specific pattern when a mixture of Acetobacter ascedens GV–8 and Acetobacter pasteurianus GV–22 were fermented at low temperature (20 °C). Therefore, we propose the application of multiple AAB with acidic and flavor–producing properties in traditional grain vinegar.

The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally induced paternal epigenetic inheritance shaping the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care, and the empirical results clearly indicate that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, sperm often make up only a small fraction of the male ejaculate in animals. Males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, types of small RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their seminal fluid. These molecules are in close contact with reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are very sensitive to environmental conditions which makes them potential modulators of environmentally and developmentally induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence of seminal fluid-mediated paternal epigenetic effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, I discuss the current evidence regarding the association between seminal fluid and environmentally induced paternal effects, the possible trajectories, and the mechanisms in which seminal fluid can involve to mediate paternal epigenetic inheritance.

The fatty acid elongase ELOngation of Very-Long-chain fatty acids protein 2 (ELOVL2) controls the elongation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) producing precursors for omega-3, do-cosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and omega-6, docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn6) in-vivo. Expectedly, Elovl2-ablation drastically reduced the DHA and DPAn6 in liver mitochondrial membranes. Unexpectedly, however, total PUFAs levels decreased further than could be explained by Elovl2 ablation. The lipid peroxidation process was not involved in PUFAs reduction since malondial-dehyde-lysine (MDAL) and other oxidative stress biomarkers were not enhanced. The content of mitochondrial respiratory chain proteins remained unchanged. Still, membrane remodeling was associated with high voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) and adenine nucleotide trans-locase 2 (ANT2), a possible reflection of the increased demand on phospholipid transport to the mitochondria. Mitochondrial function was impaired despite preserved content of the respiratory chain proteins and the absence of oxidative damage. Oligomycin-insensitive oxygen consumption increased, and coefficients of respiratory control were reduced by 50%. The mitochondria became very sensitive to fatty acid-induced uncoupling and permeabilization, where ANT2 is involved. Mitochondrial volume and number of peroxisomes increased as revealed by transmission elec-tron microscopy. In conclusion, the results imply that endogenous DHA production is vital for the normal function of mouse liver mitochondria and could be relevant not only for mice but also for human metabolism.

In this study dual PET and contrast enhanced MRI were combined to investigate their correlation per voxel in patients at initial diagnosis with suspected glioblastoma. Correlation with contrast enhancement (CE) as an indicator of BBB leakage was further used to evaluate whether PET signal is likely caused by BBB disruption alone, or rather attributable to specific binding after BBB passage. PET images with [18F]GE180 and the amino acid [18F]FET were acquired and normalized to healthy background (TBR). Contrast enhanced images were normalized voxel by voxel with the pre-contrast T1-weighted MRI to generate relative CE values (rCE). Voxel-wise analysis revealed a high PET signal even within the sub-volumes without detectable CE. No to moderate correlation of rCE with TBR voxel-values and a small overlap as well as a larger distance of the hotspots delineated in rCE and TBR-PET images were detected. In contrast, voxel-wise correlation between both PET modalities was strong for most patients and hotspots showed a moderate overlap and distance. The high PET signal in tumor sub-volumes without CE observed in voxel-wise analysis as well as the discordant hotspots emphasize the specificity of the PET signals and the relevance of combined differential information from dual PET and MRI images.

The absence of interdental papillae leads to the appearance of black triangle. For most patients, the appearance of these triangles is an important reason for concern and affects their social relationships. Multiple reconstruction techniques have been developed with different degrees of success and predictability. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of hyaluronic acid (HA) injected into interproximal papillae six months after injection and to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis. After a systematic review, five articles were selected: a clinical randomised controlled trial and four clinical trials. In total, eighty-five patients with a deficiency in upper papillae in the front of the maxilla and jaw were included in the study. The height variable was evaluated (mm) six months after HA injection. In total, one hundred and four interproximal papillae were studied. Three articles showed an important difference in favour of intervention. The total result regarding in the injection of AH was favourable with an approximate average filling of 0.7 mm in the height of the interdental papilla. The injection of HA for the reconstruction of deficient papillae in the region of the upper and lower maxilla was a possible option treatment strategy.

Study of fungal antibiotics in their competitive interactions with arthropods may lead to development novel biorational insecticides. Extracts of Alternaria tenuissima MFP253011 obtained by various methods showed a wide range of biological activity, including entomotoxic properties. Analysis of their composition and bioactivity allowed to reveal several known mycotoxins and unidentified compounds that may be involved in entomotoxic activity of the extracts. Among them, tenuazonic acid (TeA), which was the major component of the A. tenuissima extracts, was found the most likely to have larvicidal activity against Galleria mellonella. In the intrahaemocoel injection bioassay, TeA was toxic to G. mellonella and of Zophobas morio with LT50 6 and 2 days, respectively, at the level of 50 µg/larva. Administered orally, TeA inhibited growth of G. mellonella larvae and caused mortality of Acheta domesticus imagines (LT50 7 days) at a concentration of 250 µg/g of feed. TeA showed weak contact-intestinal activity against the two phytophages, Tetranychus urticae and Schizaphis graminum, causing the 12 and 40% of mortality at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. TeA was cytotoxic to Sf9 cell line (IC50 25 µg/mL). Thus, model insect G. mellonella and cell line Sf9 could be used for a further toxicological characterization of TeA.

Quantity-intensity characteristics are among conventional approaches for studying potassium dynamics and its availability; this was assessed to determine availability in four districts: namely, Sodo Zuria, Damot Gale, Damot Sore, and Boloso Sore at three different land use type viz., enset-coffee, crop land, and grazing land. There was water soluble, ammonium acetate, nitric acid extractable potassium, exchangeable potassium, and non-exchangeable potassium studied in soil samples, which were collected from 0-20 cm depth of each land type. The study revealed that water soluble and ammonium acetate extractable potassium concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 0.42 cmolKg-1 soils enset-coffee and grazing land use types, respectively. The study showed that exchangeable potassium constituted the highest proportion of available potassium, while the proportion of water soluble potassium was found to be the lowest. In this study, non-exchangeable potassium concentrations varied from 0.10 to 0.04cmolKg-1soils for enset-coffee, and crop and grazing land use type. Furthermore, available potassium and exchangeable potassium concentrations were positively correlated with OC(r=0.95***), cation exchange capacity, and sand and clay(r=0.98***). In addition, the K dynamics as impacted by land use types found that the highest change in exchangeable potassium (0.31cmolkg-1soils) and potential buffering capacity (1.79cmolkg-1soils) were noted in crop land use types, whereas the lowest change(1.26cmolkg-1 soils) was observed in the enset-coffee system, The varying properties, potassium status, dynamic and land use type of soils identified in the study areas provided adequate information to design soil potassium management options and further research about the soil in each site. Therefore, application of site specific soil fertility management practices and research can improve soil potassium status and quantity intensity parameters to sustain crop productive soils.

Background and objectives: The hepatoprotective activity of vitamin E and C is evident due to their ability of modulating the antioxidant pathway. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on paracetamol induced liver damage with offsetting various levels of drug treatment following an in vivo experimental protocol on Wistar albino male rats. Materials and Methods: The level of lipid peroxidation as well as histological examination of liver tissues were observed among 50 Wistar albino male rats to evaluate hepatoprotective effect of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on hepatocytes. The experiment was divided into 5 groups (10 rats in each group)- Basal control group (Group-I, with propylene glycol), Paracetamol treated control group (Group –II), α-tocopherol pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –III), Ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –IV) and Ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –IV). Results: The mean (± SD) Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were significantly reduced in α-tocopherol pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P<0.001), Ascorbic acid pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P≤0.05) and combined α-tocopherol with ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). Statistically significant differences in histological findings of rat liver were observed in paracetamol treated control group (P<0.001), ascorbic acid pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was also significantly higher in paracetamol treated group (P<0.001), α-tocopherol pretreated plus paracetamol treated group (P≤0.05) and in ascorbic acid pretreated plus paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The combined pretreatment of α-tocopherol & ascorbic acid have better hepatoprotective effects than α-tocopherol or ascorbic acid alone against paracetamol induced liver damage. The decrement of free radicals produced by vitamin E could be a better hepatoprotective antioxidant than vitamin C in paracetamol induced toxicity.

Bacterial infections are world-wide problem and resistant bacteria is increasing globally that lead to treatments failure. Thus, it is important to find new techniques that are effective for the treatment antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Green medicine used for the medication of different bacterial infection. Therefore , the study aimed to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of essential fatty acid semi carbazide (EFASC) compounds extracted from flaxseed to eradicate resistance pathogens . Crud extracts of Linum usitatissimum was extracted by hexane for extraction of EFASC. The results of LD₅₀ appear that a live suspension of E.coli was 0.49×10⁷ ,while HK E.coli was 10⁸ , 125 mg /ml were the optimum dose in stimulate immune response of EFASC which gave maximum dose of total WBC , Neutrophil and Monocyte count. The immunomodulatory activity appear that E.coli + EFASC released moderate levels of IL-4 . HK E.coli release higher IL-4 lead to increase the hypersensitivity and hyper responses of immune system. HK + EFASC immunogen revealed moderate increased in IL-12 mean level 0.99 pg /ml, HK bacteria recorded 1.49 pg/ml, while the mean of EFASC revealed no significant different compare with control. An effective protection was observed in immunized groups with HK E.coli and EFASC challenged with 100 of LD50 of a live E.coli.

Direct-to-blister copper flash smelting slag contains up to 14% of copper and 2-4% of lead. Considering this fact, this material is subjected to the high-temperature reduction process. After this, converting process is performed on the Cu-Pb-Fe alloy being the product of decopperization process in electric furnace. An alternative to the presently used processing of flash smelting slag would be its hydrometallurgical treatment and selective recovery of Pb and Cu. This paper presents the results of laboratory tests on flash smelting slag leaching with citric acid solutions. The experiments performed allowed to determine the process parameters at which the Pb concentration in the post-leaching sediment reached the value of 0.41-0.6% while the Pb content in flash smelting slag was 3.05%. Analogous values for copper were 11.5-11.8% (after leaching) and 12.44% (before). Material after leaching in citric acid solutions can be processed, in the second step, using sulfuric acid solutions, and it could lead to the recovery of almost all copper contained in it.

This mini-review provides an overview of traditional, emerging, and future applications of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and discusses how genome editing tools can be used to overcome current challenges in all these applications. It also describes currently available tools and how these can be further developed, and takes current legislation into account. Genome editing tools are necessary for the construction of strains for new applications and products, but can also play a crucial role in traditional ones, such as food and probiotics, as a research tool for understanding mechanistic insights and discovering new properties. Traditionally, recombinant DNA techniques for LAB have strongly focused on being food-grade, but they lack throughput and the number of genetically tractable strains is still rather limited. Further tool development in this direction will enable rapid construction of multiple mutants or mutant libraries on a genomic level in a wide variety of LAB strains. We also propose an iterative Design-Build-Test-Learn workflow cycle for LAB cell factory development based on systems biology, with “cell factory” expanding beyond its traditional meaning of production strains and making use of high-throughput genome editing tools to advance LAB understanding, applications and strain development.

Retinoic acid (RA) is the biologically active metabolite of vitamin A and has become a well-established factor that induces neurite outgrowth and regeneration in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms that may mediate RA-induced neurite sprouting remain unclear. In the past decade, microRNAs have emerged as important regulators of nervous system development and regeneration, and have been shown to contribute to processes such as neurite sprouting. However, few studies have demonstrated the role of miRNAs in RA-induced neurite sprouting. By miRNA-Sequencing analysis, we identify 482 miRNAs in the regenerating CNS of the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis, 219 of which represent potentially novel miRNAs. Of the remaining conserved miRNAs, 38 show a statistically significant up or downregulation in regenerating CNS as a result of RA treatment. We further characterized the expression of one neuronally-enriched miRNA upregulated by RA, miR-124. We demonstrate for the first time that miR-124 is expressed within the cell bodies and neurites of regenerating motorneurons. Moreover, we identify miR-124 expression within the growth cones of cultured ciliary motorneurons (Pedal A), whereas expression in the growth cones of another class of respiratory motorneurons (RPA) was absent in vitro. These findings support our hypothesis that miRNAs are important regulators of retinoic acid-induced neuronal outgrowth and regeneration in regeneration-competent species.

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) hydrogels possess good bioadhesive properties and allow enhanced penetration of drugs. In addition, it is possible to localize the absorption site of the drug in the hydrogel and increase the drug residence time. As opposed to other cross-linking processes radiation-induced polymer cross-linking can be easily and rapidly carried out without the use of cross-linking agents and other chemical additives. In this study, we fabricated metronidazole (MD) containing PAAc hydrogel (MD/PAAc) with different MD contents (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 wt%) using varying radiation doses (25, 50, 75 kGy) by gamma-irradiation. The physical and thermal properties were determined by gel content analysis, swelling ratio measurements, compressive strength measurements, differential scanning calorimetery, and thermogravimetric analysis. The properties of the hydrogel degraded due to the crystalline nature of MD. The properties of the hydrogel degraded due to the crystalline nature of MD. Cumulative release observed after 50 min in the case of 0.5MD/PAAc and 0.1MD/PAAc was 50% and 10%, respectively. Our findings suggest that MD/PAAc could be a suitable drug delivery carrier for use with radiation-based techniques.

Abstract: The expansion of global industries results in the release of harmful volatile acid vapors into the environment, posing a threat to various life forms. Hence, it's crucial to prioritize the development of swift sensing systems capable of monitoring these volatile acid vapors. This initiative holds great importance in safeguarding a clean and safe environment. This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of pyrene-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) demonstrating exceptional crystallinity, thermal stability, and intense fluorescence. Three COFs—PP-COF, PT-COF, and PE-COF—were synthesized, showcasing large surface areas and robust thermal stability up to 400 °C. The fluorescence properties and intramolecular charge transfer within these COFs were significantly influenced by their Schiff base bonding types and π-stacking degrees between COF layers. Notably, PE-COF emerged as the most fluorescent among the three COFs and exhibited exceptional sensitivity and rapid response as a fluorescent chemosensor for detecting HCl in solution. The reversible protonation of imine bonds in these COFs allowed for the creation of highly sensitive acid vapor sensors, showcasing a shift in spectral absorption while maintaining structural integrity. This research highlights the potential of COFs as reliable and reusable sensors for detecting harmful acid vapors, addressing environmental concerns arising from industrial activities.

The chromatographic conditions were optimized using headspace gas chromatography, and a simple and rapid method was established for the simultaneous determination of five residual solvents in ursodeoxycholic acid raw materials. The corresponding quality standards were revised. The results showed that the concentration of methanol ranged from 0.06mg/ml to 0.3mg/ml, and the concentrations of acetone, tert butanol, ethyl acetate, and triethylamine showed a good linear relationship with the peak area within the range of 0.1mg/ml to 0.5mg/ml (r=0.999); The quantitation limits for methanol, acetone, tert-butanol, ethyl acetate, and triethylamine were 4.2, 0.9, 1.5, 1, and 0.1 μg/ml, respectively, with detection limits of 1.2, 0.25, 0.025, 0.3, and 0.025 μg/ml, respectively. The recovery rates of each solvent ranged from 92.9% to 106.0%, with RSD% (n=9) less than 3.8%; The method exhibited good repeatability, with RSD% (n=6) less than 2.5%. Furthermore, the durability is good. The established method is simple, accurate, specific, and highly sensitive, and can be used for the simultaneous and rapid determination of five residual solvents in ursodeoxycholic acid raw materials.

Single-Molecule Magnets (SMMs) have attracted much interest because of their spin properties and potential technological applications. Besides, a great effort has been devoted to their functionalization, which is made with functional groups convenient to connect suitable SMMs to junction devices or to perform their grafting on surfaces of different substrates. We have synthesized and characterized two lipoic acid-functionalized and oxime-based MnIII compounds, of formula [Mn6(μ3-O)2(H2N-sao)6(lip)2(MeOH)6][Mn6(μ3-O)2(H2N-sao)6(cnph)2(MeOH)6]}·10MeOH (1) and [Mn6(μ3-O)2(H2N-sao)6(lip)2(EtOH)6]·EtOH·2H2O (2) [H2N-saoH2 = salicylamidoxime, lip = lipoate anion, cnph = 2-cyanophenolate anion]. 1 crystallizes in the triclinic system with space group Pī and 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c. In their crystal packing, adjacent Mn6 complexes are connected through non-coordinating solvent molecules, which are H-bonded to N atoms of –NH2 groups of salicylamidoxime ligand. In addition, Hirshfeld surfaces of 1 and 2 were calculated to study the variety of intermolecular interactions and different level of importance that take place in their crystal lattice, this type of computed study being the first time performed on Mn6 molecules. The study of the magnetic properties of 1 and 2 through dc magnetic susceptibility measurements reveals the coexistence of ferro- and antiferromagnetic exchange couplings between the Mn(III) metal ions in both compounds, the latter being the predominant magnetic interaction. A ground state spin value of S = 4 was obtained through isotropic simulations of the experimental magnetic susceptibility data for both 1 and 2. Ac magnetic susceptibility measurements show the occurrence of slow relaxation of the magnetization in 1 and 2, which indicate that SMM behavior take place in both compounds.

Theories on life’s origin generally acknowledge the advantage of a semi-permeable vesicle (protocell) for enhancing the chemical reaction-diffusion processes involved in abiogenesis. However, more and more evidence indicates that the origin of life concerned the photo-chemical dissipative structuring of the fundamental molecules under UV-C light. In this paper, we analyze the Mie UV scattering properties of such a vesicle made from long chain fatty acids. We find that the vesicle could have provided early life with a shield from the faint, but dangerous, hard UV-C ionizing light (180-210 nm) that probably bathed Earth’s surface from before the origin of life and until perhaps 1,500 million years after, until the formation of a protective ozone layer as a result of the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis.

Dental pulp tissue engineering (TE) quests to regenerate dentin/pulp complex by combining a suitable supporting matrix, stem cells, and biochemical stimuli. Such procedures foresee a matrix that can be easily introduced into the root canal system (RCS) and tightly adhere to dentin walls to assure the dentin surface's proper colonization with progenitor cells capable of restoring the dentin/pulp complex. Herein was investigated an injectable self-setting hyaluronic acid-based (HA) hydrogel system, formed by aldehyde-modified (a-HA) with hydrazide-modified (ADH), enriched with platelet lysate (PL), for endodontic regeneration. The hydrogels' working (wT) and setting (sT) times, the adhesion to the dentine walls, the hydrogel's microstructure, and the delivery of human Dental Pulp Cells (DPCs) were studied in vitro. Hydrogels incorporating PL showed a suitable wT and sT and a porous microstructure. The tensile tests showed that the breaking point occurs after 4.13 mm deformation. While in the indentation test after 1.3 mm deformation. Both breaking points occur in the hydrogel extension. The HA/PL hydrogels exhibited supportive properties and promoted cell migration toward dentin surfaces in vitro. Overall, these results support using PL-laden HA injectable hydrogels (HA/PL) as a biomaterial for DPCs encapsulation, thereby displaying great clinical potential towards endodontic regenerative therapies.

Acid fracturing simulation is used widely to optimize carbonate reservoirs and improve acid fracturing treatment performance. In this study, a method was used to minimize the risk of the acid fracturing treatment. First, optimal fracture geometry parameters with UFD methods are calculated. After that, design components change as long as fracture geometry parameters reach their optimal values. The results showed a high flow rate needed to achieve optimal fracture geometry parameters with increasing acid volume. Sensitivity analysis was performed on controllable and reservoir parameters. It observed that a high flow rate should be applied for a low fluid viscosity to achieve the optimization goals. Straight acid reaches optimal conditions at a high flow rate and low volume. These conditions for retarded acids appear only at a low flow rate and high volume. The study of the acid concentration for gelled acid showed that as it increased, the flow rate and volume increased. Besides, for low permeability formation, a large fracture half-length and small fracture width are desirable. In this case, a higher flow rate will be required. The sensitivity analysis showed that the optimum flow rate and acid volume increase and decrease for the high Young's modulus. The effect of closure stress was also investigated and observed for a sample with high closure stress, low flow rate, and high acid volume are required.

The screening and treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) using Na₂FeO₄ has been explored. Elemental composition was performed using an ICP-OES for the raw and treated AMD. The AMD samples were collected from three different sampling sites (RTW1, RTW2 and RTW3) in Pretoria, South Africa with acidic pH ranging between 2.50 and 3.13. Total dissolved solids and Electrical Conductivity of AMD samples ranged between 960 and > 1000 mg. L^-1, 226 and 263 µS. cm^-1, respectively. The final pH of treated water samples increased up to ≥ 9.5 after treatment with Na₂FeO₄. Sodium ferrate showed dual functions by removing metals and raising the pH of the treated water. Concentrations of most trace elements were not complying with WHO and DWAF guideline standards in raw AMD while after treatment with Na₂FeO₄ the concentrations were below guidelines for domestic and irrigation purposes.

Myxobacteria represent a viable source of chemically diverse and biologically active secondary metabolites. The myxochelins are a well-studied family of catecholate-type siderophores produced by various myxobacterial strains. Here, we report the discovery, isolation and structure elucidation of three new myxochelins N1–N3 from the terrestrial myxobacterium Corallococcus sp. MCy9049, featuring an unusual nicotinic acid moiety. Precursor-directed biosynthesis (PDB) experiments and total synthesis were performed in order to confirm structures, improve access to pure compounds for bioactivity testing and to devise a biosynthesis proposal. The combined evaluation of metabolome and genome data covering myxobacteria supports the notion that the new myxochelin congeners reported here are in fact frequent side products of the known myxochelin A biosynthetic pathway in myxobacteria.

We designed a novel growth controller regulated by feeding of an unnatural amino acid, Nε-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine (ZK), using a specific incorporation system at a sense codon. This system is constructed by a pair of modified pyrrolisyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) and its cognate tRNA (tRNApyl). Although ZK is non-toxic for normal organisms, the growth of Escherichia coli carrying the ZK incorporation system was inhibited in a ZK concentration-dependent manner without causing rapid bacterial death, presumably due to generation of non-functional or toxic proteins. The extent of growth inhibition strongly depended on the anticodon sequence of the tRNApyl gene. Taking advantage of the low selectivity of PylRS for tRNApyl anticodons, we experimentally determined the most effective anticodon sequence among all 64 nucleotide sequences in the anticodon region of tRNApyl gene. The results suggest that the ZK-regulated growth controller is a simple, target-specific, environmental noise-resistant and titratable system. This technique may be applicable to a wide variety of organisms because the growth inhibitory effects are caused by “informational disturbance”, in which the highly conserved system for transmission of information from DNA to proteins is perturbed.

The separation of rare earth metals (REM) from a neodymium magnet has been widely studied in the last year. We have shown that the waste of computer hard disk contains 25.41 % neodymium, 64.09 % iron, and &lt;&lt;1 % boron. To further isolate rare-earth metals, the magnet was acidically dissolved in open and closed systems. In both methods of dissolution was used concentrated nitric acid. The difference between these methods are the conditions of dissolution of magnet. The magnet was dissolved in a microwave sample preparation system at different temperatures and pressures in a closed system. In the open system, the acid dissolution of the magnet conducted at room temperature. 0.2 g of the neodymium magnet sample was taken under two conditions, and the dissolution process in the closed system lasted 1 hour, and in the open system-30-40 minutes. The open system is a non-laborious, simple and cheap method of dissolving the magnet by comparing both systems. Therefore, an open sample preparation system is used for further work. To remove the iron in the magnet, oxalic acid was used and precipitated as oxalates under both conditions. According to the result of the ICP-MS method, it is shown that the neodymium and iron contents in the precipitate are 24.66 % and 0.06 %, respectively. This shows that the iron has almost completely passed to the filtrate. Thus, it is possible to remove the iron from the sample.

BioPBS is gaining attention in the biodegradable polymer market due to their promising properties such as high biodegradability and processing versatility representing a potential sustainable replacement for fossil oil-based commodities. However, there is still a need to enhance its properties for certain applications, being aesthetical and mechanical properties a challenge. The aim of the present work is to improve these properties by adding selected additives that will confer bioPBS with comparable properties to that of current counterparts such as polypropylene (PP) for specific applications in the automotive and household appliances sectors. A total of thirteen materials have been studied and compared, being twelve biocomposites containing combinations of three different additives: a commercial red colourant, itaconic acid (IA) to enhance colour fixation and zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles to maintain at least native PBS mechanical properties. Results show that the combination of IA and the colouring agent tends to slightly yellowish the blend due to the absorbance spectra of IA and also to modify the gloss due to the formation of IA nanocrystals that affects light scattering. In addition, for low amounts of IA (4wt.%), young modulus seems to be kept while elongation at break is even raised. Unexpectedly, a strong aging affect was found after 4 weeks. IA increases the hydrophilic behaviour of the samples and thus seems to accelerate the hydrolisation of the matrix, which is accompanied by an accused disaggregation of phases and an overall softening and rigidization effect. The addition of low amounts of ZrO2 (2wt.%) seems to provide the desired effect for hardening the surface while almost not affecting the other properties; however, higher amounts tends to form aggregates saturating the compounds. As a conclusion, IA might be a good candidate for colour fixing in biobased polymers.

The direct Cr (VI) reduction process by oxalic acid was conducted and the results showed that the Cr (VI) was efficiently reduced by oxalic acid at high reaction temperature and high dosage of oxalic acid. The reduced product, Cr (III), was easily generated stable complex compounds (Cr(HC2O4)3) with oxalate, which displayed a negative effect on the reduction process. The high reaction temperature and high acidic medium could destroy the stable structure of a complex compound to release oxalate, and facilitate the reduction of Cr (VI). Generally, the present study provided a versatile strategy for Cr (VI) reduction, exhibiting a bright application future for real wastewater treatment.