Endolichenic fungi represent an important ecological group of microorganisms that form associ-ations with photobionts in the lichen thallus. These endofungi that live in and coevolve with li-chens are known for synthesizing secondary metabolites with novel structures and diverse chemical skeletons making them an unexplored microbial community of great interest. As part of our search for new phytoprotectans, in this work we studied the endolichenic fungus Xylaria sp. isolated from the lichen Hypogymnia tubulosa, which grow as epiphyte on the bark of the endemic tree Pinus canariensis. From the extract of liquid fermentation, we isolated two new piliformic de-rivatives, (+)-9-hydroxypiliformic acid (1) and (+)-8-hydroxypiliformic acid (2), along four known compounds, (+)-piliformic acid (3), hexylaconitic acid A anhydride (4) and two hydroxy-phenylacetic derivatives (5-6). Their structures were elucidated based on NMR and HRESIMS data. The extract and compounds were tested for their antifeedant (Myzus persicae, Rhopalosiphum padi and Spodoptera littoralis), antifungal (Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium ox-ysporum), nematicidal against Meloidogyne javanica and phytotoxic effects on mono and dicotyle-donous plant models (Lolium perenne and Lactuca sativa). Among these compounds 4, 5 and 6 were effective antifeedants against M. persicae and 4 was also active against R. padi. Moreover, com-pound 4 and 3 showed antifungal activity against B. cinerea and 4 was the only nematicidal. Phytotoxic test showed that the extract has strong effect against L. sativa and L. perenne growth. The phytotoxic compounds were 3, 4 and 5. (+)-Piliformic acid (3) and hexylaconitic A anhydride (4) displayed root growth stimulation on low doses and inhibitory effect at higher doses of di-cotyledon specie L. sativa.

In this paper, carbon nanotubes modified screen-printed electrode (CNTs/SPE) was prepared and the CNTs/SPE was employed for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant substance Chlorogenic acids (CGAs). A pair of well-defined redox peak of CGA was observed at the CNTs/SPE in 0.10 mol∙L^-1 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer (pH 6.2) and electrode process is adsorption-controlled. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the determination of CGA were proposed based on the CNTs/SPE. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed method exhibited linear ranges from 4.73×10^-7 to 4.45×10^-5 mol∙L^-1, the linear regression equation was Ipa(µA) = 4.1993 C (mol∙L^-1)+1.1039 (r = 0.9976) and the detection limit for CGA could reach 3.25×10^-6 mol∙L^-1. The recovery of matrine was 94.74~106.65% (RSD = 2.92%) in coffe beans. The proposed method is quick, sensitive, reliable, and can be used for the determination of CGA.

Background/Objectives: With the increasing prevalence of Crohn’s disease (CD), treatment op-tions for patients who fail conventional and advanced therapy are highly needed. Therefore, we explored the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and blue light (405 nm). Methods: Patients with active CD who failed or were intolerant to biological therapy were eligi-ble. Mononuclear cells (90 mL) were collected from each patient using a Spectra Optia® apheresis system and diluted with 100 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride in a collection bag. The cells were in-cubated with ALA at a concentration of 3 millimolar (mM) for 60 minutes ex vivo and illumina-tion with a LED blue-light (405 nm) source (BLUE-PIT®) before reinfusion to the patient. Vital signs and adverse events were regularly performed. At week 13 we assessed the patients with colonoscopy, the Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI), the Inflammatory Bowel disease Health Related Quality of Life Questionnaire, and measurement of serum C-reactive protein, and fecal calprotec-tin (FC) levels. Biopsies of the intestines were taken for immunohistochemistry. Results: Seven patients were included. Four patients completed, with in total 24 treatments. Three of the four achieved a response, including lower HBI, FC and/or endoscopic improvement. No significant adverse events were observed. The remaining three patients received only one, three or five treatments due to technical difficulties, medical reasons, or the withdrawal of informed con-sent. Conclusion: ALA-based ECP appears safe and seem to give some clinical improvement for the patients with active CD who failed to respond to conventional and advanced therapies.

Dietary intake of Wistar rats of biofortified with 8-hydroxy-7-iodo-5-quinolinesulfonic acid (8-OH-7-I-5QSA) kale of both cultivars ‘Oldenbor F1’ and ‘Redbor F1’ for 8 weeks resulted in sig-nificantly higher iodine concentrations in the urine and kidneys of rats, which proves iodine bio-availability. Rats diets with 'Oldenbor F1' and 'Redbor F1' kale non- and -biofortified with 8-OH-7-I-5QSA had a significantly lower or a tendency for lower concentration of TSH, triglyc-eride, total and direct bilirubin, TBARs, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations in serum. Dietary intake of 'Oldenbor F1' and 'Redbor F1' kale biofortified with 8-OH-7-I-5QSA significantly increased the total antioxidant status (TAS). The study confirms that kale biofortified with iodine in organic form iodoquinoline 8-OH-7-I-5QSA is bioavailable and well absorbed by the Wistar rat and has a positive effect on selected biochemical parameters.

Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb) is one of the largest nut crops in the world. Recently, phenolic compounds, mostly stored in almond skin, have been associated with much of the health-promoting behavior associated with their intake. The almond skin enriched fraction obtained from cold-pressed oil residues of the endemic Moroccan Beldi ecotypes is particularly rich in chlorogenic acid. In this study, both almond skin extract (AE) and chlorogenic acid (CHL) supplements, similar to traditional positive control resveratrol, significantly increased the replicative life-span of yeast compared to the untreated group. Our results showed that AE and CHL significantly reduced the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), most likely due to their ability to maintain mitochondrial function during aging, as indicated by the maintenance of normal mitochondrial membrane potential in treated groups. This may be associated with the observed activation of the anti-oxidative stress response in treated yeast, which results in activation at both gene expression and enzymatic activity levels for SOD2 and SIR2, the latter being an upstream inducer of SOD2 expression. Interestingly, the differential gene expression induction of mitochondrial SOD2 gene at the expense of the cytosolic SOD1 gene confirms the key role of mitochondrial function in this regulation. Furthermore, AE and CHL have contributed to the survival of yeast under UV-C-induced oxidative stress, by reducing the development of ROS / RNS, resulting in a significant reduction in cellular oxidative damage as evidenced by decreased membrane lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and 8-oxo-guanine formation in DNA. Together, these results demonstrate the interest of AE and CHL as new regulators in the replicative life-span and control of the oxidative stress response of yeast.

Fabrication of durable materials with excellent oil adsorption capacity and separation performance for the treatment of oily wastewater is meaningful based on smart responsiveness. Herein, a solvent-responsive melamine sponge (MS) was developed via silanization followed by the in-situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). Detailed characterization of the resultant composite MS was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The multiscale hierarchical MS substrate exhibited highly hydrophobic property in the pH range of 1-11, along with a satisfactory adsorption capacity in the range of 65.4-134.2 g/g for different oils. The modified surface transformed from superhydrophobicity/superlipophilicity to superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity upon ethanol wetting, reverting to its original superhydrophobic state upon drying. The separation flux of the MS substrate was above 1.5×104L/m2h for both oil and water removal, along with the separation efficiency more than 98.7%. No obvious changes of the separation performance after 50 successive immiscible oil/water separation indicated the excellent durability and robustness of the anchored ZIF-8 nanoparticles on the surface of modified MS substrate. More importantly, oil-in-water emulsion separation was successfully carried out via the ZIF-8 MS composite with a high separation efficiency over 99.1%. The developed smart sponge with high oil absorption capacity, excellent chemical stability and fire resistance exhibited a wide range of potential practical applications in the convenient treatment of oily wastewater.

Background Gingivitis can develop without mechanical cleaning within three weeks. The first clinical sign is bleeding on positive probing. The accumulation of dental biofilm generates an inflammatory gingival response. In the past decade, attention has focused mainly on the interproximal areas and the use of customsized interproximal toothbrushes.The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized oral hygiene education and its role in dental prevention among patients with dental problems. Methods Before treatment, patients were clinically and radiologically examined, full mouth plaque score (FMPS), full mouth bleeding score (FMBS), and bleeding on brushing (BOB) were recorded, and matrix-metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) was measured by using a chair-side MMP-8 measuring system. Patients in group A had gingivitis, but no periodontal damage and patients in group B had periodontal damage. Patients in both groups A and B were identified in to four subgroups based on their toothbrushing habits and the oral health education they received. The three months after initial examination, each patient was examined three more times (2, 4 and 12 weeks later). Results It was concluded that subjects in groups A1 and B1 showed significant reduction in BOB, MMP-8, FMBS and FMPS levels after two weeks. Solo Prophylaxis (A1and B1) remained as a well-constructed protocol with hte complete resolution of interdental inflammation after two weeks. Other subgroups achieved significant reductions only after 12 weeks. Conclusions BOB and MMP-8 are valuable complements in preventive dentistry, and are able to detect potential pathological processes in interproximal spaces. The clinical relevance of BOB, in addition to FMBS, FMPS and gingival inflammation can be demonstrated to patients, which may increase compliance.

Analysis of land use/land cover (LULC) in the catchment areas is the first action toward safeguarding the freshwater resources. The LULC information in the watershed has gained popularity in the natural science field as it helps water resource managers and environmental health specialists develop natural resource conservation strategies based on available quantitative information. Thus, remote sensing is the cornerstone in addressing environmental-related issues at the catchment level. In this study, the performance of four machine learning algorithms (MLAs), such as Random Forests (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Naïve Bayes (NB) was investigated to classify the catchment into nine relevant classes of the undulating watershed landscape using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (L8-OLI) imagery. The assessment of the MLAs were based on the visual inspection of the analyst and the commonly used assessment metrics, such as user’s accuracy (UA), producers’ accuracy (PA), overall accuracy (OA), and kappa coefficient. The MLAs produced good results, where RF (OA= 97.02%, Kappa= 0.96), SVM (OA= 89.74 %, Kappa= 0.88), ANN (OA= 87%, Kappa= 0.86), and NB (OA= 68.64 Kappa= 0.58). The results show the outstanding performance of the RF model over SVM and ANN with a small margin. While NB yielded satisfactory results, which could be primarily influenced by its sensitivity to limited training samples. In contrast, the robust performance of RF could be due to an ability to classify high-dimensional data with limited training data.

The study put forward a data fusion approach for urban remote sensing that combines SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and optical satellite data. By integrating datasets from different sensors and spatial-temporal scales, the technique aims to extract more accurate information. The fusion approach utilizes two methods: feature-based fusion, where relevant features are extracted and fused, and simple layer stacking (SLS), where the original datasets are directly stacked as multiple layers. This study extracted features using SAR textures (using Sentinel-1) and modified indices (using Landsat-8), and then classified these features using an XGBoost algorithm implemented in Python and Google Earth Engine. Researchers examined five cities, each representing a distinct climatic zone and urban dynamic: Cape Town, Guangzhou, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Osaka. An accuracy assessment was conducted using random validation points, achieving an overall accuracy of 89.5% using the proposed MSFI method. A comparison was also performed with three well-known global products. The proposed approach, outperformed all three global products achived 89% accuracy while ESA (84%), ESRI (81%) and Dynamic World (82%). Additionally, Land surface temperature analysis was accomplished to investigate the relationship between extracted UIS and Land Surface Temperature (LST) across selected cities to show the practical use of proposed MSFI method. Los Angeles, a warm temperate city, showed the highest LST among all five cities. The datasets, along with the GEE and Python codes, are available at https://github.com/mnasarahmad/sls.

In the context of high frequency and intensity forest fires driven by future warming and drying climate, early detection and effective control of fires are extremely important to reduce losses. Satellite remote sensing, characterized by its broad observational scope and strong repeat observation capability, has become an important method for rapid monitoring of forest fires, replacing traditional means such as manual measurement and aerial photography. This paper addresses the misjudgments caused by solely relying on changes in infrared band brightness values and single-band separation in forest fire discrimination. It constructs the angle slope index ANIR based on the red band, near-infrared band and short-wave infrared band, Angle slope index AMIR based on the short-wave infrared band, mid-infrared band and far-infrared band, and angle slope index AMNIR based on the difference between the AMIR and ANIR, integrating the strong inter-band correlations and the reflectance characteristics of visible and short-wave infrared bands to simultaneously monitor smoke and fuel biomass changes in forest fires. To address the omissions caused by single-image fire discrimination algorithms, the paper constructs time-series Angle slope difference indices ∆ANIR and ∆AMIR. To address the different fire point discrimination thresholds caused by background difference in different time and space, the paper uses the decomposed three-dimensional OTSU(Maximum inter-class variance method) algorithm to calculate the segmentation threshold of the sub-regions constructed from the AMNIR data. The methods were validated using high temporal resolution meteorological satellite Himawari-8 and ground truth fire data from Hunan Province, China, from 2018-2019. The results show that the discrimination method based on the ASITR(Angle slope indices thresholds) method exhibits an accuracy of 0.88, a missed detection rate of 0.17, and an overall evaluation value of 0.85, which is 0.09 higher in accuracy and 0.03 higher in overall evaluation than the discrimination method based on infrared bands brightness values proposed by Feng et al. [1] (accuracy 0.79, missed detection rate 0.14, overall evaluation value 0.82); the method based on the FAMN_OTSU_ASITR (Fusion of Angle slope difference index (false) data, Decomposed three-dimensional OTSU adaptive threshold segmentation Algorithm and ASITR) exhibits an accuracy of 0.85, a missed detection rate of 0.08, and an overall evaluation value of 0.88, which is 0.09 lower in missed detection rate and 0.03 higher in overall evaluation as compared to the ASITR. The results demonstrate that the forest fire discrimination method based on Angle slope indices, Himawari-8 satellite data, and the decomposed OTSU adaptive threshold segmentation algorithm can improve the accuracy of forest fire discrimination and reduce errors in missed detections.

(1) Background: Food and Feed Safety Legislation does not concern all the mycotoxins generated by Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. Certain mycotoxins, including cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), penicillic acid (PA), roquefortine C (ROQ C), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and gliotoxin regarded as having lower toxicity levels, hence not included in food and feed legislation; (2) Methods: Presence of these substances in maize and wheat grown in Albania across two consecutive harvesting seasons was investigated by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS); (3) Results: The findings indicated the presence of these mycotoxins in maize grain but not in wheat grain. In the 2014 season, they exhibited a higher contamination incidence than the 2015 season. The most commonly detected Mycotoxin was MPA, followed by CPA and ROC toxin, while Penicillium acid and gliotoxin were detected. The MPA revealed a concentration range of 72.92–3447.25 μg/kg, with a mean value of 1063.89 μg/kg. Mycophenolic acid was detected in the maize samples collected during the 2015 season. (4) Conclusions: These findings suggest that focusing the investigation only on 'controlled' mycotoxins will not produce a proper risk assessment and may not adequately address the possible harmful impacts of mycotoxins on human and animal health due to mycotoxins co-occurrence.

Employing remote sensing techniques to evaluate crop residue cover (CRC) enables rapid mapping of tillage practices over large cropland areas, which has significant practical implications for monitoring the implementation of conservation tillage practices. This research utilized Sentinel-2 MSI and Landsat-8 OLI remotely sensed data, various spectral indices were calculated and the datasets were correlated with the field-measured CRC data. Selected spectral indices, highly significantly correlated, were chosen to build a correlation model between the indices and the CRC. Considering Sentinel-2 MSI and Landsat 8 OLI remotely sensed data variations in spectral and spatial scales, the accuracy of CRC models was evaluated using R2 and RMSE values. From the results, it's evident that all six spectral indices, including STI, NDTI, SRNDR, NDI5, NDI7 and NDSVI, registered correlation coefficients with the CRC exceeded 0.3 in the study area. STI and NDTI showed a stronger correlation to CRC, with coefficients of 0.810 and 0.803, respectively. For the Landsat 8 data, the lowest correlation obtained was for NDSVI with the Landsat 8 data with a correlation coefficient of 0.358. Applying the linear regression technique, STI and NDTI obtained higher accuracy compared to other indices in the Sentinel-2 MSI data. For NDTI and STI, The R2 values were 0.650 and 0.665, respectively, while their corresponding RMSE values were 3.96% and 4.03%. The highest model accuracy was obtained for the STI and NDTI constructed from the Landsat 8 OLI data (R2 values 0.41 and 0.40; RMSE values 5.25% and 5.27%, respectively). The CRC model built using partial least squares regression (PLSR) exhibited greater precision when applied to the Sentinel-2 MSI data (R2 value 0.894; RMSE value 2.18%) in comparison to the Landsat 8 OLI data (R2 value 0.695; RMSE value 3.70%). PLSR has the potential to enhance the precision of the model. In addition, the study area shows that the estimation of the CRC is better in the one-dimensional linear regression model and the PLSR model created with the Sentinel-2 MSI optical data compared to the Landsat 8 OLI optical remotely sensed data. The validation suggests that the CRC estimation in the study area is more precise when using the model relying on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery rather than the Landsat 8 OLI imagery.

Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest plants utilized by humans for both economic and medical purposes. Although the use of cannabis started millennia ago in the Eastern part of the hemisphere, its use has moved and flourished in the Western Nations in more recent centuries. C. sativa is the source of psychoactive cannabinoids that are consumed as recreational drugs worldwide. The C21 aromatic hydrocarbons are restricted in their natural occurrence to cannabis (with a few exceptions). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is the main psychoactive component in cannabis with many pharmacological effects and various approved medical applications. However, a wide range of side effects are associated with the use of Δ9-THC, limiting its medical use. In 1966, another psychoactive cannabinoid, Delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) was isolated from marijuana grown in Maryland but in very low yield. Δ8-THC is gaining increased popularity due to its better stability and easier synthetic manufacturing procedures compared to Δ9-THC. Passing the U.S. Farm Bill in 2018 led to an increase in the sale of Δ8-THC in the United States. The marketed products contain Δ8-THC from synthetic sources. In this review, methods of extraction, purification, and structure elucidation of Δ8-THC will be presented. The issue of whether Δ8-THC is a natural compound or an artifact will be discussed, and the different strategies for its chemical synthesis will be presented. Δ8-THC of synthetic origin is expected to contain some impurities due to residual amounts of starting materials and reagents as well as side products of the reactions. The various methods of analysis and detection of impurities present in the marketed products will be discussed. The pharmacological effects of Δ8-THC, including its interaction with CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in comparison with Δ9-THC, will be reviewed.

Diabetes is a major health concern that the next-generation of on-demand insulin releasing implants may overcome for personalized therapy. Therein, 3D-printed phenylboronic acid-containing subcutaneous implants with on-demand glucose-triggered drug release abilities are produced using high resolution stereolithography technology. To that end, the methacrylation of phenylboronic acid is targeted following a two-step reaction. The resulting photocurable phenylboronic acid derivative is accordingly incorporated within bioinert polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate-based hydrogels at varying loadings. The end result are sub-centimeter scaled 3D-printed bionert implants that can be remotely activated with 1,2-diols and 1,3-diols such as glucose for on-demand drug administration such as insulin. As a proof of concept, varying glucose concentration from hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia levels readily allow the release of pinacol, i.e. a model molecule with similar release properties than insulin, at respectively low and high rates. In addition, the results demonstrated that adjusting the geometry and size of the 3D-printed part is a simple and suitable method for tailoring the release behavior and dosage.

Porcine parvovirus 8 (PPV8), a novel virus in the Parvoviridae family, was first identified in 2022 in lung samples of domestic pigs from China. Retrospective analyses showed that it had been circulating in China since 1998, but no other countries had reported its presence so far. A recent study conducted in South America did not detect any PPV8-positive samples in that region. Here we report the detection of PPV8 in Hungarian and Slovakian pig farms and the estimated prevalence of the virus in Hungary. Altogether 2230 serum, 233 oral fluid, and 115 processing fluid samples were systematically collected from 23 Hungarian and 2 Slovakian pig farms between 2020 and 2023. A real-time quantitative PCR method was developed to detect the viral genome. Our results revealed the presence of PPV8 on 65% of the Hungarian farms and on both Slovakian farms included in our study, marking its first detection in Europe. Oral fluid samples showed the highest positivity rates, reaching up to 100% in some herds. The viral genome was successfully detected in serum and processing fluid samples too, but with significantly lower prevalence rates of 4% and 5%, respectively. Genetic analysis of 11 partial VP2 sequences demonstrated high similarity to the original Chinese strain but with unique amino acid mutations, suggesting possible local evolution of the virus. Our study presents the first scientific evidence of PPV8 infection outside of China and offers a comprehensive assessment of its prevalence in the Hungarian pig population. Further research is required to understand its potential impact on swine health.

Surface water distribution extracted from remote sensing data has been used in water resource assessment, coastal management, and environmental change studies. Traditional manual methods for extracting water bodies cannot satisfy the requirements for mass processing of remote sensing data; therefore, accurate automated extraction of such water bodies has remained a challenge. The histogram bimodal method (HBM) is a frequently used objective tool for threshold selection in image segmentation. The threshold is determined by seeking twin peaks, and the valley values between them; however, automatically calculating the threshold is difficult because complex surfaces and image noise which lead to not perfect twin peaks (single or multiple peaks). We developed an operational automated water extraction method, the modified histogram bimodal method (MHBM). The MHBM defines the threshold range of water extraction through mass static data; therefore, it does not require the identification of twin histogram peaks. It then seeks the minimum values in the threshold range to achieve automated threshold. We calibrated the MHBM for many lakes in China using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images, for which the relative error (RE) and squared correlation coefficient (R2) for threshold accuracy were found to be 2.1% and 0.96, respectively. The RE and root-mean-square error (RMSE) for the area accuracy of MHBM were 0.59% and 7.4 km2. The results show that the MHBM could easily be applied to mass time-series remote sensing data to calculate water thresholds within water index images and successfully extract the spatial distribution of large water bodies automatically.

Refractoriness to antiseizure medications is still a major concern in the pharmacotherapy of epilepsy. For this reason, we decided to evaluate the combination of levetiracetam and cannabidiol, administered at a subthreshold dose, to limit the possible adverse effects of this phytocannabinoid. We administered levetiracetam (300 mg/kg/day, via osmotic minipumps), cannabidiol (120 mg/kg/day, injected once a day subcutaneously), or their combination for one week in epileptic rats. Saline-treated epileptic rats were the control group. Animals were monitored with video electroencephalography the week before and after the treatment. No changes were found in the controls. Levetiracetam did not significantly reduce the total seizure number or the overall seizure duration. Still, the overall number of seizures (p<0.001, Duncan’s new multiple range test) and their total duration (p<0.01) increased in the week following treatment withdrawal. Cannabidiol did not change seizures when administered as a single drug. Instead, levetiracetam combined with cannabidiol resulted in a significant reduction in the overall number and duration of seizures (p<0.05), when comparing values measured during treatment with both pre- and post-treatment values. These findings depended on changes in convulsive seizures, while non-convulsive seizures were stable. These results suggest cannabidiol determined a remarkable potentiation of levetiracetam antiseizure effects at a subthreshold dose.

1) Landsat operational land imager (OLI) data and consequent laboratory measurements were used to predict Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration and the trophic states for an inland lake within the East Kolkata Wetland, India; 2) The most suitable band ratio was identified by performing Pearson correlation analysis between Chl-a concentrations and possible OLI band and band ratios from the study points; 3) The results showed highest correlation coefficient from the band ratio OLI5/OLI4 with an R value of 0.85. The prediction model was then developed by applying regression analysis between the band ratio OLI5/OLI4 and Chl-a concentration of the study points. The reflectance ratios of the validation points were given as input on the prediction model and the model output was considered as predicted Chl-a values of the validation points to check the efficiency of the prediction model. The regression model between laboratory-derived Chl-a value and model-fitted Chl-a value of the validation points revealed a high correlation with an R² value of 0.78. Trophic State Index (TSI) of the lake was also calculated from laboratory-derived Chl-a value and model-fitted Chl-a value of the validation points. The study presented a high correlation of TSI determined from predicted data with TSI from laboratory reference data (R = 0.88). The TSI values of the lake ranged from 65 to 75 which indicate that the lake is appeared to be eutrophic to hypereutrophic conditions. 4) This empirical study showed that Landsat 8 OLI imagery can be effectively applied to estimate Chl-a levels and trophic states for inland lakes.

Due to increase demand of food grain in the world, assessment of yield before actual production is important in making policies and decisions in agricultural production system. For a large area, forecast models developed from vegetation indices derived from remote sensing satellite data possesses the potential to give quantitative and timely information on crops over large areas. Different vegetation indices are being made used for this purpose, however, their efficiency in estimating crop yield is needed to be certainly tested. In this study, wheat yield forecast was derived by regressing ground truthing yield data against time series of spatial vegetation indices for the 2013 to 2019 growing seasons. These spatial vegetation indices derived from Landsat 8 image data: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) were compared to evaluate the most appropriate index that performs better in forecasting wheat production at Karcag, Kunhegyes and Ecsegfalva settlements in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary. The best time for making wheat yield prediction with Landsat 8- SAVI and NDVI was found to be the beginning of ripening period (160th day of the year) with higher correlation between the vegetation indices and the wheat yield. The validation results revealed that the model from SAVI provides more consistent and accurate forecasts yield compared to NDVI. The SAVI model forecast yield for the validation years, 2018 and 2019 were within 6.00% and 4.41% of the final reported values while that of NDVI model were within 8.31% and 6.27%. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index is positive with E1= 0.99 for the model from SAVI and for NDVI, E1=0.57, which connote that the forecasting method developed and evaluated performs acceptable forecast efficiency.

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are major contributors to the production of fermented vinegar, offering various cultural, culinary, and health benefits. Although the residual unpasteurized AAB after vinegar production are not pathogens, these are necessary the safety evaluations including antibiotic resistance for the use as starters. In this research, we investigated the antibiotics resistance profiles of 26 AAB strains, including various species of Komagataeibacter and Acetobacter, against ten different antibiotics using the E-test method. All strains exhibited resistance to aztreonam and clindamycin. Komagataeibacter species demonstrated a 50% resistance rate to ciprofloxacin, analogous to Acetobacter species, but showed twice the resistance rates to chloramphenicol and erythromycin. Genomic analysis of K. saccharivorans CV1 identified intrinsic resistance mechanisms, such as multidrug efflux pumps, thereby enhancing our understanding of antibiotic resistance in acetic acid-producing bacteria. These findings enhance understanding of antibiotic resistance in AAB for food safety and new antimicrobial strategies, suggesting the need for standardized testing methods and molecular genetic study.

Fine dust causes various disorders, including cardiovascular, neurological, renal, reproductive, motor, systemic, respiratory, and cancerous diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to study functional materials to prevent these problems. In this study we used various methods, including quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, ELISA, and Alizarin O staining, to study the beneficial effects of erucic acid against fine dust. Erucic acid and erucic acid-induced exosomes (EIE) strongly suppress the attenuation of osteocytic differentiation and inflammation induced by fine dust. Erucic acid effectively suppresses inflammation in fibroblasts exposed to fine dust. Notably, despite exposure to fine dust, EIE promoted osteocytic differentiation in adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) and osteogenesis in macrophages, in addition to phagocytosis. Dramatic upregulation of RunX2 and BMP7 by EIE indicates that it is a strong activator of osteocytic differentiation in ASC and protects them from the effects of fine dust. Moreover, EIE induces immune activity and acts as an osteogenic trigger for macrophages. Therefore, this study suggests the potential use of erucic acid and erucic acid-induced exosomes (EIE) as biomaterials to prevent environment-borne diseases.

A decanter centrifuge has been employed to successfully separated phosphoric acid and rare-earth-element (REE)-containing particles from phosphoric acid sludge with concentrations ranging from 1,000 to 2,200 ppm REEs. Operating efficiently with up to 35 wt.% solids, the centrifuge was demonstrated to achieve approximately 95% phosphoric acid recovery and 90% REEs recovery in a single pass, eliminating the need for additional processing steps. This breakthrough supports a proposed REEs oxide recovery process integrating phosphoric acid (PA), elemental phosphorus (P4), and REEs into two potential pathways: PA-REO and PA-P4-REO. These processes aim to reintroduce recovered phosphoric acid into the main product to significantly increase output and revenue. Post-separation, phosphorus-rich particles can be converted to P4, while REEs-containing solids undergo further treatment including acid leaching, extraction/stripping, precipitation, and calcination to produce a marketable rare-earth oxide (REO) material. Techno-economic analysis indicates promising profitability, with the PA-REO process showing a delta net present value (∆NPV) of $441.8 million and an expected return within a year of construction, while the PA-P4-REO process yields a ∆NPV of $178.7 million over a 12-year return period. Both pathways offer robust financial prospects and demonstrate the feasibility of commercial-scale REEs recovery from phosphoric acid sludge.

Objectives: To rate the effects of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (LMWHA) solution and high concentration oxygen (HCO) through a specific medical device (Caress Flow©), compared to topical administration of hyaluronic acid (HA) alone on symptoms of mild and moderate stress and mixed urinary incontinence in women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Methods: A total of 68 postmenopausal women were enrolled (from October 2021 to September 2023). Patients were separated in two groups: one group used therapy with LMWHA solution and HCO combined and the second group used therapy with HA alone. Patient Global Impres-sion of Improvement (PGI-I) as the first outcome was used. As secondary outcomes International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - short form (ICIQ-SF) questionnaire and Internation-al Quality of Life (IQoL) questionnaire were used. Results: Sixty-eight (68) women, 35 (51%) and 33 (49%), were treated with LMWHA solution and HCO combined and HA alone for 10 weeks, respectively. 28 (80%) versus 7 (20%) women reported an improvement (PGI-I score ≤3) of the symptoms in LMWHA solution and HCO com-bined group versus HA alone group. According to the ICIQ-SF, a statistically significant differ-ence was recorded after treatment between the two groups (median, 7 [5-11] vs 10 [8-11]; P = 0.03). According to the IQoL questionnaire, a statistically significantly lower median score was recorded in the LMWHA solution and HCO combined compared with the HA group, before (71 [IQR 55-81] vs 89 [IQR 67-94]; P < 0.01) and after (78 [IQR 65-86] vs 88 [IQR 72-99]; P = 0.04) treatment. Conclusions: LMWHA solution and HCO combined might improve the mild and moderate stress and mixed urinary incontinence in this set of women and that it is superior to HA therapy alone. However, these results need to be confirmed in further studies with a controlled design and a larger population.

Soil salinity is a severe soil degradation problem mainly faced in arid and semi-arid regions. About 11 million ha of land in the arid, semi-arid, and desert parts of Ethiopia is salt-affected, especially in the Awash River basin, including Afambo irrigated area. Remote sensing approaches are significant tools for accurately predicting and modeling accurately predicting and modeling soil salinity in various world regions. This study aims to analyze and model soil salinity status in the case of Afambo irrigated areas using Landsat-8 and sentinel-2A, Afar region, Ethiopia, by applying remote sensing with field measurements. Thirty-two soil samples were collected from the topsoil (0-30 cm); out of these, 25 soil samples with various EC ranges were selected for modeling, and the remaining 7 samples were utilized to validate the model. Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A images acquired in the same month were used to extract soil salinity indices. Linear regression analyses correlated the EC data with corresponding soil salinity spectral index values derived from satellite images. The best-performing model was selected for salinity mapping. The soil salinity indices extracted from both Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A bands estimated soil salinity with high acceptable accuracy of R² values of SI, 0.78 and 0.81, respectively. The model results in three salinity classes with varying degree of salinity, namely, highly saline, moderately saline, and slightly saline, which covers 15.1%, 39.8% and 45.1% of the total area for Landsat-8, respectively and 26.1%, 32%, and 41.9% for sentinel 2A, respectively. Generally, the results revealed that the expansion rate of salt-affected soils has been increasing. From this study, it is possible to infer that if the present irrigation practice continues, it is expected that total the cultivated lands will become sterile within a short period. Thus, it needs to be monitored regularly to secure up-to-date knowledge of their extent to improve management practices and take appropriate actions.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the levels of oxidative stress markers in breast diseases by measuring the 8-hydoxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and total antioxidant status (TAS) alterations in relation to cell proliferation activity and disease progression. Significant increases in the level of oxidative damage marker 8-OHdG and cell proliferation activity were observed in breast carcinoma patients in comparison to benign and normal controls, which were accompanied by significant decrease in non enzymatic antioxidants and TAS concentrations. 8-OHdG and cell proliferation level were negatively correlated with non enzymatic antioxidants viz., Vitamin A, Vitamin C, vitamin E level and total antioxidant activity. Altered levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress and cell proliferation activity amongst the malignant, benign and controls suggest a correlation of increased oxidative stress and cell proliferation activity in the progression of disease in breast carcinoma patients. Among the oxidative stress markers and cell proliferation index, decreased level of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, TAS and increased level of 8-OHdG, cell proliferation index emerged as best predicted biomarkers for subjects with malignancy and benign breast disease.

Forests are critical in regulating the world’s climate and they maintain overall Earth’s energy balance. The variability in forest canopy structure, topography and underneath vegetation background condition creates uncertainty in the estimation and modelling of Earth’s surface radiation particularly for boreal regions in high latitude. We studied seasonal variation in surface reflectance with respect to land cover classes, canopy structures, and topography in a boreal region of Alaska by fusing together Landsat 8 surface reflectance and LiDAR-derived canopy matrices. Our study shows that canopy structure and topography interplay and influence surface reflectance in a complex way particularly during the snow season. Topographic aspect and elevation control vegetation growth, type and structure. The southern slope is featured with more deciduous and taller trees having greater rugosity than the northern slope. Higher elevation is associated with taller trees for both vegetation types, particularly in the southern slope. In general, surface reflectance shows similar relationships with canopy cover, height and rugosity, mainly due to close relationships between these parameters. Surface reflectance decreases with canopy cover, tree height, and rugosity especially for evergreen forest. Deciduous forest shows larger variability of surface reflectance, particularly in March, mainly due to the mixing effect of snow and vegetation. The relationship between vegetation structure and surface reflectance is greatly impacted by topography. The negative relationship between elevation and surface reflectance may be due to taller and denser vegetation distribution in higher elevation. Surface reflectance in the southern slope is slightly larger than the northern slope for both deciduous and evergreen forest. The shadow effect from topography and tree crowns on surface reflectance play a different role for deciduous and evergreen forests. For deciduous forest, topographic shadow effect on surface reflectance is stronger than from tree shadowing in all seasons. For evergreen forest, shadow effects from topography and tree crowns on surface reflectance are both equally dominant, however tree shadow effect is more significant in March than in May and August. The generalized additive models (GAM) based on non-linear relationships between response (surface reflectance) and predictor (canopy structures and topography) variables confirms such observations. Our study not only provides accurate quantification of surface radiation budget but also helps in parametrization of climate change models.

Gliomas are one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant types of human cancer. One of the most promising field in gliomas cancer therapy is identification and evaluation of anticancer properties of compounds found in plants i.a. naringenin (N) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN). The prenyl group seem to be crucial to the anticancer activity of flavones, which may lead to enhanced cell membrane targeting and thus increased intracellular activity. Unfortunately, 8PN content in hop cones is from 10 to 100 times lower compared to other flavonoids i.e. xanthohumol. In this study we used a simple method for the synthesis of 8PN from isoxanthohumol, via O-demethylation with high, 97% of the isolated yield. Cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin in normal (BJ) and cancer cells (U-118 MG) were also examined. Obtained data indicated that 8-prenylnaringenin exhibited higher toxicity against used cell lines than naringenin and both flavones inhibited stronger glioblastoma U-118 MG cells than normal fibroblasts. The anticancer properties of 8PN correlated with its significantly greater (37%), accumulation in glioblastoma cells than in normal fibroblasts. Additionally, naringenin indicated higher selectivity for glioblastoma as it was over 6 times more toxic for cancer than normal cells. Our results provide evidence that examined prenylated and non-prenylated flavanones have different biological activity against normal and cancer cell lines and this phenomenon may be useful in clinical practice to construct new, anticancer drugs for glioblastoma.

The general synthesis of boron-containing cyclic compounds (boracycles) necessitates toxic organotin precursors or highly reactive boron halides. Here we report the synthesis of seven- and five-membered boracycles utilizing arylboronic acid pinacol esters (ArBpins) as stable boron sources. Grignard reagents generated from 2,2′-dibromodibenzyl or 2,2′-dibromobiphenyl reacted with ArBpins, where Ar = 9-anthryl (Anth), 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl (Mes), 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl (Tip), to give 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]borepins or dibenzoborole derivatives. This Bpin-based method was successfully applied to a one-shot double boracycle formation, providing a dihydrodibenzoborepin–anthracene–dihydrodibenzoborepin triad molecule in a good yield. The dihydrodibenzoborepin bearing the Anth group was directly converted to the unsaturated borepin by NBS/AIBN. All products were characterized by NMR, HRMS, and in some cases, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, the photophysical properties of the products are also reported.

Sun glint, i.e., direct solar radiation reflected from a water surface, negatively affects the accuracy of ocean color retrieval schemes if entering the field-of-view of the observing instrument. Herein, a simple and robust method to quantify the sun glint contribution to top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectances in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) is proposed, exploiting concomitant observations of the sun glint’s morphology in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) characterized by reflectance contrasts typically higher than those resulting from other in-water or atmospheric processes. The proposed method, termed Glint Removal through Contrast Minimization (GRCM), requires high spatial resolution (ca. 10–50 m) imagery to resolve the sun glint’s characteristic morphology, meeting additional criteria on radiometric resolution and temporal delay between the individual band’s acquisitions. It has been applied with good success to a selection of Landsat 8 (L8) Operational Land Imager (OLI) scenes encompassing a wide range of environmental conditions in terms of observation geometry and glint intensity, as well as aerosol and Rayleigh optical depth. The method proposed herein is entirely image based and does not require ancillary information on the sea surface roughness or related parameters (e.g., surface wind), neither the presence of clear water areas in the image under consideration. Limitations of the proposed method are discussed, and its potential for sensors other than OLI and applications beyond glint removal is sketched.

Salmonella infections can lead to intestinal inflammation and metabolic disorders in birds. However, whether ARA metabolism is involved in Salmonella-induced intestinal inflammation remains unclear. This experiment investigated the changes in cecal flora and arachidonic acid (ARA) metabolism in Hainan Wenchang chickens infected with S. Typhimurium using 16s rDNA sequencing and targeted metabolomics. The results showed that the levels of ARA metabolites were increased in the cecum tissue of Wenchang chickens after infection with S. Typhimurium, including prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2α, lipoxin A4, ±8(9)-EET, ±11(12)-EET, and ±8,9-DiHETrE. The content of key enzymes for ARA production and metabolism (PLA2 and COX-2) in chicken cecum tissues was increased after S. Typhimurium infection. The relative mRNA levels of inflammatory factors were also increased after infection, including IFN-γ, TGF-β1, IL-4, and IL-6. In HD11 cells, the use of a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor reduced the increased levels of COX-2 and PGF2α induced by S. Typhimurium infection and effectively reduced the inflammatory response. In addition, the number of beneficial genera (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Odorobacterium) in the cecum of Wenchang chickens was significantly reduced after infection with S. Typhimurium. In this study, we revealed the structure of the cecal flora of Wenchang chickens infected with S. Typhimurium and demonstrated that S. Typhimurium can mediate the onset and development of intestinal inflammation through the activation of the metabolic pathway of ARA cyclooxygenase in Wenchang chickens. The results can provide data support and theoretical support for the prevention and control of avian salmonellosis.

Ox Tongue (Echium amoenum) is an important medicinal plant rich in secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, quinones, and unsaturated fatty acids. The present study examined the concentration of oil, fatty acid profiles, and antioxidant activity of six different Iranian Echium accessions. The oil concentration varied across these populations, ranging from 16.20% to 22.36% in the first year and from 21.00% to 25.50% in the second year. The major fatty acids identified in the oils were oleic acid (18.35% to 19.40%), linoleic acid (23.80% to 26.20%), and α-linolenic acid (32.30% to 34.20%) during the first year. In the second year, the predominant fatty acids were oleic acid (15.82% to 19.32%), linoleic acid (21.55% to 24.70%), and α-linolenic acid (33.95% to 37.40%). Principal component analysis revealed distinct profiles for each population: Sari was notable for its high α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid content, Fasa was distinguished by its high stearidonic acid levels, Roodsar had a high concentration of stearic acid, Vazneh Sar was rich in linoleic acid and palmitic acid, and Leron had the highest oleic acid content. The Sari population had the highest oil content at 25.50%, while Fasa had the highest α-linolenic acid content at 37.40% during the establishment year. Leron exhibited the highest antioxidant attributes. These findings indicate that selecting elite Echium populations with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and potent antioxidant properties could be advantageous for the food industry, as they offer enhanced nutritional and functional qualities.

Kaposi sarcoma is the most common neoplasm associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Most patients with a confirmed diagnosis experienced limited disease progression. We describe the case of a 49-year-old African American male with a rare presentation of disseminated Kaposi sarcoma as determined by multi-organ work-up. The patient’s cutaneous manifestations involved several hyperpigmented skin lesions, but the worsening of his respiratory symptoms coupled with unexplained weight loss led providers to develop a high suspicion for disseminated disease progression. This case highlights the need to increase awareness of atypical Kaposi sarcoma presentation.

The harmful nature of high concentrations of antibiotics to humans and animals requires urgent development of novel materials and techniques for their absorption. In this work, CTAB (Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide)-assisted synthesis of ZIF-8 (zeolitic imidazolate framework) derived hollow carbon (ZHC) was designed, prepared and used as a high-performance adsorbent, further evaluated by Langmuir and Freundlich isothermal adsorption experiments, dynamic analysis as well as theoretical calculation. The maximum capacities of ZHC on adsorbing tetracycline (TC), norfloxacin (NFO) and levofloxacin (OFO) are 267.3, 125.6 and 227.8 mg g^-1, respectively, which delivers superior adsorptive performance when compared to widely studied inorganic adsorbates. The design concept of ZIFs-derived hollow carbon material provides guidance and insights for the efficient adsorbent of environmental antibiotics.

Acid-producing bacteria in pit mud play a crucial role in the fermentation of Chinese liquor, significantly influencing its flavor, taste, and overall quality. This study investigates three strains of anaerobic acid-producing bacteria from pit mud to optimize both single and combined bacterial fermentations for enhanced acid production. Acid production levels were quantitatively measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The Design Expert software was employed to identify significant nutritional factors affecting the production of hexanoic and butyric acids. These factors were optimized through climbing tests and response surface analysis. The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) experimental design and variance analysis were used to determine the optimal levels of each significant factor. The SJ-1/SJ-3/SJ-8/enriched solution exhibited the highest acid production, with a total acid production of 2216.07±0.10 mg/100 ml. The yields of caproic acid and butyric acid were 801.94±0.11 mg/100 ml and 1167.33±0.14 mg/100 ml, respectively. The optimized fermentation medium for caproic and butyric acid production consisted of 5.1 g/L peptone, 5.04 g/L sodium acetate, and 4.45 g/L sodium butyrate, with a pH of 6.4. Under these conditions, the production of caproic acid and butyric acid reached 1172.73 mg/100 ml and 2382.45 mg/100 ml, respectively. These values represent significant increases (P<0.05) of approximately 46.24% for caproic acid and 104.09% for butyric acid compared to initial levels. The model predicts caproic and butyric acid production to be 1184.21 mg/100 ml and 2387.84 mg/100 ml, respectively, which closely aligns with experimental results. This indicates the model’s effectiveness and provides valuable insights for enhancing acidity in liquor production.

Co-delivery of antigens and adjuvants to the same antigen presenting cells (APCs) can significantly improve the efficacy and safety profiles of vaccines. Here, we report amine-grafted silica nanoparticles (A-SNPs) as a tunable vaccine co-delivery platform for TLR7/8 agonists along with the recombinant influenza antigen hemagglutinin H7 (H7) to APCs. A-SNPs of two different sizes (50 and 200 nm) were prepared and coated with INI-4001 at different coating densities, followed by co-adsorption of H7. Both INI-4001 and H7 showed &gt; 90% adsorption to the tested A-SNP formulations. TNF-α and IFN-α cytokine release by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as well as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12 release by mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells revealed that the potency of the INI-4001-adsorbed A-SNPs (INI-4001/A-SNP) formulations can be improved relative to aqueous formulation control. This improved potency was dependent on particle size and ligand coating density. In addition, slow-release profiles of INI-4001 were measured from INI-4001/A-SNP formulations in plasma with 30-50% INI-4001 released after 7 days. In vivo murine immunization studies demonstrated significantly improved H7-specific humoral and Th1/Th17-polarized T cell immune responses with no observed adverse reactions. Low-density 50 nm INI-4001/A-SNP elicited significantly higher IFN-γ and IL-17 induction over that of the H7 antigen only group and INI-4001 aqueous formulation controls. In summary, this work introduces an effective and biocompatible SNP-based co-delivery platform that enhances the immunogenicity of TLR7/8 agonist-adjuvanted subunit influenza vaccines.

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in host metabolism, influencing the production of small metabolites from non-digestible compounds, which can accumulate in tissues and play important role in fatty acids synthesis for improving the meat quality. We investigate the breed-specific differences in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle fatty acid profile, gut microbiota, and metabolites across the cecum, ileum, and rectum in Chinese Songliao Black pigs (SBP) and commercial Large White × Landrace crossbred pigs (LWLDP) and interactions. Significant correlations highlighting potential microbiota-metabolite interactions that contribute to muscle fatty acid composition. LWLDP pigs exhibited a higher number of significant fatty acids and maintained higher operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the cecum and rectum, with no differences observed in the ileum between breeds. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Spirochaetes were the predominant phyla across both breeds. Differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were more abundant in the cecum and ileum of LWLDP, while rectum showed higher expression in SBP. Integrative analysis identified significant correlations between fatty acids, metabolites, and microbial taxa. DHA was linked to cecal metabolites and rectal microbial families, while saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were associated with different microbes and metabolites. This study demonstrates distinct breed-specific interactions between gut microbiota, metabolites, and fatty acid composition, offering insights into potential microbial interventions to enhance pork quality through fatty acid modulation.

Plant activators have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional pesticides for crop disease manage-ment due to their unique mode of action. By priming the plant's innate immune system, these compounds can induce systemic acquired resistance against a broad spectrum of pathogens without directly inhibiting their proliferation. Key advantages of plant activators include prolonged defense activity, lower effective dosages, and negligible risk of developing pathogen resistance. Among the various defensive pathways tar-geted, the salicylic acid (SA) signaling cascade has been extensively explored, leading to the successful devel-opment of commercial activators like benzothiadiazole for widespread application in crop protection. While the action sites of many SA-targeting activators have been preliminarily mapped to different steps along the pathway, a comprehensive understanding of their precise mechanisms remains elusive. This review provides a historical perspective on plant activator development and outlines diverse screening strategies employed across multiple levels, from whole-plant bioassays to molecular and transgenic approaches. We expound on the intricate components, biological relevance, and regulatory circuits governing the SA pathway, while criti-cally examining the structural features, bioactivities, and proposed modes of action of classical activators such as benzothiadiazole derivatives, salicylic acid analogs, and other small molecules. Insights from field trials as-sessing their practical applicability are also discussed. Furthermore, we highlight the current status, challenges, and future prospects in the realm of SA-targeting activator development globally, with a focus on recent en-deavors in China. Collectively, this comprehensive review aims to synthesize existing knowledge and provide a roadmap for future research toward developing more potent and mechanistically understood plant activa-tors that fortify crop immunity against disease.

The use of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3 FA) in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is an area of ongoing research. Some studies suggest that dietary supplementation with omega-3 FA can help manage symptoms of AD by reducing lesion severity, skin inflammation, dryness and itching, while other show no significant beneficial effect. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 FA form fish oil in combination with GLA form blackcurrant seed oil in children with AD. This is a longitudinal, prospective, randomized, triple blind, placebo-controlled parallel clinical trial. The study was conducted during the 2-year period from autumn, winter, and spring avoiding the summer when AD usually improves. Children were randomized to receive the active study product (Mega Kid®) containing specific blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids or placebo. Primary outcomes were change in severity of AD measured using SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) patient oriented SCORAD (PO-SCORAD) and the difference in TCS use. Secondary outcomes were change in itch intensity, sleep quality and Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI). Data were analyzed for 52 children (26 in the intervention group and 26 in the placebo group). In children receiving active product intention-to-treat analysis showed that after 4 months of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the SCORAD index (from median 42 to 25, p < 0.001) and use of topical corticosteroids (from median 30 to 10 mg/day, p < 0.001) but also significant improvement in itch, sleep quality and overall quality of life. Omega-3 fatty acids in combination with GLA and vitamin D has a great beneficial effect in treatment of atopic dermatitis in children. Therefore, we can conclude that supplementation with this specific combination could be considered a safe and effective intervention that can significantly reduce the severity of AD in pediatric patients.

The paper presents a method to assess the effect of electrolyte additives on the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The method applies to any chemically unreactive additive, including suspensions and gels. The approach is thermodynamically based and it leads to the definition of a region of admissible concentrations –the battery’s admissible range– where the battery can undergo an indefinite number of charge/discharge cycles without suffering permanent damage. An experimental procedure to determine this range is presented. The obtained results provide a way to assess the potential of electrolyte additives to improve the energy capacity of Pb-acid batteries. The same results also provide a means to determine the additive concentration that produces the maximum energy capacity increase of the battery. The paper closes with an example of application of the proposed approach to a practical case.

The superfamily of Acid proteases has two catalytic aspartates for proteolysis of their peptide substrates. Here, we show a minimal structural scaffold, the Structural Catalytic Core (SCC), which packs all conserved substructure elements around the catalytic machinery, and which can be found in all enzymes of the Acid proteases superfamily. The SCC is a dimer of several structural blocks, such as the DD-link, the D-loop and the G-loop, around two catalytic aspartates in each protease subunit or within an individual chain. The dimer of two D-loop/DD-link substructures makes a DD-zone, and the dimer of two D-loop/G-loop substructures makes a psi-loop. These structural markers are useful for protein comparison, structure identification, protein family separation and protein engineering.

Cow milk is rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals, and its nutrient content depends on various factors. We tested differences in fatty acid and protein contents of milk from seven breeds and regions, including three dairy breed samples: Holstein milk from Beijing, China (BH); Holstein milk from Hebei province, China; Jersey milk (JS); and four dairy/meat cow samples: Sanhe milk, Xinjiang brown milk (XH), Simmental milk, and Shu Xuanhua milk. Breed significantly affected total fat, fatty acid, and protein contents. The region significantly affected the contents of different fatty acids, α-lactalbumin, and lactoferrin. JS had the highest total fat, most fatty acids, and casein contents. XH performed well with significantly higher unsaturated fatty acid content than BH, which was not significantly different from JS, and its protein composition of low β-lactoglobulin and high lactoferrin was more similar to breast milk, which may thus be favorable to the growth and development of children. Our results may inform the development of dairy products from different cow breeds and advance the process of accurate breed identification.

Fluctuations in kynurenic acid (KYNA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the brain reflect its neurological status. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of transiently elevated KYNA concentration in the cerebroventricular circulation on the expression of BDNF and its high-affinity tropomyosin-related kinase receptor B (TrkB) in specific structures of the sheep brain. Intracerebroventricularly cannulated anestrous sheep were subjected to a series of four 30-min infusions of KYNA: 4×5 μg/60 μL/30 min (KYNA20, n=6) and 4×25 μg/60 μL/30 min (KYNA100, n=6) or a control infusion (n=6), at 30-min intervals. Sections of the hippocampal CA3 field, amygdala (AMG), prefrontal cortex (PCx), and the hypothalamic medial-basal (MBH) and preoptic (POA) areas were dissected from the brain immediately after the experiment. The highest concentration of BDNF protein was found in the CA3 field (P&lt;0.01), which was 8-fold higher than in the AMG and 12-fold higher than that in the PCx (MBH and POA were not analyzed). The most pronounced BDNF mRNA expression was observed in the MBH followed by the PCx, POA, AMG and CA3, while the highest abundance of TrkB mRNA was recorded in the AMG followed by the MBH, PCx, CA3 and POA. KYNA increased (P&lt;0.05-P&lt;0.01) BDNF protein levels and the expression of its gene in the brain structures examined, with the effect varying by dose and brain region. KYNA, particularly at the KYNA100 dose, also increased (P&lt;0.01) TrkB gene expression, except for the AMG, where the lower KYNA20 dose was more effective (P&lt;0.01). These findings suggest a positive relationships between KYNA levels in the cerebroventricular circulation and BDNF-TrkB expression in specific brain regions in a sheep model. This indicates that a transient increase in CSF KYNA concentration can potentially restore BDNF production, whose deficiency underlies numerous neurological disorders.

Elevated serum uric acid (sUA) is associated with risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, we examined the prognostic significance of sUA and exercise capacity in 411 Japanese adults (age, ≥65; mean, 81 years) hospitalized for worsening CVD. Mean sUA was significantly higher in the 23% of patients on an sUA-lowering agent than in those not. When the patients were stratified by sUA into three groups (7.0 mg/dL), the high sUA group had significantly worse peak VO2 and composite endpoint (rehospitalization due to worsening CVD and all-cause mortality) compared with low and moderate sUA groups (P < 0.001). When the patients were stratified by sUA into five groups (sUA 10.0 mg/dL), the incidence of the composite endpoint was significantly higher in the highest sUA group compared with that in the reference group, but only in women. Univariate Cox regression analysis, but not a multivariate analysis, indicated that sUA was significantly associated with the composite endpoint. Although sUA and exercise capacity may have some degree of prognostic significance in older patients with CVD, this significance may differ between men and women.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant medical and psychological challenges worldwide, and not only exceeded the capacity of hospitals and intensive care units but also an individuals’ ability to cope with life. Health-care workers have continued to provide care for patients despite exhaustion, fear of transmission to themselves and their family, illness or death of friends and colleagues, and losing many patients. They have also faced additional stress and anxiety due to long shifts combined with unprecedented population restrictions, including personal isolation. In this study, we study the effect of an app-based Yoga of Immortals (YOI) intervention on mental health of healthcare workers. In this study, the health care workers were digitally recruited, and their psychological parameters were measured using validated questionaries. The participants were randomly grouped into control and test groups. The validated psychological measures were the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scales. The digital YOI intervention significantly reduced the anxiety, depression symptoms, and insomnia in healthcare workers of all age groups. In contrast, there was no improvement in the control group. This study details the effectiveness of an app-based YOI intervention in healthcare workers.

Background: Microscopic examination of acid-fast stained sputum smears for detecting mycobacterial acid-fast bacilli (AFB) remains the most economical and readily available method for laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). However, this conventional approach has limitations, including low sensitivity and labor-intensive procedures. Methods: An automated microscopy system incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for AFB identification was evaluated. The study was conducted at an Infectious Disease Hospital in Jiangsu Province, China, utilizing an intelligent microscope system (TB-Scan, Wellgen Medical, Kaohsiung). A total of 1,000 sputum smears were included in the analysis, with the system capturing digital microscopic images and employing an image recognition model to automatically identify and classify AFB. Referee technicians provided the gold standard for discrepant results. Results: The automated system demonstrated an overall accuracy of 95.00% (950/1,000), sensitivity of 91.24% (177/194), and specificity of 95.91% (773/806). Notably, the system identified 21 smears as positive that were previously reported as negative, with referee technicians confirming 17 of these as true positive and retracting the test results accordingly. Recalculating the performance, the accuracy increased to 96.70% (967/1,000), sensitivity to 91.94% (194/211), and specificity to 97.97% (773/789), with a false negative rate of 8.06% (17/211) and a false positive rate of 2.03% (16/789). Conclusions: The incorporation of AI and machine learning into an automated microscopy system demonstrated the potential to enhance the sensitivity and efficiency of AFB detection in sputum smears compared to conventional manual microscopy. This approach holds promise for widespread application in TB diagnostics and potentially other fields requiring labor-intensive microscopic examination.

In the present study, we investigated to what extent the soybean has been used in in-dustrial and homemade sausage produced in Kosovo, as well as its potential impact on the fatty acid profile. In total, 63 samples, 42 industrial and 21 traditional sausages, were collected either from the market or the production site. All samples were tested by means of real-time PCR for the detection and quantification of soy content, as well as the GC-FID to determine the potential re-flection in the fatty acid profile. The presence of soy DNA was detected in 54 out of 63 samples. 41 out of 42 industrial sausage samples were positive for soy DNA, with an average ct value of 22.60 and a standard deviation (SD) of 4.28, whereas 13 out of 21 traditional sausage samples were positive for soy DNA, with a mean ct value of 23.36 and a standard deviation (SD) of 4.56. There was a statistically significant difference in means between industrial sausage and traditional sausage, p≤0.001 based on CT values (ANOVA test). We investigated the correlation between ct values in real-time PCR for soy DNA with each fatty acid content. There is a moderate correlation of soy DNA ct values with C16:0 palmitin (decrease), C18:0 stearic acid (decrease), C18:1 oleic acid (in-crease), and overall saturated fatty acids (decrease). With the exception of C14:0 Myristin, C18:1 Oleic, and C20:0 Arachin acids and monosaturated fats, the ANOVA test reveals a significant dif-ference in means between groups for the majority of the fatty acids between industrial sausages and traditional sausages. The current study demonstrates that the fatty acid composition of sau-sages is influenced by the amount of soy present in them. The extent to which other components affect the fatty acid profile is unknown. However, an increase in oleic acid and a decrease in stearic and overall saturated fatty acids are expected.

Saikosaponin (SS) a is a compound with various pharmacological properties and easily degraded into SSb1 and SSg in acid condition. In present work another two new degradation products of SSa formed under acid hydrolytic condition were detected and isolated by analytical and semi-preparative liquid chromatography technology, furthermore their structures were characterized as hydroxyl-saikosaponin a and SSb2 by spectral analysis, which is not only essential in stability-indicating method development and validation but also could be used as a worst case to assess the analytical method performance of SSa. Moreover their structural transformation pathways were also proposed.

Polyalcohol liquefaction can be done by acid or basic catalysis producing polyols with different properties. This study compared the mechanical properties of foams produced using polyols from liquefied Cytisus scoparius obtained by acid and basic catalysis and using two different foam catalysts. The differences were monitored using FTIR analysis. Acid-catalyzed liquefaction yielded 95.1 %, with the resultant polyol having an OH index of 1081 mg KOH/g while basic catalysis yielded 82.5 %, with a similar OH index of 1070 mg KOH/g. Generally, compressive strength with dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) ranged from 16 - 31 kPa (acid-liquefied polyol) and 12 -21 kPa (base-liquefied polyol), while with stannous octoate (TIN), it ranged from 17 - 42 kPa (acid) and 29 - 68 kPa (base). Increasing water content generally decreased the compressive modulus and strength of foams. Higher water content led to a higher absorption at 1670 cm-1 in the FTIR spectrum due to the formation of urea. Higher isocyanate indices generally improved compressive strength, but high amounts led to unreacted isocyanate that could be seen by a higher absorption at 2265 cm-1 and 3290 cm-1. DBTL was shown to be the best foam catalyst due to higher trimer conversion seen in the spectra by a higher absorption at 1410 cm-1. Acid and base-derived polyols lead to different polyurethane foams with different FTIR spectra, particularly with a higher absorption at 1670 cm-1 for foams from acid-derived liquefaction.

Estrogen decline during menopause is associated with altered metabolism, weight gain and increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases. The gut microbiota also plays a role in the development of cardiometabolic dysfunction and is also subject to changes associated with age-related hormone changes. Phytoestrogens are plant-based estrogen mimics that have gained popularity as dietary supplements for treatment or prevention of menopause-related symptoms. These compounds have the potential to both modulate and to be metabolized by the gut microbiota. Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) contain potent phytoestrogen precursors, which rely on microbial biotransformation in the gut to estrogenic forms. We supplemented ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SHAM) C57BL/6 mice, with oral estradiol (E2), a flavonoid-rich extract from hops, or a placebo carrier oil to observe effects on adiposity, inflammation, and gut bacteria composition. Hops extract and E2 protected against increased visceral adiposity and liver triglyceride accumulation in OVX animals. Surprisingly, we found no evidence of OVX having a significant impact on the overall gut bacterial community structure. We did find differences in abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, which was lower with HE treatment relative to the OVX E2 treatment and to placebo in the SHAM group.

Studying the multi-function bacterial implications on the natural phytochemicals could be among the best solutions for producing clean-label functional juices. This study aimed to develop a high-quality mulberry juice with enhanced antioxidant capacity through fermentation. The juice was fermented using mono- and co-cultures of Lactobacillus casei (LC), L. plantarum (LP), L. paracasei (LPC), L. acidophilus (LA), and L. helveticus (LH) at different time intervals (24, 48, 72, and 96 h). The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), flavonols, anthocyanins, and proan-thocyanidins were determined, along with the antioxidant activity assays and FTIR analysis. The results revealed significant changes in molecular interactions and functional group presence post-fermentation, indicating microbial incorporation's effect on the juice's functional profile. These changes were attributed to the formation of new compounds during fermentation, such as organic acids, alcohols, glycerol, and phenols, as evidenced by the FTIR spectra. Besides, LC-LA and LC-LPC co-culture treatments yield the most substantial stability in TPC, TFC, and TF after 48 h compared to 24 h and 72 h. After 48 h, the co-cultures of LPC-LH (1265.5 GAE/L) and LPC-LA (1145 GAE/L) were increased the TPC after 48 h than the single cultures. Conclusively, LC-LPC and LP-LPC co-culture fermentation was recommended as a cost-effective method to enhance the an-tioxidant potential and the overall phytochemical capacity of mulberry products. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the potential of fermented mulberry juice as a functional food with improved health benefits.

The esterification of propylene glycol methanol (PM) and acetic acid (AA) is an important reaction for the production of propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PMA). Herein, we used macroporous ion exchange resin Amberlyst-35 as a catalyst to explore the effects of reaction conditions on the reaction rate and equilibrium yield of PMA. Under the optimized conditions of reaction temperature of 353 K, initial reactant PM/AA molar ratio of 1:3, and catalyst loading of 10 wt%, PMA equilibrium yield reached 78%, which is the highest equilibrium yield so far. The reaction equilibrium constants and activity coefficients were estimated to obtain reaction thermodynamic properties, indicating the exothermicity of the reaction. Furthermore, Pseudo-homogeneous (PH), Eley-Rideal (ER), and Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hogen-Watson (LHHW) kinetic models were fitted based on experimental reaction kinetic data. The results demonstrate that the LHHW model is the most consistent with experimental data, indicating surface reaction controlled process and exhibiting an apparent activation energy of 62.0 kJ/mol. This work represents a valuable example of calculating the reaction thermodynamic and kinetics, which are particularly essential for promising industrial reactor design.

To clarify effects of weathered coal humic acid on water-stable aggregates and pore characteristics of reclaimed cambisol, this research analyzed the evolution characteristics of soil aggregates and pores. Effects of different humic acid dosages (0, 1%, 3%, and 5% by weight) and application period (1 year, 2 years, and 3 years) on soil aggregates and organic carbon components in soil water-stable aggregates were investigated. The results showed that water-stable macroaggregates (&gt;0.25 mm) had the highest content in the first year; but in the third year, water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) had the highest content, and silt and clay (&lt;0.053 mm) were at a maximum. In the third year of 5% treatment, mean weight and geometric mean diameters were the largest, soil structure was the most stable, and TOC and water-stable microaggregates (0.053–0.25 mm) in soil had the highest proportions. For 5% treatment, the majority of irregular pores were independent in the first year, and number of pores decreased in the second year, but average pore volume increased, forming robust connected pores. In the third year, the number of elongated and irregular pores increased. In the third year of 5% treatment, most pores were irregular and of size &gt;100 μm, and soil structure was the most stable.

To better understand the shape memory materials and self-healing materials, a new series of liquid-crystalline shape memory polyurethane (LC-SMPU) composites, named SMPU-OOBAm, were successfully prepared by incorporating 4-octyldecyloxybenzoic acid (OOBA) into the PEG-based SMPU. The effect of OOBA on the structure, morphology and properties has been carefully investigated. The results demonstrate that SMPU-OOBAm have liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties and self-healing properties. The incorporated OOBA promotes the crystallizability of both soft and hard segments of SMPU, and the crystallization rate of the hard segment of SMPU decreases when the OOBA-content increases. Additionally, the SMPU-OOBAm forms a two-phase separated structure (SMPU phase and OOBA phase), and it shows two-step modulus changes upon heating. Therefore, the SMPU-OOBAm shows triple-shape memory behavior, and the shape recovery ratio decreases with an increase in the OOBA content. Finally, SMPU-OOBAm shows self-healing properties. The new mechanism can be ascribed to the heating-induced “bleeding” of OOBA in the liquid crystalline state and the subsequent re-crystallization upon cooling. This successful combination of liquid crystalline properties, triple-shape memory properties and self-healing properties make the SMPU-OOBAm composites with many promise applications in smart optical devices, smart electronic devices and smart sensors.

Recently, the composite materials consisting of ionic liquids (ILs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted a great of attention due to their fantastic properties. Many theoretical studies have been performed towards its special structures and applications. Yet, the mechanism for the diffusion of ILs inside MOFs channels still remain unclear. Here, the DFT calculations together with frontier orbital analysis, natural charge analysis, and energy decomposition analysis were performed to investigate the diffusion behavior of a typical IL, [C4mim][PF6], into the ZIF-8 SOD cage. The potential energy surface (PES) profiles indicate that it is quite difficult for the cation [C4min]+ to diffuse into the cage of ZIF-8 through the pristine pores because of its large imidazole steric hindrance. Moreover, the PES reveals that a success diffusion could be obtained by the thermal contributions, by which the pore size is enlarged through the swing effects at a higher temperature. Subsequently, electronic structure analyses reveal that the main interactions between [PF6]-or [C4mim]+ and ZIF-8 is the steric repulsion interactions. Finally, the effects of amounts of [C4mim][PF6]on the ZIF-8 were investigated, and the results show that two pairs of [C4mim][PF6] per SOD cage is more reasonable in terms of interaction energies and structural changes.

Crohn's disease is a non-specific inflammatory bowel disease, which is a chronic condition that affects the ileum and/or large intestine. At the same time, it can also involve any other part of the human body, that is, from the mouth to the anus. The symptoms are very bothersome and cause a significant reduction in quality of life and sometimes even crippling permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract, which requires enteral or parenteral nutrition for life. The purpose of this study was to investigate tissue metalloproteinases as markers of recurrent Crohn's disease. The experimental groups included 31 patients and 10 patients with normal Crohn's disease, ranging in age from 23-70 years, with a mean age of 40.4. Collected tissues were frozen and then fragmented tissues were homogenized with Ripa Lysis buffer on ice. The supernatant was collared and four metalloproteinases - MMP 3, MMP 7, MMP 8 and MMP 9 - were an-alized by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay using SEA101HU, SEA102Hu, SEA103Hu and SEA553Hu kits (Cloud-Clone Corp., Kata, TX, USA). All chemical analyses were performed in triplicate. Metalloproteinase content was expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Metalloproteinase 3 and metalloproteinase 8) significantly influenced the possibility of Crohn recurrence

Fruit cracking or splitting, a severe physiological disease that highly affects appearance and quality, compromise the commodity value of fruit and also causes huge economical losses to the producers of several fleshy fruit crops. The growth-promoting phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA) and growth-inhibiting phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) antagonistically regulate numerous developmental processes throughout the plant life cycle. Homeostasis of endogenous GA and ABA play a significant role in the normal growth of fruits, and its imbalance may lead to the occurrence of cracking or splitting during the process of fruit growth, development, ripening and postharvest storage. The pathways of GA and ABA metabolism and signaling have been studied widely, and the major components were well characterized, which including the genes encoding major biosynthesis and catabolism enzymes and the key signaling components. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the mechanisms of GA and ABA governing fruit cracking is not comprehensive enough. In this review, we not only focus on the scenarios of effects of endogenous GA and ABA contents in the fruit and exogenous plant growth regulators GA and ABA treatments, but also endeavor to provide some genetic cues on the function of GA and ABA responsible for fruit cracking modulation. Information from this review aims to strengthen the understanding of potential molecular bases underlying GA and ABA in fruit cracking control and provide guidance in breeding of fruit cultivars with cracking-resistant ideotypes, and also make great theoretical significance in guiding the establishment of integrated prevention and control measures to fruit cracking or splitting.

Using the nematode C. elegans germline as a model system, we previously reported that PUF-8 (a PUF RNA-binding protein) and LIP-1 (a dual-specificity phosphatase) repress sperm fate at 20°C and the dedifferentiation of spermatocytes into mitotic cells (termed "spermatocyte dedifferentiation") at 25°C. Thus, double mutants lacking both PUF-8 and LIP-1 produce excess sperm at 20°C, and their spermatocytes return to mitotically dividing cells via dedifferentiation at 25°C, resulting in germline tumors. To gain insight into the molecular competence for spermatocyte dedifferentiation, we compared the germline phenotypes of three mutant strains – fem-3(q20gf), puf-8(q725; fem-3(q20gf), and puf-8(q725); lip-1(zh15). Both fem-3(q20gf) and puf-8(q725); fem-3(q20gf) mutants produced excess sperm like puf-8(q725); lip-1(zh15) double mutants. Our results show that spermatocyte dedifferentiation was not observed in fem-3(q20gf) mutants, but it was more aggressive in puf-8(q725); lip-1(zh15) than in puf-8(q725); fem-3(q20gf) mutants. These results suggest that MPK-1 (the C. elegans ERK1/2 MAPK ortholog) activation by removing the function of LIP-1 in the absence of PUF-8 promotes spermatocyte dedifferentiation. This idea was confirmed using Resveratrol (RSV), a potential activator of MPK-1 and ERK1/2 in C. elegans and human cells. Notably, spermatocyte dedifferentiation was significantly enhanced by RSV treatment, and its effect was blocked by mpk-1 RNAi. We, therefore, conclude that PUF-8 and MPK-1 are normally required to inhibit spermatocyte dedifferentiation and tumorigenesis. Since these regulators are broadly conserved, we suggest that similar regulatory circuitry may control cellular dedifferentiation and tumorigenesis in other organisms, including humans.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, anxiety, hyperactivity, and restricted interest for specific subjects. In addition to the genetic factors, multiple environmental factors have been related to the development of ASD. Animal models can serve as crucial tools for understanding the complexity of ASD and identifying potential therapeutic strategies. In this study, a chemical model of ASD has been developed in zebrafish by exposing embryos to valproic acid (VPA) from 4 to 48 hours post-fertilization. After the exposure, embryos were transferred to fish water and the effects on behavior and neurotransmitters profile were analyzed at both larval and adult stages. Larvae from VPA-treated embryos showed hyperactivity and decreased visual and vibrational escape responses, as well as an altered neurotransmitters profile, with increased glutamate and decreased acetylcholine and norepinephrine levels. Adults from VPA-treated embryos exhibited impaired social behavior characterized by larger shoal sizes and a decreased interest for their conspecifics. Neurotransmitter analysis revealed a significant decrease in dopamine and GABA levels in the brain. These results support the interest of this model in the study of ASD.

Background: In France, no previous studies had addressed the acquisition of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria and colistin resistance genes by medical students when undertaking internships abroad. Methods: Nasopharyngeal, rectal, and vaginal swabs samples were collected from 382 French medical students before and after travel to investigate the acquisition of MDR bacteria. The bacterial diversity in the samples was assessed by culture on selective media. We also genetically characterised the isolates of MDR bacteria including Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriacae (CPE) using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The samples were collected from 293 students and were investigated for mcr colistin-resistance genes using RT-PCR directly on the samples, followed by conventional PCR and sequencing. Results: A proportion of 29.3% of the participants had acquired ESBL-E and 2.6% had acquired CPE. The most common species and ESBL-E encoding gene were Escherichia coli (98.4%) and bla_CTX-M-A (95.3%), respectively. A proportion of 6.8% of the participants had acquired mcr-1 genes, followed by mcr-3 (0.3%) and mcr-8 (0.3%). We found that taking part in humanitarian missions to orphanages, being in contact with children during travel, the primary destination of travel being Vietnam and north India, using antibiotics during travel, and studying in 2017 were associated with the acquisition of ESBL-E. When the primary destination of travel was Vietnam and the year of study was 2018, this was associated with acquisition of colistin resistance genes. Conclusion: Medical students are at a potential risk of acquiring ESBL-E, CPE and colistin resistance genes. A number of risk factors have been identified, which may be used to develop targeted preventive measures.

Inflammation is implicated in the etiology of obesity-related diseases. Thromboxane-prostanoid receptor (TPR) is known to play a role in mediating an inflammatory response in a variety of cells. Gut-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR4 agonist, is elevated in obesity. Moreover, free fatty acids (FFAs) are important mediators of obesity-related inflammation. However, the role and mechanisms by which TPR regulates the inflammatory response in human immune cells remain unclear. We sought to determine the link between TPR and obesity and the role/mechanisms by which TPR alters LPS or stearic acid (SA)-induced inflammatory response in PBMCs. Cells were pre-treated with agents blocking TPR signaling, followed by treatment with LPS or stearic acid (SA). Our findings showed that TPR mRNA levels are higher in PBMCs from individuals with obesity. Blockade of TPR as well as ROCK which acts downstream of TPR, attenuated LPS and/or SA-induced pro-inflammatory response. On the other hand, TPR activation using its agonist enhanced the pro-inflammatory effects of LPS and/or SA. Of note, TPR agonist by itself elicits an inflammatory response which was attenuated by blocking TPR or ROCK. Our data suggest that TPR plays a key role in promoting an inflammatory response in human PBMCs and this effect is mediated via TLR4 and/or ROCK signaling.

The term Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) refers generically to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Among the isomers of linoleic acid cis9, trans11-CLA (c9, t11-CLA) and trans10, cis12-CLA (t10, c12-CLA) are found to be bio-logically active isomers, and they occur naturally in milk, dairy products and meat from ruminants. In addition, some vegetables and some sea-foods have also been reported to contain CLA. Although the CLA levels in these natural sources are insufficient to confer the essential health benefits, anti-carcinogenic or anti-cancer effects are of current interest. In the rumen, CLA is an intermediate of isomerization and the biohydrogenation process of linoleic acid to stearic acid conducted by ruminal microorganisms. In addition to rumen bacteria, some other bacteria, such as Propionibacterium, Bifidobacterium and some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are also capable of producing CLA. In this regard, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) has demon-strated the ability to produce CLA isomers from linoleic acid by multiple enzymatic activi-ties, including hydration, dehydration, and isomerization. L. plantarum is one of the most versatile species of LAB and the bacterium is widely used in the food industry as a micro-bial food culture. The studies reviewed in this article reveal how, in the production of some fermented foods, the use of appropriate strains of L. plantarum, as a starter or additional culture, can be considered a critical factor in the design of new CLA-enriched functional foods.

Traditional mining activities in Zaruma-Portovelo (SE Ecuador) have led to high concentrations of pollutants in the Puyango River due to acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned waste. Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS) passive treatment systems have shown efficacy in neutralizing acidity and retaining metals and sulfates in acidic waters, achieving near 100% retention for Fe, Al, and Cu, over 70% for trace elements, and 25% for SO₄²⁻. However, significant solid residues are generated, requiring proper geochemical and mineralogical understanding for management. This study investigates the fractionation of elements in AMD precipitates. Results indicate that trivalent metals (Fe, Al) form low-crystallinity oxyhydroxysulfate minerals such as schwertmannite and jarosite, which retain elements like As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn through adsorption-coprecipitation. Sulfate removal occurs via salts like coquimbite and gypsum. Divalent metals are primarily removed through carbonate and bicarbonate phases, with minerals such as azurite, malachite, rhodochrosite, and calcite. Despite the effectiveness of DAS, leachates from the precipitates exceed regulatory thresholds for aquatic life protection, classifying them as hazardous and posing environmental risks. However, these residues offer opportunities for the recovery of valuable metals.

Psoralens have been used in the treatment of several skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic eczema through PUVA (psoralen + UVA), cutaneous T-cell lymphoma through ECP (extracorporeal photochemotherapy), and recently, the treatment of solid tumors through X-PACT (x-ray psoralen activated cancer therapy). Ingesting psoralens and exposing the molecules to UVA light allows for the flat-planar psoralens to intercalate or slide in-between base pairs and then to form photo-adducts with the DNA backbone which can stop or slow DNA replication. The intrinsic ability of psoralens to bind with DNA and their therapeutic effectiveness contribute to the increased interest in the study of these molecules. Several studies measuring psoralen-DNA binding capabilities have used a variety of spectroscopic techniques and different experimental conditions. In this study, spectrofluorometry was used to measure the DNA-binding capabilities of three different psoralen derivatives (6E, AMT and 8-MOP) under identical experimental conditions. The binding constants were 0.325x106 M-1 for 8-MOP, 0.516x106 M-1 for AMT, and 7.30x106 M-1 for 6E. This direct comparison of the three different psoralens demonstrated the impact of their molecular structure on the DNA-binding capacity. 6E’s significantly greater binding constant makes it the stronger candidate for further studies looking into potential applications for cancer treatment.

8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was the most widely used oxidative stress biomarker of the free radical-induced oxidative damage product of DNA, which may allow a premature assessment of various diseases. This paper designed a label-free, portable biosensor device to direct detect 8-OHdG by plasma coupled electrochemistry on transparent and conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. We reported a flexible printed ITO electrode made from particle-free silver and carbon inks. After inkjet printing, the working electrode was sequentially assembled by gold nanotriangles (AuNTAs) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). This nanomaterial-modified portable biosensor showed excellent electrochemical performance for 8-OHdG detection from 10 μg/mL to 100 μg/mL by our self-developed constant voltage source integrated circuit system. This work demonstrated a portable biosensor for simultaneously integrating nanostructure, electroconductivity, and biocompatibility to construct advanced biosensors for oxidative damage biomarkers. The proposed nanomaterial modified ITO-based electrochemical portable device was a potential biosensor to approach 8-OHdG point-of-care testing (POCT) in various biological fluid samples, such as saliva and urine samples.

Cisplatin is a widely used anticancer drug for treating solid tumors, but it is associated with severe side effects, including nephrotoxicity. Various studies have suggested that the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin could be overcome; nonetheless, an effective adjuvant drug has not yet been established. Oleanolic acid acetate (OAA), a triterpenoid isolated from Vigna angularis, is commonly used to treat inflammatory and allergic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of OAA against cisplatin-induced apoptosis and necroptosis using TCMK-1 cells and a mouse model. In cisplatin-treated TCMK-1 cells, OAA treatment significantly reduced Bax and cleaved-caspase3 expression, whereas increased Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, in cisplatin-induced kidney injury mouse model, OAA treatment alleviated weight loss in the body and major organs and also relieved cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity symptoms. RNA sequencing analysis of kidney tissues identified lipocalin-2 as the most upregulated gene by cisplatin. Additionally, necroptosis-related genes such as receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK) and mixed lineage kinase domain like (MLKL) were identified. In vitro study, the phosphorylation of RIPKs and MLKL was reduced by OAA pretreatment in both cisplatin-treated cells and cells boosted by co-treatment with z-VAD-FMK. In conclusion, OAA could protect the kidney from cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and may serve as an anticancer adjuvant.

In this research, catalytic steam reforming acetic acid derived from the aqueous portion of bio-oil for hydrogen production was investigated by using different Ni/ATC (Attapulgite Clay) catalysts prepared by precipitation, impregnation and mechanical blending methods. The fresh and reduced catalysts were characterized by XRD, N₂ adsorption-desorption, TEM and H₂-TPR. The comprehensive results demonstrated that the interaction between active metallic Ni and ATC carrier was significantly improved in Ni/ATC catalyst prepared by precipitation method, and in which the mean Ni particle size was the smallest (~13 nm) resulted in the highest metal dispersion (7.5%). The catalytic performance of the three catalysts was evaluated through the process of steam reforming of acetic acid in a fixed-bed reactor under atmospheric pressure at two different temperatures, such as 550 ℃ and 650 ℃. Results showed that the Ni/ATC (PM-N/ATC) prepared by precipitation method, achieved the highest H₂ yield of ~82% and little lower acetic acid conversion efficiency of ~85% than that (~95%) of Ni/ATC (IM-NATC) prepared by impregnation method. In addition, the deactivation catalysts after reaction for 4 h were analyzed by XRD, TGA-DTG and TEM, which demonstrated that the catalyst deactivation was not caused by the amount of carbon deposition, but owed to the significant agglomeration and sintering of Ni particles in the carrier.

In the Mediterranean area, vegetation dynamics and phenology analyzed over a long time can have an important role in highlighting changes in land use and cover as well as the effect of climate change. Over the last 30 years, remote sensing has played an essential role in bringing about these changes thanks to many types of observations and techniques. Satellite images are to be considered an important tool to grasp these dynamics and evaluate them in an inexpensive and multidisciplinary way thanks to Landsat and Sentinel satellite constellations. The integration of these tools holds a dual potential: on one hand, allowing to obtain longer historical series of reflectance data, while on the other hand, making data available with a higher frequency even within a specific timeframe. The study aims to conduct a comprehensive cross-comparison analysis of long-time series pixel values in the Mediterranean regions. For this scope comparisons between Landsat-7 (ETM+), Landsat-8 (OLI), and Sentinel-2 (MSI) satellite sensors were conducted based on surface reflectance products. We evaluated these differences using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Major Axis linear regression (RMA) analysis on points extracted from over 15,000 images across the Mediterranean basin area from 2017 to 2020. Minor but consistent differences were noted, necessitating the formulation of suitable adjustment equations to better align Sentinel-2 reflectance values with those of Landsat-7 or Landsat-8. The results of the analysis are compared with the most used harmonization coefficients proposed in the literature, revealing significant differences. The root mean square deviation, the mean difference and the orthogonal distance regression (ODR) slope show an improvement of the parameters for both models used (OLS and RMA) in this study. The discrepancies in reflectance values lead to corresponding variations in the estimation of biophysical parameters, such as NDVI, showing an increase in the ODR slope of 0.3. Despite differences in spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics, we demonstrate that integration of these datasets is feasible through the application of band-wise regression corrections for a sensitive and heterogeneous area like those of the Mediterranean basin area.

This research introduces a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor utilizing flower-like nickel ox-ide/carbon (fl-NiO/C) microspheres for the precise detection of L-glutamic acid (LGA), a crucial neurotransmitter in the field of healthcare and a frequently utilized food additive and flavor en-hancer. The fl-NiO/C were synthesized with controllable microstructures using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as precursors followed by a simple calcination process. The uniformly synthe-sized fl-NiO/C microspheres were further characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spec-troscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). The fl-NiO/C was utilized as a modi-fier on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode, and an impedimetric sensor based on Electro-chemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was developed for the detection of LGA. The proposed sensor demonstrated excellent catalytic activity and selectivity towards LGA across a broad con-centration range of 10-800 μM with a sensitivity of 486.9 µA.mM-1.cm-2 and a detection limit of 1.28 µM (S/N=3). The sensor was also employed to identify LGA in blood plasma samples, yield-ing results that align with those obtained through HPLC. This achievement highlights the poten-tial of fl-NiO/C microspheres in advancing cutting-edge biosensing applications.

Post-acute COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PACVS) is distinguished from the normal post-vaccination state by altered receptor antibodies (Semmler et al. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1642). Here, we explore the symptoms registry and standard serum markers acquired in the above study to delineate the disease phenotype of PACVS. Symptoms reported by the participants overlapped with established complex dysautonomia syndromes (ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS, SFN). However, many participants were qualified for several (131/191) or none (31/191) of these syndromes. Unbiased clustering (modified Jaccard index) revealed a prevalent cross-cohort symptomatology of malaise and chronic fatigue (&gt; 80% of cases). Overlapping clusters of (i) peripheral nerve dysfunction, dysesthesia, motor weakness, pain, vasomotor dysfunction, (ii) cardiovascular impairment, and (iii) cognitive impairment, headache, optic, oculo-motoric and acoustic dysfunctions were also frequently represented. Conspicuous serum markers encompassed increases in interleukins 6 and 8 and low fT3 levels (&gt; 80%), IgG-subclass imbalances and impaired iron-storage (&gt; 50%), and increases in sNFL (&gt; 30%). Serum markers were not correlated to specific symptoms or symptom clusters. A single and unique cause (i. e. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination) is improbable to trigger several distinct etiologies. Therefore, the symptoms and serological features observed in our study cohort probably represent facets of a single complex syndrome.

Cuba is struggling with a growing environmental problem: the uncontrolled spread of the allochthonous weed species marabou (Dichrostachys cinerea) throughout the country. Over the last 70 years, marabou has become a formidable invasive species that poses a threat to Cuban biodiversity and agricultural productivity. In this paper, we present a free and affordable method for regularly mapping the spatial distribution of the marabou based on the Google Earth Engine platform and ecological surveys. To test its accuracy, we develop an 18-year analysis (2000–2018) of marabou dynamics using the Valle de los Ingenios, a Cuban UNESCO World Heritage Site, as an experimental model. Our spatial analysis reveals clear patterns of marabou distribution and highlights areas of concentrated growth. Temporal trends illustrate the dynamic nature of the species, identifying periods of expansion and decline. In addition, our system is able to detect specific, large-scale human interventions against the marabou plague in the area. The results highlight the urgent need for remedial strategies to maintain the fragile balance in the region.

Lactic acid (LA) is a significant byproduct in Baijiu fermentation, with both D(-)-lactic acid (D(-)-LA) and L-lactic acid (L(+)-LA) being present due to the diverse microbial metabolism involved. L(+)-LA, a key industrial raw material, is metabolizable by humans, unlike D(-)-LA. This study aims to isolate microorganisms from fermented grains that preferentially produce L(+)-LA and apply these strains to Baijiu fermentation processes. We analyzed 106 commercially available Baijiu samples, along with fermented grains, yellow water, and Baijiu samples from 10 Baijiu factories, confirming the coexistence of D(-)-LA and L(+)-LA in fermentation products. Notably, a strong correlation was found between L(+)-LA in fermented grains and L-ethyl lactate (L(+)-EL) in Baijiu. Microbial community analysis revealed that Lactobacillus and Bacillus were the dominant bacterial groups, with a succession of microbial communities throughout fermentation. Two strains, A6 and B12, identified as Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus cereus, respectively, were isolated for their high selectivity in L(+)-LA production. Both strains demonstrated a high yield of L(+)-LA in fermentation tests. Incorporating these strains into both liquid- and solid-state fermentation systems markedly increased the proportion of L(+)-EL relative to total ethyl lactate in Baijiu. This study successfully isolated and applied L(+)-LA-producing strains to fermentation models, offering a practical strategy for increasing L(+)-LA content in Baijiu.

The terpolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) with acrylic acid and triethylene glycol methacrylate were synthesized with more than 90% yield by radical copolymerization in ethanol from monomeric mixtures of different composition (98 : 2 : 2, 95 : 5: 2 and 98 : 2: 5). Their physical and chemical characteristics such as monomer composition, absolute molecular masses and hy-drodynamic radii in aqueous media at different temperature were determined. The temperature effect on the behavior of terpolymers in water and aqueous saline buffer solution with pH 7.4 has been studied and the ability of a copolymer enriched with dimethacrylates units was discovered to respond to a temperature change in these media. On the basis of terpolymers and linear polyvi-nylpyrrolidone (PVP), polymer compositions of hydrophobic dye methyl pheophorbide a, MPP, that is fluorescent in the red region of the spectrum, were obtained; the sizes of the polymer nanostructures of MPP in water were determined. The structures based on terpolymers were demonstrated to be more stable than MPP-PVP ones. It was carried out the quantum-chemical modelling of the possible structures of MPP-copolymer that formed as a result of intermolecular interaction between MPP and terpolymer’s chains; the possibility of the formation of hydrogen bonds between the donors of the electrons of terpolymer units and the proton donors of the MPP molecule was shown. Using the MTT test, it was established that copolymers of various compositions are low toxic for non-tumor Vero cells and HeLa tumor cells. It was shown that the cytotoxicity of polymer particles loaded with MPP for FetMSC and HeLa cells increased. Using fluorescence microscopy, the accumulation and distribution of polymer particles in non-tumor (FetMSC) and tumor (HeLa) cells was studied and an increase in the accumulation of MPP with both types of particles was shown.

Pipelines extend thousands of kilometers to transport and distribute oil and gas. Given the challenges often faced with corrosion, fatigue, and other issues on steel pipes, the demand for glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) pipes is increasing in the oil and gas gathering and transmission systems. However, the medium transported through these pipelines contains multiple acid gases such as CO2 and H2S, as well as ions including Cl-、Ca2+、Mg2+、SO42-、CO32- and HCO3-. These substances can cause a series of problems, such as aging, debonding, delamination, and fracture. In this study, a series of aging damage experiments were conducted on V-shaped GFRP pipes with depths of 2mm and 5mm. The aging and failure of GFRP were studied under the combined effects of external force and acidic solution using acoustic emission (AE) techniques. It was found that the acidic aging solution promoted matrix damage, fiber/matrix desorption, and delamination damage in GFRP pipes over a short period. However, the overall aging effect was relatively weak. Based on the experimental data, the SSA-LSSVM algorithm was proposed and applied to the damage pattern recognition of GFRP. An average recognition rate of up to 90% was achieved, indicating that this method is highly suitable for analyzing AE signals related to GFRP damage.

Background. Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), and CD98hc are candidates for targeted therapy at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Our objective was to challenge the expression of TfR1, GLUT1, and CD98hc in brain capillaries by the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) valproic acid (VPA). Methods. Primary mouse brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) and brain capillaries isolated from mice injected intraperitoneally with VPA were examined using RT-qPCR and ELISA. Targeting to the BBB was performed by injecting monoclonal anti-TfR1 (Ri7217)-conjugated gold nanoparticles measured using ICP-MS. Results. In BCECs co-cultured with glial cells, Tfrc mRNA expression was significantly higher after 6 h VPA returning to baseline after 24 h. In vivo Glut1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in males, but not females', receiving VPA, whereas Cd98hc mRNA expression was unaffected by VPA. TfR1 increased significantly in vivo after VPA, whereas GLUT1 and CD98hc were unchanged. Uptake of anti-TfR1-conjugated nanoparticles was unaltered by VPA in spite upregulated TfR expression. Conclusions. VPA upregulates TfR1 in brain endothelium in vivo and in vitro. VPA does not increase GLUT1 and CD98hc proteins. The increase in TfR1 does not result in higher anti-TfR1 antibody targetability, suggesting targeting sufficiently occurs with available transferrin receptors without further contribution from accessory VPA-induced TfR1.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) have been reported to be important factors in promoting the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the corresponding molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We hypothesize that epiregulin (EREG), an epidermal growth factor (EGF) family member derived from hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and activated by LPS stimulation, is a crucial mediator of HCC progression in the tumor microenvironment. we used a mouse xenograft model of Huh7 cells mixed with half the number of LX-2 cells, with/without intraperitoneal LPS injection, to elucidate the role of EREG in LPS-induced HCC. In the mouse model, LPS administration significantly enlarged the size of xenografted tumors and elevated the expression of EREG in tumor tissues compared with those in negative controls. Moreover, CD34 immunostaining and the gene expressions of angiogenic markers by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed higher vascularization, with increased IL-8 expression in the tumors of the mice group treated with LPS compared to those without LPS. Our data collectively suggested that EREG plays an important role in the cancer microenvironment under the influence of LPS to increase not only tumor cell growth and migration/invasion of HCC cells but also tumor neovascularization via IL-8 signaling.

The metal chelator PBT2 (5,7-dichloro-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-8-hydroxyquinoline) acts as a terdentate ligand capable of forming binary and ternary Cu2+ complexes. It was clinically trialed as an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapeutic but failed to progress beyond phase II. The β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide associated with AD was recently concluded to form a unique Cu(Aβ) complex that is inaccessible to PBT2. Herein, it is shown that the species ascribed to this binary Cu(Aβ) complex in fact corresponds to ternary Cu(PBT2)NIm[Aβ] complexes formed by anchoring of Cu(PBT2) on imine nitrogen (NIm) donors of His side chains. The primary site of ternary complex formation is His6, having a conditional stepwise formation constant at pH 7.4 (K [M−1] ) of log K = 6.4 ± 0.1, and a second site is supplied by His13 or His14 (log K = 4.4 ± 0.1). The stability of Cu(PBT2)NIm[H13/14] is comparable with that of the simplest ternary complexes involving free imidazole (log K = 4.22 ± 0.09) and histamine (log K = 4.00 ± 0.05). The 100-fold larger formation constant for Cu(PBT2)NIm[H6] indicates that outer-sphere ligand–peptide interactions strongly stabilize its structure. Despite the relatively high stability of Cu(PBT2)NImH6, PBT2 is a promiscuous Cu2+-binding ligand capable of forming a ternary Cu(PBT2)NIm complex with any ligand containing NIm donor. These ligands include histamine, L-His, and ubiquitous His side chains of peptides and proteins in the extracellular milieu, whose combined effect should outweigh that of a single Cu(PBT2)NIm[H6] complex regardless of its stability. We therefore conclude that PBT2 is capable of accessing Cu(Aβ) complexes with high stability but not specificity. The results have implications for future AD therapeutic strategies and understanding the role of PBT2 in the bulk transport of transition metal ions. Given the repurposing of PBT2 as a drug for breaking antibiotic resistance, ternary Cu(PBT2)NIm and analogous Zn(PBT2)NIm complexes may be relevant to its antimicrobial properties.

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a Culicoides-borne viral disease caused by epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and associated with clinical manifestations in cervids and bovids. In late September 2021, EHDV was reported in cattle farms in central/western Tunisia. It rapidly spread throughout the country with more than 200 confirmed outbreaks. A combination of classical and molecular techniques was applied to characterize the causative virus as a member of EHDV-8 serotype. This is the first evidence of EHDV- 8 circulation since 1982 when the prototype EHDV-8 strain was isolated in Australia. This work highlights the urgent need for vaccines for a range of EHDV serotypes.

Soil salinity, whether natural or human induced, is a major geo-hazard in arid and semi-arid landscapes. In agricultural lands, it negatively affects plant growth, crop yields, whereas in semi-arid and arid non-agricultural areas it affects urban structures due to subsidence, corrosion and ground water quality, leading to further soil erosion and land degradation Accurately mapping soil salinity through remote sensing techniques has been an active area of research in the past few decades particularly for agricultural lands. Most of this research has focused on the utilization and development of salinity indices for properly mapping and identifying saline agricultural soils. This research study develops a soil salinity index and model using Landsat 8 OLI image data from the near infra-red and shortwave infra-red spectral information with emphasis on soil salinity mapping and assessment in non-agricultural desert arid and semi-arid surfaces. The developed index when integrated into a semi-empirical model outperformed in its soil salinity mapping overall accuracy (60%) in comparison to other salinity indices (~50%). The newly developed index further outperformed other indices in its accuracy in mapping and identifying high saline soils (67%) and excessively high saline soils (90%).

In this paper, the effect of microstructure on the thermal conductivity of plasma-sprayed Y₂O₃ stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is investigated. Nine freestanding samples deposited on aluminum-base superalloy are studied. Cross-section morphology such as pores, cracks, m-phase content, grain boundary density of the coated samples are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). Multiple linear regressions are used to develop quantitative models which describe the relationship between the particle parameters, m-phase content and the microstructure such as porosity, crack-porosity, the length density of small-angle-crack and the length density of big-angle-crack. Moreover, the relationship between microstructure and thermal conductivity is investigated. Results reveal that the thermal conductivity of the coating is mainly determined by the microstructure and grain boundary density at room temperature (25 ℃) and by the length density of big-angle-crack, monoclinic phase content and grain boundary density at high temperature (1200 ℃).

The poly lactic acid (PLA) is one of the most used bio-derived thermoplastic polymers in 3D and 4D printing applications. The determination of PLA surface properties is of capital importance in 3D/4D printing technology. (1) Background: The surface thermodynamic properties of PLA polymer were determined by using the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) technique at infinite dilution. The determination of the retention volume of polar and non-polar molecules adsorbed on the PLA particles filling the column allowed us to obtain the dispersive, polar, and Lewis’s acid-base surface properties at different temperatures from 40 °C to 100 °C. (2) Methods: the applied surface method was based on our recent model that used the London dispersion equation and the new chromatographic parameter function of the deformation polarizability and the harmonic mean of the ionization energies of the PLA polymer and organic molecules. (3) Results: The application of this new method led to the determination of the dispersive and polar free surface energy of adsorption of molecules on the polymeric material, as well as the glass transition and the Lewis acid-base constants. (4) Conclusions: four interval temperatures were distinguished showing four zones of the variations of the surface properties of PLA as a function of the temperature before and after the glass transition.

This study investigated the effects of exogenous gibberellic acid (GA) treatments (elongating cluster + seedless + expanding, T1; seedless + expanding, T2; expanding, T3 and water, CK) on the content of sugars, organic acids, and endogenous hormones and sink strength.Results showed that T2 treatment displayed the highest fructose and glucose levels at 100 days after treatment (DAT), whereas its effect on tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid concentrations at 80 and 100 DAT was relatively weak. Under GA3 treatments, both GA3, IAA, and CTK contents increased, whereas ABA contents decreased at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 48 h. Analysis of sugar phloem unloading revealed that T2 treatment exhibited the highest values during softening and ripening stages. Our findings indicate that appropriate GA3 application can positively influence sink strength by regulating sink size and activity, including berry size enlargement, sugar phloem unloading and sugar accumulation in grape sink cells.

VNREDSat-1 is the first Vietnamese satellite allowing the survey of environmental parameters such as vegetation and water coverages, or surface water quality at medium spatial resolution (from 2.5 to 10 meters depending on the considered channel). The NAOMI sensor on board VNREDSat-1 has the required spectral bands to assess the suspended particulate matter concentration, SPM. Because recent studies have shown that the remote sensing reflectance, Rrs(), at the blue (450 – 520 nm), green (530 – 600 nm), and red (620 – 690 nm) spectral bands can be assessed from NAOMI with a good accuracy, the present study is dedicated to the development and validation of an algorithm (hereafter referred to as V1SPM) to assess SPM from Rrs() over inland and coastal waters of Vietnam. For that purpose, an in situ data set of hyper-spectral Rrs() and SPM (from 0.47 to 240.14 g.m-3) measurements collected at 205 coastal and inland stations has been gathered. Among the different approaches, including 4 historical algorithms, the polynomial algorithms involving the red-to-green reflectance ratio presents the best performance on the validation data set (MAPD of 18,7%). Compared to the use of a single spectral band, the band ratio allows to reduce the scatter around the polynomial fit as well as the impact of imperfect atmospheric corrections. Due to the lack of matchup data points with VNREDSat-1, the full VNREDSat-1 processing chain (RED-NIR and V1SPM) aiming at estimate SPM from the top-of-atmosphere signal has been applied to the Landsat-8/OLI match-up data points with relatively low to moderate SPM concentration (3.33-15.25 g.m-3) showing a MAPD of 15,8%. An illustration of the use of this VNREDSat-1 processing chain during a flooding event occurring in Vietnam is provided.

We propose an improved earlier described “mirror” method [1] for detecting in cell nuclear extracts mutations that arise in DNA during its replication due to misincorporation of deoxyadenosine-5’-monophosphate (dAMP) opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG). The method is based on the synthesis of a complementary chain (“mirror”) by nuclear extracts of different mice organs on a template containing 8-oxoG inside and dideoxycytidine residue (ddC) at the 3’-end. The “mirror”was amplified by PCR using primers part of which was non-complementary to the template. It allowed obtaining the “framed mirror” products. The misincorporation of dAMP in “framed mirror” products forms an EcoRI restriction site. The restriction analysis of double-stranded “framed mirror” products allows a quantification of the mutation frequency in nuclear extracts. The data obtained showed that the mutagenic potential of 8-oxoG markedly varied in different organs of adult mice and embryos.

Almost fifty years after the introduction of antibiotics as an antimicrobial agent, we are facing an increasing number of multi-resistant microbials. The search for new antimicrobial compounds emerged as a promising alternative to treatments for diseases caused by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. Thus, endophytic fungi are gaining recognition for their varied metabolites that may possess antimicrobial properties. In our research, we isolated, from Calea pinnatifida, six endophytic fungi identified as Colletotrichum siamense, Colletotrichum karstii, Hypomontagnella barbarensis, Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, Nigrospora sacchari-officinarum and Annulohypoxylon moriforme. Analyses of microbial secondary metabolites by utilizing UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS/MS in conjunction with molecular networking, allowed the annotation of 9 compounds, 5 of them from GNPS spectral library match, and 4 from prediction-based on the molecular network, and allowed the isolation of two pairs of Acyl-tetronic acid derivatives distereoisomeric identified by NMR spectrum. In this sense, the present study underlines the value of endophytic fungi as a reservoir of potentially new antimicrobial agents.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) is receiving a renewed scientific attention due to its electrical properties potentially useful for energy applications (e.g., fabrication of electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors) and unique functional characteristics (e.g., flame retardant, oxygen scavenger, EMI-shielding, etc.). This chemical compound can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in packaging and other technological areas. This very inexpensive chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. The reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to evidence the presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various lengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis have been used respectively to investigate the PA solid-state cis-trans isomerization and thermal stability in air and nitrogen, respectively.

Whey protein was pretreated with multi-frequency ultrasound in mono, dual, and tri-frequency modes. The effect of multi-frequency ultrasound pretreatment on the hardness, chemical forces, and microstructure of acid-induced whey protein gel was investigated. Whey protein gels pretreated with dual and tri-frequency ultrasound showed higher hardness (p3.35 mm) in those samples were resisted to gastric digestion. Moreover, the tri-frequency ultrasound pretreatment of whey protein gel released the least free amino group during gastric digestion. In contrast, whey protein gel with the mono-frequency ultrasound pretreatment released the highest amount of free amino acid group during intestinal digestion. Findings from this study suggested that gel hardness and network density could modulate the digestion behaviors of protein gels.

Bile acids (BA) are classically known as an agent important in lipid absorption and cholesterol metabolism. Nowadays, BAs have been found to be involved in various cellular signaling pathways such as protein kinase cascades, cyclic AMP (cAMP) synthesis and calcium mobilization. In addition, they have also been shown to regulate glucose and energy homeostasis. Bile acids are ligands for several nuclear hormone receptors, including FXR. Recently, muscarinic receptor and TGR5, G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), have been suggested to play a role in bile acid activity which is independent of nuclear hormone receptors. Moreover, BAs have also been studied in other GPCR associated pathways, namely sphingosine-1-posphate and glucagon receptor. Hydrophobic bile acids have been proven to affect heart rate and its contraction. Elevated bile acids are associated with arrhythmias in adults and fetal heart. Altered ratios of primary and secondary bile acid are reported in chronic heart failure patients. Meanwhile in patients with liver cirrhosis, cardiac dysfunction has been strongly linked to the increase of serum bile acid concentrations. In contrast, the most hydrophilic BA known as ursodeoxycholic acid has been found beneficial in improving peripheral blood flow in chronic heart failure patients and protecting heart against reperfusion injury.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a cholestatic liver disease characterized by immune-mediated injury to small bile ducts. Although PBC is an autoimmune disease, the results of traditional immunosuppressive therapy are disappointing. Nearly 40% of PBC patients do not respond to the first-line drug UDCA. Without appropriate intervention, PBC patients would eventually progress to liver cirrhosis and even death. There is an urgent need to develop new therapies. The gut-liver axis emphasizes the interconnection between the gut and the liver, and there is increasing evidence that gut microbiota and bile acids play an important role in cholestatic diseases. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota, imbalance of bile acids, and immune-mediated bile duct injury constitute the triad of pathophysiology in PBC. Understanding the gut microbiota-bile acid network and corresponding immune functions in PBC provides a new perspective for its treatment strategies. Therefore, we summarize the latest advancements in research of gut microbiota and bile acids in PBC and, for the first time, explore the potential of immune factors related to them as novel immunotherapy targets. This article discusses potential therapeutic approaches focusing on regulating gut microbiota, maintaining bile acid homeostasis, their interactions, and related immune factors.

The comorbidity of osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus represents a complex clinical challenge and complicates patient management due to the interplay of overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms. The research aimed to analyze the exacerbation of clinical symptoms and biochemical markers in patients with osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to those with osteoarthritis. We utilized various assessment methods to measure the patient cohorts' inflammation, oxidative stress, and glycemic control. The study also involved the administration of alpha-lipoic acid to patients with comorbid osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus and monitored its effects on joint function, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress levels, and glycemic control. Our findings revealed that the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly intensified osteoarthritis symptoms and altered biochemical markers, including increased inflammation, elevated oxidative stress, and disrupted immunological balance. The treatment with alpha-lipoic acid resulted in improved joint function, reduced inflammation and oxidative stress levels, and better glycemic control. Additionally, it was identified several potential predictors for developing osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus comorbidity. The results underscore the detrimental impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on osteoarthritis and highlight the beneficial effects of alpha-lipoic acid in alleviating some of the adverse consequences associated with this comorbidity. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to comprehensively evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of alpha-lipoic acid and its long-term effects on managing comorbidity of osteoarthritis and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Decidualization of the uterine endometrium is a critical process for embryo implantation in mammals, primarily occurring on gestational day 8 in pregnant mice. However, the interplay between the maternal gut microbiome, metabolism, and the uterus at this specific time point remains poorly understood. This study employed a multi-omics approach to investigate the metabolic, gut microbiome, and transcriptomic changes associated with early pregnancy (gestational day 8 (E8)) in mice. Serum metabolomics revealed a distinct metabolic profile in E8 compared to controls, with differential metabolites primarily enriched in amino acid metabolism pathways. Gut microbial composition showed that E8 mice exhibited higher alpha-diversity and a significant shift of beta-diversity. Specifically, the E8 group displayed a decrease in pathogenic Proteobacteria and an increase in beneficial Bacteroidetes and S24-7 taxa. Transcriptomics identified myriads of distinct gene between E8 and control mice. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in pathways involved in Alanine, Aspartate and Glutamate metabolism, PI3K-Akt signaling, and PPAR signaling pathway. Integrative analysis of the multi-omics data uncovered potential mechanistic relationships among the differential metabolites, gut microbiota, and uterine gene expression changes. Notably, the gene Asns showed strong correlations with specific gut S24-7 and metabolite L-Aspartatic acid, suggesting its potential role in mediating the crosstalk between the maternal environment and embryo development during early pregnancy. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between the maternal metabolome, gut microbiome, and uterine transcriptome in the context of early pregnancy, which may contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of embryo implantation and development.

Kynurenic acid (KYNA), a tryptophan metabolite, is believed to exert neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects in the brain. The study aimed to examine the KYNA’s capacity to modify gene expression and the activity of cellular antioxidant enzymes in specific structures of the sheep brain. Anestrous sheep were infused intracerebroventricularly with two KYNA doses: lower (4×5 μg/60 μL/30 min, KYNA20) and higher (4×25 μg/60 μL/30 min, KYNA100) at 30min intervals. The abundance of superoxide dismutase (SOD2), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx1) mRNA, as well as enzyme activities (µM/µg of protein), were determined in the hypothalamic medial-basal (MBH) and preoptic (POA) areas, and in the hippocampal CA1 field. Both doses of KYNA caused a decrease (P&lt;0.01) in the expression of SOD2 and CAT mRNA in all structures examined compared to the control group (except for CAT in the POA at the KYNA100 dose). Furthermore, lower levels of SOD2 mRNA (P&lt;0.05) and CAT mRNA (P&lt;0.01) were found in the MBH and POA and in the POA and CA, respectively, in sheep administered with the KYNA20 dose. Different stimulatory effects on GPx1 mRNA expression were observed for both doses (P&lt;0.05-P&lt;0.01). KYNA exerted stimulatory, but dose-dependent effects on SOD2, CAT and GPx1 activities (P&lt;0.05-P&lt;0.01) in all brain tissues examined. The results indicate that KYNA may influence the level of oxidative stress in individual brain structures in sheep by modulating the expression of genes and activity of at least SOD2, CAT and GPx1. The present findings also expand the general knowledge about the potential neuroprotective properties of KYNA in the central nervous system.

A multicenter retrospective analysis of 408 patients diagnosed with onychomycosis and attended at three tertiary care Spanish hospitals was conducted to assess the effectiveness and safety of a combined treatment with ciclopirox 8% hydroxypropyl chitosan (CPX 8% HPCH) nail lacquer and oral antifungal agents (terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole). Data were extracted and analyzed using the EHRead® technology based on natural language processing and machine learning and using SNOMED CT terminology. The median age was 51 years with a ratio male: female close to 1. Repeated nail trauma was the most common risk factor (7.1%). More than half of patients (56.6%) underwent fungal culture. Terbinafine was used in 67.7% of patients, itraconazole in 20.8%, and fluconazole in 11.5%. Treatment synchronicity distribution revealed that 59.1% of patients started concomitant treatment with CPX 8% HPCH and oral antifungals, 27.9% had initial oral antifungals, and 13% had initial nail lacquer. The response to treatment (positive response 15.7%, presumed positive 59.8%) was unrelated to treatment synchronicity or type of antifungal agent. Erythema (5.6%), diarrhea (4.9%) and fever (4.2%) were the most frequently registered potential adverse events. The present findings provide valuable insights for physicians paving the way for better management of patients with onychomycosis.

Research on retinoid-based cancer prevention, spurred by the effects of vitamin A deficiency on gastric cancer and subsequent clinical studies on digestive tract cancer, unveils novel avenues for chemoprevention. Acyclic retinoids like 4,5-didehydrogeranylgeranoic acid (4,5-didehydroGGA) emerged as potent agents against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), distinct from natural retinoids such as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Mechanistic studies reveal GGA's unique induction of pyroptosis, a rapid cell death pathway, in HCC cells. GGA triggers mitochondrial superoxide hyperproduction and ER stress responses through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling and modulates autophagy, ultimately activating pyroptotic cell death in HCC cells. Unlike ATRA-induced apoptosis, GGA and palmitic acid (PA) induce pyroptosis, underscoring their distinct mechanisms. While all three fatty acids evoke mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress responses, GGA and PA inhibit autophagy, leading to incomplete autophagic responses and pyroptosis, whereas ATRA promotes autophagic flux. In vivo experiments demonstrate GGA's potential as an anti-oncometabolite, inducing cell death selectively in tumor cells and thus suppressing liver cancer development. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying GGA's anti-HCC effects and underscores its promising role in cancer prevention, highlighting its importance in HCC prevention.

This study presented a novel and sustainable method for producing chitin nanocrystals (PA-ChNCs) using phosphoric acid hydrolysis. The produced PA-ChNCs were used as stabilizers for Pickering emulsions and their physicochemical properties as well as stabilization mechanisms were systematically investigated. The PA-ChNCs exhibited small particle sizes and high surface areas, enabling an effective adsorption at the oil/water interface, which prevented coalescence in Pickering emulsions. The particle size and surface charge PA-ChNCs were strongly pH-dependent, which were critical factors for stabilizing Pickering emulsions. The study showed that emulsions with higher O:W ratios (50%) exhibited larger droplets but greater viscosity, forming a stable gel-like matrix that was more stable than emulsions with other O:W ratios after storage for 30 days. Emulsions with higher PA-ChNCs concentrations (2.0 wt%) and higher pH values (pH 10) showed small droplets and high viscosity, leading to stable emulsions. This research contributes to the development of sustainable and effective emulsifiers for use in the food industry, making utilization of seafood waste in an eco-friendly manner possible. Overall, this study highlights the potential of using newly developed PA-ChNCs as stabilizers for Pickering emulsions in food products.

p-Toluenesulfonic acid is commercially available, non-toxic, cheap organic compound with robust stability. p-Toluenesulfonic acid is solid, non-corrosive and a strong organic acid that can be handled easily. Due to this p-toluenesulfonic acid could be the better replacement of other conventional acids like nitric acid, sulfuric acid, perchloric acid and AlCl3 in organic transformations. Moreover, p-toluenesulfonic acid could be used synergistically with other mode of catalysis like transition metal catalysis and photocatalysis. In recent years, the use of this solid organic acid in organic and polymer synthesis has grown tremendously. In this review, we present an overview of p-toluenesulfonic acid promoted various organic reactions with particular emphasis to the more recently reported methods. In some cases, we also detailed the understanding of the reactions by providing the reaction mechanism. Despite these advances, there are still many opportunities for the development of new reactions using PTSA. Industry and academia have become more conscious to adopt sustainable chemical processes using safer reagents and solvents and the use of PTSA in this context is highly significant. This review will inspire researchers for further reaction development employing p-toluenesulfonic acid.

A prominent class of reactions, reductive aminations are used extensively in research labs and industry to synthesize amines; which are applied in a variety of medicines, agrochemicals, and biomolecules. Amine compounds are essential in many aspects of life; amino groups exist in many natural and agricultural products. New 4-(benzylamino)benzoic acid derivatives with general formula of C14H12NO2R, where [R= (H), (4-Cl), (4-NMe), (4-Br), (3-NO2), (4-NO2), (2-OMe), (3-OMe), (4-OMe), (2,3-OMe), (3,4-OMe), (2-OH, 3-OMe), (3-OMe, 4-OH), (3,5-OMe, 4-OH), (2-OH, 5-Br), (3-OH), (4-SMe), (2,3-OH), (3-CF3)] (compounds 1-19) were obtained by reductive amination reaction via reacting p-amino benzoic acid with benzaldehyde derivatives and sodium borohydride. All prepared compounds has been characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques (HRMS, FT-IR, 1H, and 13C{1H} NMR) and elemental analysis. Furthermore, the structure of some of the synthesized derivatives were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction (R = 4-Cl, 4-Br, 2-OMe, 3-OMe, 4-OMe, 2,3-OMe), compounds 2, 4, 7-9 and 11, respectively. Moreover, some of these new compounds have shown somehow moderate antibacterial activities against different strains of bacteria (gram-positive and gram-negative) with MIC values ranging from 64-256 µg/ mL. The anticancer activities of all compounds (IC50 values, µM) were evaluated against different cell lines, HGF (Fibroblasts; normal cell line), A549 (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer cell line) and H69 (Small Cell Lung Cancer cell line). Compound 18 showed a considerable IC50 value of 90.69 against A549 and an excellent value of 32.22 and H69, respectively.

In sustainable floriculture, the integration of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and salicylic acid (SA) in the cultivation of statice flowers presents a promising ecofriendly approach to enhancing crop health and productivity. AMF improve nutrient uptake, particularly phosphorus, in plants, leading to stronger growth and abundant flowering while reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. Additionally, AMF enhance soil structure and water retention, fostering robust root systems and increasing the plant's resilience to drought and soil-borne pathogens thus improving soil health and minimizing environmental impact. Complementarily, the application of salicylic acid boosts the plant’s innate defense mechanisms, elevating its resistance to diseases, enhancing stress tolerance, helping statice flowers withstand adverse conditions such as drought and salinity, and promotes vigorous root development for better nutrient absorption. Hence, this study evaluates the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid treatment on ornamental statice (Limonium sinuatum [L.] Mill.) cv. Qis White. The investigation involves two primary factors: mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid concentration. For mycorrhizal inoculation, the study compares the untreated control with treatments including Glomus mossae, Gigaspora margarita, and a mixture of both fungi (applied as basal during transplanting). For salicylic acid, the study assesses the untreated control alongside treatments with Salicylic Acid at 100 mg L-1, 150 mg L-1, and 200 mg L-1 (applied as foliar spray at 45 and 90 days after transplanting) in a factorial RCBD experiment with three replications. Growth, flowering, yield and biomass parameters were assessed in this study. The results indicated that statice plants benefited from mycorrhizal inoculation, particularly with Glomus mosseae, when paired with salicylic acid @ 200 mg L-1. This was further validated by principal component analysis. AMF inoculated plants showed improved growth, and superior flower qualities compared to non-inoculated plants. Additionally, the application of salicylic acid demonstrated positive effects across various parameters. Notably mycorrhization led to a delay of 4 to 9 days in the flowering time of statice. In conclusion, mycorrhizal inoculation and salicylic acid can enhance the growth and flowering attributes of statice by choosing the appropriate mycorrhizal inoculum and optimal salicylic acid concentrations. In the future they can contribute to more sustainable and productive statice cultivation by reducing the need for chemical inputs and supporting overall plant health.

Background: Deoxycholic acid (DCA) is a secondary bile acid produced by gut bacteria. Its serum concentration increases in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that DCA may affect hemodynamic parameters in rats. Methods: The concentration of DCA in systemic blood was measured with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and echocardiographic parameters were evaluated in anesthetized, male, 3-4-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats administered intravenously (IV) or intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with investigated compounds. Mesenteric artery (MA) reactivity was tested ex vivo. Results: The baseline plasma concentration of DCA was 0.24 ± 0.03 mg/l. The oral antibiotic treatment produced a large decrease in the concentration. Administered IV, the compound increased BP and HR in a dose-dependent manner. DCA also increased heart contractility and cardiac output. None of the tested compounds: prazosin (an alpha-blocker), propranolol (beta-adrenolytic), atropine (muscarinic receptor antagonist), glibenclamide (K-ATP inhibitor) or DY 268 (FXR antagonist), glycyrrhetinic acid (11HSD2 inhibitor) significantly diminished the DCA-induced pressor effect. ICV infusion did not exert significant HR or BP changes. DCA relaxed MAs. Systemic vascular resistance did not change significantly. Conclusions: DCA increases BP by increasing cardiac output. As a bioactive gut bacteria-derived metabolite, DCA may co the interaction between gut microbiota and the host’s circulatory system.

We present synthetic experiments of lactic acid (LA) polycondensation to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA), as well as kinetic modeling calculations that capture the polymer molecular weight increase with time, given the initial concentrations. Tin-octoate-catalyzed polycondensation of (D,L)- or L-lactic acid, was carried out in pre-dried toluene after azeotropic dehydration for 48-120 hours at 130-137 °C. The polymerization was optimized by varying lactic acid and catalyst concentrations as well as the temperature. Gel Permeation Chromatography was used to experimentally follow the evolution of molecular weights and the products were characterized by NMR, TGA, DSC and IR. Under optimal conditions, PLLA with weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 161 kDa could be obtained. The rate equations that describe polycondensation kinetics were recast in a condensed form that allowed very fast numerical solution and calculation of the number-average molecular weight with time. Deviations with respect to the experiment were minimized in a least-squares fashion, to determine rate constants. The optimized kinetics parameters are shown to reproduce the experimental data accurately

Background: Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are a major public health concern due to their high incidence and potential for complications. Pharmacists often serve as the first point of contact for patients with URTIs. This study aims to develop and evaluate the RESP-8 tool to assist pharmacists in determining the need for medical evaluation. Methods: This prospective interventional cohort study was conducted over six months (October 2023 to March 2024) in community pharmacies. Participants included adults aged 18 years and older presenting with URTI symptoms. Pharmacists used the RESP-8 tool, which comprises eight criteria to assess the need for medical referral. Data on medical history, symptom duration, and progression were recorded. The primary outcome was the feasibility of implementing the RESP-8 tool. Secondary outcomes included the accuracy of the tool, the percentage of patients recommended for medical evaluation, and compliance with these recommendations. Results: A total of 64 participants were included, with an average age of 55.7 years. Pharmacists recommended medical evaluation for 75% (48/64) of patients using the RESP-8 tool. Among these, 70.83% (34/48) complied with the recommendation. The tool demonstrated high accuracy in identifying patients needing further medical evaluation, with only two noted errors. All compliant patients received appropriate treatment without complications. The tool was easy to implement, taking less than 5 minutes per patient. Discussion: The RESP-8 tool effectively guided pharmacists in recommending medical evaluations for URTI patients. The high compliance rate indicates patient trust in pharmacists' guidance. While the study's small sample size limits generalizability, the results are promising. Future studies with larger populations are necessary to validate these findings and further refine the tool. Conclusion: The RESP-8 tool shows potential in enhancing pharmacists' ability to make informed decisions about medical referrals for URTIs, ultimately improving patient outcomes and optimizing healthcare resource management.